Is it IBS or a Dairy intolerance or something else?

[elfieonshelfie]

Symptoms

Constipation (sorry this is the nicest way of putting it)
Bloating stomach
Cramps after some foods
Tender tummy (most of the time)

I know this is a needle in a haystack, I have colonoscopy and biopsy tests for coeliac and it came back clear.

Any ideas or advise on how to stop above?
I take antispasm meds for stomach!

Following because I am exactly the same. I find Buscopan helps.

Thanks ANA. It drives me mad! I was in such much pain last night but now I have rested and woke this morning it's okay.

I find as I eat throughout the day maybe a build up of food makes my bowels really hurt!

I have tried a high fibre diet... brown bread, weetabix, etc but it really aggravates me terrible. To many veg really makes me in pain and if I eat a lot Of cheese or eggs (which is not often at all) I am doubled over!

I've been eating a very restrictive mostly vegan diet - dairy makes me flare up, so does wheat, so does alcohol. Struggled the last few days because of Xmas. Currently cradling a cup of peppermint tea. Going to try the fodmap diet I think.

I’m the same. Such a shame as I used to really enjoy food and being adventurous with it, but now I can only stick to a bland diet and eat the same few meals over and over again.
So many things flare me up like alcohol, dairy, too much fibre, spice, chocolate

And I’ve also had blood tests and a colonoscopy and they can’t find anything wrong other than a bit of inflammation. I feel so unwell 90% of the time

Indigo thats interesting.. they were looking for crohn's with me as the pain I get is all over but I am really sensitive in my right side of bowel where the large and small bowel meet. Everything was clear but when I had an mri scan there was 4-5cm if inflammation. Not where that was though? My little one had dairy intolerance when she was younger and is so much better now (been weaned back on to dairy) but she seems to suffer with cramps tummy's occasionally still after eating certain foods!

The only time I haven't had stomach pain in years and for the longest period of time (10/15 days) was after I had colonoscopy!

I’m lactose intolerant but other allergy tests like the celiac one have come back clear. My colonoscopy was looking for things like chrons and ulcers too as was having diarrhoea, stabbing pains and terrible bloating all the time. Occasionally get constipated too. It’s so depressing!

Try a low FODMAP diet OP. You may well find immediate relief (I did). Then you can experiment with adding different foods back in.

FODMAP awareness has changed my life

Sounds like IBS to me.
Especially when you upped the wrong foods and it got worse. (Swap weetabix to Oatibix)

See if your GP can refer you to an NHS dietician for help on it but I would highly recommend going on a low fodmap diet.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-low-fodmap-diet

Note! It is not a GF diet an lots of the stuff in the 'free from' ranges are not low fodmap.

The biggest thing to note is that certain sourdough breads are ok. www.alittlebityummy.com/blog/what-sourdough-bread-is-low-fodmap/
Tesco finest do a sliced white sourdough bread, and their chilled pizza is white sourdough and has no onion or garlic the last time I looked.

Lactose free milk was cheapest in Aldi.

Other simple swaps are rice noodles and most GF pasta.

Once being strictly on the diet and it's all calmed down you can start testing bringing back certain foods.

Good luck, I hope you feel better soon.

Thankyou all! The consultant spoke about FODMAP diet and I have heard of several times with my daughter but I have never done it myself.

To much bread is a nightmare! I have tried several healthy eating diets too like slimming world for a lean eating but if I have to much fruit veg etc I find I'm so much worse!

I'll check out the link you have sent. I have suffered for year with it (since I was around 10 I am now 32....just) and I have been back and forth to docs but only in the last 6 months I have had tests. I told the consultant he couldn't fobme off with IBS until I had tests.

I used to get this. Sometimes after dinner, my stomach was so bloated I looked like I was about to give birth. And the pain was terrible. I went to the doctor who diagnosed IBS and I tried to avoid wheat as much as possible. It was strange, because sometimes I could have a huge bowl of pasta and be fine and other times I would get very bloated.

Then I went vegan and all the symptoms disappeared. I have not had a flare up since, even though I eat loads of bread, pasta, etc.

I wonder now if I was in fact allergic to dairy, not wheat. Could that be the case for you?

I have thought this several times. I am not vegan but I have thought about cutting dairy out altogether several times.

I think with it been xmas we tend to overindulge anyway but gosh I have paid for it! I had cheese board last night and I knew it was gonna kill me but I harried in anyway. My stomach was already niggling me by this time.

Alcohol I tend to have to take meds before I drink and if I drink alcohol and eat at the same time it's all over.

I wonder if smaller meals but often would be better throughout the day?

Yeah, maybe try cutting out dairy elfie, see what happens.

I am bad after a large meal but OK if I pick during the day

I thought it was bread/wheat too. I now some I can tolerate some bread. However apples, peaches, plums will send me into agony.

Dairy us mostly ok for me. I have to be careful with onions and lentils.

Drinking kefir daily (I make my own) helps

My gosh it's like a minefield! We have a history of BOwel problems throughout family...

Crohns, Bowel cancer, mega colon, ibs, there bloody all sorts! I get all my moms bad bits 😂

DD2 has IBS, has all the usual tests including Coeliac which was negative. However, she cut out wheat and that helped. Then went full blown gluten-free and has no symptoms now.

No cheese yesterday or veg! Only a few drinks! No tummy cramps👍🏼

Maybe it is dairy then?