Fibromyalgia Linked To Gluten Intolerance?

Hi everyone! I hope your start to the week is going well. My day began with a 5 mile run outside. I wasn't planning on going 5 miles, but I was lost in my thoughts and realized I had passed my original turn around point and decided to just keep going to the 5 mile turn around. It was nice to take advantage of the great weather we've been having the past few days. If you live in New England, you know that this will probably be short-lived :)

Yesterday was an insane day. Work is crazy right now and not in a good way. Oh well, everything's temporary and this situation will pass. When I got home, I didn't feel like cooking so I whipped up a lazy dinner of baked chickend and broccoli slaw "pasta".



I stuffed the chicken with Garlic & Herb Laughing Cow and mixed the slaw with a tiny bit of tomato sauce. It was tasty as usual.

If you're a new reader, you may not know that I suffer from Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points — places on your body where slight pressure causes pain.

A MelissaNibbles reader, Candice, emailed me information she came across regarding studies that link fibromyalgia with a gluten intolerance. I was hesitant to believe the hype because it seems that a lot of people have been jumping on the "gluten free" train lately and I didn't want to be one of them. However, I respect my readers suggestions and looked over the information. What I found linking fibromyalgia to gluten sensitivity was interesting. All of the studies showed that fibromyalgia and celiac disease share many of the same symptoms (gas, bloating, acid reflux, irritability, joint pain, fatigue...). I researched further on my own and found that many other chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorder, and diabetes have also been associated with gluten intolerance. All of these illnesses share the same symptoms as fibromyalgia, then I read in The Food Intolerant Consumer that new evidence suggests that 1 in 7 fibromyalgia sufferers are gluten sensitive. At this point, my curiosity was peaked, but I wanted the opinion of someone who would be "candid" and had experience dealing with fibromyalgia sufferers and is knowledgeable about gluten free diets. I only knew one person...The Candid RD! I knew Gina would give it to me straight and she did. She's actually working with her mom on cutting out gluten and suggested I give it a try.

At this point, my pain levels are only decreased when I'm sleeping, working out, or taking a bath. I can't do those things all day long and I'm willing to try anything to help deal with my fibromyalgia (except drugs). I've decided to go gluten free for a month and see what happens. I think it will be tough, but not as tough as I originally thought. I hardly eat any processed foods and I've noticed that a lot of the foods I eat now (cottage cheese, yogurt, fruits, veggies) are gluten free. I'll have to replace things like pasta and wraps with gluten free versions, but those are readily available in my grocery store. I'm pretty good about reading food labels, now I'll just have to be extra vigilant. I've bookmarked recipes and tips on dining out gluten free (a lot of restaurants offer an alternative gluten free menu if you ask!), so I'm armed and ready. If you see me eat something on here with gluten, don't be afraid to let me know as I'm still figuring the whole thing out and can use all the help I can get. This month will be challenging, but I'm excited to see if this change brings me any relief. Stay tuned!

*Thanks to Gina and Shannon who went above and beyond helping me in my research :)