Doctors back new diet plan
A GROUP of GPs in Bridgend are backing a “life-changing” new diet for people with irritable bowel syndrome.
The “Fodmap” diet identifies and eliminates foods believed to trigger the symptoms.
PATIENTS with irritable bowel syndrome are being urged to try a “lifechanging” new diet which doctors claim can reduce or even eradicate their condition.
The “Fodmap” diet, which is being piloted by five GP surgeries in Bridgend, identifies and eliminates foods believed to trigger the symptoms.
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board claims the results have been “remarkable”, with more than threequarters of patients reporting their IBS has eased or even disappeared.
Latest figures show that as many as one in five people in Wales have IBS, a condition which can cause stomach cramps, bloating and diarrhoea or constipation. But many people don’t even realise they have it or are being misdiagnosed.
Prescribing support dietitian Debbie Thomas said patients with IBS-like symptoms are frequently sent for a colonoscopy or endoscopy which, apart from being highly invasive, costs the NHS around £200 a time.
Debbie said: “IBS is very debilitating, and it’s embarrassing so people don’t really talk about it.
“Some people have to spend endless time in the toilet or take time off work. It can have a really serious effect on their lives.
“Traditionally, GPs may refer the patient to a dietitian and they would be given advice such as looking at the regularity of their food, making sure they drink plenty of fluid and adjusting fibre.
“Unfortunately that has limited success.”
Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (Fodmap) are carbohydrates that aren’t easily broken down and absorbed by the gut.
They ferment relatively quickly, releasing gases which can lead to bloating and other characteristic IBS symptoms.
High-Fodmap foods include some fruits and vegetables, animal milk, wheat products and beans.
GPs in the pilot project refer appropriate patients to Debbie, who sees them in their local surgery.
She added: “Usually only two appointments are necessary.
“During the first, I instruct them on the elimination part, which is when we take out all high-Fodmap foods.
“Once their symptoms improve, we arrange a second appointment for the reintroduction phase so they can identify the trigger foods causing the problem.
“This gives patients the choice to avoid trigger foods completely or eat them in small amounts, with the confidence that any symptoms will improve once they remove them from their diet again.
“Reintroduction is incremental so they not only know which food is a trigger but also how much they can tolerate before it triggers the symptoms.”
Since starting the pilot in early 2015, Debbie said she has seen around 200 patients.
Not everyone chooses to try the diet but upwards of 75% of those who do have seen a remarkable change.
Paul Leyshon, 36, from Pencoed, suffered from IBS for 15 years and said it had a massive effect on his home and work life.
“I used to plan my day around the loo and wherever I went it was always based on whether there was a toilet nearby,” he said. “It stopped me doing a lot of things – I’d make excuses not to go places. Or if I did have to go anywhere I’d dose myself up on medication first.
“The diet has transformed things in a positive way. I’ve stopped taking medication. Life is a hundred times better and I feel a lot healthier.”
Chris Phillips says he has seen massive improvements in the physical aspects of IBS but admits the anxiety it causes has not gone away.
The 35-year-old from Bridgend said: “I have an hour-long commute to work and as it can come on at any time, there’s always that anxiety.
“The diet is really helpful, it’s the anxiety side I have to conquer now. It’s not just the food aspect but the mental aspect as well. It still affects how I plan my days, although knowing I have eaten the right food does help control the anxiety.”
The project is shortlisted in the Improving Health and Wellbeing and Reducing Inequalities category of the NHS Awards, with the winners being announced in September.
It also led to Debbie, who was specially trained in the low Fodmap diet in King’s College London, being selected for the Bevan Innovation Exemplar programme run by the Bevan Commission.
This supports NHS employees to lead innovative projects and share best practice with colleagues.
Debbie said: “The changes to their lives are amazing and dramatic.
“People try to follow this diet alone with information they’ve found on the internet. But the real success is shown when patients have the specialist advice and support of a dietitian trained in the low Foodmap diet.
“It is really effective.”