Fibromyalgia and its Connection to Gluten Sensitivity

What follows is an excerpt from our book The Gluten Effect:

“If you are a sufferer of fibromyalgia, then you understand the frustrations of this disorder. Frequent, unrelenting pain, stiffness, fatigue, lack of sleep and depression are just some of the more common symptoms, yet to date, the cause of this prevalent condition is stated in the literature as being unknown.”

“Anecdotally, we have witnessed over and over again the resolution of the classic muscle aches and tender points in response to gluten elimination. Adrenal fatigue, poor blood sugar control and hidden infections round out the most frequent causes of this condition that we find. Among our patients who have enjoyed this response, there is no question as to the link between fibromyalgia and gluten sensitivity.”

“In the United States, between four and eight million people suffer from fibromyalgia, which is roughly two percent of the population. Of these, ninety percent are women.”

“Large review studies examining gluten sensitivity in patients with fibromyalgia have supported a higher frequency in this population. In a survey study of over 1,000 gluten-sensitive individuals of varying ages, nine percent had fibromyalgia as well. This is much higher than the two percent in the normal population.”

“To get a better handle on this number, it may be more accurate to look at the number of people who suffer abdominal complaints, like irritable bowel syndrome, with fibromyalgia symptoms. These statistics are staggering. In one research endeavor, an investigator found, in 123 patients with fibromyalgia, that seventy-three percent suffered from irritable bowel syndrome.

As was shown in a prior chapter on irritable bowel syndrome, a high percentage of these patients have undiagnosed gluten sensitivity. It is safe to assume that many of these patients with both fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome indeed suffer from gluten intolerance.”

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt. Fibromyalgia, while gaining some acceptance from the medical profession as a “real” syndrome, is far from being a readily diagnosed and successfully treated condition.

If you or someone you know suffers from fibromyalgia a trial of a gluten free diet definitely could not hurt. Fibromyalgia is appropriately labeled a syndrome because it often has multiple causative agents coming together such as adrenal fatigue and underlying infections, as mentioned earlier. Therefore diet changes taken alone may not result in a complete resolution. But in our experience a gluten-free trial can go a long way towards improving symptoms.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen
Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center
Co-author of The Gluten Effect