About Triggers
#278376 - 08/15/06 09:44 AM
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My Gasteroenterologist discussed triggers, treatments and he guided me to expolore the internet. I also consulted with a dietition. Neither said TRIGGERS are the same for every patient and that my specific triggers will best be found by careful trial when my IBS/PCS is not acute.
I get the feeling as I read these posts that most of the eating advice and recipes on this forum assume there is a common set of triggers for everyone.
Is this your finding?
Germanicus
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It is true that certain triggers are different for some. One of the common triggers is carbonated drinks. For me personally, as long as it's sprite, I can drink it, but anything with caffine will give me a problem. Some people have problems with fructose type things but again, so far that hasn't been an issue for me.. But this site is really the best possible site I have found so far at figuring out different triggers and things that should be completly avoided.. Just check out the eatting for ibs guidelines and you'll be ok...
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I think there are certain triggers that are common to most of us:
Dairy
Beef/Pork
High Fat Foods
Then there are others that seem to bother some and not others like high fructose corn syrup (I avoid it as a main ingredient in foods but it honestly doesn't seem to affect me the way it does many others on the board). I see recipes using spaghetti sauce and it absolutely kills me - I love the taste but I'm in agony for a day or two if I eat it.
I kept a journal for three years which helped a lot in figuring out what caused the most problems for me. I think I basically have it worked out so when I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago I didn't log every morsel down for the first time in long time. I only got a few tummy aches but overall I did well. (I don't think the journal would have changed that). The journal was incredibly helpful to me - especially at the beginning. I kept track of fat grams consumed keeping them between 30-40 grams of day (spread throughout the day) I think that probably helped the most.
Good luck,
Leigh
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Definitely read the Eating for IBS guidelines to start. That gives you the basic about the things you should completely avoid...like red meat, dairy, and egg yolks. And it also lists the safest and not so safe foods. Other than that it is unfortunately a lot of trial and error. Everyone is a little different. It has taken me years to figure out some of my triggers. Some of the major ones for me are soy, MSG, nuts, tomatoes, corn (cooked and popped), and anything high in fat. I'm still trying to figure out if oats bother me. Start with the basics and then start experimenting. And whether you're C or D will make a difference too. If you're D you'll probably need a little more SF, if you're C you'll need and be able to tolerate more IF in your diet.
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~Mary
Had surgery for rectal prolapse in Sept. '06 and feeling good now! Loving life with our IVF miracle #1.
 
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How did you know which food caused the problem if you don't have immediate reaction. We eat so much in a day.
I've tried a food journal, but saw no pattern to it.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Personally the way I figured things out was if I ate say a supper meal and had.. (example) Spagetti with a hint of margerine, salt and pepper, with a rice crispy square for desert and within three hours or so, I would be violently ill. So the next night I would try the same meal but with out the rice crispy square and if I still got sick, I would try eatting just toast the next day, and again if i got sick then I would know it was the margerine that I was putting on things.. Or I would try the spagetti noodles without anything on it at all, and if i got sick then it was the noodles... Lots of trial and error..
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Hi Mary -
I was hoping you have some advice for me. My husband is IBS-C and seems to have many of the same triggers you do. He can't eat wheat, dairy, soy, tomatoes, MSG, etc. He's not very good about getting meals together for himself. Any advice for favorite meals or snacks? I think he needs more insoluable fiber, but that seems a little harder to achieve when you can't eat wheat.
Shannon
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Shannon,
I don't know if I'll be a lot of help since I do eat wheat. If you're goal is to get plenty of IF to help with C, then you're in luck...it's easier for your tummy to handle IF in th form of fruits and veggies. Most of my meals tend to consist of fruits, veggies, and lean protein. I do eat cereal (usually w/ wheat in it) w/ rice milk for breakfast. But there are lots of cereals w/o wheat. And sometimes I sprinkle ground flax seed on. I have no idea if that has wheat or not, but I don't think so. It does help w/ C. You can use that in/on any kind of food really. I put it in applesauce sometimes. You can put it in baked goods. So, he could try a rice cereal w/ flax seed added. I eat lots of salads (usually spinach as the base) w/ lots of veggies...a mix of SF and IF(carrots, zucchini, asparagus, beets, peas, green beans, squash). I sometimes add beans (garbanzo, kidney, pinto) or turkey or chicken. I do add some croutons...again wheat, but you could make your own bread that doesn't have wheat and make croutons out of it. I make my own croutons a lot because boughten ones add lots of stuff...like MSG. I eat fruit for my bedtime snack most days. Lately I've been eating a lot of blueberries, peaches, raisins, and applesauce. I would say try to base the meals on veggies or fruit for the IF, then use rice products for the starchy stuff...if you want that. You can make a lot of different things with rice or potatoes if he can eat those. Sorry if I am rambling a bit. Does that make sense...lots of fruits and veggies to get IF...rice products...or other non-wheat grains he can tolerate if he wants breads/pastas. You should check out a health food store for non-wheat stuff. I'm sure there is a good selection. HTH. Feel free to ask more questions.
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~Mary
Had surgery for rectal prolapse in Sept. '06 and feeling good now! Loving life with our IVF miracle #1.
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I am IBS-D.
I have known about MSG and all related glutamate problems since 1985.
Then I had the gall bladder surgery in 2003. At the consultation before surgery the doc told me that there might be some foods that I have eaten all my life my cause problems.
Now I have a new set of triggers to find.
Beef evcuates me in less than 15 minutes! I had eaten it all my life. Even red jello hits me hard--gelatin is a beef protein. I think all red-dyes also are a huge trigger.(Some red dyes are made from carrageen a seaweed (MSG's primary source is a seaweed so is that the link??)
When all is under control I can eat lamb. Lean Pork seems OK more than lamb.
I just downloaded a diary from another site and will try to keep it.
MSG causes me to feel bloated than I have "D" all the next day until I have eliminated all of it. If I use Immodium to stop it immediately it starts up again when the immodium wears off so I prefer to let my body just get rid of the problem before using Immodium.
I can do that most of the time because I have some physical problems hindering my working any more.
G
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There are repeatedly common triggers but everyone is different on the whole. Heather's diet suggests avoiding the common triggers and foods which are proven to be hard to digest . After avoiding those foods until stable, a person can then reintroduce foods to see if they can tolerate them. Most foods can be tolerated in small amounts. By avoiding the foods here listed as triggers from the start a person doesn't have to go through so much work. I wracked my brain trying to figure out what caused my problems for years. I documented what I ate but could not discover any patterns. Then I avoided the common triggers and figured things out. I have discovered IF is not a big problem for me but other things are and I know a lot of people who tell me what they ate and how they felt and IF had done the damage (when they don't even know what it is).
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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