Cdiff/IBS- what CAN you eat?

[august14]

I've been advised not to eat:

lactose
high fiber- so basically no fruits/veggies
acidic foods
common stomach irritants- chocolate, coffee, etc
high fat foods

And I read on here not to eat too many carbs/sugars as it can "feed" c diff.

Everything seems to upset the system and I desperately need to gain back some weight. Ensure also causes a lot of pain, although I'm about to try another ensure-like drink.

I realize this is not medical advice, but does anyone have any suggestions besides grilled meats?

[ResearchGrandma]

Ensure has milk proteins, and I think that started to bother me after a while also.
I was always able to eat smooth peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter - all high calorie.
I was usually able to tolerate small amounts of well cooked fruits or vegetables, and bananas were OK (uncooked). I actually was cooking fruits/vegetables that one usually does not think about cooking: like lettuce, cantaloupe, strawberries, until I recovered enough to be able to handle them raw (at least on some days).
I never totally gave up starches: I never stopped oatmeal, and I was OK with potatoes.
I never had problems with eggs.
It is probably a good idea to stay away from dairy (although some people can tolerate kefir or yogurt), really high fiber foods (like beans), raw greens, and stomach irritants. The general idea is to try a very small amount of a new food and see how you do.

[daisy]

I also developed IBS after Cdiff.

For breakfast I usually have a bowl of oatmeal made with soy milk and top it with berries and a bit of cinammon.

For snacks I eat bananas, apples (with no skin), rice cakes, gluten free pretzels and pita bites crackers. I am going gluten free most of the time although I tolerate some bagel chips that contain wheat flour so maybe I don't need to go gluten free. I also tolerate low fat peanut butter from Skippy.

For lunch and dinner I eat chicken, turkey or fish. I cook vegetables (zuchinni, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, along with a bit of olive oil and grated ginger) I love it! I also roast sparagus. I prepare quesadillas with rice tortillas and sharp cheddar from the Kraft-Cracker Barrel brand. They sell it in block or slices in most supermarkets and in Walmart. In the back of the package it indicates it contains 0 gms. of lactose. Grated parmesan is also safe to take, it has no lactose because it has been aged. Also low in lactose are yogurt and kefir, I love them and tolerate them well.

Things that set me off still are red meats, high fat, chips, regular cheeses, pizza, beans, lettuce and desserts (sugars). No coffee or chocolate for me, although I can drink tea.

I am very skinny too, I weight 102 lbs. and I am 5'2. I've gained 3 lbs. so far from the 12 lbs. I lost. Be patient... I hope my tips help. ♥

[august14]

Thanks!!

It seems like everything causes so much pain. I'm pregnant and struggling just not to *lose* weight..it's so frustrating!

[justme]

August:
I went gluten/red meat/dairy/sweets/spicy/and raw vegetables free for the first six months of recovery. I ate a lot of carbs (they help with weight gain), most fruit (except citrus), poultry, fish and eggs. The only vegetables that didn't bother me were gourd type - squash, eggplant, etc. I lost 40 lbs. in the first 6 weeks, and it took me 6 months to add back 10. I ate a lot of gluten-free bread. Lots of small meals and eating something before bed like a banana helped put weight back on. If you can tolerate Ensure, that's a good idea (I couldn't). Like others have said, slowly introduce new food and wait 2-3 days and see how you feel before adding it to your diet. Especially being pregnant, you have to keep eating whatever you can, as much as you can.
Good luck.
Anne

[beth22]

You do need protein, so I would eat meats. Chicken, turkey, fish are tolerated by most. I don't have problems with red meat or even pork, but some do. Potatoes will help to put on weight. Rice is good. Pasta is also good if you tolerate gluten - I do. I cook all my vegetables except avocado, which technically is a fruit I think. I also eat breads and cereals.

Ensure puts out a clear drink too - maybe that will be easier on your system.

[daisy]

And for the IBS pain, peppermint tea is recommended. I drink it, and helps my pain go away.

[mjmcgetr]

cooked veggies ! I lived on sweet potatoes for a while grilled white meet ...bone broth ..and avocado is really easy on the stomach. I sometimes put ground turkey or chicken in the food processor with olive oil and kale and grill burgers with it to get some green veggies

[rhythmia]

Hi!

I'm new to this discussion group. I stumbled on it while searching for information about the long-term effects of c. diff on the colon and digestion. I got c. diff after being hospitalized in Ghana almost exactly a year ago. After being treated here in the States (three rounds of meds, the last being Dificid), I developed IBS. Thankfully, my gastroenterologist pointed me toward the low-FODMAP diet. "FODMAP" is an acronym for certain chains of sugars that humans have a hard time digesting. I've been reading many posts on this site in which people are describing how much difficulty they are having finding food they can tolerate, so I thought I would share. The low-FODMAP diet has really worked for me. Here are some links to more information:

http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/

A really thorough video about the effect of FODMAPS: http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/e ... cture.html

A dietician here in the US with the most helpful info on IBS and FODMAPS: http://www.ibsfree.net/

Another US dietician with a helpful website: http://www.katescarlata.com/

This diet can be really frustrating to take on because it cuts out so many food that we are all used to eating. However, the relief from symptoms makes it worth it. What I'm trying to find out now is if my gut will eventually heal itself so that I don't have to stay on this diet forever. If anyone else has experience with how long post - c. diff IBS lasts, I'd love to hear about it!

