IBS, don't know what to eat

[ibssis]

I've been having stomach problems for around a year now, I was originally referred for a colonoscopy with suspected IBD due to bloody diarrhoea and high inflammation (my calprotectin was over 1000). Everything was normal in the colonoscopy so I was discharged and told it was probably just food poisoning.

I've been having recurring issues since, albeit no blood. I've been keeping a food diary and it seems like there is a weak link between having two gluten-heavy meals in a row (e.g. a sandwich for lunch and then pasta for dinner), or having something high in diary like a milkshake, icecream, etc. I had a blood test for coeliac last year which was negative.

I feel so lost with knowing what to eat. I've now switched to lactose-free milk, and have removed lactose from my diet aside from cheddar. I'm now considering reducing gluten by replacing breads and pastas with gluten-free versions, just to cut down on how much I eat. I'm also vegetarian which adds to the difficulty of knowing what to eat. I've also cut down on lots of high FODMAP fruits and vegetables.

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice?

I'm going to the GP next week, but as I've had a clear colonoscopy I think they're going to say it's IBS.

When I started low carbing it also sorted out my IBS - I wasn't doing it for that purpose, it was for weight loss, so no IBS was a very pleasing side effect!

If ever I go 'off piste', and start increasing the carbs too much, it can trigger a flare up.

Are you getting support to do a FODMAP exclusion diet properly? Highly recommend you see a proper dietician (not a nutritionist). Unlikely you'll see an NHS one this century, but it's not megabucks to go private for this. I saw Sophie at City Dieticians, maybe worth a look for you.

This is a basic exclusion diet that was devised at Addenbrooke's, so is reliable.
It may help before you go full FODMAPs, which is more demanding.
I do wish you luck with finding out if it is a food trigger.

Lactose is one of my biggest triggers, but too much dairy even lactose free can also be a trigger for me.

Have you tracked non-food triggers? Stress and anxiety are huge triggers for me. My IBS also is very tied in with my menstrual cycle - TMI but I have awful loose stools around ovulation and then again in the couple of days before my period and the first couple of days of my period. It’s usually less painful if I’ve avoided my food triggers but it happens every cycle regardless of what I’ve eaten.

Exactly the same here. Even now when I do eat carbs I can only tolerate white bread / pasta etc. anything whole meal is a no go.

there is a weak link between having two gluten-heavy meals in a row (e.g. a sandwich for lunch and then pasta for dinner

White bread and white pasta? The weak link you're observing could be about fibre (or lack thereof) rather than gluten.

Agree with pp that you shouldn't be excluding food groups from your diet without professional oversight. Otherwise there's a risk of trading one set of problems for another (eg osteoporosis).

When you speak to GP make clear the ongoing impact this is having on your day to day life and request their professional recommendation on how that should be managed. (They owe you more than "probably IBS, see ya!").

When I did the keto diet my ibs practically vanished. As soon as I eat loads of carbs and sugary dairy (ice cream) it returns