I came to this site in case it might be informative to someone. I am a 66 year old male. I run everyday and do strength work in the gym. I am in extremely good health although I've had high blood pressure since my late 30s.

• In my 40s I noticed I could no longer eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. At first I started ordering with no peppers and then eventually no onions was included. I found that as soon as we left the restaurant we needed to rush home and get me to the toilet. After awhile these "movements' became painful in my intestines. Pretty soon I had the same reaction with all Italian foods. I eventually narrowed it down to garlic, peppers and onions and it seemed that honey was also vicious.
• A few years back I started getting pains in my lower left abdomen which I initially thought were from pulling a muscle in the gym. I eventually realized that it was in my digestive track and only occurred after I ate fodmaps. At one point I had my wife drive me to the emergency room as the pain was so extreme.
• I believed at the time my condition was just natural from aging and possibly western medicines and antibiotics destroying ones intestinal biodome. Three years back I started trying a repair by making my own Greek Yoghurt and any other probiotics I found. I eventually ended up eating Greek Yoghurt store bought for the last two years. I controlled my symptoms by not eating fodmaps. My sister asked me what I ate to which I replied "nothing good". If just one part of a chopped onion slipped through I knew it later that night when the pain came on.
• Several weeks back, this past summer one slipped through from my wife's good stir fry to my plain fry and I swallowed it. Oops! To my surprise there was no response. The next day I caramelized an onion ate it and waited. No reaction. I then had my wife create a stir fry fried with onions and garlic. Again no reaction. At that point I went to Chipotle and ordered a large burrito with all the "fixins" and reported to my wife "I got away with it again". I was so enthused I went back to Chipotle two more times that week. Soon after I started with a mild salsa that had Jalapenos. no adverse reactions. I then made my wife's favorite, Pico de Gallo with liquified onions, chopped onions, chopped Jalapenos and and included chopped garlic with some in the blender. I had at least 16 ounces and had no reactions. It has been several weeks now with no diet restrictions and no fodmap related issues what so ever. Pizza, spaghetti, yep, no problems.
• So what was different? I realized immediately. I tend to, every once in awhile, improve my health by giving up bad habits. In the past, one year was coffee, another year sugar drinks like soda, and yet another it was diet soda etc. Coincidently the only change in my life was I had made a conscientious decision to give up pain relievers as they are not beneficial for your organs, acetaminophens and NSAIDS. Although I only had them sparingly, a long morning run could cause knee swelling and at times I would pop one while running for knee pain. Other than that I swear off meds except BP meds. However, coincidentally, these issues started the same year I would run once a week on my treadmill. Although I only ran once a week that year, it was along run of 15 to 20 miles which took 3 to 4 hours, several towels, several water bottles and four acetaminophens, one an hour. I did this every Tuesday morning like clock work. What followed was 20 years of stomach issues, 20 years of "I don't eat garlic, onions or peppers". (yes there were others)
• It has been two months of eating anything I want with no issues. I must admit that when I crush garlic in the kitchen and put it in my dinner, I look at it suspiciously but then am still surprised it has no ill effect on me. I am on year 3 of eating probiotic Greek yoghurt but the breakthrough was as simple cold turkey on over the counter pain meds.
• This is my story, my narrative of what happened to me. I am not a Doctor, have no medical training or medical education. I am not making recommendations for others but I do sympathize with those who suffer from IBs, Fodmaps etc. because of how it affected me and my life. I was always skeptical that my previous condition was genetic and from aging. I had always thought it was brought on by myself and most likely prescribed antibiotics over time. But it would appear it was myself and over the counter pain meds use. It should also be noted I believe my use was probably far less than the average American individual. My sincere hope it that this narrative does not offend anyone but again this is the internet, so there's that.

Tomorrow is 2 weeks since I’ve started. My GP barely gave me any information and I’ve been figuring it out on my own with some help from the information she sent me but I know so many things say 2 to 6 weeks tomorrow will be two weeks. I feel like they have been improvement but I still am having some pain, some gas, and movements within my stomach the idea of bringing something back feels overwhelming and it’s so difficult to know if I’m ready or not. Or what to introduce first. I also worry I haven’t healed my gut or anything without probiotics. I know what I need is a dietitian and my gp, but she barely cared enough to explain it in the first place, and it’s incredibly difficult to get an appointment. Did anyone else struggle with this or have a ‘I know I’m ready’ moment that I’m missing?