Thanks!

[justme]

rhythmia: Introduce foods slowly and see how you react -3 day rule. I've been on this site for about 2 years and I notice that most of us seem to have the most trouble with dairy and spicy food. Your gut will eventually heal, but it will take time. Some people have an easier time healing than others. Many times, it depends on age and underlying health issues. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a rule about how long post C. Diff IBS lasts. I still have issues, but I may be the exception and not the rule.
Aloha
Anne

[rhythmia]

Hi Anne,

Thanks for your reply! I'm sorry to hear that you and so many others have had IBS for years after recovering from C Diff, but I'm glad to know that what I'm experiencing is typical and not something in my head!

I was already mostly lactose-intolerant before I got ill, and now I'm completely lactose-intolerant. In fact, one person on this site mentioned taking Florastor. I have tried that, but I can't tolerate it because it contains a tiny amount of lactose! Fortunately, I can get Saccharomyces boulardii from Jarrow. And, of course, I can take lactase enzymes when I need to.

And I'm especially sensitive now to polyols - sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol - which are found in apples, pears, stone fruit, avocados, watermelon, mushrooms... the list goes on. Basically, all of the chains of sugars that are designated FODMAPS I am sensitive to. And this includes wheat, onions, garlic, legumes, and many fruits and vegetables. But the diet does help, and I have "tested" myself with moderate-FODMAP foods from time to time, and have reintroduced a few foods. I'll keep working at it! :-)

-rhythmia (aka Anne, as well!)

[beth22]

rhythmia - There is a new blood test out that will tell you if you have IBS. It detects antibodies to toxins. I tested positive. I am on a diet for SIBO, not as restrictive as FODMAP and am slowly adding foods. You might want to see about the blood test. It is called IBSchek. My doctor said that it indicates the level of antibodies, so it can be tracked to see if things are improving or not.

[davidm]

Rhythmia, are you sure it is lactose you are having problems with? For many people, it is actually the milk protein casein that causes intestinal problems.

For example, I believed I was lactose intolerant, but lactose-free milk still caused me upsets. A sample taken during a colonoscopy showed that there was actually plenty of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose) inside me, so I could not be intolerant to lactose.

While FODMAPs will reduce the symptoms, it does not really address the underlying problem. It is a type of elimination diet - FAILSAFE is another which eliminates salicylates, amines and additives. As you can imagine, it was fairly high carbohydrates because that was the largest "safe" food group.

However, elimination diets are starting to be challenged even within the medical profession because of the long term effects. By eliminating a large number foods from your diet over a long period, you restrict your intake of certain nutrients, and can end up with a form of malnutrition.

In my case, I was FAILSAFE for 15 years, and during that time my problems got steadily worse. First dairy started causing problems, then wheat, then all gluten, and eventually legumes. Even then, I was not symptom free.

My understanding is that when the normal bacteria in your gut get out of balance, they can react to certain foods, eg, the FODMAP foods. And when you eat a lot of carbohydrates, they encourage certain types of bacteria, not necessarily the good ones. Add a dose of antibiotics, and you have an environment where opportunistic organisms can grow out of proportion. C Difficile is one of these.

So the likelihood is that your gut bacteria are out of balance, and ones that react to FODMAP foods are in the majority. There may even be other pathogenic bacteria that have become rampant because the good bacteria are no longer around to keep them under control. The long term solution is therefore to fix up your gut bacteria.

Here are a few links that might be helpful:

A simple explanation of the role of gut flora in the human body (3 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIAltUyFo5o

You Are 99% Microbe! Meet Your Microbiome (4 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BZME8H7-KU

Gut Microbes – Importance in Health and Disease (2 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE9QWFg-XNs

Interview with Natasha Campbell-McBride where she explains the background to GAPS (50 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cONYR7vAD-A

[rhythmia]

davidm,

Thanks for info and the links. I've looked at a couple of them, including the beginning of the interview w/ Dr. Campbell-McBride. When I have time, I'll try to go back and hear the rest.

I am well aware of the role of the gut microbiome in C. Diff infections and in health and digestion in general, and I am taking many probiotics currently. It sounds like a trip back to the gastroenterologist is in order.

Thanks for your support!

[rhythmia]

beth22,

Thanks for the heads up about IBSchek. I had not heard of it (and neither had either of the gastroenterologists that I saw last year). I will look into it more.

:-)