It’s only been in recent years that doctors have started to take fibromyalgia seriously. Many used to write it off as depression or worse, something that was just in the patient’s head. While now there are medications and therapies for fibromyalgia patients, very little research has been done to discover why people develop the disease.
With information from mindbodygreen.com and fibromyalgiatreating.com, we’ve come up with a list of possible causes of fibromyalgia that you might want to discuss with your doctor.
1. Gluten Intolerance
Gluten intolerance has been linked to many different health conditions and many feel that it could also be responsible for fibromyalgia. Interestingly, some of the symptoms associated with gluten intolerance are not about the digestive system. Many experience symptoms such as brain fog, joint pain, fever, depression, and fatigue. However, gluten intolerance can also lead to leaky gut syndrome and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
2. Candida Overgrowth
Many fibromyalgia patients have an overproduction of candida, which is a type of yeast that lives in the intestines. If too much candida is produced it can lead to symptoms such as digestive problems, fatigue, pain and cognitive issues.
3. Thyroid Problems
Thyroid problems and fibromyalgia often go hand in hand, so it’s important that your doctor checks that your thyroid gland is working as it should be and isn’t over- or under-active. Addressing thyroid issues can often help with the symptoms commonly associated with fibromyalgia.
MORE: A study suggests that fibromyalgia patients should be monitored for hyperparathyroidism
4. Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are caused by molds, the spores of which could be inhaled or digested. A urine test can determine if a person has mycotoxins in their system.
5. Mercury Toxicity
If you have mercury dental fillings, these could be responsible for your fibromyalgia symptoms. Having the fillings removed and replaced with non-mercury fillings could help alleviate symptoms. Your doctor can test you for the presence of heavy metals with a urine test.
6. Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
Many fibromyalgia patients are deficient in vitamins B12 and D. In addition, many lack enough magnesium. Having your vitamin levels checked and then taking supplements if needed or addressing the deficiency through diet may help relieve fibro symptoms.
MORE: How vitamin B12 affects fibromyalgia patients
7. Glutathione Deficiency
Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant our bodies produce, but if your body isn’t producing enough then this could be a reason for developing fibromyalgia.
8. Traumatic Events and Stress
The adrenal glands become fatigued when a person undergoes a traumatic event or suffers from stress. Often fibromyalgia symptoms first begin to appear following a traumatic experience in a person’s life and stress is well-known to exacerbate the symptoms.
9. Genes
While there is no scientific evidence to say that fibromyalgia is inherited, our genes may make us predisposed to the condition if the environmental factors are present. Studies have found that identical twins are 15 percent more likely to develop the condition if their twin has it.
MORE: Eight facts about fibromyalgia that you’re probably unaware of
Fibromyalgia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
I suffered from IBS all my adult life. In 2001 I was diagnosed with Lupus. A few years later I was told I did not have Lupus, I had Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder. In approx 2005 I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I tried many exclusion diets with little result. Around 2 years ago I was put on Lansoprazole and had a bad reaction – diarrhoea for 8 weeks before I figured out what was causing it. From that point on, I became highly gluten intolerant ( i suspect it had been there all along because wheat made me very gassy – I had just never joined the dots.) A tablespoon of gravy over a meal was enough to cause terrible cramps and mucous-like stools and headaches. A larger amount would bring on the same result plus a migraine.
5 months ago I embarked on Cannabinoid treatment for Fibromyalgia. Part of the protocol is a detox fuel to cleanse the digestive system, plus drops to cleanse the blood and lymph.
Within 6 weeks I had thrown all pharmaceuticals (including Lyrica, Propanolol, Sumatriptan, Tripline and more in the bin. After 3 months of detox I was able to sit down and eat a pizza with ZERO result – except a great sense of satisfaction 🙂 I have gone from sleeping +- 3 hours a night to sleeping 7 – 8 hours a night. My pain levels have gone from an average of 8/10 daily to 2/10 daily. I have lost 5kg ad many cm around my middle.
The gut / illness connection is without a doubt a very strong one.
Due to the success of the treatment, I actually became a distributor for the products and help many other people turn their Fibromyalgia around – so from a nasty disease comes a positive outcome!
All I can say is, turn your gut health around and miracles will happen.
What is the exact treatment you used? What amount of cannabinoid treatment? What do you mean by detox fuel and drops? How much?
Hi, could you send me more information? I also suffer from chronic pain. I live in Belgium. I would appreciate your experience on [email protected]
What was the treatment you use and were can I get it?thks
I am trying to change my diet, less sugar & gluten products. My PCP does not think diet is connected to fibro. I just know that meds are not really controlling my fibro, so diet changes, although hard are worth a try.
Can you speak more about what the cbd treatment was that you used?
My Fibromyalgia started after my GP increased my dose of statins from 10mg to 40mg and I did not realise what the problem was, just thought it was the ageing process. I have had the statin dose reduced back down to 10mg but the damage has been done, I now take Lyrica and that helped for a few years but even that is not as effective as it was