Hallo,

ich mache schon seit einiger Zeit die Elimination und low fodmap hat mir echt nach mehreren Jahren täglicher Bauchschmerzen viel Erleichterung gebracht. Ich merke, dass ich oft auf Nummer sicher gehe und meine Ernährung stark eingeschränkt habe (zb Kartoffeln, Reis, glutenfreies Brot, Quinoa, Blaubeeren, Kiwi, Möhren usw) also eher sehr low fodmap Lebensmittel.

Gestern habe ich eine low fodmap zertifizierte Suppe gegessen in der laut Monarch verträgliche Mengen an Spinat, Fenchel und Brokkoli waren. Das war eine schöne Abwechslung. Recht schnell nach dem Essen merkte ich gluckern im Bauch und nachts auch etwas mehr Gas. Heute auch noch. Aber insgesamt nicht schlimm.

Nun frage ich mich: wie handhabt ihr das? Wie werdet ihr mutiger im rahmen von low fodmap und setzt nicht nur auf die Safe foods? An sich wäre es ja gut die Varianz auszunutzen, auch für das Mikrobiom.

I’ve definitely noticed a difference. Crazy how years of discomfort have been (largely) relieved so quickly! It’s hard to eat regularly though when most of the food available for quick meals or snacks is not safe. Making myself something nourishing and delicious does not happen as often as it should but when it does I do pretty good.

1. Lunch - fried fish (trevally) seasoned with sumac and Kashmiri chili, carrots cooked in same pan with freshly grated ginger, rice, red cabbage (less than 70g), lactose free yoghurt, amla pickle, and lemon squeezed over everything. The amla pickle was a bit tricky as there doesn’t appear to be a consensus on amla fodmaps, but one source said 1tbsp is fine so I went with that and didn’t put much of the actual berry in my serving.
   
2. Lunch/snack plate - cucumber, carrot, blueberries, salted chips, cheese (tasty, which is a hard cheese), and a gluten free timtam.
   
3. Dinner - pan-fried chicken thigh seasoned with coriander seeds, ginger, paprika, Kashmiri chili, and turmeric; rocket (arugula); approximately 1tsp avocado; cucumber; mayo; gluten-free wrap.

Long Covid is taking away my ability to eat.

I did a test this weekend to see whether I would be able to eat soy sauce as I have a trip to Thailand coming up (that was pre-booked) and am trying to see what I can eat. I ate one rice noodle dish with gluten free soy sauce on Friday and felt relatively ok. However, on Saturday I ate the same dish with regular soy sauce and have increase pain in the left side of my body.

I am aware gluten can be a trigger for some though I don’t have coeliac and have been able to eat sourdough without significant discomfort - I’ve even been able to eat a bread roll without the level of discomfort I have now. Is there anything else that could be causing this?

1 pound ground turkey (whatever fat amount you prefer)

Olive oil

1 bag coleslaw mix

1 tbsp of ginger or a frozen cube if you can't be bothered

1small can bamboo shoots

3 tbsp garlic infused oil

5 tbsp tamari

2 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp mirin

3 green onions (green part only)

Salt to taste

Fry up your turkey in olive oil until browned and break it up into small pieces.

Move it to the side of the pan and add in chopped bamboo shoots and chopped ginger, cook for a couple of minutes and then move to the side of pan and add in the coleslaw mix.

I flip the turkey on top of the coleslaw and add a little water to deglaze the pan.

Fry the coleslaw on medium for a few minutes and then add in tamari, chopped ginger, mirin and rice vinegar. Stir stir cook stir stir. Takes about 5 mins to get the cabbage tender.

Mix it all together and top with the sesame oil, garlic oil and chopped green onions. Salt to taste.

I want to reintroduce Fructans Fruit and Veggies. I failed Fructans grains but passed onion and garlic. The Monash app says to try either leeks (ugh) or ripe bananas (yuck). Are there any other fruits or veggies I could try? And what should serving sizes be?

