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Has anyone tried just not eating????

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 8/12/2008 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
Well, sort of.  I have been DX with IBS, Ulcerative Colitis and severe GERD--many years, many tests, many everything.  After a hospitatization (UC related) and long medical leave from work, I'm back full-time for about four months now and the only way I can get through the day is to not eat at all or a very tiny, tiny amount of something harmless (lots 'o liquids).  If I do eat, I get stomach pain, cramping, all my energy is zapped, making it hard to continue my shift.  So, I eat mainly one "full" meal at night when I can rest and have easy access to my bathroom.  The trouble is the energy thing--food=fuel=energy; haven't figured all this out, done energy shakes and all that, but not the same as food.  Has anyone had this experience?

P.S. Yes, I'm on all the meds I need to be on, have a GI, PCP, Pain management monitoring me, etc.  On the upside, when food=pain, you don't really want to eat, so I really don't crave it much, well, other than the energy thing (catch 22).

Posted 8/12/2008 2:07 AM (GMT 0)
Have you tried the many small meals? I would think eating once a day would shock the system though I know there is one person on this forum that eats that way. At least you should supplement with a juicer.
Posted 8/12/2008 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
I've been known to skip a meal, especially if I know I have to travel and won't be near a bathroom. Problem is sooner or later one has to eat and for too many people with IBS eating does indeed equal cramping, bloating, etc.
Posted 8/12/2008 11:58 AM (GMT 0)
Ive found that if I dont eat I dont have pain, so I dont eat. Well that only worked for so long, so now i eat very very small meals through out the day, I find that i can handle oatmeal in the morning which will get me to about 1 in the afternoon at work and then I will eat a small piece of fruit, then I wait to eat anything really substantial until I get home when I know i can just lay on the couch with a heat pack and wait for the levsin or pain killers to work. Ive done everything my doctors have asked. I have a GI, ive had every medical test know to man done, I was put on elavil and then when it killed my sex drive I tried 3 other meds of the same class that totoally destroyed me and made things worse before i decided to suck of the loss of libido and go back on elavil. Ive tried chinese herbal remidies, accupuncture, Cognitative behavior therapy, medication, hypnosis, and the only thing that ihave found that alliviates the pain is to just not eat. Ive done the exclusion diet and got rid of all my triggers but at the same time sometimes water will trigger an attack. Im so frustrated at this point because I used to be an athlete, i used to run triathalons so i know how important food is. I never thought I would reach a stage where I have lost as much muscle and body fat as I have and be ok with it, I would rather be a little on the skinny side than in pain.
Posted 8/12/2008 12:22 PM (GMT 0)
If I have somewhere to go I will not eat for that whole day. That is the only way I can go somewhere. If I have a wedding or something like that I do not eat even at the reception. With as many times as I don't eat during the day you would think I wouldn't be as heavy as I am . LOL. But I am sure it messes with my body by not eating.
Posted 8/12/2008 12:22 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I either eat very small meals or skip meals, to get through certain situations:

Traveling (to and from our destination, I eat very, very little).

Social events (weddings, formal sit down dinners, holidays, socializing in the evening, etc.). I fast from solids 4 hours before these events and then if faced with a meal, I just eat very little of it.

Outings that make stopping at bathrooms continuously a problem.

For example, my family bought a new ski boat this past Spring. I eat very light the day we're about to go on it and then I eat light if we stop somewhere (marina restaurants, etc.) for a meal.

Another example, I just had a 4 day family reunion with my in-laws. The restaurant at our resort (a glorified fishing camp, nice but simple, not fancy by any stretch of the means) offered many deep fried items. Very few were grilled or broiled. Any meal put me in my bathroom for 1 to 2 hours. So I began eating very light. They allowed our older children (18 and up) to still order from the kids menu. So that's what I did - waitress didn't mind. I had a grilled cheese one time, while most adults in our group were having BBQ sandwiches, Fish platters, burgers, etc. They of course look at my piddly meal but too bad. The last meal I ordered was a baked potato, a cup of cottage cheese and corn. Yes I got plenty of looks but I wasn't holed up in the bathroom.

The other trick I utilize is even though I've ordered small amounts of food, I nibble it. I eat half.

It's all one big ploy to put as little food in my gut as possible. And to eat just enough that I'm not dizzy because I've gone without solids.

One aspect in all of this is I make sure I have plenty of fluids when I eating or not-eating like this.

I just make up for any solids I'm missing when I get back home.

One of my mottos is - no input, no output. It is true in my case - the more I eat, the more I am not well and really messed up. It's a fine line to determine how little food you can get by on. But in time you'll figure it out.

Mary/Marsky
Posted 8/12/2008 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah Not eating is all part of the game for me when I have something to do or need a break from the pain...
I don;t know what will happen if my celiac shots are stopped again... But yeah you are not alone... when you stop eating the pain does get a lot less...
Posted 8/12/2008 8:01 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know what liquids you are doing, but fruit juice is one of the worst for IBSers. Too much acid. And I can't personally do milk (although, oddly, I can do other dairy products). Caffeine is also a bowel stimulant for many. And I and one or two others on here can't do too much vitamin C (so no to vitamin waters) If you put those together, there's not a liquid drink I can do short of water or green tea.

