Gluten sensitivity, fibromyalgia, IBS, Migraines, etc..

Hi,  First, I want to give a big hug to all of you living with FIbro. It is a tough disease to live with, especially if you do not have a supportive medical provideror partner. I suffered from sever Fibro for over 4 years with virtually no support. The severe pain eventually subsided, but I never quite got rid of the fog, the fatigue, the depression, the residual stiffness.   WLS also helped with my overall health, but I never felt "great". I also suffered from a generic diagnosis of IBS. ( Just like FIbro, they throw this diagnosis at you with no real treatment suggestions and look at you like you are just crazy.) My IBS issues were starting to rule my life. If you have this issue, you know exactly what I am talking about. Last year in May I was desparate, and decided to stop eating gluten (wheat) to see if it would help. I was aware that I had the symptoms of Celiac disease for over 10 years and had been ignoring it.  I can tell you that my improvement was almost immediate. I made a goal of going gluten free for 2 days, and I never looked back again. My husband also gave up gluten in an effort to get rid of lifelong migraines, and it has helped him tremendously.  Gluten allergies have been tied to gastro distress ( IBS), Migraines, Fibro, Lupus, Arthritis and many other inflammatory issues. It is not a cure, but it may give you some serious relief, like is has for me. We also lost pounds and inches after the overall puffiness and inflammation went away.  I feel great, I have energy like I haven't seem in 15 years, and the Fibro fog has lifted. ( Hey, I still have my moments, but they are fewer and farther between). I am not a doc, but, maybe this will help you like it helped me.  Whatever your diagnosis, I wish you all the best. Stay strong and don't give up.

Hi Michelle,  I am so glad the gluten free diet has worked for you! I did this as well with no results :( You are so right about doctors who say...."you have fibromyalgia...I don't have any medicine to give you excpet Lyrica and it causes weightgain and memory loss, but good luck and happy trails"...ughhhhhhhhh I hate narcotics and they don't really work. The massive weightloss has not helped at all.  The pain is just as bad when I weighed 425 pounds. Now my poor knees are sufferring from no carilige left and there is bone on bone..talk about pain there. I hate that fibro fog too.  I hurt so bad on a daily basis that I can't even focus on my fog, I can only feel the pain every day. I wish you continued success..thank you for your experience. Donna

The one thing I have found to help with the pain is a muscle relaxant and a moderate pain killer in combination.  This especially helps with exercising.  Pain is a terrible thing and I try to keep my mind busy and off the pain, but that doesn't always help. Pat

Wow...I just found this forum. I was dx w/ FM back around 1998 and I have periods of pure misery and periods of almost no pain. I'm coming out of a "no pain" cycle currently and completely bummed that it's back. Oh well. As to  your post, I went off all "white" foods for a diet some years ago and noticed that my pain went away and I felt great. When I got to the period where I could start introducing carbs back into my diet, my pain came back. I always wondered if my pain was caused by something I was eating but for too many reasons, laziness being one, I never went off those foods to test my theory. When I was in my early teens, my parents had my allergies tested and they said I was allergic to yeast and I had pages of food I shouldn't eat. Of course, I kept right on eating them and when I was tested again as an adult, no yeast allergies showed up. Long story short, you could be on to something. I have my surgery in the fall and it will be interesting to see how taking those foods out of my diet will make me feel. Anne

Funny that you say that you sort of knew you had the allergies but did not give up the foods. I have been telling people I know about gluten sensitivity for years, but never considered that it might be my issue too. ( Do as I say..not as I do) I felt much better after WLS, and even better after having a hysterectomy, and then BAM, the gluten thing just got out of control and took over my life. They say that allergies can come on strong even after you have had minor sensitivities for years, and that is what happened to me. I felt so markedly better immediately, I can never look back.  Besides, if I now ingest the gluten, I get acutely ill, so there is no contest. I don't miss anything bad enough to cheat. ( But a pizza sounds darn good!!)  I will send good thoughts your way for all your future endeavors.  To your health!!

It sure would be great to get rid of the fibro fog...that really bothers me.  I feel totally stupid at times and 'I know people notice.  My Mom and her Mom both had Alzheimer's and I always wonder if it indeed is fibro fog or the beginning of Alzheimers.  I am 60 and could be at the start of it.  That diet sounds worth trying. Thanks. Pat

Thanks so much for the info!

I developed IBS they say after my VSG a year ago. I am wondering if it could be that all those protein shakes has caused me to be sensitive to gluten. I wonder if you don't do protein shakes or if you found something that you can drink that doesn't contain gluten. I want to try riding myself for two weeks and see if it helps. What should I avoid during that time?

I too have a lot of very embarrassing problems from my IBS. It would be life changing to find out how to stop this so your advice would be very helpful. I guess I could find on line foods to avoid but I still drink my protein shakes every day and really don't want to give them up, so I guess the most important thing I need to know is if you have found a shake that you can still drink.

Thanks so much!

HI MICHELLE I HAVE HAD FIBRO FOR 5 YEARS AND IM ON LYRICA AND PERCOCET THE LYRICA HELPS SO MUCH IM ALSO ON PROVIGL FOR ENGERY. IT WORKS ALITTLE . I WANT TO GET THE LAP BAND SURGEY DONE , DO YOU KNOW ANYONE OR YOURSELF IT ONES WITH FIBRO CAN HAVE THIS DONE . IM ANNETTE IM 53 I LIVE IN PA. I HOPE YOU RESPOND. TY HUGS ANNETTE