Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Ideas from another newbie re:question about how to figure out what's triggering things...

Hi Mikeala,
Well,I've only been following H's diet and learning from this board for a month so I'm still a novice but I want to reassure you that you will feel much better if you stick to this diet faithfully. I agree w/ everything in the previous msges but I'd esp encourage you to follow Michele's g'lines.

I found that I had to go thru 3 days of a bland diet twice, during the first week on the diet and then again when I had a major flare-up of my symptoms in the 3rd week. Three days of ONLY oatmeal, french bread, white or brown rice, potatoes and pasta really calmed my gut down well both times. Then after each of these I moved forward carefully, in regards to VERY SLOWLY adding in small amounts of insoluble fiber. After I ahd the flare-up and did the 2nd round of 3day bland diet I added it in even more carefully and slowly!

So, while from what everyone writes here and H says in her 2 bks, we will be able to eat more and more insoluble fiber in "safe" ways, TAKE IT SLOW is my best advice. That's what I'm finding has really helped me to calm down my gut and now, w/ great joy, to start having almost daily BMs over the past 2 weeks, which truly feels like a miracle to me. Believe me, I had C-IBS so badly for more than 25 years that I was ALWAYS constipated and often went for as long as 8-10 days between BMs. I'd long ago given up ever hoping to have regular BMs again so I'm still ecstatic every day just due to this. All my family and close friends have known how much I've suffered these many years and they are both thrilled for me and constantly commenting on how much happier I seem. SO, even though living according to H's way does take alot of time and effort to learn and then do on a daily basis, it's TOTALLY worth it I believe, so hang it there, keep living "H's way" and it does get much more automatic as you learn how to do it.

BTW, when my symptoms were bad, which was often, I felt miserable and it ruined my sleep. This is a whole other problem that you may have and /or are currently experiencing. If so, do a search on "sleep problems". In early Aug. I rec'd alot of great advice from people on this board about how to relieve my gas, bloating and discomfort so that I could sleep more soundly, rather than tossing and turning due to my symptoms.

Last thing: definitely increase your soluble fiber supplement to the max dose, but do this gradually too!! I added one extra dose every 4 days so that I could see how each increase affected me for several days before I increased to the next higher dose.

One last thing that someone on this board suggested and that I believe is helping me ( altho it's hard to know for sure b/c I'm doing so many news things since starting on H's diet, but I'd rather do more and feel better!)is to drink 6-8 oz of warm water before and after EVERY time I eat a meal or snack. At the very least, it's one way I feel sure I'm getting enuf fluids to help the soluble fiber work its miracles.

Good luck and stay aboard here, it's good for your soul as well as your body!!

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Many years of C-IBS and pain too for past 2 years-

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