Depending on what liquids you are drinking, they might be the root of your problem; putting food on your stomach may just activate the upset that's really caused by the drinks.

That being said, if I'm having a rough morning (I almost always have all of my problems in the morning), I skip breakfast and may have a late lunch. But I usually have a post-supper snack to make up for the lack of breakfast. So I have my three meals a day, I just move them further away from when I wake up in the mornings. Also, I tend to eat a light breakfast of yogurt or oatmeal or cream of wheat or dried fruit. It's very rare that I have eggs and sausage and toast or anything amounting to a "normal" sized breakfast. That's way too much on my stomach so early in the morning. It has to have time to get woke up. Also have to have time for my morning medicine to kick in.
Posted 8/12/2008 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
Not eating at all even for just a day in the hopes that you'll get a break from bathroom trips the next day will bring on loads of problems, and headaches too so you'd only be trading one issue for another...try really small meals a few times a day and drink lots of water and chamomile tea (it aids with inflammation for your UC).

:)
Posted 8/12/2008 10:47 PM (GMT 0)
Thank ya all for the responses, I'm feeling the empathy. Yeah, juice is tricky for me because of the ulcerative colitis, if I'm at all flaring--even mildly--I have to go on a no fiber diet--fiber increases bleeding, etc. For the most part I stay away from fruit juice unless things are calm with me at the moment and even then I water down all juice. I stick to water and tea. I've tried every combo of food, elimination, various "diets" really kinda all the same. Strange, but true, awhile ago I was at a party, people having fun, wine and cocktails all around (I gave up alcohol years ago due to all my gastro issues), and I got a strong craving for a Coke, which I hadn't had in YEARS, started feeling sorry for myself because I just can't be "normal" and said, what the heck, I'll just suffer the consequences. I had that Coke, on a totally empty stomach (maybe a little water) and nothing horrible happened--well, something did happen, I REALLY enjoyed it. Who knows?
Posted 8/12/2008 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
Is there any safe food for you? I find white rice very safe as well as jello, apple sauce, plain piece of italian bread, yogurt, broth, etc. I have IBD as well so I understand the issues. You need to put something in your system to keep going. See if you can fine anything that is safe and stick with that.
Posted 8/13/2008 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
I know for me citrus is horrible.... I tell the hospital that I am allergic to it that and carbonation....
Oh the pain with those too are to much to bare...

But for sure each person is different and finding out what food is safe and which are not is a big help....

Oh god I miss Zelnorm....
Posted 8/13/2008 6:51 AM (GMT 0)
I'm extremely hypoglycemic. I need to eat something every two to three hours no matter what. If I don't, it gets nasty. Once, during the liquid diet phase before a colonoscopy, I actually had a seizure from the drop in blood sugar. I've figured out what I need to eat to regulate my blood sugar and what I can eat safely with the IBS and all my other ailments.
Posted 8/14/2008 12:40 PM (GMT 0)
Here's a tip - try chilled water. We keep a jug with spout filled with chilled tap water in the fridge. That water just tastes so good! And all because it's chilled.

I agree that fruit juices create more problems, are acidic and give you too much gas. When my girls were babies, the Ped. suggested white grape juice over apple juice. He said the white grape juice was less acidic and easier on their GI tracts. Consequently both my daughters rarely, if ever have had apple juice (they are 18 and 21 now). I've never forgotten that tip. I sometimes have white grape juice myself. It is very mild. You could also dilute it with water. Half juice, half water. I think the Ped. suggested I do this too, in their baby bottles. Sometimes what I go thru does remind of taking care of my girls when they were wearing diapers. The littlest thing seemed to give them D, so easily. I do joke, I go as much as a newborn baby. LOL

You could try lemonade. The simple Country Time lemonade mix seems to be good for my gut. Try it in small amounts first.
Posted 8/14/2008 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
I wonder if anyone's tried drinking infant formula as a milk substitute to see if it's easier on the guts?
Posted 8/16/2008 2:26 PM (GMT 0)
I've been not eating much for awhile.  I only eat 3 or 4 days a week & very little at best. As soon as I eat....I go running a few minutes later. This is also good since I've lost quite a bit of weight. Not eating much is the only thing I've found that works for me. Good luck to all of you.
Posted 8/17/2008 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
I just got home from an out of town trip to our daughter's college orientation weekend. The college provided excellent meals and housing for parents/students. It was torture not to put each entree and side on my plate. But I was good. I didn't avoid meals but I intentionally left a lot of room on my plate. For lunch I had a very small side salad and a cup of chicken noodle soup. I wanted so much more but I knew I'd have to skip info sessions so I ate light. I did this for 2 more meals and now I'm back home. And eating again.

I'll probably overdue it and not feel great tomorrow.

But eating light worked. I am proof. I walked my tail off for 2 days, I am exhausted. One trick I use is drinking plenty of water, as I mentioned. Just make sure you keep your water intake up.

