My IBS vs My Antiguan Holiday

September 28, 2015

I’m just over three weeks into my second Symprove trial and while I’m not quite ready to admit defeat with my own homemade probiotics, this one has been working wonders. To really put it to the test I packed two bottles to take on holiday with me.

Whenever I’ve visited the Caribbean before, I’ve had chronic IBS. I’m talking constant loose bowel movements, cramps, bloating and in all honesty I was fairly scared about how it would be, but knowing that stress and fear all up the IBS ante, I tried to put this to the back of my mind. Pairing that with two 60ml shots every morning – I was advised to double up on the dosage while away – worked a treat.

I can’t claim it was a miracle worker as I had two fairly bad bouts, which I admit might have been the after effects of a few too many rums, but they were manageable and after a rest in a nice air conditioned room, I was good to go again. The movements calmed down, the bloating decreased and I slipped back into my bathers.

I should also mention that while I try to stick somewhere near the side of caution with dairy, wheat and the FODMAP diet, this all went completely out the window while away. I found myself unable to say no to French toast for breakfast, a casual pizza for lunch every now and then (other than cauliflower bases I haven’t had pizza in years), top this all off with angel-hair pasta and I was laughing. As was my waistline. I was definitely braver with my food choices than normal and apart from the odd bit of bloating, which is to be expected if I scoff all the wheat and gluten like a pig, I was OK.

I haven’t felt that confident eating in a long time, and it felt really good. For once I wasn’t worried about what the side effects might be. I just went for it and I was surprisingly fine. Which made me try it again and again, each time testing my body for a response. No niggles, no immediate rush to the nearest loo, no feeling nauseous.

I’m keen to keep pushing my body, working out if some of my triggers are still the same. After 10 years of not eating dairy, I’m kind of intrigued as to whether I could start again. My next test is to stick religiously to the FODMAP diet for a period of time, mainly because I’m curious to see what results I experience. I want to get my gut in a good place and then when it is, start gently reintroducing the things I miss, like tomatoes or bread.

Calling any fellow FODMAP-ers, I’d love to know how you got on and how long you stuck to it for. Hit me up in the comments below.

This post is written in collaboration with Symprove.

Read More About My Struggle with IBS:

My IBS Update: Back on Symprove

What to Do When an IBS Attack Strikes

Everything You Wanted to Know About IBS But Didn’t Want to Ask

How to Make the Best Tasting Water Kefir Probiotic

The Reality of Making Your Own Probiotic

Making My Own Probiotics: The Brew Factor

IBS Then and Now: My 12 Week Symprove Review

What I Wear to Beat the Bloat

IBS: A Quarter of the Way Through My Symprove Trial and Feeling Tickety Boo