10 IBS & low Fodmap questions I get asked all the time

1)  How do I know I really have IBS?

IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion. When all tests have come back negative, but you still have symptoms, then your digestive issues are called IBS. IBS symptoms are similar to those of inflammatory bowel diseases like colitis, Cohn’s etc. so it is important to exclude them.

2)  How long should I stay on the elimination diet?

You should not stay on it any longer than six weeks according to the Monash University because the elimination stage of the diet excludes many prebiotics which regulate the gut bacteria. So, it is really important to get the help you need to implement an accurate elimination diet so you can move on rapidly to the next stage.

3)  How do I know when it is the right time to move onto the reintroduction stage of the diet?

The only way to do a clean reintroduction stage with no confusion is to be completely symptom-free or you won’t have any idea if a food is a trigger or not and so the whole exercise will be a waste of time and mental energy. It will also add to your frustration.

4)  How do I reintroduce foods?

You can watch my video HERE.

5)  What if I have SIBO?

SIBO has the same symptoms as IBS and you can have both at the same time. There is no accurate test for it since the hydrogen breath test is notoriously inaccurate. The only way to find out if you possibly have it is to do an accurate low Fodmap diet and if the symptoms don’t change at all, then it is one of several possibilities as to why that is so. If your symptoms get better, then you don’t have SIBO.

6)  Should I take probiotics?

They are a waste of money since research has not reached a stage where they can accurately create a relevant probiotic for us with IBS. Read THIS article which will explain it fully.

7)  How do I eat at a restaurant without getting symptoms?

Check out my video HERE for some great tips and strategies for a symptom-free meal.

8)  The diarrhoea has stopped but now I am constipated. What should I do?

This often happens when the balance of fibre is not right in your diet. Watch my video HERE for how to take care of this.

9)  Why do I have symptoms when I just made a small mistake?

It only takes one high Fodmap food to cause symptoms no matter how clean the rest of your diet is. If that food bypasses the small intestine, where it should be absorbed, and goes off into the bowel, where it is fermented, then you will have symptoms. This is a black and white diet from that point of view.

10) Can I go back to eating normally after this diet?

No, you can’t. There is no cure for IBS and so the final diet that you create based on the results of the reintroduction stage of the diet will be your diet for life. IBS is ruthless and waiting around the corner for you to slip up and will punish you immediately if you step out of line. However, you know how to get back on that line after completing the two stages of the diet and that is a whole lot better than having no clue as to why you are suffering.