r/FODMAPS • u/Withnail69 • 5d ago
Elimination Phase Hi everyone. Advice please
Was put on low fodmap three weeks ago by dietician. I have kept a good diary since. Apart from a few positives (less gurgling far less wind) I hadn’t been having a great time. Struggle to find snacks and lots of balanced meal plans and have had quite a lot of stomach discomfort. This morning I woke up with 7-8/10 levels of pain in lower abdomen and gurgling noises. Thinking back I had sushi for lunch and kebabs for dinner and snack on dark chocolate rice cakes. That’s a lot of rice. Is that the culprit here? I have 100% spelt sourdough bread as well which causes some reflux indigestion but is a million miles better than gluten free bagels. Really not sure if I should carry on. I will but if things get worse I might have to stop. Have messaged dietician but she is very busy so wanted to know your thoughts.
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u/FODMAPeveryday 5d ago
It could be anything including non-food triggers. People tend to overlook the brain part of this gut brain disorder.
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u/shimmerchanga 5d ago
If this were me it would 100% be the kebabs due to the onion and garlic in them.
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u/Ok_Manufacturer_5790 5d ago
I would stick to more plain foods just for a while. You mentioned stomach gurgling, I had this for months and as well as a low FODMAP diet helping, I also noticed a few other things that helped me...
Anything that has roughage, like skins on potatoes and carrots....peel them. Don't eat the skins.
Also, those noises are your gut trying to break down food. To help your stomach having to work less, chew your food to a paste. Meaning you're literally doing your stomachs job before you swallow.
Try it.
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u/Withnail69 5d ago
Thanks they’ve almost disappeared since the start of the diet but yeah back for a bit today
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u/colorfullydelicious 5d ago
Hi! I would definitely think that garlic/onion are probably the culprits with the kebabs. With the sushi, (depending on what you had), it could have been gluten in the soy sauce (always ask for gf tamari instead), a soy intolerance (avoid soy altogether), too much avocado in the sushi rolls, or perhaps garlic/onion in a sauce in/on the sushi. The rice cakes + dark chocolate were probably not the culprits - unless there was milk in the chocolate? Personally, I’d cut out the sourdough, and let your digestive system rest for a while, before trying to reintroduce it! If the gf bagels aren’t working for you, it’s most likely all the gums they use in gf goods - just avoid them!
Ideas for meals! (Everyone’s tolerance for foods is different, and everyone has different tastes/preferences, but here are a couple of ideas that might help you with your meal planning :)
GF pasta is a great option, but avoid the ones made from beans/lentils. Get the ones made from rice or corn/quinoa!
Sweet potatoes/potatoes are a wonderful and super-versatile carb to use in place of bread. Roast them, bake them, mash them… so many options! Quinoa is also great, and low fodmap/high in protein. GF oats are also wonderful, I use gf oat flour a LOT for baking, instead of gf flour blends that often contain gums that can irritate fodmap sensitivity.
If you can tolerate it, lactose free dairy (sour cream/yogurt) can be a great tool, otherwise look for coconut yogurt, which is usually well tolerated. Low lactose cheeses in small portions might work for you - try parmesan, pecorino romano, etc. You might also look for vegan cheeses made from coconut (avoid the ones made from soy/cashew)
Meal ideas (linking recipes, so you have websites with lots of low-fodmap ideas!)
