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At the end of October, I posted a piece, “Pardon Me While My Life Blows Up: A Continuation,” where I wrote that by the time I’d finally been diagnosed with SIBO or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, I’d lost a fair amount of weight. The weight loss was not anorexia: I knew I was too thin, I wanted to gain weight because I didn’t feel well, I had no energy and I continued to live with the consequences of my twenty-six year-long battle with anorexia every day. I didn’t need any more.
The last time I was at this weight my mother was still alive and I was on an eating disorder unit, terrified with every bite that went into my mouth and angry that all the hard work I had put into starving myself was about to be destroyed — again.
I left the post off with: “Then I got a migraine that lasted for three days before I called the headache center where I see my neurologist. That day the migraine was so bad, I could not look at a computer screen so I took the day off.
That migraine felt as though it knocked the SIBO practically back to the beginning. Weight still low, in pain, nauseous and totally exhausted.
The GI is thinking about what the next steps are. I’ll let you know.”
She wrote me via the patient portal that I should try the LOW FODMAP diet — and go dairy-free. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard of FODMAP’s, but I didn’t really know much about it. I looked up the program (I didn’t want to call it a diet) on the Internet. I found it foreign and confusing
FODMAP’s are a collection of short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found in foods naturally or as food additive. FODMAP is an acronym that stands for:
- Fermentable – meaning they are broken down (fermented) by bacteria in the large bowel
- Oligosaccharides – “oligo” means “few” and “saccharide” means sugar. These molecules made up of individual sugars joined together in a chain
- Disaccharides – “di” means two. This is a double sugar molecule.
- Monosaccharides – “mono” means single. This is a single-sugar molecule.
- Polyols – these are sugar alcohols (however don’t lead to intoxication!)
This meant nothing to me. However, as I read further I found that I’d be cutting out all of these groups for a limited amount of time (4-6 weeks), then reintroducing them one at a time to see which one is the offending culprit.
I printed out the list of allowed foods and ingredients and tried grocery shopping. I’d find cereal that looked promising and then one ingredient would disqualify it. I was clogging up the aisles of the supermarket. I was practically parallel parking my shopping cart. Soon Stop and Shop would be asking me to feed the meter. Was “pectin” an allowed ingredient? It wasn’t on the allowed list, but it wasn’t on the not-allowed ingredient either. A half-an-hour of googling wasted.
I couldn’t give up coffee and I couldn’t drink my coffee black either. One of my vices. I believe that I need my coffee. I knew that hazelnut coffee creamer wasn’t on the allowed list of foods.
I tried. I tried for about five days and my resolve crumpled. It wasn’t because of the restrictions (I’m good at that), it was because I had no idea what I was doing.
I needed to feel better. I needed to find a way. I googled “ LOWFOODMAP nutritionists, NYC.” The first one that came up seemed perfect. Her website even said that she helped her clients gain weight in a healthy way. Then on the appointment page she said she wasn’t taking new clients at this time.
Finally I found C., a terrific all-things GI specialist, including LOW FOODMAP. She is young, knowledgeable and kind. When I told her that I’d been in recovery for four years from a twenty-six-year struggle with anorexia, she said simply, “Congratulations.” The first meeting lasted well over the scheduled hour — and she has evening appointments. We met in-person the first time, but we can Skype from now on. She told me that she was glad we met the first time in her office so she could actually see how run-down I was. C sent me via e-mail the next day, websites, recipes, brand names to look for and where to find them. Everything I needed to succeed.
I’ve been on the LOW FODMAP program almost two weeks now, and I’ve gained about five pounds, which I needed. I have a little more energy, my appetite is coming back, I can eat more at one sitting and best of all I have a lot less abdominal pain. YES!!!!
Here’s to continued success……..
DISCLAIMER: This post is not a substitute for medical advice. Do not start any diet or food program with consulting a physician.
