I've been diagnosed with IBS. I've had problems since I first got sick in 98. I may start having problems within 30 min after eating. It's not always the same food that gives me problems to it's hard to get a handle on it. I've tried elimination diet, I've been tested for allergies, nothing found wrong in any tests.

CFS totally trashed my stomach! The stomach went bad in year three. All of a sudden I developed terrible food allergies, was unable to eat....lost weight, had an endoscopy (which is probably the test you had also) and they found that I had severe gastritis. NOT HEARTBURN! Gastritis, meaning my stomach lining was inflamed. It has been that way ever since.

I'm unable to take Prilosec and other medications of that sort, they make me sick. I found a product that neutralizes the acid in my stomach naturally, without the chemicals in those drugs. It stopped the pain in three weeks.

Always, my stomach gets hit first in a flare!! So I still always have my medication around, cuz once the stomach gets started with the pain, the indigestion, the inability to digest food, I have to start treating it right away. The stomach issues are VERY common in CFS patients. Most of us have them. I got dangerously thin about three years ago and had to see a nutritionist.

I was found to be lactose intolerant....never had been before in my life and milk and milk products were making my pain SO much worse. You really need to be sure that your food allergy testing is extensive and complete! I am sensitive to vanilla. I hate vanilla! I'm a chocoholic, however, I learned that the reason chocolate was hurting my stomach was not the chocolate at all. It was the vanilla. There's vanilla in EVERYTHING.

Yes, it gets worse during a flare. Please be sure your food allergy testing has given you all the answers. The stomach. I wanted mine removed three years ago. Would have done anything to stop the pain. I feel for you, I truly do!!!

Darla,

what was this product you mentioned? I need something like that!

"I found a product that neutralizes the acid in my stomach naturally, without the chemicals in those drugs. It stopped the pain in three weeks."

i'm having a huge stomach flare right now. Either that or I have a stomach virus, but the first one seems way more likely. My entire abdomen is on fire. Uuuuugggggghhh. So I feel your pain. Don't have many suggestions except for rest and try to relieve stress. Stress triggers mine big time.

OK, the product is called "Heartburn free". It is made by enzymatic therapy. You can go to enzymatictherapy.com. It was recommended to me by my CFS specialist.

Go online to get it. I take 1000mg, every other day. That's the usual dosage. The pill works (it's orange extract)....by neutralizing the acid in your belly, as opposed to shutting down the pumps completely, which is what drugs like Prilosec do. Those drugs are bad. They keep you from properly breaking down food in your belly and nutrition is stopped. NO GOOD!

I don't buy my Heartburn Free online. I have a compound pharmacy right in my town. They have it on the shelf. Try to find a compounding pharmacy is your area. Anything that goes wrong with you...check with them first, before you put dangerous chemicals into your body.

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me for more info, or if you're having trouble finding the product!!!!

God bless!

Yes, CFS has wreaked havoc on my stomach, duodenom, etc. With Duodenal Ulcer, Acid Reflux and Hiatal Hernia, nausea, gastritis, etc. CFS is horrible because it comes with a huge laundry list of symptoms and ailments. It also may lead to many other conditions if we do not take care of ourselves - proper diet, rest and good sleep, fresh air and exercise. My best to everyone.

Food allergies is my biggest complaint. If our adrenals are messed up ( a lot of us have this issue) we can't sleep and can't digest. I've just recently gone into a hyper adrenal/cortisol stage & my stomach just hurts. Don't know if I have too much acid at this stage, but in another adrenal exhaustion stage I didn't have enough acid. So it is very tricky depending upon what adrenal stage one is in.

The one thing that keep me stable is food allergy/sensitivity testing. Not acute allergies like some people have to shellfish & peanuts, but delayed food allergies that can show up 1 minute to 3 days after an offending food is eaten. Most tests for delayed food allergies are worthless except the MRT. Very expensive, but worth it. Once the offending foods are eliminated they can then be reintroduced later. Unfortunately my gut is so bad I have to retest every 6 mos. But it keep me stable and functioning at 30-40%.

Yes, IBS is very common with ME/CFS.

I've found that cutting meat out of my diet - I still will eat fish and shellfish once in awhile - has almost cleared it up. Now I only get symptoms if I am extremely stressed or exhausted. I used to have gawdawful symptoms 24/7.

I've found the NOW brand of Super Enzymes has helped tremendously. I take 1 capsule right before each meal. If I forget, my stomach lets me know within the hour. Also, I take raw sauerkraut with my meals, too, if I'm going through a rough period. I use Beagle Bay brand which I buy in my local health food store. You can also order from them directly.

I've also had to change my diet, too. Can only eat whole vegetables and meat for the most part. That means no processed anything for me; it messes me up too much. And fruit isn't working for me anymore either. I take allergy shots which help in some areas like breathing but also give me some additional GI disturbances, too. It's really hard to know what to do

Hope you can find some relief. I can just tell you I don't go anywhere without my Super Enzymes, and they may help you, too!

Yes, some of my worst symptoms are gastrointestinal. What seems to help me a lot is sauerkraut. It has a lot of digestive benefits.
Hal11