Does too much bran or fibre cause pain and diarrhea?

[Danico85]

Hi there

Ive been trying to eat healthy over the past few weeks and yesterday i bought bran flakes for the first time because i heard they were low in fat etc.
Anyway, i had a bowl for my breakfast and i could sort of hear my stomach rumble for a bit. then i had cream of chicken soup with brown wholemeal bread for lunch and a beef stirfry for dinner.

I got home from work and i was literally on the pan with cramps and bad diarrhea and i think i seen a bit of blood aswell. For the past year ive been pretty much symptom free on a bad diet of junk food, and every time i try eat healthy i get issues with my gut.

Can someone give me some advice. Was it because of the high fibre intake of bran flakes and wholemeal bread that gave me the diarrhea all night lastnight or maybe the chicken soup?

I know there are people in a worse state than me and i feel bad about asking for some advice. But ive been in a good place for a year and lastnight took it right out of me, and i hope its not the start of a flare-up.

Thanks

Nicky

 

[Axelfl3333]

It,ll be the bran flakes I,m more prone to constipation variation and if I have bran to get things moving I,l feel bloated with slight pain for a day ,but it works ,don,t have blood though.
P.s this is only if I haven,t been for a few days

 

[Danico85]

Thanks for the reply Axel

Ive been struggling to sit down today haha

I hope it was just the bran flakes, ive never tried them before so its the only thing i can think of it being. But i also take a stool softner drink called Laxido once a day and i think that is pure fibre but doesnt give me cramps or diarrheah like i had lastnight.

Maybe the bran flakes were just irritating my bowel or something but it was a bit of a wake up call.

Had Cheerios this morning.

Nicky

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Soluble fiber can help regulate you but insoluble fiber is generally not safe for crohns and it's hard to digest. I'd read the labels or call the company if unsure about the soluble vs. Insoluble content.

 

[The Real MC]

Be careful of the creamy soups (and creamy salad dressings) as they usually are made with processed or GMO ingredients. I have had problems with them. Brothy soups have worked fine with me and that's what the hospital fed me. Restaurants - esp the national chains - are also notorious for using processed foods so I try to be selective on menu choices IE avoid meals with lots of cheese or fatty solids. If I make my own meals at home then I am fine.

Bran and fiber is more effective with plenty of liquids. After my last major blockage I was kept clear with a big bowl of Crackling Oat Bran cereal every morning for breakfast. And don't consume too much diuretics as they will dehydrate you and increase the likelihood of a blockage (coffee, tea, etc)

 

[hugh]

Hi there

Ive been trying to eat healthy over the past few weeks and yesterday i bought bran flakes for the first time because i heard they were low in fat etc.

You might want to re-examine your concept of healthy..........
Back in the seventies it was decided on very poor evidence that fat was bad and grain was good,
Look what has happened since..........
You might want to investigate a medium carb version of paleo (No fake foods, no additives, no grains (but paleo carbs and white rice are allowed, no seed oils).

Anyway, i had a bowl for my breakfast and i could sort of hear my stomach rumble for a bit. then i had cream of chicken soup with brown wholemeal bread for lunch and a beef stirfry for dinner. .

There are lots of carbohydrates that are not digested well by everyone and if you can feel it bubbling away then it is possible (if not extremely likely) that it is being fermented by a bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

Can someone give me some advice. Was it because of the high fibre intake of bran flakes and wholemeal bread that gave me I got home from work and i was literally on the pan with cramps and bad diarrhea and i think i seen a bit of blood aswell. For the past year ive been pretty much symptom free on a bad diet of junk food, and every time i try eat healthy i get issues with my gut.the diarrhea all night lastnight or maybe the chicken soup?

my advice........
make yourself comfortable and listen to these podcasts.......
http://blog.paleohacks.com/jordan-reasoner-gut-health/
http://scdlifestyle.com/2012/09/dr-...rt-and-science-of-the-fodmap-diet-podcast-45/

 

[Danico85]

Thanks very much everyone for your good advice. i appreciate it.

I have 1 more question.

After eating tomato soup, is it possible for your stool to become more red than usual? I keep thinking its bloody but im having no other symptom, could this be down to the tomato soup ive been having for lunch the past couple of days?

Thanks

Nicky

 

[Catherine]

Yes, tomato soup can cause red stool

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/otherdiseases/a/redstool.htm

 

[Danico85]

Thanks very much Catherine. Ive stopped eating it so i will see if it has changed colour lol
Examinining stool colour has become a bit of a habit. Hoping not to see any blood.

 

[UnXmas]

I'd never touch bran. Fibre caused me a lot of discomfort and diarrhoea before I had an ileostomy, and now it blocks my stoma. So all the "healthy" stuff - most fruit and veg, whole-grains, nuts and seeds - are bad, or at least they are in anything other than very small quantities. I think bran is particularly high in insoluble fibre, so bran flakes would be a bad idea, and could well have been the cause of your symptoms. The wholemeal bread on the same day, and possibly some of whatever was in the stir fry, probably worsened things too.

Some of us need to remember that what is considered healthy for a person with a normal digestive system is not healthy for people with digestive disease. Your diet of junk food probably was better for your digestive system.

However, even on a low fibre diet, you can still eat low fat, and still get enough fruit and veg (try tinned fruit, some very well cooked veg, bananas, avocados and fruit juice). Stick to white grains - white rice, white bread, etc. There are some breakfast cereals that are low fibre, like cornflakes and rice krispies, which will probably be a lot better for your digestive system than bran or other high fibre cereals like museli.

 

[Danico85]

Hi UnXmas, thanks for your response

Im in a sort of catch 22 because im trying to loose a bit of puppy fat for my holiday in september hence why im trying to eat healthily, but the healthier the food the harder it is to digest.

Its a great advert for IBD - 'Eat junk food to relieve your symptoms' haha

So i will just try and find a happy medium but its not easy

Nicky