Fibro World

Photo by puravidaWe all seem to be encoded with a gene for automatically giving medical advice based solely on our own experiential data.  That is: "Something like that happened to me, so here's what you should try."

For example, the other night my friend called me after getting back from a vacation in Hawaii. It was fun to hear about her trip since she and her fiance were also scouting out locations for their upcoming wedding. Her enthusiasm was contagious.

But when I explained that I couldn't talk for a long because I was having my nightly bout of nausea and abdominal pain that sometimes causes some pretty violent retching, she was perplexed.  What does gagging have to do with fibromyalgia (FMS)?

I've found that it's difficult for people to grasp that fibromyalgia is not limited to body pain and crippling fatigue.  It also brings along a lot of other symptoms, the most socially akward being irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

My friend's response: "Well, when my tummy hurts, I eat french fries.  The oil and grease in the fries always seems to do the trick. Have you tried that?"

Hmmm, I thought, momentarily imagining a ball of french fries trying to work through my large intestine.  Bad, bad idea.  I'd be upchucking so fast, I wouldn't even make it to the toilet in time: But then I could just use the large metal bowl I keep next to my bed for those episodes when I do bust out of my limited diet.

My diet is depressingly simple because of IBS and daily nausea.  Sugar and fat have disastrous results (a delicate way to say diarrhea).  Last week, a teeny weeny Mini Milky Way bar crashed my system.

So I stick to the basics. Like whole wheat pasta, toast, and rice.  I also throw in baby carrots, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes when I can. Some foods are okay one day, but not the next. An innocent looking pear can have explosive consequences. But in general, my meals are small and I keep notes so I know which foods are "safe."

My physical therapist suggested that I start a gluten-free diet to decrease inflammation. Her advice so far has been worth listening to - I'm reading up on it.

But wait, oily, greasy fries have no gluten!  So dear friend, perhaps your instincts were correct after all.  I look forward to our next conversation...

Update on January 12, 2010 by Dot

This article was featured in Grand Rounds

This week Dr. Rich at The Covert Rationing Blog hosts and provides very entertaining, informative commentary.  Here's what Dr. Rich said about this article:

Dot from Fibro World talks about the association between fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome, and how to remain diplomatic and circumspect when well-meaning friends urge potentially disastrous dietary remedies upon you.