Stomach problems worse on Whole30

[Laura87]

This is a littler personal, but I've struggled with bad gas, constipation, and bloating for about 15 years (I'm only 29 - it started when I was a teenager). To the point sometimes the pain is so bad I can't even stand up and have to lie down. I've literally tried everything, even got a colonoscopy (which showed nothing). The only time I've really felt better is when I did a sugar detox last year, similar to Whole30 but you can still have some dairy. This is my first time doing W30 and I'm currently on day 23. I've noticed I'm losing weight but throughout most  of the program my stomach problems seem to have gotten worse. I'm bloated almost every day, still constipated (although sometimes I get random diarrhea out of nowhere), and the pain seems almost worse than normal. My gut has also been very noisy, making "angry" noises when it's hurting badly. 

I was really hoping W30 would help but it seems to be making things worse - too many vegetables perhaps? If anyone has any insight, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm feeling very frustrated and upset; this is an awful way to feel every day.

[jmcbn]

Hi @Laura87 - can you give us a run down of what you have eaten over the past 4-5 days, providing specifics on veg types, portion sizes, fats etc - there are a number of foods that can cause the symptoms you describe in those sensitive to them, but without further info it's impossible to tell what the cause might be...

[Laura87]

Hi @jmcbn here's a quick list:

- compliant bacon, eggs, raspberries, blackberries, bananas, green apples, lettuce, avocado, grass fed beef, chicken, tomato, salami (nitrate free), Whole30 homemade salad dressings, sweet and russet potatoes, clarified butter, cauliflower, asparagus, coconut milk, compliant almond milk, chicken sausage, mushrooms, onions, compliant (and organic) "marina" sauce, salmon, squash, zucchini - those are what come off the top of my head. 

[jmcbn]

39 minutes ago, Laura87 said:

Hi @jmcbn here's a quick list:

- compliant bacon, eggs, raspberries, blackberries, bananas, green apples, lettuce, avocado, grass fed beef, chicken, tomato, salami (nitrate free), Whole30 homemade salad dressings, sweet and russet potatoes, clarified butter, cauliflower, asparagus, coconut milk, compliant almond milk, chicken sausage, mushrooms, onions, compliant (and organic) "marina" sauce, salmon, squash, zucchini - those are what come off the top of my head. 

Ok, so all of the foods I've highlighted in red above are high FODMAP foods. Some people's digestive system struggles to absorb the sugars in these foods, and they get the symptoms you describe. Sometimes many of the problem foods are fine & tolerated well in small quantities, but when eaten regularly, combined, and day after day the gut really starts to struggle & becomes inflamed.

Garlic would also be problematic, as may the squash be, depending on if it's hard or soft skinned, or the tomatoes depending on variety.

Have a look at >this article< which explains it all in more detail & try eating from the green list about half way down the page until your symptoms subside.

You could also try adding a digestive enzyme & maybe some kombucha for the pro-biotics (I'd hold off on kimchi or kraut initially).

Once your gut is feeling better you can start adding in foods from the amber list, paying close attention to portion size, food combinations etc - every one's tolerance level will be different so you'll need to experiment.

You could also take a look at the Monash university website for further information - they have done a lot of research in this area and have an app available for download with details on recommended portion sizes etc.

Let us know how you get on...

[Laura87]

Great, thanks so much, @jmcbn! I'll let you know what happens.

[AllisonBates]

Laura I'm right there with you. Way back when I first mentioned my stomach issues to my doctor, she told me about FODMAPS. After looking into it I was like, "Oh hell no." Because nearly all my favorite fruits and veggies are on the no-no list, not too mention garlic and onion, which I put on everything. Fast forward to me learning about and doing the Whole30, hoping that would be the answer. And this has been a HUGE change for me, because I've been a pescatarian for 25 years and had to cut out most of my normal diet and start eating poultry and red meat again. Well here I am on Day 24 and nothing has changed. I still get painful gas, and I still alternate between diarrhea and constipation. So now I'm thinking I'm going to have to revisit the whole FODMAPS thing.... (sad trombone). 

