As a registered nurse and a case manager I advise people about how to manage their health on a daily basis. I would tell you with confidence there is nothing harmful about following an elimination diet, which is what FODMAP is all about. This type of diet is simply a way to eliminate foods known to cause uncomfortable reactions (milk-based products, beans, certain fruits and vegetables and so on). That being said, you should definitely consult with a dietitian, nutritionist, or a gastroenterologist about what they recommend for someone with severe reactions to certain foods. Bottom line (FODMAP or not) is to start with a healthy diet with a minimal number of foods so there are no reactions, and then gradually add one food at a time to see which ones cause a problem. Best wishes to you and the child.

Hi Billy,

I really like JoanMarie's answer. She nailed it or at least, she nailed exactly what I went through a few years back.

I have MS and Fibromyalgia. Along with these auto-immune diseases comes other complications, such IBS. Before being diagnosed with IBS, I went on a FODMAP type diet.

As JoanMarie said, its about elimination and then adding back to your diet to see what the problem could be.

I wish you the best of luck with the little one. I know this has to be a scary time for all those involved.

Best Wishes,
Dana

I have suggested a few of my customers to start a FODMAP diet and I believe that you can find a lot of information from the internet. BUT I highly recommend that you should go to the professional nutritionist or someone who has a great knowledge about nutrition. You will get better help there than here. Wish you all the best.

Hi Billy. We are not qualified to add anything on the medical issue but, if you are talking about somebody close to you, we can only imagine what you must be going through. We truly wish for a solution to be found quickly.
Colette and Philip

I wouldn't personally talk to a family doc about such a specific elimination diet. You cut out a whole bunch of foods for a little while and after a certain amount of time "clean" you introduce the potential problem ingredients one at a time for a certain length of time and see if the problem reoccurs. I would find a pediatric gastroenterologist and/or a good nutritionist. I've been known to experiment with this type of thing on my own but I wouldn't take chances with a child. You can also try checking at your nearest major medical center to see if there is a support group; when I tried a (different) elimination diet to try to get my migraines under control, having people to talk to helped a lot.

People who say trust the doctors don't necessarily know what they are talking about. American doctors admit they have no training in nutrition, so therefore they really can't advice on nutrition, deficiency and related matters. I know since I have talked to many of them myself! I sent you a PM.

Being a nutritionist and since we are talking about a child, my recommendation is to seek a Gastroenterologist. They specialize in the digestive system. Incompetent American doctors will just want to put her on an unnecessary drug.
Make sure they treat the cause of the symptoms, not drug the symptoms.

Mark.

I'm with Laurie (NewLaurie) on this one, Billy.

If you just want to get more understanding, you can Google it.

But, your physician should be the one to advise you on the ups and downs of such a diet that they are prescribing - not WA members.

I don't think it's wise to look for answers to a personal medical situation on this platform. Seek professionals for something this important.

The answers you get here won't be any better than you could find with a Google search, and anecdotal recommendations could be detrimental.

A doctors care on the pro and antibiotic regimen is called for. best wishes!