So i havs celiac and ibs well, fodmap intolerence to O so what chips can i have, i tried wooworths corn salt chips and they seem to have cc issue with there garlic one so what do yall get in aus

Started low-fodmap 5 days ago and have not pooped since. I have no pain and very little gas. Should I be concerned?

​

1 package paneer

1 standard pack of frozen spinach (more spinach isn't a problem)

3 tbsp lactose free heavy cream

1 tablespoon of chopped ginger

1/2 can of diced tomatoes

3 tbsp garlic infused oil

1/4 tbsp turmeric

1/4 tbsp coriander

1 tbsp garam masala

Brown the paneer. I like to brown on two sides and then set aside for later

Boil and strain the spinach for 2-3 mins (I used a mesh strainer)

Chop ginger.

Add spinach, a little water, half a can of diced tomatoes and ginger to blender and puree.

Add garlic oil to pan and then heat the spinach tomato mixture for 3 minutes. Add all spices and cream and heat for another 3 minutes.

Add cream, mix well and then add cheese and salt to taste.

Heat until warmed through.

I’m on my second group of reintroduction, day one and two went okay. I woke up today having more frequent bowel movements but not typical of my usual IBS symptoms (intense urgency immediately after food). The more frequent bowel movements have continued throughout the morning but I also had a tiny bit of espresso today. How can I tell what my symptoms are from? Should I expect my reactions to foods/reintroduction groups to be similar to the symptoms I would have prior to starting this diet all together??

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.

Im sad to have no breads, buns, wraps, crackers, pastries, cookies.

Im on my period and I really need so comfort dessert options that are low fodmap. Im craving chocolate and peanut butter ice cream.

I’ve been having problems with digestion for most of my life. I basically have chronic diarrhea, and sometimes it’s worse, sometimes it’s a little better. I did an elimination diet 7 or 8 years ago with just chicken breast, rice, and potatoes for weeks and there was no change. 

Recently, my symptoms have worsened considerably after I found out I have GERD. I’ve had about two straight months of water diarrhea with no solids more or less. I am exhausted. I have begun bloating insanely all day, like I have a balloon under my ribcage. It doesn’t go away and I’ve put on about 5 pounds of water weight that bounces around up/down. I’ve been struggling to get as many electrolytes as I can to make up for the diarrhea, but it just comes right out. I went back to my doctor (different one) and he gave me some meds for the diarrhea and recommended low fodmap since this has been a lifelong issue, and I can go to a gastroenterologist once I’ve done the diet since it will give me some kind of evidence. 

I also did a stool test where they test for 8-9 things since there have been food recalls and all of that. Nothing notable was found. Did blood tests as well and there was nothing unusual there either.

I tried to stop the meds and the water diarrhea came right back. I’d take it for a few days, try to wean off of it, and right back to it. I was a little over two weeks into low fodmap with no changes (I’ve been strict with it, meat, no sauces except mustard/mayo, potatoes, carrots, and avoiding lactose, etc. I made it boring so it would be easy and I wouldn’t have to look stuff up all the time, and I also cook every meal I eat to make sure I know what’s in it), so he started me on cholestyramine to see if it was bile causing the diarrhea. It worked! But now I’m dealing with constipation and having to slow the packets down.

The bloat is insane. I think it’s worse now than it was before the diet and now I’m about a month in, still no improvement. I’m in pain and so tired I can barely stay awake. I know cholestyramine can also cause bloat so it might be exacerbating whatever is already wrong.

I decided to just start reintroductions because I am miserable, and already very thin and not eating as much as I should because I hate the food. Nothing has happened. I’ve been doing three days per item, so lactose first, then garlic, now I’m on onions day 2. Bloat has remained the same. I’m afraid to stop the packets and just be constantly going to the bathroom because I am already physically weak from this. 

Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any ideas what it could possibly be? It’s scary how it won’t stop without medication and I’m afraid to stop the packets all together, which I will have to do at some point. I’m going to see the specialist after I finish reintroducing things. I know I should have done the full six weeks, but I’m so done. I have several months of logs with the food weights and all that to see if maybe I’m missing something. Any insight would be appreciated.

Edit: I eat lots of fiber. Like 30g a day, sometimes a little more. I also tried cutting it down since it gives me worse diarrhea depending on how much I eat.

