Food game plan - to medicate or not to medicate?

Robin.booboo · Post by **Robin.booboo** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 9:41 pm

Hi All,

I am planning to start the GF/DF diet when I get back from our Thanksgiving trip. What I am wondering is... Should I stop taking the Imodium when I start the dietary changes? Or should I keep taking the Immodium while I make the diet changes? Right now, Immodium is the difference between 12-15 trips/day or more, versus 2-3 (or 4-5, it keeps changing - still, HUGE difference). It also prevents the awful rumbling and pain, and helps somewhat with the urgency. On it, I feel a whole lot better and my potty symptoms are significantly reduced, but even with the improvements, I have only seen Norman 3 times in the last six months, and the rest of the time is the usual watery yuck.

What say you, Potty People?

Thanks,
Robin

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 9:54 pm

I would continue to take Imodium as needed. If you find your symptoms improving, you'll be able to reduce or eliminate it.

Gloria

Robin.booboo · Post by **Robin.booboo** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 9:57 pm

Gloria wrote:I would continue to take Imodium as needed. If you find your symptoms improving, you'll be able to reduce or eliminate it.
Gloria

So it won't interfere or mask anything? That is good news. Thank you, Gloria!

Post by **tex** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:02 pm

Robin wrote:So it won't interfere or mask anything?

All Imodium does is to slow down motility, so as Gloria says, it shouldn't hurt anything, and if it can improve your quality of life, then that's good justification for using it. It usually takes several months for the diet to start showing benefits, so until then, if it makes life easier for you, then that's several months of misery that you can avoid. As soon as the diet begins to bring results, you'll notice that your stool frequency and form has improved, and that should make it kind of obvious when it might be time to start reducing the dosage rate of Imodium.

Tex

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 3:06 pm

Robin
firstly - welcome to the group

in addition to what Tex and Gloria have said, BM frequency and consistency is only one indicator of digestion health.

for me once i figured out what foods i could have and what i couldnt, a whole range of other symptoms go away like; fatigue, foggy brain, joint aches, discomfort with digestion, gas, the imodium is only slowing down the motility, it is not helping any of the other issues like inflammation.

good luck with implementing the eating plan changes, in some cases it will involve loss of favourite ingredients or items...... (i miss croissants..)
be patient, it will take a few months for the real benefits to kick in.

take care

Robin.booboo · Post by **Robin.booboo** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:51 pm

Hello,

Thank you for the additional info, Tex and Gabes, and it is very nice to meet you, Gabes!

I have another question now, more on logistics... I attended a work event lunch today. In the case such an event was catered I could probably ask the company what alternative menu options are available, but in this instance, we met at a restaurant near the office, and ordered from the menu. So, now, it made me think of something else...

What I am wondering now is...

Let's say you are eating out and you order grilled chicken, and then when they deliver it, you find out that the plate actually consists of a grilled chicken breast on a whole wheat bun (or some similar situation). Can you take the chicken out of the bun, cut it up and eat it? Or is it going to be dangerous because it was in contact with a whole wheat bun?

Thanks,
Robin

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:08 pm

the answer to your question 'it depends'

when i was inflammed and still sorting out what my intolerances were then yes i would react to chicken if it had been on wheat based bread.
there are some who react to the smallest amount of contamination (tongs chopping boards etc)

there are others that were not as super sensitive.

even though my MC is 'not active' at the moment i am still super diligent about keeping my digestion protected from any irritants.
because soy is one of my biggest issues, i only eat out at places i know can provide me with a soy and gluten free meal.

Post by **tex** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:33 pm

Robin,

Most of us who have actually tried to do what you suggested, (even if we tried to scrape off any and all crumbs), have virtually always ended up getting sick after doing that. I would never knowingly eat any food that touched gluten, in any way.

Tex