Irritable Bowel Syndrome in People With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Overlapping Condition of the Week: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
As if fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) didn't have enough of an impact on your entire body, many of us also have to deal with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
At best, IBS can cause considerable discomfort along with diarrhea, constipation, or alternating bouts of each. At worst, it can lead to intense pain, fear of eating, avoidance of social situations, and depression.
I don't meet the criteria for a diagnosis of IBS because my symptoms have been far too sporadic, and I've been able to find and eliminate the few things that bother me, but I can tell you that the IBS symptoms I've had have been horrible. The pain can drop you to your knees and make you cry, even if you're well accustomed to high pain levels. It feels a lot like really bad FMS pain, except that it's in the lower abdomen, where most of us don't get FMS pain.
Like FMS & ME/CFS, IBS treatment typically involves multiple approaches and lots of trial and error. Symptoms and severity can vary widely, as well.
Learn more about IBS, its symptoms, why it overlaps with FMS & ME/CFS, how it's diagnosed, and how you can treat it:
Do you have IBS? What triggers your symptoms? What treatments have worked? Share your story here or in the Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome community forum (under Newsletter & Blog Topics).
Photo © Tom Le Goff/Getty Image
Comments
Omg…yes this symptom is awful. I have the constipation and lordy can I bloat. My stomach is frequently distended from it. I am taking pain medication that also doesn’t help with the constipation. Then, it will completely turn around and i’ll have two days where I can’t stay out of the bathroom. Ever since I can recall I have always felt emotional stress build up in my stomach. After one recent stressful event, it actually ached the next day as if I had received a blow.
I know that I must stay away from carbonated drinks and orange juice. Califlower is another no-no. I try not to ‘over eat’ and take a stool softner to help with the constipation.
I used to have severe symptoms– 4-6 hours of gas, cramps and diarrhea each day. First, I got so desperate I just stopped eating for 21 days. A bit extreme, but I didn’t know what else to do.
The fast cut the episodes down to 2 hours, 2-3 days a week. It was a big improvement, but still not good.
Eventually I learned about probiotics, and started taking them. The IBS symptoms went away, and have stayed away, for the most part. I’ve been taking probiotics for over a year now, and have no symptoms.
Leona
One thing that is lacking in each person with FMS is Magnesium. How much depends on each person, but take a dose of magnesium each day and it will balance out the constipation and the boughts of the runs and you have it all balanced out and soon the muscle aches all come to a balance as well. You can buy it at CVS, Vitamin shoppe and it’s inexpensive as well. It’s only a mineral that you lack to keep you in balance.
For a lot of people, that could definitely be true. However, I was on too much magnesium and it gave me horrible diestive problems, nausea and diarrhea. Once I cut my dose, it was gone.
I frequently get asked whether I’m pregnant due to the bloating, even though I’ve cut out gassy foods like broccoli, cauliflower and beans.
Bloating with excessive gas can be due to a zinc deficiency, btw.
Ohh..yes this symptom is terrible. My stomach is frequently distended from it.it’s good but I have used capsules, which are enterically coated peppermint, for years. I can’t say I have noticed any real difference. It has not helped my very loose stools which are the basis for my ‘IBS’ diagnosis.
Too bad the doctors have thrown up their hands!
Stuart
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