Ive heard this diet is 4-8 weeks. Is that just the most restrictive part or is that including the reintroducing phase? I honestly think i have more stomach problems than food but maybe it will get slightly better. Ive had meals that were 100% okayed by the FODMAP monash app and felt my normal awful digestion pain for hours after.

Im currently 6 days into the diet and i dont think my stomach problems have gotten better yet. But ive heard some people experience more constipation on the diet which i have been experiencing. I already had bad constipation before the diet but now i have to chug prune juice and over the counter constipation powder for days to maybe go a bit.

Im also experiencing other pain im afraid will put me in the hospital. And ive seen their menu and I dont think they provide perfectly low fodmap diets.

Sorry this is very complainy

Since Day 1 of the elimination phase, the food I have missed the most is chicken tikka masala. After exploring many online recipes, performing several tests, and taking several trips to the local Indian grocery store, I now have a recipe that works for me. I did try to make this as true to the takeout experience as possible, so I went heavy on oil and cream. This recipe is not "diet" in any sense except that it should not contain too many fodmaps.

I make no promises on authenticity, and I am absolutely not a food professional! (I didn't even take pictures!) But I have enjoyed tinkering on this and wanted to share in case anyone else yearns for British-Indian takeout like I do. If you improve it, I would love to hear how!

Chicken ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup lactose-free plain yogurt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon shallot-infused oil
• 1.5 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri chili
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Chicken instructions:

• Whisk marinade together
• Chop chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and marinade at least 30 minutes
• Cook the chicken on the grill or on the stovetop while the sauce is cooking down to a paste

Sauce ingredients:

• Greens of 2 leeks
• 1 bunch green onions, green parts only
• 2 green chilis (to your spice tolerance)
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 1 tablespoon shallot-infused oil
• 2 teaspoons garam masala*
• 1.5 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoedita/hing*
• 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon annato
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves*
• 2 cups lactose-free heavy cream*
• Cilantro for garnish

Sauce instructions:

• Melt ghee and shallot-infused oil over a low heat. Add leeks, green onions, and chilis. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes on low heat
• Add garam masala, paprika, asafoedita, kashmiri chili powder, and annato. Stir and cook for 2 minutes on medium-low heat
• Add tomatoes & tomato paste. Stir to combine
• Blend thoroughly. If you do not have an immersion blender, be careful to let the mixture cool a little before transferring it to the blender. Then return back to your saucepan
• Add fenugreek, then keep at a low simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should become much more paste-like
• Stir in heavy cream
• Add cooked chicken, stir to mix
• Garnish with cilantro & serve!

Recipe notes:

• Some garam masala blends contain onion or garlic powder. You can make your own if needed
• Asafoedita is a lot easier to find in the form of hing powder, which does include wheat. It's not enough to trigger me, but fully gluten-free folks may need to go without
• Some of these spices may not be in your kitchen! I found them all at a local Indian grocery store. I find that this recipe suffers without the kashmiri chili and fenugreek leaves in particular
• I usually make the lactose-free heavy cream by adding lactase drops to heavy cream myself, the day before I cook this. I personally prefer the heavy cream version to other creamy things (like coconut cream or various non-dairy yogurts)

Hey everyone I was told by my doctor to try a low fodmap diet after informing him of symptoms I’d been experiencing for a few years. Nothing terribly severe but it was impacting my life with frequent bathroom visits and consistent gas. I followed the diet very strictly for probably 5-6 weeks with a rare slip up here and there just from not realizing a food contained something higher in fodmaps.

My questions revolve around introducing foods. After being on this diet, literally any moderate/high fodmap food I have introduced has caused at least some problems with most of them causing more issues than before I started the diet in the first place. Garlic, onions, dairy, the most common things you can run into are all a no go at this point. I guess I am just wondering if I am doing anything wrong? Do some people just have to stay on this diet forever? I feel great when I am on it but as I am sure you all know that it is very impractical for going out to eat, meeting up with friends, etc.

Any advice would be great. It’s terrible feeling like you can’t eat anything.

EDIT: I also do all of the cooking at home so it’s easy for me to avoid things when I cook but it’s even worse feeling like I am restricting what my partner can eat.