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Replies to "I’ve been having worsening digestive issues for about 7 years now. I am a 56 year..."
Try this website:
https://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-diet-chart/
@jack10525 - I'm tagging some other members who may have input on the bloating, burping and gas you're experiencing after meals. They may also have some additional help on understanding the fodmap diet. @zubedude @rashida @sha65 @skim3737 @jackiem95 @mamacita.
I agree with Celia, it sounds very much like you may have SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), particularly methane dominant SIBO. You should ask your GI doctor to have you take the SIBO breath test. As far as the low fodmap diet, I was only able to eat low fodmap for a few days when myother health problems caused me to stop. There's an abundance of information online explaining the diet and also recipe ideas. The number one enemy to digestive symptoms that you're describing is onion and garlic. I would definitely avoid those first and foremost and read up on other options online. Just be aware that SIBO is a relatively newly acknowledged diagnosis so some older GI doctors and those in smaller medical communities may not properly diagnose. That's what happened to me for a few years until I finally went to Mayo Clinic in 2018 and found out what it was. Until then I had been repeatedly told by GI that I had IBS, which actually is not a definitive diagnosis, rather a catch all term when they don't know why your bowels are "irritable". I hope you're able to get some answers!
@jack10525 I have irritable bowel and lactose intolerance but my symptoms have not been as bad as yours - possibly because I avoid milk products and beans of all kinds …? Your problem sounds more like my husband’s was, until he started taking two tablets (chewable) of Beano before snacks and meals. Has made a major improvement on his condition!
Hi! Definitely sounds like SIBO. Get to a GI that can order you a breath test kit like trio smart. You fast then drink lactulose and then breathe in little bags for three hours. It will tell you if you have Sibo. There are three kinds - hydrogen, methane and hydrogen sulfide(?). If positive, you can take XIFAXAN. it is an antibiotic specifically for the small intestine to kill bacteria overgrowth. There are additional treatments based on the type of Sibo. I had hydrogen and took the Xifaxan. It helped but the bad news is that Sibo returns - the meds are a bandaid not a fix. Sibo is like ibs - a symptom. So you have to figure out where it comes from and definitely change your diet. For fodmap - try MONASH there is an app for your phone. I have been trying gluten free, dairy free and definitely stay away from any artificial sugars. Stay away from probiotics and prebiotics they feed Sibo and stop the beans. They turn into sugar and feed the Sibo. And if you don’t have Sibo then I hope you can find out what you do have! Hope this helps. Ps - I could go on. I hate Sibo ! Good luck 🙂
Hi! Sorry to hear. From what I have researched, Probiotics and prebiotics feed bacteria so they will grow more of the beneficial bacteria. With Sibo, the small intestines are the issue. It is an overgrowth of bad bacteria. For Sibo hydrogen dominant, that means an overgrowth of two bacteria specifically - EColi and kerribellum (spelling?). The prebiotics feed these bacteria and they multiply which is not wanted when you have an overgrowth of them. Have you tried fodmap and elimination diet? Hope you are feeling better
Can anyone tell me if aloe vera juice or supplements can be helpful with IBS?
It does sound like you have SIBO. I also have had all of the above symptoms that you had, for many, many years. Last year I had a UTI, which occurred the day before my scheduled colonoscopy. My PCP put me on a course of Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and I had the colonoscopy the following day.
While my symptoms are definitely much better, I still have to follow a low FODMAP diet and have to be careful of my key triggers, like onions & garlic, in addition to other culprits, which include numerous delicious, normally healthy foods. I downloaded the Monash FODMAP App, but you can go onto their site for additional information. I receive their emails with diet tips and recipes that are helpful. Everyone is different which includes different symptoms and foods that they have to avoid. I take Align which has a probiotic in it that it says is helpful for IBS. It is not a miracle that will cure you and it may or may not be helping me. Also, I do now eat a VERY varied diet which includes almost all vegetables but in small quantities with some good success.
I listen to and follow a cardiologist, Dr Pradip Jamnadas on You Tube (located in Orlando, Florida) who mentions inflammation from metabolic dysfunction as the cause of disease. As a cardiologist he often does stool tests on his patients who have similar symptoms in addition to addressing their cardiac issues. He puts his patients on herbal protocols for those who test positive for SIBO. The digestive symptoms abate and he treats whatever cardiac issues they are there for. When necessary, he puts his patients on intermittent fasting.
I also follow Dr. William Li on You Tube, who wrote a two (?) books and a 3rd one is in the works, called Eat to Beat Disease and Eat to Beat Diet. He is a medical doctor, a researcher on various diseases and an excellent teacher. The reason I mention him is b/c he often has very helpful tips on different foods for different conditions.
Good luck, I hope you find success in living a more manageable and satisfying life!
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Have you had test for SIBO?