I waited a while to publish this post because – like any addict – I figured relapses were likely. But I’m almost 2 weeks in now, so here it goes.
Thoughts on GUM.
It’s pretty easy to limit my Orbit habit on non-work days, but lately I’ve been making big strides in keeping my sticks to a minimum on work days too. What sealed the deal was how different (in a good way) I felt when I went without. This is one area that weaning doesn’t work. It has to be all or none to reap the rewards. More on that in a bit…but first, some background (for context)…
I’ve been trying to quit for a while, but it’s not easy when I’m guzzling coffee and seeing patients back to back. I don’t want to have nasty breath! Yes, obviously I could give up coffee AND gum and solve both addiction problems, but let’s focus on one vice at a time, okay? I need some kind of guilty pleasure.
Truthfully, I think I chew gum more out of a boredom than anything else. I don’t know how or when I got so dependent on the stuff, but I must have some kind of oral fixation. It’s actually more abnormal for me to be without gum than with it. <— That’s a problem.
I like having minty fresh breath just as much as the next person, but it was getting out of hand. I’m talking 3/4 a pack per shift. Clearly that kind of addiction needs an intervention. Sugar-free gum is also loaded with fake sugar (all those ones that end in –ol) which are FODMAPs. Polyols aren’t my main problem group, but I’ve definitely noticed that my GI system is way happier without them. Plus it reduces my daily load considerably, thereby leaving room for more of the good stuff, like hummus.
The best thing to come out of quitting is the increase in water consumption. Now I am drinking water by the kanteen-full which (a) cleans my mouth after eating/drinking, (b) prevents dry mouth, and (c) helps with constipation. Win win win.
I’m also saving a pretty penny now that I don’t have to spend $6 a week on gum. Thankyouverymuch.
So, when I got sick last month and spent weeks on the couch, doing little beyond eating, hallucinating, and sleeping, I inadvertently went gum-free for over a week. Considering how sick I was, my appetite was minimal, so when I did eat I wasn’t minding my FODMAPs very well and wound up making meals that had both beans and wheat (something I ordinarily avoid). And yet, my GI system wasn’t a wreck.
Qualifiers: I was eating snack sized portions (probably making the FODMAPs load smaller than what I’d eat in a normal meal). I wasn’t doing anything physical (it’s hard to tell if you’re bloated when you’re lying down and only 35% conscious).
That said, it got me thinking…what was I doing differently then that allowed me to feel decent while eating combinations of FODMAPs that had previously caused me to feel like crap? The answer is not as simple as EATING GUM (because as we all know IBS and FODMAPs aren’t that cut and dry). But I do think it was a big part.
Maybe my previous attempts of reducing faux sugars and polyols (in the form of sugar-free gum) were unsuccessful because I didn’t feel any different? After all, without any benefits, it’s hard to see a reason to give something up. But now I’m starting to wonder if that’s because cutting back isn’t enough. Weaning may be the way to go in other addictions, but I don’t think it does the trick with gum. Perhaps gum is something that needs to completely get the axe before the GI symptoms disappear? Please bear in mind, this is all just guesswork on my end. I’m no scientist, so the biochemistry and physiology of chewing gum is a mystery to me, but from a layperson’s perspective it may have something to do with the fact that gum isn’t like food. We don’t swallow it, digest it, and then get rid of it. We chew it – for a long time. Does that mean it’s just a continuous release of FODMAPs? If so, that means my habit has been pretty anti-FODMAPs. Popping one piece after another after another (I’m the worst on night shifts!), I’ve been basically streamlining FODMAPs to my body. Subjecting myself to sorbitol for a fairly constant duration of time. That could definitely create a lasting effect on the gut. One that may be present with ten pieces or two – which might be why I didn’t notice a change in how I felt after merely reducing the amount I was chewing. I always told myself a tiny piece of gum couldn’t possibly have enough FODMAPs to count. I considered it negligible in my overall FODMAPs load, but I never factored in the manner in which it is enjoyed. I’d venture to guess quality trumps quantity in this case.
So no gum for me.
This is just my experience. I have no clue if other IBS-ers will have similar responses by giving up gum. What I do know, is that since I’ve gone without I’ve been feeling a lot better. I’m not exaggerating, it’s truly noticeable.
I had a similar experience. Even now, if I cave and have a piece of gum, I end up feeling it. I really do think it’s an all or nothing (and preferably nothing) thing with gum, particularly because the act of chewing it is also suspected to cause people with IBS grief (not just the sweeteners).