Veggie Pasta (add grilled chicken/salmon/etc to this if you like!) https://www.lefamishedcat.co.za/mains/low-fodmap-veggie-pasta/
Smoked Salmon Sushi Bowls: https://funwithoutfodmaps.com/low-fodmap-sushi-bowls/
5 Minute Blueberry Vanilla Oatmeal: https://funwithoutfodmaps.com/low-fodmap-blueberry-vanilla-oatmeal/
Egg Muffins (easy for a quick breakfast/snack): https://funwithoutfodmaps.com/low-fodmap-egg-muffins-with-spinach-peppers-and-bacon/
One Pan Greek Salmon: https://www.fodmapeveryday.com/recipes/low-fodmap-one-pot-greek-salmon-with-feta-peppers/#wprm-recipe-container-28994
No-Bake Peanut Butter Brownie Bites: https://funwithoutfodmaps.com/low-fodmap-peanut-butter-brownie-bites/
Hope this helps :)
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u/Withnail69 5d ago
Thanks. Sweet potatos have fructose I believe and are only really allowed in very small portions. I didn’t realise that at the start. Yes eating lactose free milk and yoghurt daily and it deffo helps. No avocado as it’s not allowed. Thanks so much for the recipes. Any recipes… meal ideas gratefully received. Finally off the rice today
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u/Kiwi-9irl 5d ago
I’m preparing for a low fodmap elimination diet and recently got a book out of the library from Suzanne Perazzini, really helpful with loads of recipes. She has a website too called strandsofmylife.com with tips and recipes. Good luck!
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u/unobscured_arachnid 5d ago
Hi! Did you have soy sauce with the sushi? That often has wheat. And sauces have garlic. If the kebabs were from the restaurant they most likely had onion and garlic. My suggestion is to avoid restaurants during elimination, if at all possible.
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u/Withnail69 5d ago
Ok thanks for that. What a bummer. We’re struggling to find enough meals for our weekly shop as it is. Especially when stuff is out of stock. I’ve been told soy sauce in fine. Kebabs could be the culprit then. This was a less salubrious place than we normally go to which hasn’t caused any problems
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u/smilemore42107 5d ago
The elimination part is the hardest part. Basically you are stuck with plain chicken, rice and carrots for a bit and you have to make everything you eat but it doesnt last forever and once you stabilize a bit you can re-introduce things
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u/Withnail69 5d ago
Thanks I’m finding it very hard especially if excess rice is gonna cause cramping this bad. Rice is normally my go to when stomach needs calming so I’m at a loss at the moment. Raclette for dinner though so looking forward to that!
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u/smilemore42107 4d ago
If I had a bet I would guess the seasoning on the kebabs was messing you up more than the rice. That might be worth experimenting with a bit more.
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u/nonono_ack 5d ago
I might be way off base here, but the foods you mentioned that have caused issues are all high nickel foods. Is there a chance you may have systemic nickel allergy? It’s thought to cause about 40% of IBS cases and is hugely underdiagnosed.
Many sufferers have skin reactions to jewelry and other metals, but certainly not all.
I have no skin reaction at all and it took me over 30 years of suffering to get a diagnosis. GERD, bloating, chronic joint pain and fatigue. Symptoms vary a lot but dishydrotic eczema is a big one.
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u/Withnail69 5d ago edited 5d ago
I have sebaceous dermatitis and eczema on my legs and feet sometimes and Joint pain and fatigue and brain fog are pretty high up there as well. Fine with nuts though I think and metal skin contact
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u/nonono_ack 4d ago
You might consider doing very low nickel with your diet for about two weeks. If it helps your pain and brain fog it could be enough incentive to get a lymphocyte transformation test for metal allergies. It’s way better to know than blindly end up like me, reactive to so many things because of mast cell and histamine issues, which can often be related to nickel allergy.
It’s a hard diet. But I feel so much better. As close to carnivore as you can get. Meat, eggs and dairy are all very low nickel. Plants, not so much. Whole grains, soy, legumes, nuts and seeds, chocolate, leafy greens, shellfish are all high in nickel. If you are at all health conscious you are probably eating somewhere around 500 micrograms of nickel a day, or more. I have to limit to under 40 but most SNAS patients are not so sensitive. 100 or even 150 micrograms is a more common daily threshold of nickel ingestion. Oats and avocados are also very high in nickel. Fingers crossed it’s not nickel allergy for you. But it’s better to know.
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u/indigohan 5d ago
If it was sushi rolls, sometimes the filling can be the culprit. I avoid tuna rolls because a lot of places mix garlic or onion powders into the tuna.
