IB
I’ve been diagnosed with functional dyspepsia by the Gastroenterologist. He says it’s very similar to IBS but IBS of the stomach instead of the intestines.
Basically I have a problem with belching, fullness, discomfort after I eat a meal, especially a large meal. And the 6pm meal is always the most troublesome. The pain is generally relived by a burp. I don’t have diarrhoea or constipation at all with it.
This whole problem began in May 2018 and it coincided precisely with me going off Sertraline, even though I had tapered meticulously. I’m still convinced it was withdrawing from the Sertaline that cause it. I was thrust into the worst panic, anxiety and Depression along with the gastrointestinal pains. Prior to that I had not one single thing wrong with my stomach, I could have polished of any size of meal, large or small, spicy or not. Anything basically, so it’s soul destroying to have ended up with a condition I never had in my life before. I personally won’t touch another antidepressant as long as I live.
I’m trying to follow a low FODMAP diet but I’m finding it soul destroying. I was eating loads of oatmeal in the morning because I thought it was ok but I’ve just found out that over a certain size of serving, it too is considered high FODMAP. Ridiculous. I wonder would it be worth experimenting with a zero carb diet (ie Carnivore Diet) as FODMAPs are entirely all Carbs so in theory eliminating carbs should eliminate the problems?
What about fasting, I’ve heard it can benefit digestive problems? Have any of you any experiences with that?
I'm so sorry that you're suffering from this.
Regarding your questions about the Low FODMAP diet, it's not as much about following a specific diet and more of a guideline to find out what triggers your personal symptoms. High FODMAP foods cause problems for many people with IBS, but not all. Similarly, you could have triggers that aren't high FODMAP at all (I know I do!).
Here's an article summarizing the Low FODMAP diet if you're interested: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/ibs-diet
Maybe you could try keeping a food diary to figure out what foods might be causing your symptoms? For example, if you find that having larger quantities of oatmeal in the morning doesn't cause any problems, there's no reason to stop. Other factors like portion sizes in general, stress levels, lack of sleep, etc can be triggers as well.
As for fasting, this helps me a lot whenever my IBS flares up. I then usually eat something easy to digest (like white rice) once I'm feeling better. However, I personally haven't found that it improves symptoms in the long run, just while I'm not eating.
Sending hugs, Karina (team member)Thank you so much for the reply Karina. I honestly cannot fathom how I went from a person who could polish off a 4 course meal to a person, suddenly in their late 30s who found eating one plate of dinner a problem. It’s mind boggling that one major depressive/severe anxiety period can permanently change your stomach/bowel functioning.
Large portion size does seem to be a major problem for me now. This isn’t easy, because as fella, you don’t want to be be seen to losing too much mass..but at the same time I have no real appetite most of the time now and just eat because I don’t want to lose any weight.
Onions, especially raw ones do seem to cause me awful problems and garlic also…I think. And these two are particularly high in FODMAPS and the worst offenders apparently.
I’m willing to experiment with the carnivore diet. As I alluded to previously, removing carbs completely from diet should reduce symptoms greatly as FODMAPs are all Carbs.
In relation to Probiotics, I don’t think they do damn all tbh. I’ve tried Kefir & Kombucha and they might possibly aggravate my symptoms and I do note that they’re not recommend on FODMAP diet.I feel you. My IBS started during a very stressful period as well and anxiety remains my biggest trigger.
Regarding your diet, there is a general consensus that not all grains are high in FODMAPs, so you could also start by replacing wheat products with rice, corn, or potato, for example, and see if that helps. However, if you end up trying the carnivore diet, let us know how it goes!
As for probiotics, I do find that they help with the severity of my symptoms and general discomfort (in tablet form, I could never have kefir). Not all probiotics are created equal though, so I would talk to a doctor to find out which cultures might benefit you if you're interested in trying.
Wishing you a symptom-free day today, Karina (team member)
I have noticed a massive improvement in my symptoms since I started a probiotic called Biokult four days ago. Little to no bloating, even after a high FODMAP meal. It’s not a placebo effect either because I’ve tried many different probiotic foods and supplements from Kefir to Kombucha and different probiotic tablets and they never done a tap.
Honestly I can’t believe the difference they’ve made. Seem to be back to the person who could tolerate any food or any size of meal going. Time will tell whether I have to keep taking them permanently or if I can stop them when I’ve built up enough good bacteria in my gut.
Over the moon I am.
Great news! Thank you for sharing your personal experience. I'd encourage others here who may be interested, to speak with their doctor before adding in anything to their regimen. So glad to hear that you are finding relief. Wishing you the best, Kelly, Irritablebowelsyndrome.net Team member
Im very disconsolate about my situation. About a week after I started the probiotic, it lost its affect and I didn’t derive any benefit from it anymore. I dunno what the hell to do, I’m due to see a Dietician shortly but I dunno if it will benefit me at all. It’s almost as if my condition can’t even be treated never mind cured. It doesn’t seem to matter what I eat, it’s so random and sporadic the bloating/belching. I’ve no quality of life from it and can’t even work because of it. It majorly affects my mood or perhaps my mood affects it, I dunno. It’s a chicken and egg scenario.
I really resent the fact that antidepressants are mentioned as a treatment option on this website for IBS because I believe it was the withdrawal from Sertraline that initiated by Gut problems together with a other legacy effects in my body eg*Ocular effects. I’d really like to know if anybody else on here has experienced gut problems specifically after coming off SSRIs?
I'm so sorry that the probiotic stopped working for me. Please don't lose hope and continue working with your dietitian or other professionals, they might find other treatment options that help with your symptoms! As for the antidepressants, I've personally never taken them, but I know that my IBS was triggered during a very stressful time in my life and it has stuck around since then. It can be caused by so many things. I've seen that you opened a thread specifically on the topic of SSRIs and I hope that other community members will share their experiences with you!
Sending positive thoughts, Karina (team member)
