Have I Totally Screwed Up My Digestive System?
 

I am wondering if anyone else feels that IP has totally screwed up their digestive system?! I am not saying it has done that to me but am wondering what role it may or may not have played in where I now seem to find myself.

I pretty much did IP on my own with alternatives due to a less-than-supportive clinic and the cost of IP food.

When I first was doing IP, I hit a point where I couldn't tolerate WF products at all. I also had to cut out the Pure Protein Bars because my system couldn't tolerate those either. I have also cut out artificial sweeteners and rarely, if ever, drink diet soda.

For a long time, I was able to do my morning spinach and protein powder smoothie and it was just fine. My system loved it, no issues. At some point last summer, I had to quit those as my system rebelled against those as well.

I have been maintaining fairly okay for about a year now...do my own version of maintenance to allow myself to enjoy events and celebrations but also know how to reign it back in to keep it real.

My typical weight is up about 5 pounds from my lowest IP weight but I have found I just can't seem to maintain that lowest weight so am finding that 5 pounds above my lowest IP weight is pretty maintainable for me.

However, in the last 8 months I would say, I have had horrible digestive issues to the point I am going to go make an appointment to see a GI doctor. No matter what I eat, everything just goes through me with a vengeance. Even when I eat really "clean" I have issues. It is to the point where it is waking me up in the night a few times a week so I am feeling tired and worn out. I don't eat much dairy at all no matter what version of IP I am doing and the only bread I have eaten in almost 2 years has been very isolated here and there, a holiday when I let myself have stuffing or something like that. I do not eat fast food or anything like that either. I can't seem to pinpoint any pattern of what I eat or don't eat and what goes on with my digestive system.

I am wondering if the IP way of eating could have anything to do with my current issues? I just can't figure it out and was wondering if anyone else has had a similar significant change in their digestive system that wasn't there before they did IP?!

swerdna - Seeing a GI doc is your absolute best bet. It sounds like there is something going on which probably has very little to do with what you are eating.

I was having terrible digestive issues - sounds similar to what you are going through and tried to cut out anything I thought might be causing an issue. Turns out I had an h.pylori infection, a hiatal hernia, some issues with adhesions from a prior surgery and a 5 inch abdominal hernia. After dealing with all those issues my digestive symptoms cleared up.

PLEASE get into the doctor and find out what is going on. It could be something serious and the sooner you get it taken care of the better.

It could be so many things.

Soy just tears me up. Once I got rid of all soy products, I was golden. But allergies are very individualistic.

I agree to check with your doctor.

One other thought is I wonder if your digestive tract could be out of kilter.
Try taking Pro-biotics

I swear by this one ...
https://mindstar.com/scratch/Ultimate_Flora50.jpg

I am not on IP, but it could be related to a food intolerance. My best suggestion would to see the GI doctor and keep a food journal.

I had the same issues when going off low carb. I did Medifast followed by IP and lived on low carbs for 15 months total. I had to stop IP because it essentially made me very hypothyroid, a side effect of very low carb diets I did not know about before I was faced with it. I am not sure whether my hypo state had anything to do with my issues afterwards or whether it was just due to genetic background combined with prolonged low carb eating.

Anyways, I was unable to digest many foods. For two months I lived essentially on ice-cream, chocolate, some fruit and yogurt. I also suffered from what is called "dumping syndrome". The latter for sure is due to sudden bursts of insulin that then regulate water flow in your gut. I attribute that mostly to being hypothyroid and possibly insulin resistant or leptin resistant since I suffered the same symptoms in the past, when not on a low carb diet. The food insensitivity can also be caused by the fact that your body adjusts to low carb eating. That means that enzymes in your digestive tract required for breaking down carbs are down regulated and enzymes needed to digest your IP foods are upregulated. This switch probably requires several weeks to complete. Foods rich in gluten may be particularly hard to digest. Many enzymes in your body are also regulated by carbs. So, going from a low to a higher carb diet can cause some upheaval and the symptoms may be quite individual depending on your genetic/metabolic background.

Finally, everybody has an individual composition in their gut microbiome. I am talking about bacteria. These are quite involved in your body's metabolism and digestion and studies have shown that their composition changes dramatically in response to changes in your diet. As recommended by a previous poster, you can take some digestive enzymes. I also found mint tea or regimint helpful. Perhaps look into probiotics. My troubles took about 2-3 months to resolve. Adding foods slowly may help, which is probably why IP recommends different phases. Seeing a doctor is certainly recommended, but I think your issues will resolve with time.

I agree with everything said. Going Gluten free put a stop to all my digestive issues. You may also have a "faulty" gallbladder. Smartest thing is seeing your GI doctor. Good Luck, thinking of you & hoping it isn't too serious.

