Digestive Problems (IBS)

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Doctrinaut

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Joined
Dec 28, 2019
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DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
02/1995
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US
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IL
Can some of you tell me if part of your fibromyalgia symptoms include IBS and what those symptoms involve? Also, has your IBS caused hemmoroids or other problems? Is it a constant or interrmitant problem like when you're experiencing a flare?
 
Hi Doctrinaut - IBS is not only a common co-morbidity, it is used in all sets of criteria as one of the symptoms to help diagnose FM.
I'd reckon that IBS-C (with constipation) or IBS-A (alternating) is more likely to cause hemorrrhoids than IBS-D (with diarrhea).
IBS-D I'd say can inflame any hemorrhoids or fissures present.
Tomatoes sting my colon terribly 24h after eating. Only creaming beforehand helped a bit. Afterwards is too late. Tough to find out.
My IBS was constant and independent of flares, until I eliminated every trigger (70%? of foods). Others get it intermittently though.

Psyllium is the one thing I'd suggest as a non-med help, as it decreases D (little water) and C (lots of water.
Meds I suggest will (as usual) not cure, only suppress and cause additional problems.
I recommend one of the elimination diet types (going thru trigger food lists), as radical as the severity is, and then broadening taste.

Stomach hyperacidity is often included in the term IBS. It helps me to identify triggers to separate their symptoms.
Hyperacidity is all kinds of burning of the stomach and above, IBS involves more bloating, ache etc. of the gut and stools etc.
 
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Tomatoes sting my colon terribly 24h after eating.
How strange JayCS about the tomatoes! For me it's white bread that sets me off...bloating etc.
Is it just tomatoes or do you find other fruit / veg have an effect?
 
How strange JayCS about the tomatoes! For me it's white bread that sets me off...bloating etc.
Is it just tomatoes or do you find other fruit / veg have an effect?
More than 70% of foods of all types trigger about 10 different symptoms, most of them painful... :rolleyes:
Tomatoes is the trickiest with 24h - everything else inside of 20'-2h, usually lasting 1-24h (tomatoes another 24-36h)...
 
Wow...so you really do have to watch what you eat JayCs! Isn't it strange how we can all be affected in different ways by food...?
Another difference in us all! 🤔:)
 
you really do have to watch what you eat JayC
Yep... the "70%" is only the IBS, that's not counting those for lipids plus now those for MCAS/histamine...
So I made a food list on my blog a few weeks ago and tallied 50 foods I can/"am allowed to" eat.
80% per bulk of these are 15 sorts of veggies, pure, without spices, mainly raw,
unless cabbages (pure), which strangely work fairly well since I've eliminated all other triggers, same as certain sorts of beans.
But I am looking for new/neglected types. Sometimes take an enzyme (DAO) so I can tolerate a bit of some histamine foods better.
 
That's Interesting... 🤔 So it's mainly an 80% per bulk of raw veggies that you're fine with - that would do the opposite for me and set me off! Thanks JayCS, it's always good to hear how foods affect others and hopefully it may help others too! :)
 
So it's mainly an 80% per bulk of raw veggies that you're fine with - that would do the opposite for me and set me off!
People often say that, so I think I need to start putting it into perspective more. So this is helping me try that.

It's not that somehow "raw veggies" are "best" for my IBS. ´There are so many veggies that I don't tolerate at all.
It's just the sum of my conditions have shot down so much else, leaving mainly 20 veggies, 10 of them eatable raw.
What my tummy & gut mainly can't tolerate is anything sour, spicy or onion-like, also warm food & simple carbs (white "anything").
2 years ago I scoffed at the idea of a pegan diet = vegan + paleo (caveman) being right for me - and now I've partly ended up on it.
(Fairly reputable German TV nutritionist docs did a programme suggesting a pegan diet for a female fibromite a few years ago.)

Maybe looking at my (complete) raw veggie list can clarify. Are these some you have tried and don't tolerate?
  1. alfalfa sprouts,
  2. bell peppers (yellow; not green or red),
  3. broccoli,
  4. carrots (didn't use to tolerate them)
  5. chicory,
  6. courgette/zucchini,
  7. cucumber,
  8. china cabbage,
  9. fennel (mild, not too much)
  10. sweet potatoes (love them raw, hate them cooked),
  11. seldom the (roughly 10) various lettuce forms nowadays,
  12. I could try bok choi.
 
