Eliminating things from diet

mturgeon05

I posted this on the main forum...but no one replied. So here goes!

For those of you who suffer with Fibromyalgia/CFS-

I had been suffering undiagnosed for 13 years and was finally given a diagnosis 7 weeks ago. My doctor mentioned looking into foods that could be triggers to my flare-ups. I currently eat a very traditional diet (lots of lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and carbs). I do eat processed foods, but they do not run my life. I would say I eat about 70-80% clean most days.

I have just read up on a whole bunch of diet related topics regarding Fibro, and found 7 things that are suggested you avoid:

Sugar-simple carbs and fructose
Gluten
Dairy- anything with Casein
Caffeine
Aspartame
MSG
Soy

Some of these (caffeine, aspartame, MSG) I don't consume hardly, if at all (that I know of). Some of them, (dairy! and carbs) I cannot possibly see myself giving up forever. And some of them I am confused about (sugar-so no fruit?). But, I have suffered for long enough and I am willing to try. What do I have to lose, right? I am the kind of person that gets as much information about a topic as I can in order to make the best decision for me. Once I find the right decision, I am very committed to giving it some time to see if it works for me.

Have any of you given up these things and seen drastic improvements in your symptoms/pain?

*I know that some of you have lots of other great reasons to give up these things, but for me, the joy I get from eating dairy and carbs is something I am not going to give up unless it has a noticable impact on my Fibro/CFS symptoms.

Thank you for any advice you have on this topic

sunshinedean

I think that fruit is good for us ~ I would venture to say that sugars would be sweets; sugar in drinks & such. I do try to eat my fruits early in the day so I have time to work them off but I full heartedly feel our body needs the nutrients that fruits offer!

I found white flour & alot of carbs cause me issues ~ my carbs consist of fruits; veggies & dairy. I have heard to limit dairy would help but again I feel that our body needs a certain amount. I am still working on the dairy issue.

The caffeine; aspartame were two that I was told to aggravate issues ~ Since I limit my caffeine to one tea a day now I do feel better. Never consumed aspartame to know one way or another.

Working with what works best for your body is the secret ~ all of us are different in symptoms & triggers..... what helps/hurts me may not be for you....... but if we all share then we can gather info and try what works best for our own bodies.

Might I suggest only making one change @ a time ~ how else will you know what it was that worked or didn't work?

mturgeon05

Thank you so much! That really helped. I think I am going to eliminate all for a couple of weeks (give myself a sort of cleanse) and then add one food group back in at a time to see which causes me issues. I agree with the fruit. I was told to stick to berries and apples as they have the lowest sugar counts, so that is where I'll start. Dairy is certainly going to be tough, but it will definitely be worth it if I start to feel better!

Thanks, again

buckeyegirl0103

If you chew sugar free gum- you have consumed Aspartame. It is in just about everything sugar free- i have to read the labels of anything low cal-sugar free because I am alergic to it. In gum it doesn't bother me too much since its such a low amount, but if I chew too many pieces, I get horrible headaches. Sucralose doesn't bother me (splenda) but the aspartame is evil.......

Pinknspooky

Yep I have the aspartame issue and it is scary how much it is in - not just lo cal stuff - if you drink non alcoholic drinks in resturants/bars they will be the aspartame version as are most value drinks in supermarkets - Sainsburys have become the first to ban it in their own brand drinks

I have tried both Dairy and Gluten free diets and to be honest didn't get much benefit - for me it ia about learning boundaries and how much of things I can eat before I get ill - bread is 8 slices a week

I wouldn't remove everything at once try cutting down on things and see if you feel better without them - add things in slowly and discover your boundaries. Just as there are many combinations of the symptoms which come with this condition there are many combinations about what foods or drinks or additives will effect you!

I do find that green smoothies help me - I feel more awake and less foggy when I have them especially the spinach ones

kamom1999

If you need a sugar replacement, try Splenda. The body recognizes it differently than all other sugar substitutes and apparently can absorb it properly.

deb_jones

My food triggers are MSG, aspartame, and tomatoes in excess. I don't eat anything "white" , everything is whole grain. Sugar and white stuff gives me a headache. Caffeine and soy don't bother me at all though.
By watching what I eat and going heavy on vitamins and supplements, I've been able to cut down from Vicodin to an occasional ibuprofen and hot soak.

deb_jones

I use Splenda too and Stevia. Aspartame is EVIL.

If you need a sugar replacement, try Splenda. The body recognizes it differently than all other sugar substitutes and apparently can absorb it properly.

grammiejul

I don't understand how fructose is on that list. That's the sugars in fruit.

I found out, after a bunch of tests, that I am sensitive to gluten. It is basically the same as diagnosing fms, rule out everything else and take what's left. Gluten free means no cookies, breads, crackers, etc. I also made other changes at the same time, adding exercise and eating healthier overall. I am also losing weight. But, my point is that I feel so much better. I have tons of energy, little pain and far fewer flares. Going gluten free helps with IBS too. Seldom flares. I am curious to hear how your changes affect FMS,

sprapp

Hello All,

I just joined this website yesterday and this is my first outreach to others with fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed a few years and stayed in denial until this past year when the pain got to the point I could no longer work. I look forward to being part of such a nice support group from what I've read here so far.

I've been working on changing my diet and have found that what works for others didn't necessarily work for me. But I have finally gotten rid of my fibro fog and most inflammation by diet change. After doing an elimination diet, here's what works for me:

no preservatives
nothing white - no processed sugar, salt, flour

in it's natural form I have no problems with sugars. I can have raw sugar, fruit, cane sugar, etc. I use only sea salt, and only bread that has no preservatives and hasn't been processed to the point that it has to add back in the niacin, etc.

But now I've discovered that since the inflammation and brain fog are gone, when I'm in pain it really, really, really hurts. I'm hoping that shedding the pounds will help relieve the pain. I don't see how it cannot.

The only exercise I can now do is in the pool, as well as stretches in the morning and evening. I've always enjoyed walks, but those now hurt. I'm so frustrated because even after a year of not working I feel no healthier.

Iron_Pheonix

Hi I have ME & Fibro. I recently embarked on Paleo ketogenic diet that made a huge difference in how I felt. I cheated Christmas day with cake and sugary items and have suffered a massive crash and have been in bed for past four days. I am firmly back on the Paleo keto wagon so to speak.

I also supplement heavily: energy = D Ribose, L carnitine, Raw B12, Q10 ... Anti inflammatory: Zyflamend, MorEpa.... Food based Anti oxidant complex, Probiotics, digestive enzymes. All of which I believe are necessary to recover.

Read Dr Myhills book (free if email her website they send e copy) and read Practical Paleo. Most auto immune disease etc are linked to bad digestion. 80% of our immune system is in the gut.