Posted by saraheclement | April 13, 2012, 6:26 pmO my goodness yes gum is a killer! It’s funny that you posted this now because I had actually decided to give it up for good on Sunday. My belly was still acting up this week but wasn’t all gassy and bloated like normal and I know that’s because I didn’t chew any gum. I ended up having some last night and am paying for it this morning. I really need to stay away from it because it makes me have to make multiple bathroom stops during my runs which is obviously bad for my training haha.
Posted by Meagan | April 14, 2012, 9:34 amI agree!! I finally decided I needed to cut it out when I realized I was chewing through about 3-4 packs a week..way too expensive and unhealthy just for ‘better breath’ (I’ve heard it actually can make your breath worse at times!) So, when I ran out of my gum I just quit buying more. It’s been about a month or maybe even more and I have chewed gum a handful of times! Its crazy how much I feel the gas and bloating almost immediately now as soon as I start chewing, which is a good reinforcer for me to stay off it!
Good luck and stay strong..suck on a mint or a ginger chew if you’re really craving..works for me
Posted by sara | April 14, 2012, 2:43 pmexactly!
Posted by elise | April 16, 2012, 12:06 pmBefore my GI system got really bad I discovered the perils of sugar free gum. As soon as I cut it out many of my constant symptoms completely disappeared. Now if I even have one piece very bad things happen! I really think it’s the sorbitol that is in all of the sugar free gums. At least for me, sorbitol seems to be one of the worst. Unfortunately, sorbitol also occurs naturally in some fruits like pears. I’ll happily give up anything if it helps me to function better digestively!
Unfortunately now I may be looking at some sort of prolapse surgery, but that’s a whole different thing than fodmaps. I wish my diet would be enough to make things manageable
Posted by hillasblog | April 15, 2012, 8:20 amsounds like you cant tolerate the poyols category of fodmaps at all. but oh man. im so sorry about the prolapse surgery.
Posted by elise | April 16, 2012, 12:08 pmwow, look at those sparkly teeth!
this is really interesting because i quit chewing gum awhile back because it made me soooo bloated and gassy(tmi? nah.) and always had my tummy doing flip flops. i suspected the sugar free part had something to do with it and now i know it did!
Posted by herenowithlove | April 15, 2012, 9:28 am
Posted by elise | April 16, 2012, 12:09 pmI love my gum and chew around five pieces a day. When I was forced to give it up for a couple weeks at one point, I really didn’t notice any change with my IBS symptoms for better or for worse, so I didn’t even think twice about starting to chew it again.
However, I can’t have a drop of coffee or a bite of soy without being in intestinal hell literally for hours. I had to give both of them up more than seven years ago, and I couldn’t believe what a change it made. That’s why I was so surprised when I read you’re able to consume both of them in large amounts. But it goes to show that everyone is different! Even though I’ve gotten to a good point with knowing what my gut will do and picking safe choices, it can still be unpredictable. Now you have me doubting my gum…
Posted by Abby | April 15, 2012, 4:36 pmit IS weird how different FODMAPs are for everyone.
im glad coffee isn’t a problem area for me (although lately im down to one cup a day). lots of tea though.
soy is variable though…depends on the amount of processing mostly, but its not black and white so its still throwing my GI system some surprises. tofu is fine, but soy milk is variable. the fewer ingreds the better. i think i posted about it but the highly processed ones that are in bars and stuff kill me. soy protein isolate is death.
im not sure where gum is/was on the spectrum of GI discomfort, but now that i have felt the effects of zero gum i have said adieu permanently.
Posted by elise | April 16, 2012, 12:14 pmI’m a tad late commenting on this one, but I get major bloating from gum. And go through a pack when I’m at work. It’s a weird habit for me too and it is defo a stress and boredom habit. I’ve taken to replacing gum with sugarfree mints. Even though they still have fodmaps in they don’t have as much of an effect on me. x
Posted by Sarah | May 3, 2012, 12:57 amI didn’t have much luck doing the elimination diet and reintroductions on my own (it just got so confusing and results were inconclusive–I never really figured out what bothers me)
. I wish I’d had a dietitian to guide me properly through it. But I, too, gave up sugar-free gum as part of the process. I was chewing a lot of it–at least one or two pieces a day–for breath freshening. I thought regular gum wouldn’t do the trick; I’ve always felt that anything with real sugar in it, even if it were mint-flavored, left my mouth feeling icky. But have you (anyone reading this) tried Glee gum? I get it at Whole Foods. It’s naturally flavored, and although it loses its flavor quickly, it pretty much does the trick of a quick freshen-up because the peppermint oil (I prefer their peppermint flavor) is pretty strong.
Switching to non-sugar-free gum, keeping my gluten intake low, and avoiding garlic and its relatives are my major takeaways from the elimination diet. I’ve been having symptoms lately, but generally things are manageable.
Posted by Lu | May 5, 2012, 7:58 pm