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Interesting list JayCS...
I seem to tolerate most of those, but preferably cooked not raw. However, saying that...fennel doesn't sit well with me - not sure why? 🤔 Got me thinking about brussels sprouts now too...I just about tolerate those at Christmas and hope for the best! 😂:LOL:
 
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Got me thinking about brussels sprouts now too...I just about tolerate those at Christmas and hope for the best! 😂:LOL:
You must be telepathic - I was also wondering if it was right that they're one of my 10 cooked ones :unsure: 🤯
Let's say problems are mild & I love 💚 them enough (at least now, as a grown up :LOL: ). Just arm ache makes pruning them tedious,
whilst sweetheart cabbage 💚& broccoli 🥦 💚 take only 5' to cut and 20' to steam... for 3-4 meals.
 
Hahaha! Welll telepathy is one of my many talents JayCS.....just never regards sprouts!!! 🤣🤣
Glad you you love them though! And yeah I agree, peeling is so so tedious! 😡
 
I've had IBS since age 9 (I turn 60 next month). Since my FM diagnosis my IBS has definitely gotten worse. A woman named Heath Van Vorous has devoted her life to helping folks with IBS and has a fabulous website. Everything is based on her own experience and research after a lifetime of dealing with it.
 
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Hi Marc, thanks for the recommendation of Heather van Vorous.
First thought the name was a pun pseudonym: carnivorous, herbi... etc... heath... health...

I just had a quick look at her site and watched her 5'-video "The 10 Commandments for IBS". Now I'm confused.
Perhaps someone can help me digest my thoughts or can see if they're interesting...

I don't understand why she keeps calling it "Tummy Care" - isn't that short for stomach as opposed to gut (belly?)?
But if she were referring to stomach too, she wouldn't be quite as quick to recommend all "herbs & spices"...

And hearing "commandments", my stomach & gut obviously suffer from ODD - "oppositional defiant disorder".... ;-)
Her - let's say - "recommendations":
1. Start meals with "soluble fibres",
2. minimize fats,
3. high fat only with soluble fibres,
4. eliminate the big triggers like dairy,
5. Careful with insoluble fibres: don't start meals with them, split up insolubles, break them down mechanically,
6. eat small portions regularly & calmly,
7. Avoid if unsure,
8. make eating fun,
9. don't let yourself be pressured to eat something,
10. improve how you eat: soy for cow milk, herbs & spices...

Why isn't she distinguishing IBS-D from IBS-C here? Or unsaturated fats, simple carbs, unprocessed foods?

I'm not sure if this distinguishing "soluble fibres" from "insoluble" is going to help me, e.g. with raw green leafy salads.

If I go on her products, most contain peppermint: Really bad for me. Fennel is OK, but not exactly a new discovery.

What is most confusing for me is that she appears highly lauded, although I can't find anything helpful for me.
Does that mean my many tummy & belly problems aren't really IBS? (But e.g. MCAS?) Or is she just forgetting to say:
Everyone's different...
 
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If you get off dairy read the ingrediants of the non dairy milks. If you see alot of gums you will have gas and bloating. There's a video on utube that shows you how to make your own almond milk in about a minute or 2. Just raw organic almonds, almond butter and water.
Read ingrediants of everything because there are so many bad additives you must be careful. Also as far as I've heard all soy is sprayed just like wheat.
There's also videos that check the ingrediants for you and tell you what is safe
I believe that most of our food is garbage due to depleted soil not to mention the garbage, cancer causing fillers. This is what causes alot of health problems. As well as if used correctly, food and especially herbs are the best medicine. Buy organic or better yet grow your own.
 
Can some of you tell me if part of your fibromyalgia symptoms include IBS and what those symptoms involve? Also, has your IBS caused hemmoroids or other problems? Is it a constant or interrmitant problem like when you're experiencing a flare?
I know with me before I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2015 I had already had IBS for a few years so my digestive issues start at first and then migraine issues and then the severe pain that came out of nowhere and lasted for months. I started to have left-sided weakness and that’s when the doctor started to pay more attention and they started testing for MS and then lupus. Once all the other diseases and pain disorders were ruled out they diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. Unfortunately it’s gotten worse since my diagnosis I am now on disability for it which took a few years to get approved.
 
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