[jmcbn]

I'll just add here @Laura87 that there are ways to get around the FODMAP thing in that you can use garlic infused oils instead of garlic, use the green stems of spring onions instead of onions, and stick with white potatoes, or sub sweet potatoes fo parsnips etc.

So whilst it may seem intimidating right now this is not forever - I was eating ONLY low FODMAP for a pro-longed period of time, but am now back eating a bunch of things from the red list - I just pay attention to portion size, food combos & food repititions.

Any questions, just ask!

[Hopinglily]

This has been so helpful. I on Day 23 and right there with the other sufferers. Thank you!

 

[Bionicgal]

Yeah -- I have borderline IBS which is apparently not stemming from grains, sugar, alcohol, legumes or dairy -- because it has been worse since starting Whole 30. I do think it takes the gut time to stabilize. . . Day 17 here. I think for me the extra fats are causing the issue - or eggs. 

 

[yogajen]

I have been feeling the same way and yesterday, day 17 was horrible. I ate very lightly (probably not enough because I got a terrible headache) and skipped nuts completely. 

Today I feel much better. A bit of gas, but nothing like yesterday. 

So I wonder if the nuts had anything to do with it.. 

Today, I'll cut out nuts again, but have my coffee with coconut milk to see if that's the culprit. I hope not, because I actually really like coconut milk in my coffee and want to continue that. I didn't have much dairy before W30, but I always put half and half in my coffee. 

Anyway, I am experimenting because I don't want to have any more days like yesterday. It was debilitating and I am a day behind on school work because I just had to rest and watch bad tv in between bathroom trips. 

[Amy25]

I had digestive issues with my first Whole 30.  How can this program cause so many unexpected trips to the bathroom?   I realized that certain foods, like cauliflower and brussel sprouts were explosive, so I backed off.   I added some OJ with La Croix to sip on in the morning.  This seemed to help.  

I am now on my 3rd Whole 30, day 20 and my stomach is OK.....just go a lot in the morning.  But I have gas in the afternoon and sometimes horrible stomach cramps.  Embarrassing and when I was doing my other Whole 30s, the fact that I wasn't gassy was great!  I will look into the FODMAPS foods and make adjustments.  Good info.

[Kmac56]

I usually don't have GI issues but while eating whole 30 I am tethered to the bathroom.  So much so that I can't do normal activities and dome days can't leave house. I never have this while eating normally.  I think I don't tolerate the meats or all the vegetables.  I swear I need bread to mellow  out my gut!

[jmcbn]

@Kmac56 - if you'd like for one of us to take a look at your meals to see if we can spot any possible culprits please feel free to post a few days worth of your typical food intake. Please give specifics on veg - ie. don;t just say 'roasted veg' or 'big salad' let us know the types of veg as often these are what is causing the digestive issues....

[Guest]

For people with a long history of gastro issues, especially if you've been seeing doctors and specialists and not finding anything, I personally recommend allergy testing.  I have had stomach problems since I was a teen that would come and go but got much, much worse in my early 30's.  When I finally had allergy testing I found out that I was allergic to corn, tea, peanuts, tree nuts, chamomile and some other foods and herbs.  Well I had been trying to cut out coffee and was drinking like 4 cups of tea per day at work- so I was basically poisoning myself!  Changing my diet got rid of 90% of my problems and I'm hoping the w30 can get rid of the last 10%.  The w30 as an elimination diet is doing a big piece of what allergy testing would do by cutting out the major offenders like grains, dairy, soy, but people can be allergic to literally ANYTHING.  Keeping a food diary where you note exactly what you eat including ingredients and exactly how you feel after you eat it will help too, especially if testing isn't currently an option (it's expensive unless you have good insurance).  Anyway, that's just my perspective but for me it was a life-saver.