Glad I found this support group
Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm Thyme. I'll be 21 next month, and I've been trying to get through IBS symptoms when going to the doctor hasn't been very helpful. This hasn't been easy to talk about, so I'm glad I can talk to people who understand how it feels. I do not have a formal diagnosis of IBS, but I've been experiencing just about every symptom of it for about 4 or 5 years now, and to say it is difficult is an understatement. Until I've tried a few low FODMAP recipes recently, I could not enjoy food because I would either get constipated over time or diarrhea immediately. It doesn't seem to be caused by stress though stress can trigger it, and I notice it's caused by a lot of the food I eat with my family, so I've resorted to making my own food lately. I have gone to a GI and I got a blood test, which only revealed I had low iron, and referred to pelvic floor therapy which got too expensive over time (and can be done at home) while told to drink Metamucil and miralax to help with the constipation. I was essentially told I COULD have IBS and they didn't diagnose me and just sent me to treatments. Those do help, but I notice the biggest difference when I take those while also eating my own food instead of what my family eats. That sounds simple in itself, but my family is Italian tends to make high carb, high acid, or processed foods because my little siblings are very picky and my father only likes Italian food , and thinks the food I eat is gross. Though he says he's joking it doesn't help I have a few safe foods like yogurt, applesauce, grits, and mushrooms as well as spinach and rice. Less carbs options seem to work best for me as well such as corn or almond flour when I make grains, though I can tolerate wheat, but not pasta or sauce (though surprisingly I'm immune to garlic). I know I'm saying a lot right here, but I'm just so glad to be around people who know what it's like and try to understand and support each other. This is the first place I feel heard, and I'm very glad I came across this site. Thank you!
I was essentially told I have a plumbing problem where I'm constipated until my stomach fills with bacteria until I have diarrhea, but that doesn't explain all the foods that trigger me immediately, and at this point after years of going through this, I'm pretty sure I likely have IBS.
We're so glad to have you here! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I've just been reading all your comments and it's so tough to not be heard by doctors and get comments about the food you're eating just to try and avoid horrible symptoms. I can relate so much. 🙁 Since you're saying that Italian food is a problem for you, could you possibly be sensitive to gluten? This happened to me and it took me so long to realize. I was even tested for Celiac disease and it came back negative, and yet I still can't have it. Tomato sauce is another big trigger of mine, so Italian food is basically impossible for me to eat.
Have you had stool tests done to rule out infections? Have you had tests to rule out intolerances or allergies? Big hugs, Karina (team member)
Thank you 🫂 It means a lot to me. Gluten thankfully isn't a problem for me nor is dairy. I grew up eating wheat bread and drinking milk so it's really the high carbs that start to mess with my bowels, though since I've taken a break from milk, I seem to tolerate less of it in high amounts. I hate tomato sauce, homemade or store bought, though i can tolerate small amounts of it on pizza. Yogurt has been wonderful for me though. I'm learning how to cook more of the foods that I like so I don't have to eat what my family eats (they mostly accommodate to my unreasonably picky little siblings. While they're severely autistic and need routines, they have no food sensitivities whatsoever, and simply straight up refuse any foods other than Italian or fast food. My mom gives them what they want so they don't scream at her all day every day and is unfortunately pre-diabetic thanks to being exhausted into eating their unhealthy diet). Thank goodness I'm also Japanese, so the food is generally much nicer to me, all kinds of rice 🍚 and rice noodles 🍜 , yummy fish, and vegetables that are cooked to taste delicious. So far I've been following whatever easy IBS recipe I could find online, and am growing fond of baby Bella mushrooms (not very sensitive to fungi either) and spinach. 😋 I may not be a normal Italian, but I've always been closer to my Asian culture anyway ☺️
It seems to be high carbs and acid that triggers me the most
That's great that you're doing ok with gluten and dairy! Japanese food is wonderful for my IBS as well, it's one of the only types of restaurant I can still enjoy. That must be hard with your autistic siblings. 🙁 But I agree that you also deserve to feel good! Have you seen our collection of recipes here: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/recipes? Of course, diet is very individual so not everything will work for you, but it's always nice to see recipes for inspiration. I hope this helps. All the best, Karina (team member)
