Chronic Digestive problems?

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Have any of you had bad digestion problems chronically? Without going into too much specifics, I've had chronic bloating and constipation ever since my childhood as well as some immunity problems. I know there's a link between our digestive problems and autism but I'm not sure how it affects our brains.

Anyone else have this? I read somewhere that 9 out of 10 people with autism have this, so I think we're close to finding the cause of our problems!

Yes, I've had chronic problems all my life. Lately since I've been eating less I have noticed the problems have been greatly reduced. I suspect it might have to do with a decrease in lactose and gluten but I'm no dietician.

My son and I both have this problem. He's had it since infancy. He's been diagnosed with PDD-NOS and I'm undiagnosed but probably HFA.

No I don't, in fact my digestion is more healthy than the average person.

I thought digestion problems was more common in old people than in Autistics.

Yes, it is a common problem for people on the spectrum. It can be relieved by taking digestive enzymes - they work wonders. Check out this book - http://www.amazon.com/Enzymes-Autism-ot ... 0972591877.

There is lots of good information on digestive enzymes online. We use Houston enzymes - have used them for 3 years now. There are other brands as well.

Hope that helps!

Yep. IBS here. It is so annoying.

I've always had chronic digestive problems.

I have no digestive problems.

I have IBS. It's not much fun and at times it's very painful. Swollen intestines are a unique, unusual and painful sensation.

I know a lot of people who are in their 40s and 50s (not necessarily on medication nor suffer from that much stress), and they suffer with indigestion, frequent constipation/diarrhoea, stomach doesn't agree with certain foods, have heartburn (I've never had that before in my life), and lots of stomachaches. I can't say I get any of that too frequently. The only stomachaches I get is period pains, sometimes acid (hunger) pains, and cystitis. But I don't think that's to do with AS, it's just me.

Stress, panic disorder and anxiety can cause more frequent IBS in people of any age, but I don't think it's actually related to having Autism itself, like you're not born with having digestion problems, it's just the anxiety that can come with Autism that can cause these issues. I have anxiety issues but funnily enough it doesn't affect me physically, except palpitations sometimes.

Then why do a lot of NTs I know have IBS then?

And I've never had IBS.

I always had digestive problems, though I didn't noticed it for most of my life. I always thought that it was normal to have a little bellyache after every meal, just as bloating all day long, stay underweight though living of chocolate for weeks, to burn after 30 minutes of sunlight, to have scales of dried out skin falling off your legs. Nobody ever told me that that's sick, I was used to it all my life, so I just accepted it as normality.

Until a few years ago. Then I found out that certain foods cause most of my problems. Since I don't eat those things anymore, not only my digestive problems are gone. Some other health issues which never seemes related to food are gone, too. Even some autism symptoms disappeared after my first year of diet. Sometimes I think I'm not "really Aspie" anymore, as I have less ans less problems with NT people, small talk, empathy and so on - I even do the eye-contact stuff automatically, just like an NT. Honestly, I never did any kind of therapy or meds, I only stopped eating certain kinds food.

How it works? Well, I'm not sure. I guess I have some rare kind of autoimmune illness, maybe something similar to celiac. That caused a mild but chronic variation of Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (wikipedia). Anyway, the diet just works and so far "freak cooking" is fun to me...

What are these foods that you cut? I am interested in trying this out.

Yep...chronic gastritis -- confirmed by a gastroenterologist and an endoscopy. I'll be OK for a while (days? weeks?), then one day my stomach will bloat up, get hard and ache. Bending over and tight waistlines make it worse. I will get so uncomfortable that even laying my hands over my stomach hurts. I usually lose a couple of pounds because I don't feel like eating when it happens. Generally lasts 3-4 days, then I'm OK. Not really sure what brings it on -- diet probably, but I haven't nailed down anything specific.

I have problems with acid reflux as well. Doesn't seem to be connected to the gastritis, in that I can have one without the other. In this case though, I DO know what brings it on....pretty much anything I like to eat. Here in Texas, everything we eat is either spicy (TexMex, Cajun, chili, BBQ) or deep fried (seafood, chicken fried steak). So I can either never eat anything good again. My GERD will be better, but I'll be miserable eating rabbit food; OR I can eat what I want except when the GERD gets bad, and be a happy woman. I choose the latter. I take proton pump inhibiters (Prilosec, Nexium), and they work -- when I remember to take them.