FODMAP diet, how long 'til results?

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Hey everyone! I haven't been around a whole lot because I have been really down about this whole tummy thing. 18 months now of fighting to get help and get the tests I need :( What it seems to come down to is IBS. Biopsies from the scope have come back negative for any kind of IBD. So I am guessing that is a good thing :)

My gastro doc has put me in the low FODMAP diet. Been doing this for 4.5 weeks and symptoms aren't changing. Still hurt everyday, stools still loose :( How long until I will see results? Just sick of dealing with this crap (pun totally intended :D) Thanks in advance!
 
I was told after 4-6 weeks by a dietician at a conference. I suspect if you haven't noticed any different by now it might not be working for you. Or there is a hidden food trigger maybe?
 
I don't think there is :( My diet is actually pretty bland now, which sucks because I love my spices, and onion and garlic. I'm honestly getting down to my last bit of sanity. I just don't know what to do anymore :(
 
I don't think there is :( My diet is actually pretty bland now, which sucks because I love my spices, and onion and garlic. I'm honestly getting down to my last bit of sanity. I just don't know what to do anymore :(

I'm sorry I can't offer much advice about diet. Bland, low fibre tended to help me most with diarrhoea, but I know it's not an exciting diet and sometimes even that doesn't seem to help much. A doctor recommended FODMAP to me at one point but I didn't try it as I felt I'd tried and failed at enough restrictive diets. What I did want to add though is that one benefit of getting an IBS diagnosis (and I know, having been misdiagnosed with it myself for a long time, that it's a very frustrating diagnosis to be given) is that doctors may be willing to try more things than they would before they'd ruled out IBD. It may sound counterintuitive, but have you tried adding more fibre or a fibre supplement? They're generally not advised for IBD as fibre irritates inflammation, but if your scopes were clear of inflammation and your diarrhoea is functional (i.e. the bowel is working abnormally but the bowel tissue itself is healthy), fibre can add bulk to the stool and help normalise its consistency, especially soluble fibre.

Have a look at this site: http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/diarrhea-diet-facts-about-fiber

I'm sorry if I'm just repeating stuff you're already heard, and I should warn you that fibre may worsen your symptoms, so if you do try it, try it when you don't have anything planned for the next few days.

Also doctors may be more willing to prescribe certain medications now they've ruled out IBD. I saw you've joined the amitriptyline support group; have you tried any other anti-diarrhoea meds, painkillers or antispasmodics? I can tell you about a few things you could ask your doctors about and/or buy over-the-counter - just say if you'd like suggestions.

Finally, I think sometimes it can be helpful to just forget the whole diet thing, at least temporarily. It's not your fault you're sick: sometimes we just can't fix, maybe not even help, our symptoms by changing our diets. Getting symptoms doesn't necessarily mean you've done something wrong or eaten something you shouldn't. I think a lot of different digestive disorders get labelled IBS, but if you've been through quite a lot of tests, it's probably safe to say that whatever you do have is unlikely to pose an immediate serious threat, like a blockage, and I assume they ruled out the obvious food-related conditions like coeliac and lactose intolerance. So if you want to give your mind a break for a while, and eat the things you enjoy, I think sometimes that can be very beneficial. Don't go completely overboard, obviously, but even if it does prove a disaster, at least you'll know afterwards that eating bland food does pay off! Just something to keep in mind if stressing over food is proving more trouble than it's worth.
 
There was inflammation found in my terminal ileum, but biopsies have shown nothing. I am at almost 6 weeks of the diet. There has been absolutely no change in my bathroom habits. Going 4-5 times in a day still. Still mucus, sometimes blood too I think (can smell the copperiness). I am just so done with this. being sick for almost 2 years :(

I have tried to increase fibre which just causes me too much pain, and makes no difference.

I have tried Buscopan, immodium, dicetel, omeperzol (sp?) and none has helped. I don't see my GI again until Feb 24 :(
 
There was inflammation found in my terminal ileum, but biopsies have shown nothing. I am at almost 6 weeks of the diet. There has been absolutely no change in my bathroom habits. Going 4-5 times in a day still. Still mucus, sometimes blood too I think (can smell the copperiness). I am just so done with this. being sick for almost 2 years :(

I have tried to increase fibre which just causes me too much pain, and makes no difference.

I have tried Buscopan, immodium, dicetel, omeperzol (sp?) and none has helped. I don't see my GI again until Feb 24 :(

Other possible meds you may not have tried:

Codeine (a painkiller that doesn't irritate the stomach like NSAIDs and aspirin do, and can be very effective at treating diarrhoea, though is addictive if used regularly).

Co-phenotrope (brand name Lomotil - very effective at treating diarrhoea, stronger than Imodium and hardly any side effects, very safe even at high doses and used over long periods of time).

Also Imodium is safe at very high doses, if you've only tried the recommended dosage, it may work if you increase.
 
Not even codeine works to solidify my bowels (It's what I take for pain). I stay away from nsaids since my doctor said that it could make things worse. I have had to cut down on the codeine (was taking almost 100 pills a month) because I didn't want to kill my liver either :( I will look into the co-phenotrope and ask my doctor about it :)
 
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