Fibro and food

[Mrs_allen]

Hi,

Can anyone suggest any foods to avoid as in so much pain. I already avoid caffeine and artificial sweeteners

[TheAuthor]

I personally am lactose intolerant, and allergic to red fruits, bananas and soya, as they give me breathing issues (asthma) and pain. It took quite a time to get all of these diagnosed by my hospital consultant after several hospital admissions. I want to genuinely wish you all the best of luck.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

[trekster22]

Some fibromites have found avoiding or cutting back on nightshade family foods for a few months helpful, these are aubergine, tomato, white potato (but not sweet potato), peppers and garlic.

Ginger in your diet can help with inflammation as can vitamin c. I take magnesium daily and vitamin c along with fish oils and b vitamins

[Hidden]

Doctors are rather reluctant to check for food allergies as the test results can be unreliable. I would suggest cutting out certain food groups (one at a time) for maybe 6 weeks at a time to see if you feel any better. After a while gradually re-introduce the foods to see if your problem returns. It's a long, slow process but the alternative is a very expensive test - there a several companies to be found online who do these tests. The main food intolerances seem to be wheat and/or gluten, dairy, citrus, solanums (tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes), yeast, eggs, nuts, sugar. I think the main ones that cause pain are probably wheat and sugar. Well done on giving up caffeine...I really struggle with that one. Good luck

[Hidden]

I have been suffering from random allergic reaction that swells up my bottom lip till it nearly bursts and am now being referred to an immunologist. I have a severe reaction to cheese not milk but cheese) and I am allergic to the cheese mould and the chemical (begins with a T) in cheese. I get burning in my nose, mouth, chest, lungs and swelling up. I need to take antihistamines, steroids and ventolin asap to keep me breathing. I sweat and it is very extreme. I am allergic to eggs, red meat is an intolerance that causes tummy swelling and constipation and food poisoning symptoms, I also have hay fever, reacted when our council house developed mould and now this random who knows what reaction.

My FMS is very extreme now. I get constant muscle spasms and cramps, to the point where I take Tizanidine twice a day to reduce not stop them. Today I can barely move my right arm. It feels like lead but is really painful. I also developed postural dizziness, which is something that develops because your brain cannot tell the difference between standing up and sitting down, so when I try to walk I lose my balance and hurt myself. In addition, I cannot walk far because ,y right leg, in particular, becomes very heavy and I cannot lift it properly. I often have to lift it with my hands. I have a wheelchair for outdoor use and live in a tiny house where I can get to most places in a few steps.

The fibromyalgia contributed to carpal tunnel syndrome and nerve damage in my right hand. I had surgery on it last November and it has still not healed. The consultant did the operation to save my hand rather than cure it. The FMS impacted on the healing from the surgery negatively. I have ended up on Zomorph twice a day, because I cannot use my hand without this level of pain relief. What really scares me is that I am still getting terrible pain and flare ups despite the 10mg of morphine I take twice a day in slow release formula. I am 41 years old in a 90 year olds body.

I really hope you feel better soon. I avoid tap water, and stevia sweetner should be ok because it is natural. Avoid aspartame. Also take turmeric, either in your cooking or as a capsule. Turmeric is a natural pain killer. Ginger is good too. Also check your Vitamin D levels. Low vitamin D can mimic FMS symptoms, which means that you will feel even worse. If you are unable to get natural sunlight, because you stay in the house a lot, for instance, your vitamin D levels can be low. A few years ago I had to take 20,000 UI of Vitamin D for a month every day to bring my levels back to normal. Now my GP prescribes me 800UI a day, which I take to keep my levels up. It is quite a low dose, but even this helps. It just helps me when I am housebound and unable to get fresh air. Fresh air will help because you get natural Vitamin D from the sunlight, even on a miserable day.

I hope some of this helps.

Good luck

[mimiwen]

I can't eat wheat or barley, although oats seem okay. I can't tolerate anything with tannin in it - tea makes me really ill, so does malt vinegar, red wine, and anything with those in it such as chutney. I can't eat onions or chillies, or anything too spicy, and I can't digest any foods that are too rich or fatty, eg high fat cheese, cream, or fried foods.

I find I digest protein better if I don't have any carbohydrate with it.

I don't eat meat but that is independent of health problems.

Hope you get some relief soon.

Wishing you all the very best,

Mim x

[mimiwen]

Oh, and I can't tolerate citrus fruits, especially oranges and grapefruits. Lemons aren't so bad in very small amounts.

Mim x