What could cause someone with autoimmune disorders to be unable to eat for months without vomiting or diarrhea

My friend, age 37, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago. This was following a botched lumbar fusion surgery for degenerative disk disease. Then, she was later diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and, finally, lupus. Not long after the lupus diagnosis a year ago, she began to have a lot of stomach trouble. She has just as many bad days as good. She can't seem to eat anything that doesn't cause diarrhea and/or vomiting shortly after, and she's lost a lot of weight. It wears her out both physically and mentally. Don't know if this has anything to do with it, but when this first started she was so financially strapped that all she would eat at practically every meal was a bowl of cereal, maybe a banana and some juice. She's now trying to eat more of a variety, but with the same results. Sometimes, she can't even drink water without throwing up. She's been hospitalized once for this, has undergone many tests, but so far has gotten no answers.

Before I was diagnosed with SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) with nephritis, I went through a lot of things... including loss of appetite and weight. I found out that it was because of my going anemic and the introduction of Celebrex only worsened my condition further by having hairloss, nausea, and my poly-articular arthritis remained unrelieved. Mere scent of cooked rice or a small gulp of water were enough to make me throw up, so I can very well relate to your friend where the lupus-side is concerned.

Medications for most autoimmune diseases can wreak havoc in one's stomach. Those combinations, more often than not, have side effects that cause increased/decreased appetite, nausea, diarrhea, fainting spells, photo-sensitivity, tender muscles, osteoporosis, bone problems, skin problems, etc. All these I have experienced already.

Tell your friend to change doctors if she feels she's not getting enough help to her many conditions. Most specialists would either dismiss or up the ante for people with autoimmune diseases, and that's not helping anyone. As for her loss of appetite, it might help some salt-free soda crackers with sugar-free fruit spreads. Herbal tea with no sugar or lemonade. Cranberry juice is also a good one. Flavored water may be acceptable as well. And, if she can lessen her potassium-rich food (potatoes, bananas, mangoes, papaya, peaches, cantaloupe, oranges) intake, it can be helpful as well.

Good luck and I hope your friend gets better soon. Also, tell her to seek God's help through prayer and meditation. :)

Hi, I'm sorry that your friend is so very sick. people with lupus and autoimmune disorders have many overlapping conditions that make you feel worse and the medications have many side effects from swelling to weight loss and loss of appetite to constant eating.

Gluten sensitivity and Celiac Diesease is also an autoimmune disorder that your friend should start a discussion with her Rheumatologist about. Also, if she is taking any type of vitamin supplement, her doctor should know because it all has an interaction when combined with her regular meds.

Keep communicating with her Rheumatologist open and keep on top of this. You are your best advocate, no one will do this better than you.

Good luck.

You mentioned many possible causes for your friend's loss of weight, including starving herself with only a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. No wonder she lost weight.

By the way, her weight loss could be linked to anorexia or schizophrenia, sometimes brought about by a severe rheumatic disease.

Lupus is extremely serious, potentially deadly. It can be treated with antibiotics, just like any other rheumatic disease.

Rheumatic diseases are the result of a defective gene and collagen inflammation, often from a chronic infection. Collagen is present throughout the body, from the eyes, skin and joints to the heart. Hence, the multiplicity of symptoms, depending on the location of the most affected internal organs or body parts.

I have had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis for more than 27 years. The telling signs of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis are the following:
- Joint pain in the feet (or cracking ankles) in the early 20's or late teens;
- Fatigue, especially after a moderate exercise like a 30 minute walk;
- Blood test showing a negative or low level of Rheumatoid factor;
- Joint deformities of the fingers, after a few years, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Consecutive X-Rays, over several years, showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis, involving the whole body;
- Elevated levels of C-Reactive protein and Sedimentation rate, as evidenced in blood tests.

NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, and codeine are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis.

Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming is also helpful for most patients. Make sure that your friend is not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis in the supporting joints of the hips, knees, ankles and feet.

For any form of arthritis, your friend should consult an Orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of arthritis from which she suffers.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at http://www.aaos.org maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries.

The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:

http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/member...

Lyme disease could be a possibility. Ask the doctor to test your friend for the bacteria causing Lyme disease.

Are there any other cases of arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your friend's relatives? Chronic forms of arthritis are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.

There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.

Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. For more info, your friend should join our group at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ant...

She needs a complete work up to see whats going on. She may have hidden allergies that are contributing to her problems. She could have all sorts of deficiency's that are contributing to her problems.

She really needs a full team of doctors searching for all the possible connections between her health issues, treatments , and yes maybe her psychological issues that may be causing this.

She may need to be tested for Crohns disease. Immediately.