complex carbohydrate intolerance??

has anyone heard of this or have this?  i'm trying to find out what's making me have all of my digestive issues.  i've aleady had extensive testing, so i know i don't have celiac, crohn's, etc.  if anyone can share info on this, that would be awesome!

If you've been eating more fiber than you're used to, that could cause you some discomfort... or, it could be Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Check this out and see what you think:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irritable_bowel_ syndrome

i'm taking fibercon actually (my doctor recommended it) but i actually get tons of fiber anyway.  i eat very healthy, lots of veggies, fruit, whole grains.  and because nothing showed up on my colonoscopies, my doctors have told me i have IBS.  it's sort of a catch all though.  and the symptoms i'm feeling now (within the past few months), are very different than the ones i've felt in the past (for the past 5 years).  so i know the difference b/w IBS and what i'm feeling now.  ugh, its just very frustrating.  there is something i'm intolerant to and i just can't figure it out.  i might just try an elimination diet to find out.

Have you ever had problems with dairy? Intolerances to lactose can develop over time and can cause a lot of stomach pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea. Or, it could be a gluten allergy. Or, it could be what you suggested in your first post.

I would consider going to see a nutritionist, other than that I'm sorry that I really can't help with this. :( I've had to live with painful digestive issues all my life, and I've never had it checked. (which, thinking about it now, I probably should have done)..

Good luck!

What type of symptoms are you having?  I have been having "issues" of sorts combined with severe pain in the upper and lower quadrants of the abdomen and belly for well over a year (began Jan. 07) and have had every test known to man from California, Texas to Tennessee.  All anyone can come up with is maybe IBS'.

I've been tracking what I eat, when I eat, when the pain (or episodes) happen, when I am constipated,sorry for the graphic nature,-which is most of the time-not due to lack of fiber mind you...the whole enchilada.

Let me know if this sounds like anything like you are going through at all.  By the way, I have eliminated all breads and pastas from my diet over 6 years ago, but do eat brown rice, couscous, etc.

AGHHH the dreaded IBS diagnosis - basically medical speak for I don't know what the heck is going on with you. I was convinced for years that it was food intolerances - and to a certain extent it was. The miracle cure for me though was adding flax to my diet daily (2 tbls ground flaxseed) + probiotic suppliments (available at health food stores) + eliminate dairy = no more problems  

I do have to be careful eating the wild rice and really grainy foods (need the beano or I'll be bloated and distended for days) but as long as I keep it in mind and don't over do it, it's all good!

thanks for all your replies... and yes, i am lactose intolerant too haha.  i have eliminated dairy from my diet pretty much completely.  i drink soy milk, don't eat ice cream, etc.  i'm definitely a label reader and look for the hidden milk ingredients.

anyway, my symptoms have been excessive gas (which is never fun!), bloating, pain, diahrrea.  i used to eat like 5 bowls of cereal and/or oatmeal a day (i'd usually have it for dinner or lunch along with breakfast -- i know, not the best diet!) but ever since about 5 months ago, i've been having the worst bloating and gas.  eventually i narrowed it down to the cereal and oatmeal so i haven't eaten it for a few months.  my pain and bloating has gone away and the excessive gas is still there, but much less.  2 weeks ago, i decided to buy a box of cereal just to test it out (plus it was my birthday and i wanted to have my favorite dinner lol).  well let me tell you...that gas came right back!  so now i defintely know that cereal is a big culprit.

my GI doctor did actually recommend a probiotic.  i need to buy some and try that.  sybil, that's interesting about the flaxseed, does that just add fiber?

healthybmi -- you sound like me!  i'm 25, i've been having stomach problems all my life, but they got severe enough to see a GI when i was 20.  i've had LOTS of tests done, too, and they've ruled out most everything.  i do have chronic inflammation of my stomach (or gastritis) and esophagitis but all of that doesn't really account for my current symptoms so who knows!  has eliminating breads and pastas helped any?  it sounds like we're a little opposite though, b/c i'm not usually constipated haha.  have you tried taking fibercon?  my doctor told me to take that even though i eat enough fiber in my food.  i dunno, you could try that if you haven't already?   

I am taking MiraLax and FiberSure as well as Librax (Rx) for the stomach spasms, but this is really bizarre.......

For the past 3 months of my 'cycle', the day before Aunt Flo comes I get the worst pain in the upper stomach-so bad that I can't even stand up straight or hardly walk, nowhere near the pelvic or uterine areas.  What timing for this topic, it happened yesterday and last night and guess what?  I was 'blessed' this morning.  It has been like clockwork for the last 3 months.  I went to my OBGYN and had the normal work up in Feb.-everything was fine, great actually.  I just can't make the correlation between the two. 

Rebound pain?  I realize everything is connected but this is kind of freaky.  If my calendar is correct,  I will have another episode toward the end of the week.  Very gassy, too.

BTW-I don't know if eliminating breads and pastas has helped because I did that 6 years ago and all this started @ 1 year ago.  Maybe I should add them back in and then my thighs would really hate me!!!!

I also experience minor spasms frequently, not as bad as the ones around The Time.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I will be phoning back my OBGYN today as well!!

I read this thread because my 21 yr old daughter could have written it. She's currently trying eliminating gluten from her diet to see if it helps. She was going to start with dairy but I don't think she kept at it long enough to know.  She gave in to ice cream cravings! She had all kinds of GI work ups 3 yrs ago and also got the catch all IBS diagnosis. In addition to the kind of symtoms you've mentioned, once last year and yesterday she has pain in her upper left abdomen. It went away on it's own after about 2 1/2 days last time. I can't find anything on the net so my best guess is gas pain. I mean there's nothing there (upper left).  I told her to go to the doc if it worsens or hangs on longer than last time. ? I do know that whatever the cause is for most of her symptoms, it's aggrevated by stress. Of course feeling badly is stressful in itself...

healthybmi, I have heard of people with endometriosis that was far removed from their uterus. The pain timing fits but it would be a very long shot. Good luck figuring it out.

Chris,

You read my mind w/ the endometriosis, that's the only thing I can gather with my own brilliant self diagnostic brain :o!  It's very scary when you're in the medical field and not actually a doctor and don't even play one on TV.....just in marketing, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night....

OK, back to the subject.  I do get my 'episodes' during stressful times as well but not as wrenching as right before my TOM.  Thanks for the help, Chris & All!