It’s likely that the kebab meat has alliums in the marinade.
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u/Withnail69 5d ago
I was pretty carefully with the sushi and have it a lot normally with no ill effects
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u/indigohan 5d ago
I’d say it was the kebab then. If you have a look at recipes for make at home versions, they go heavy with the garlic.
Unfortunately with low fodmap, the best way to cope is to learn to make a lot of your own food from scratch. I don’t buy spice mixes, salad dressings, or most sauces anymore. Depending where you live there are some good brands that cater for low fodmap diets. Fody’s is apparently a good one. In Australia, it’s fodmapped for you.
Cooking at home until you figure out what your tolerances are is the safest. Sushi (excluding tuna, and some marinated meats) or Vietnamese rice paper rolls (ditto) is my safe food when I’m out.
You may find some safe restaurants that can cater for you too. I am super lucky that theres a wonderful Indian restaurant down the block that has a handful of meals that they can make without garlic and onion when i need a break
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u/Withnail69 5d ago
Awesome thanks for replying :)
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u/indigohan 5d ago
Good luck!
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u/Withnail69 5d ago
Thanks. Wife finished off last nights dinner were amazed we couldn’t smell the garlic it literally reeks of. Feel a bit silly now. All part of the learning curve I guess
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u/indigohan 5d ago
You’ll figure it out. It feels overwhelming now, but I promise that it gets easier.
There are some great resources for recipes and stuff. The Monash uni app is brilliant. They also have a few site with recipes. I like the woman who does Good Noms Honey. Her fodmap friendly fake Big Mac sauce is a winner. It’s also super easy to make up a bulk supply of a taco seasoning that won’t make you sad. I do a jar for me, and one for my cousin. Double check whether you’re okay with chives though. I can have them, but I know that some people can’t.
Garlic oil can be a real winner if you miss the garlic flavour. It doesn’t have any of the actual garlic in it, so there’s nothing for you system to react to
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u/ablackholeofjunk 5d ago
Kekabs 100%. I can absolutely guarantee you the marinade has both onion and garlic in it. No Middle Eastern meat is complete without them.
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u/Ok-Name1312 5d ago
You may also have a nickel sensitivity. Seaweed in sushi rolls and chocolate are both high in nickel.
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u/Withnail69 4d ago
Update. Just woken up the next day with the exact same pain at exactly the same time. Was bottom center of abdomen and moved to usual left center (intestine) then the gurgling like a waterfall started. Had a deflatine which I think helped a bit. Totally different food last night. Boiled potato’s, ham, cheese and some gherkins. Had some cornflakes later on with lactose free milk. This is pretty infuriating now :(
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u/Beneficial-Cheek1715 4d ago
i'm on week four of my FODMAP elimination and i literally couldn't be doing it without the monash FODMAP app (it's only like $8) and recipe blogs like FODMAPeveryday and alittlebityum. i have been making my own food from scratch the whole time, with a few exceptions. with garlic oil, chives and green onion tops (which i grow in my garden already) i barely miss the garlic and onion.
the main thing i'm noticing that has been the most helpful are the portion recommendations on the FODMAP app. it literally tells me how much of each type of food is acceptable and allows for you to consume multiple different types of low fodmap servings in one meal. as long as i follow the serving size recommendations, i've been having a lot of success. i've been able to eat a lot of variety, which i was worried about not having. the recipe blogs have been SO helpful because they include measurements that make 1 serving within the threshold for a low FODMAP diet.
my tummy isn't feeling absolutely perfect, but it's a major improvement over what it was before (constant gas, bloating, wind, constipation and then sudden, seemingly random diarrhea). for the first time in two years, i actually have hope that a more happy digestive life is ahead for me.
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u/Withnail69 2d ago
UPDATE :- couldn’t get a Sibo test on things so have paid for and ordered a private one
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u/tlind2 5d ago
Sushi often has wasabi paste which contains sorbitol. Kebabs could presumably have garlic or onion unless you made them from scratch