Going gluten-free for IBS & uncontrollable BLOATING!!!!!!!!

bars - My biggest advice to you as someone with IBS who has gone gluten free is to avoid replacement foods. Like gluten free breads, pastas and other items used to replace the gluten you used to eat. You're better off without these things - they will make you bloated just as bad as you are now, they are disappointing in flavor and they are very expensive. If you can't do that, I recommend Glutino crackers and frozen pizza, tinkyada pasta and Annie's gluten free stuff. But, I highly recommend just cutting those kinds of things out altogether, if you can manage. They have always made my stomach pretty upset to the point where I might have just been better off eating the gluten to begin with.

A lot of people have mentioned the book “wheat belly” to me. Maybe it’s worth a look? Also, if you can resist for long enough, you stop craving gluten filled things like desserts.

If you are going to go gluten free, do yourself a favor and do it all the way, i.e. don’t cheat. You’ll never know the truth until you do it 100% and stick to it for at least 8 weeks. I cut coffee out for a while there too, but eventually settled on low acid coffee. I can recommend one if coffee is a trigger for you too. My success has come from pinning down about 10 foods that I eat on a rotating basis that I know will not make my stomach upset and the gluten free portion is just a small part of my success so far.

bars-I went gluten free about a 1.5 years ago. My sister has been diagnosed with Celiacs and her son, my nephew, as well. 2 years ago I started a new job and two weeks after WHAMMY. The explosive poopies just started and haven't ended. I have went gluten free, fodmap free, dyes and preservative free (as much as humanly possible), low fat, no dairy, no fruit, no raw anything, no caffiene, no chocolate and very little sugar. I still have it daily. I'm working on my third gastro doctor and he wants to start over with all of the tests. Thats about as stressful as "am I going to make it to the bathroom". I had a heart attack three years ago and survived with stents and rehab but I'll tell ya, this IBS may be my doom. I would suggest going gluten free for awhile just to see how you feel. And I agree with aubrey and stay away from the gluten free prepackaged foods. Didn't help me at all, expensive and just taste nasty. I'm learning to cook all over again too.

As someone who has adopted a gluten free diet to help reduce bowel problems I will tell you that it isn't magic. Not every problem will be solved by eliminating gluten.

I found that I felt better about 2 weeks into my gluten free diet. I will also concur that there is no such thing as "gluten lite," LOL, and that the gluten-free treats and processed foods are not recommended. I do find that GF pasta is fine (I prefer the brown rice or quinoa versions) but that's about all I can say. I will eat GF bread every now and then (it takes me 3 months or more to go through a loaf) but mostly I bake for myself if I want a treat like cookies or brownies.

The specific issues I addressed by going gluten free were frequent diarrhea and painful spasms. Eating wheat definitely gives me diarrhea. I cannot say the same for the other gluten grains because I haven't tested them (barley, rye, etc.) but I do eat oatmeal without a problem.

I have chronic bloating, due to gastritis. Absolutely nothing seems to help. I tried gluten free, no dairy, no grains, etc. to no avail. But then again, we are all different--you may have an entirely different outcome after going gluten free. I wish you well!

Hello everyone, I have always had bloating problems accompanied with constipation/diaherria as well. I can remember times in my life that I had constipation (when I was really young) and I had diaherria when I got older. The triggers seem to change as I age!!! At one time in my life, I could not eat beef without being close to a bathroom. That has passed, however now I am trying the gluten free thing. ITs ok, but I still have problems. I have found that sweet tea triggers my acid reflux. I was diagnosed (if you want to call it that) back at the first of year with a small hernia, acid reflux and inflammation after many tests and 6k later that my insurance did not cover. They told me I have IBS and that I have a allergic reaction to wheat. But that I am not celiac. I think that the doctors do not know how to treat IBS. They don't have a clue. I have been dealing with pain in my stomach/abdomen and back since the first of year. With all of the research I have done, I can say that I also have rhemy tag-raynoids disease. I get really cold/or hot...Course I am 48-not sure if the hot has to do with Hot flashes. I also have migraines and anxiety. I do think that the aching and stiffness in my joints does relate with all of these things. The only thing that seems to help is GI NATURALS-it has digestive enzymes. Without that I am in lots of pain...
Thanks for your help, sorry this is so long!