Hi, Amy – I’m not sure if you’ll get this because you wrote your message 3+ years ago. I could’ve written it myself! You and I are in the exact same boat and I have never read anybody else’s situation and had it be as similar to mine. I am also a runner, long distance, and discovered recently that the only thing that allowed me to do well after eight or 10 miles was if I restricted my diet to the MOST bland of the low FOD map and gluten-free foods hard-core for about four days prior to a race and I would do a big clean out with a prescribed laxative, the kind they use for colonoscopies, the night before or two nights before the big run. That was such a wonderful discovery because it allowed me to run long distances and not have any problems. I haven’t done it for a little while and I think it’s causing problems. I think I need to do a clean out every couple weeks just to feel good, but I’m not sure if there’s any harm in that. I am on Motegrity for my constipation which seems to be helping but I still have so much gas and discomfort! I also have SIBO and have had to do several rounds of antibiotics. I am on a low FOD map diet pretty much all the time, avoid garlic, onions, and artichokes like my life depends on it, I’ve been gluten-free for the past eight years, and am mostly dairy free but have cheddar cheese a couple times a week. I’m starting to think I might have to give that up as well. My one and only really big vice is red wine. I drink it every day, and usually two glasses or more. I’ve never read anything about that affecting my IBS but I have to think it might. I try to drink a bunch of water to compensate, especially when I’m training. I can’t even consider something like fiber pills. Metamucil made me feel like I was dying. I am trying to figure out if I could do a hysterectomy, which is warranted for other reasons, and if that would help my colon issues. I literally dream of having part of my colon removed because I’m so tired of dealing with it on a daily basis. It’s nice to know that other people are suffering the same way I am; that sounds cruel I know, but it is true that misery loves company and I hate feeling like the only food-deprived, utterly uncomfortable, bloated and gassy freak that I feel like most of the time. I hope your issues have gotten better in the past few years and would love to know any tips that you have discovered if so. Thanks!
-Elizabeth