In addition to all the wonderful suggestions, I also suggest familiarizing yourself with "gut permeability"

Food sensitivities can develop when we stick to one food (like IP that keeps us basically on whey & soy)
Gluten is a BIG contributor to gut problems. So is Splenda (Sucralose). As well as any GMO foods that were created to be Round-up ready (corn and soy are big culprits)

I started learning about gut health when I learned how bad Prilosec & Prevacid are for us and the nutrients for which they block absorption (B12 & magnesium to name two). I spent months researching and learning about this while attempting to wean myself off of generic Prilosec last year. The info on gut permeability and food sensitivity is just staring to get into mainstream medicine so you definitely have to find the right GI doc to help you get to the bottom of it. It was even stated on Dr Oz show recently that new research takes an average of 17 years to made it to mainstream medicine. This is just too long!!!!

Another good source of natural probiotics is naturally fermented sauerkraut and pickles. Bubbies is a brand or they can both be made at home. You definitely don't want the regular canned brands. They either aren't fermented at all or they've been pasteurized to kills all the beneficial bacteria.

Good luck!

Just wanted to follow up...after numerous labs and tests plus a weekend in the hospital I have been diagnosed with IBD, specifically ulcerative colitis...going in for GI scopes this coming week and hope to get more details and official confirmation...going to start doing some research about it and really appreciate everyone's input and ideas.

sorry to hear that Swerdna - did they say what caused the IBD?

I see the GI doctor next week for colonoscopy and endoscopy...right now it's just lab test results...from what I have read, UC is not caused by stress or diet but those are things which can aggravate it...varies from individual to individual...I am not gluten or lactose intolerant...think there is some initial medication to stabilize the GUT and then try to figure out any triggers...FODMAP diet which is for IBS is also something for those with IBD to follow...relieved to have a diagnosis, even if preliminary and have had endless blood and stool and cardiac tests to rule out most everything else...only things that were positive were inflammatory markers which align with a diagnosis of IBD...so, we shall see

http://www.cdd.com.au/pages/disease_...e_colitis.html

You've probably found this good article by now. I felt i learnt quite a lot from it. It sounds like a pretty awful condition to have. I have a friend who has crohn's disease but i don't really know much about either of them. And because they mention IBS that's also interesting.

Certainly sounds like gluten has nothing much to do with it, except perhaps in rare individuals.

I hope you get well treated.

Hello,
Soy in the processed form kills the thyroid
I was desperate to lose weight as I have a LOw
Thyroid. I've been on IP 3 months= 20
I'm happy although I've had to STOP
All IP I've been sooo constipated
I can hardly hold food down its awful
It's day 1 tummy is better.
Still would like to get rid of 10...
Help any ideas.

Many think soy in any form is unfit for consumption.
You can do IP soy/gluten-free if you use alternatives. Gluten-free is good for hypo.
Re: big C
Get a magnesium supplement called Calm. Works like a charm!

Hi swerdna59,

There are so many digestive conditions out there, it's amazing what our systems can do to us!

Having many issues myself I bought this book which is AMAZING! It explains everthing one needs to know about food, supplements what they do to our digestive tracks, etc. and how to live on a low FODMAP diet to alleviate all kinds of gastro-intestinal issues. Check it out!

*Digestive Health with REAL Food: A practical guide to an anti-inflammatory, low-irritant, nutrient dense diet for IBS & other digestive issues.*

Actually my IBD (not IBS) diagnosis came back as microscopic colitis, specifically collagenous colitis. I tested negative for celiac and pretty much everything else I was tested for which is good I guess. MC is not caused by diet or stress and is not as severe as ulcerative colitis. I have not been put on any diet restrictions but have started 8 weeks of a prescription medication to reduce the inflammation and hope to put things in remission. Having said that, I realize that everyone's GI system is unique and one has to figure out what one can and cannot tolerate. My eating has been all over the place as I have just not felt good for a long time and am also dealing with some other health issues that have cropped up during my journey to get a GI diagnosis. I have started eating a breakfast of 1/2 cup of non-fat, plain Greek yogurt with a serving of Bran Buds mixed in and it has helped my system calm down and almost return to some version of normalcy! The yogurt isn't too hi-carb nor are the Bran Buds...but certainly not IP, I know that. But, it has been the only dietary change that seemed to help my MC/CC symptoms settle down so I am not willing to change it, at least right now. I try to have a Quest bar for lunch since they are gluten free and have no artificial sweeteners so a good choice and easy for work...I try to select the ones that are the best IP choice. Dinners are protein and veggies or some eggs if I am really hungry and tired and don't feel like making much. I haven't gotten on the scale for awhile now because it has been a challenge to just feel good. I am working on getting regular exercise and trying to stick to a fairly bland diet which I am not always very successful at especially if I am not feeling well and I am overtired. I am probably still 10 pounds over my lowest IP weight but frankly, I don't think I could maintain my lowest IP weight, it was just not very realistic for me and I am working on accepting being 10 pounds above that and being happy with it...right now, feeling good and being healthy seems more important than 10 pounds. Once I am feeling better on a sustained basis, maybe I will change my mind about those 10 pounds but only time will tell.