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Low carb diet helped my IBS - yeah!

S

Skinny43

Well-Known Member
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75
I’m still relatively new with low carb and am still experimenting with different food’s effect. However it appears that my 20+ years of IBS had finally been controlled. At the moment I haven’t had an episode of diarrhoea at all since the start of low carb (~2 weeks ago). I’ve tried everything I can think of for IBS but nothing helped. But with low carb diet of course it was blood sugar I wanted to control but somehow IBS got a lot better without thinking about it! This a huge bonus for me as it has been troubling for almost all of my life!

Has anybody had experience or heard of blood sugar has anything to do with IBS? I’m hoping this is a real thing instead of my imagination or pure coincidence. I do remember watching a YouTube video about diabetes and it mentioned constipation or diarrhoea as one of the symptoms of diabetes but thought it would be advanced levels of diabetes. I’m prediabetic. My fasting sugar has always been around 6.0 for years. Only recently became 5.3 since the low carb diet. Please can someone tell me this makes sense?

BTW another thing I’m feeling is the warmth. I used to feel cold all the time and especially after eating fruits( apple) my tummy feels so cold they go to a spasm and I have a diarrhoea! But recently I’ve not felt cold at all which is unusual specially with the poor whether. I’m hoping there is a link there!

Thanks!
 
I can't get all scientific for you, but improved circulation might explain the warmth, and my IBS has been practically non-existant for the past 3 years, since starting low carbing. (Have had other intestinal issues, but NOT that one! Yay! :)) So you're not imagining it. ;)
 
Skinny43 said:
I’m still relatively new with low carb and am still experimenting with different food’s effect. However it appears that my 20+ years of IBS had finally been controlled. At the moment I haven’t had an episode of diarrhoea at all since the start of low carb (~2 weeks ago). I’ve tried everything I can think of for IBS but nothing helped. But with low carb diet of course it was blood sugar I wanted to control but somehow IBS got a lot better without thinking about it! This a huge bonus for me as it has been troubling for almost all of my life!

Has anybody had experience or heard of blood sugar has anything to do with IBS? I’m hoping this is a real thing instead of my imagination or pure coincidence. I do remember watching a YouTube video about diabetes and it mentioned constipation or diarrhoea as one of the symptoms of diabetes but thought it would be advanced levels of diabetes. I’m prediabetic. My fasting sugar has always been around 6.0 for years. Only recently became 5.3 since the low carb diet. Please can someone tell me this makes sense?

BTW another thing I’m feeling is the warmth. I used to feel cold all the time and especially after eating fruits( apple) my tummy feels so cold they go to a spasm and I have a diarrhoea! But recently I’ve not felt cold at all which is unusual specially with the poor whether. I’m hoping there is a link there!

Thanks!
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You are definitely not the only person to mention this - although I am afraid I can't remember the names of any of the posters.

My own experience is that I had a tummy bug (probably ghiardia, but never tested, so no proof) nearly 2 years ago, which left me unable to tolerate a lot of foods, including fibre. Oddly, I can tolerate fibreless carbs, but not fibrous ones - except for their effect on blood glucose! Gut problems very similar to IBS. I am definitely very intolerant of gluten, and see no point in eating grains, because they are either fibre filled (whole grains) or just plain starchy (raising bg). I see no use for them at all in a diet that suits me and my body.

2 years on, my fibre tolerance has improved a bit, but I'm feeling no need to go back to my previously large veg intake. I've managed fine without it for 2 years, why poke the tiger in the tail, eh?
 
JoKalsbeek said:
I can't get all scientific for you, but improved circulation might explain the warmth, and my IBS has been practically non-existant for the past 3 years, since starting low carbing. (Have had other intestinal issues, but NOT that one! Yay! :)) So you're not imagining it. ;)
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Great to hear that you’ve had similar experience. I wish I knew about the low carb benefits earlier! I’m referred for a consultant to look at my ibs but still waiting for an appointment. I’ll ask the consultant then but I’m not as desperate as I was!
 
Brunneria said:
2 years on, my fibre tolerance has improved a bit, but I'm feeling no need to go back to my previously large veg intake. I've managed fine without it for 2 years, why poke the tiger in the tail, eh?
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Definitely leave that tiger alone ! I noticed it was sweet fruit that was triggering my problem. Only realised it now I’ve eliminated from my diet. . Who would have thought ‘healthy’ fruits were causing me problems?
 
Very probably the elimination/reduction of grains rather than necessarily the low-carb. Wheat in particular is a nightmare.

Read the book Wheat Belly by William Davis.
 
Jim Lahey said:
Very probably the elimination/reduction of grains rather than necessarily the low-carb. Wheat in particular is a nightmare.

Read the book Wheat Belly by William Davis.
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That’s possibly true as well - I used to eat a lot of wheat ( and rice).
Thanks about the book I’ll have a read when have a chance.
 
Skinny43 said:
That’s possibly true as well - I used to eat a lot of wheat ( and rice).
Thanks about the book I’ll have a read when have a chance.
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It's essential reading, especially for anyone with gastrointestinal issues. There's an audiobook as well.
 
Before my type 2 diagnosis in 2017 I had chronic diarrhoea following gall bladder removal in 2000 (I was one of the unlucky 5% that get this). Low carbing has sorted my bowels out too :)
 
Rachox said:
Before my type 2 diagnosis in 2017 I had chronic diarrhoea following gall bladder removal in 2000 (I was one of the unlucky 5% that get this). Low carbing has sorted my bowels out too :)
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Unlucky to be in the 5% but glad low carbing helped you too!
 
Just to add I think my itchy skin problem has disappeared too! . I’ve always had dry and itchy skin especially in the winter. I used to scratch so hard I couldn’t sleep. I’ve not noticed it at all since BG levels are lower. Another big Yes for the low carb ‘lifestyle’.

I wish I had known it much earlier - it seems most of my minor complaints/issues were to do with blood sugar! Not exactly surprising as I was brought up where rice/wheat was the main staple!
 
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My skin is so much better now - three years from diagnosis and last winter I noticed how soft and supple my skin felt, it is still the same going into this one, and my middle, which was so large has shrunk down without it going slack and empty as seen on those weightloss programs on the telly where the surgeon draws lines and removes huge chunks of wobbly skin - I am lucky.
 
Seems like a good topic to add the following new video from Low Carb Down Under.

Dr. Andrew McIntyre - 'Implementing Low Carb In Gastoenterology Practice'

 
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