IBS / Stomach issues and autism

I have had on and off problems for years. I don't know whether it is just my diet which is very limited or a bigger issue with autism and gut health. It is particularly bad at the moment but I think that is because I am on iron tablets which are messing with my digestive system.

Hi A=BCD, thank you for your message. I am so sorry for everything you have been through. I do hope your stomach is a bit calmer now too. Here anytime you need to talk 

Interesting you mention fish, that's usually something they tell us to eat. My Dad has diverticulitis, they suggested it for me at the hospital but apparently they said the pain is on the wrong side. 
I hope yours is manageable for you 

I think mine may be similar. Work is definitley a massive cause of it 

This sounds exactly like mine. I have always thought mine was anxiety and autism related, it always flares up worse during periods of extreme anxiety or stress

I hope your work gets a bit easier for you, what do you do for a living?

Thank you all for your kind words and helpful advice. I am very grateful. You have all been so kind

I have IBS and it's now suspected Diverticultis, although this isn't uncommon as you get older apparently.

I kept a food diary and excluded foods that upset me, it's not the things that people always tell you to avoid like wheat and dairy either, for me it's meat and animal fats and protiens, there are some other things too, but meat and fish are by far the biggest culprits, along with coconut fat. 

I hope you feel better soon and the hospital find out what's going on and treat accordingly.

I used to suffer from IBS and I thought it was caused by eating too much starchy carbs. I have found that it's better for me to keep my carb portions small, but that's because it can cause acid reflux. Since retiring my IBS has disappeared, so it seems it was due to stress and anxiety.

yes - bloated, pain and loose stools for many years, the penny dropped on many of what I thought were health issues causing me more anxiety were perhaps linked to my autism and anxiety, which I can across in one of the books I read, as part of my recent discovery.

I'm now looking at anxiety in my Therapy, although work is perhaps my biggest stressor: this week is so far so good, last week was not so good.

Hope you manage to feel better

Hi Billy. I’m so sorry to read what you’ve been through of late. I’ve suffered with IBS since my teens and when I am stressed or upset it’s worse – and has landed me in hospital two times before. The last time was after my daughter passed away, the grief and anxiety was too much and my stomach was an absolute mess. Try to relax, stress only serves to cause us more stress. It's a vicious circle. I can’t say all of us suffer from it but I have read before there’s thought to be a link between autism and IBS.

I hope your tests all come back clear – I’ll keep everything crossed for you – and I hope you feel better soon. Thinking of you Billy.

Sorry to hear you have been ill with this, I hope you are feeling better now. Didn't know you lived in Brazil. 

I've had most of these symptoms with my IBS for 12 years but have been an awful lot worse lately. Thanks for the tip, I will look into it

Billy87 said:

I was in hospital Thursday and Friday having tests because of nausea, light headedness, bad stomach pain and constant diorrehea

Quite a few of my family here in Brazil had this recently and while initial coronavirus tests were negative, the doctors said it was highly likely to be the latest strain of Coronavirus which isn't picked up by older tests.

https://www.cdc.gov/covid/signs-symptoms/index.html

Possible symptoms include:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches

Sounds like all the symptoms (your IBS probably influenced the stomach pains).

It has taken me nearly 3 weeks to get over it.