Daniel Dvorkin<p>A conversation: someone describing all the ways in which <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/fibromyalgia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fibromyalgia</span></a> changed their life, and someone else responding with a cheery "Have you tried giving up all <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/FODMAPs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FODMAPs</span></a>† yet?" My reply was as follows.</p><p>"A friend with fibromyalgia calls this the 'cucumber water' question, as in 'have you tried cucumber water?' Anyone with any <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/chronic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>chronic</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/illness" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>illness</span></a> has most likely tried anything you're likely to suggest. Unless they ask you for ideas, sympathy and support are all you should offer."</p><p>That was as civil as I could possibly be, and probably more than they deserved. I think there's at least the *possibility* of getting through in this case, which is why I didn't immediately turn green and rip my shirt off.</p><p>But having observed in detail the effects of <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/fibro" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fibro</span></a> and other <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/chronic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>chronic</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/diseases" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>diseases</span></a> on the lives of people I love— </p><p>NO. DO NOT.</p><p>===</p><p>†Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols ... one or more of which occur in most of the meals most people eat every day. But sure, you should just drastically limit your diet because some stranger on the internet says so.</p>