I was surrounded by people eating 3 to 4 times as much as I was. And going back for seconds.

No wonder we have a problem with obesity in this country. It is my firm belief now that we do not need huge meals to keep going and nourished. 4 to 6 small meals a day work the very best for me. And yes, all out skipping food entirely does really work. You just can't make a habit of it.

Mary/artichoke6
Posted 8/17/2008 7:08 AM (GMT 0)
Hmm...sounds like the perfect inroad to an eating disorder, to me...

Be careful with this whole "not eating" thing. It can get very ugly very quickly.
Posted 8/18/2008 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Interesting you say that Sarita. A long time ago my doc had me on a liquid diet. I did a google search for feeling full without eating or something. I found all these PRO anorexia websites. It was so sad that these sites exist helping people perpetuate their eating disorder. But, some of the suggestions on there helped me stave off the hunger till I could eat again. So sad though that healthy people do that.
Posted 8/19/2008 7:16 AM (GMT 0)
Very, very sad!
Posted 8/19/2008 5:27 PM (GMT 0)

Keriamon said...
I wonder if anyone's tried drinking infant formula as a milk substitute to see if it's easier on the guts?

Most infant formula is soy based because babies often have issues with cow milk before they hit the age of one, so considering the expense of baby formula it's probably not much better than drinking soy, and likely cheaper.

:)

Posted 8/20/2008 12:48 PM (GMT 0)
Not eating much does NOT lead to other things. Same could be said for drink & drugs. I've been doing this for years since this is the only way I control IBS. No food, no running.
Posted 8/20/2008 1:05 PM (GMT 0)
I agree about eating small amounts and not much at any one time. I just feel healthier. Hard to explain. My gut seems to know when I've overdone it, the amount of intake is too much for my touchy system and it revolts. But it is hard to fine tune this new way of eating because everywhere you look - at home with your family, in public, as a guest at someone else's dinner table, most people are trained to eat large amounts of food, ie 3 large meals a day. A full plate of food, including seconds. I do like buffet dining, but not because I can heap my plate with food. But rather so I can pick and choose the foods that agree with my gut and others in my party can eat what they like. The waitresses are confused though, because I put so little on my plate and then do not go back for seconds. They keep giving me my fork, thinking I must be going back for more food! LOL

This is a fine line to figure out. I prefer small amounts of food instead of skipping food. But as I've shared on this topic and others, I do have to fast for specific reasons - mainly, car travel. If I know we have a trip coming up, 2 days before I eat well, 1 day before I begin pulling back and I avoid all my risky food groups (the ones that I know can give me D). Then while traveling I eat very light. Once I am at my destination, I begin eating well again.

I know I could never do this for days on end though. This is not healthy. I think some that feel you should never skip meals, think that when some of us say we try not eating, they are concerned we will try this for many meals in a row. If I ever skip a meal, it's usually just 1 or 2 at the most. And I always keep club crackers, water and a banana at the ready, they are my go-to beverages/food that I keep in my system (at least once I get to a bathroom again!).

Mary/Marsky
Posted 8/20/2008 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with the not eating much, but not eating at all, or going days not eating and then eating can be a serious health issue. I know for myself when I do liquid diets to give my bowels a rest from the crohn's and IBS I do tend to get quite a headache, very weak and sometimes even nauseated...and that' still the effect I get when I'm still putting liquids like ensure in me.

:)
Posted 8/24/2008 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
This thread is interesting b/c I'm still trying to figure out how to live with all my challenges--sort of fine-tuning my dietary habits to fit my situation. I do agree that we as humans do not need as much food as "they" have lead us to believe, I've been eating very little for some time now and I'm still here, my blood tests don't show any abnormalities. PBS had this very interesting (reality) series several years back depicting families living during specific periods of American history, one series was called Frontier House (they took several modern-day families and had them live for six months during that period of time)--the time in history when people were establishing the West, I believe the show was set in Montana--anyway, it showed how families lived and what their days were like back then, basically preparing for the next meal, plowing, planting, harvesting, churning, everything made from scratch, with very limited resources. One of the things people had to do is stockpile their resource, not overuse anything and predictably the participants of this experience lost a lot of weight. The father of one family was so concerned about his weight loss he asked to be checked out by a doctor, the producers allowed it and the doctor told him that before industrialization everybody was as skinny as he was, it's called normal; the many health problems we have today are because we are grossly overweight.

I thought about the eating disorder potential, but not sure that's a possibility for most here because of the psychological aspect of that disease: predisposition, coping skills level, self worth issues, and the biggest, control over ones life, or lack there of. Speaking for just me, other than my health, I have my stuff together and am satisfied with a lot of my life, I like myself, have control (well, as much as one can) over a lot of things going on; choices and I feel confident that if I start to not like something or a situation I will choose to change it or change how I view the situation--I believe people with eating disorders have difficulty with this. Just a thought I'd put out there.

Well, off to drink another glass of water......

Post Edited (BigLucy) : 8/24/2008 11:40:11 AM (GMT-6)

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