I was diagnosed with IBS @ 13 years old and yes, I have horrible digestive issues since before 13. I am 55 and I'm considering making appt with a food allergist about that. To me when we have any type autoimmune illness, it's flare ups will occur in one area causing horrid pain then it improves in that area, and pain begins it's flare and process in another way/place of body. Anyone else's thoughts?

I have IBS and have had it for years before my fibro was diagnosed. Yes they can and do go together.
As for diets, I can't take probiotic yogurts or any probiotic stuff as it makes my stomach worse. I have tried all different diets and eliminated lots of things, but nothing has worked from that.

The only thing I've found that helps is to eat very small amounts of food, so eating small amounts often rather than large amounts 3 times a day. Even a normal sized meal is too much for my system and starts my IBS off, so I now won't eat more than a small sized side plate meal at a time. I can eat what I like as foods themselves don't upset my system. it's just the amounts of food at a time that sets me off.

Good luck with finding what suits you as we're all different and what works with one doesn't always work with another. Hope you find your key soon and unlock that box with the button in that stops the IBS! :)

Yes, I have IBS. I think that in my case the two go hand in hand because after all the same nerves that cause us pain elsewhere can also affect the muscles around our gut. Even when the "going" is normal, the stress of using those muscles causes me to have abdominal pain for hours after.

I have tried very hard over the years to finetune my diet so that I will minimize my symptoms. I recognize that the gut is essential to a healthy immune system and heart. Even probably to a healthy brain.

I can't possibly go into everything we must do to become healthy. But it has to start with us, and it is a journey ( to use a popular metaphor). You must be willing to do research on behalf of yourself, and be willing to trust yourself. That last is really hard. Already we are being told that fibromyalgia is all in our heads yet doctors want to give us all these drugs. When do we say no? When.do we go against doctors advice?

After having a nightmare of an experience over drugs for IBS I finally said "No more." I decided to treat it myself. I'm.still on my "journey". And this is about 3 years later. I'm.learning what I can and can't eat. I discovered probiotic pills are bunk, but not probiotic foods. I have to be careful with the right balance of fiber because too much is bloating.

The internet has a lot of good info, but bad info, too. How does one figure out which is which? Not all medical, pharmaceutical info is in our best interest, but to sell us something, and so is the supplements industry. But, you can heal.yourself with the right food. And that's the trick. Good luck and God bless. ❤

@A MyFibroTeam Member, you would have liked my old doctor, David Alpern, MD, who practices in Northampton, MA. I was with him from the start of his practice back in the 90s and stuck with him because he believed in me. I miss him and his wonderful staff. In the beginning I'd be able to go right in. Now he's got a zillion patients. He did a year ago anyway. Even so, that office ran a tip top operation. I never had to remind them about a form that needed filling out. Now,, it's like pulling teeth with my new clinic. Frankly, they stink in comparison. Oh well. 😒

@A MyFibroTeam Member, do you have any information that confirms that fibromyalgia is an auto-immune disorder? I have heard so many things both pro and con, that I'm confused. I was hoping you could help me.
@A MyFibroTeam Member, of course you should do what your doctor tells you to do. I had a wonderful doctor who told me to take melatonin, fish oil ( for my high trigylcerides -- really helped, )and Vitamin D, because I was deficient, so when I have to suddenly move away to take care of my Mom and thus see a new doctor, he turns out to be anti.supplements. So I take them anyway. I didn't mean to offend you. 😯

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