Fibromyalgia is not a disease; it’s a “syndrome” which means that is just a collection of symptoms.  The problem is that there may be many different causes of the same symptoms so it is very difficult to diagnose and treat, but when the cause of the fibromyalgia symptoms is known, then the treatment can be very effective.

Marilyn is in her 50’s, an interior decorator and very active in her community. Over a year before she came to see me, she suddenly “got sick.”   She had been to many doctors trying to get her health back.  She was in pain all the time and felt such a profound fatigue that she could no longer function in any of her activities.  Her hormone, liver, kidney, and metabolic tests were all normal so her doctors told her it was all in her head.  However, when we did further testing she was found to have a significant amount of mercury and lead on a provoked urine test.  She started a chelation protocol and gradually improved.  Though her heavy metal tests are now normal, she is still not.  However, she is on no medications and is able to continue most of her activities.

In this case, a fibromyalgia cause was found.  Heavy metals can prevent the production of energy in cells to create the symptoms of fibromyalgia.  Nerve cells are especially sensitive.   Moreover, it has been found that certain combinations of heavy metals, like mercury and lead, may have ten times the effects of either one alone.  The symptoms don’t all resolve immediately upon removing the metals because damage has been done that need to be repaired, which can take years in the nervous system.

There are many other potential causes of fibromyalgia syndrome besides heavy metals. This is by no means a complete list, only a sampling of possibilities:

Environmental toxins

• Pesticides
• Mycotoxins (fungi)
• Bacterial toxins (i.e. Clostridium in the bowel)

Infectious diseases

• Lyme
• Babesiosis
• Epstein-Barr Virus
• Many other bacterial, viral and fungal infections in the blood

Deficiency diseases

• Amino acids or protein malnutrition
• Neurotransmitters
• Mineral imbalances
• Vitamin deficiencies (especially B-vitamins)

Other

• Hormone imbalances including thyroid, adrenal hormones, glucocorticoids, or the sex hormones
• There is also a large group of people who have autonomic nervous system dysfunction, where their arteries constrict causing restricted blood flow to an entire area and producing the same symptoms as fibromyalgia.

Stress

A word about stress is in order.  Many people with fibromyalgia syndrome are told they are under “too much stress.”  Stress actually causes NO ILLNESSES at all!  However, if you have a weakness, stress will bring it out.  Decreasing stress is also a “Catch-22” because what could be more stressful than to be in pain and non-functioning all the time?  Be assured that though stress may worsen fibromyalgia symptoms, it is NOT the cause of your problem.

Anything that disturbs energy production in the nervous system can produce the symptoms of fibromyalgia.  The disturbance is a metabolic (energy) one, so it can cause problems anywhere in the body.  For this reason, severe pain can come to one area suddenly, and then disappear after a day or a month, only to show up in another place.  There are many related disorders that people with fibromyalgia are told they have, such as migraine headaches and irritable bowel syndrome.  Also, the laboratory testing is not sensitive enough to detect these changes so people are told they have nothing wrong with them.

Patent Medicines

There are three drugs currently available for the treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms.  None of them address the cause of the disease.  Amitriptyline has been around for many years for the treatment of depression and is the most effective and safe.  I rarely use it for those who need a little relief while we search for the fibromyalgia cause.  The other two are new anti-depressants with unknown long-term effects and generally not as effective.  None of them produce pain-free, normal functioning.

One of the important things to know about drugs is that narcotics, including morphine, Vicodin and others as well as benzodiazepines and various sleeping pills, can easily become a merry-go-round of pain and sedation.  They don’t relieve pain, nor do they produce good sleep.  Most end up in the same pain, and still don’t sleep well, even on the medications, but have a lot of trouble stopping them.

Home Cures – What YOU Can Do

Start With the Bowel

If you have “leaky gut” due to food allergies, then you may not be absorbing your nutrients well and, therefore, rendering all of your supplementation useless.  The way to start is with the “elimination diet” which has multiple variations.  The easiest is to go off all gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats) and dairy for four weeks.  During this time, use a glutamine supplement to repair the lining of the bowel.  If you notice improvement, you may need to continue for at least three months, maybe indefinitely.

Dietary Measures

Changing the diet is often very useful.  First of all, remember that it is not inflammation, but rather a nerve dysfunction so the diets to decrease inflammation generally don’t help.  Most people find that getting off all processed sugar, including “natural” sugars like honey and agave nectar, plus especially avoiding all artificial sweeteners including stevia, decrease pain dramatically.

There is an old diet that has been used for many years to treat epilepsy in children that is surprisingly useful called the “ketogenic diet.”  We know it today as the Atkins Diet.  The problem with the present day Atkins people is that they are selling prepared foods.  If you just do the original diet that consists of non-starchy vegetables and fresh (not processed) meats, it can work very well.  Use the Keto-sticks from the pharmacy to make sure you are burning fat.  If it doesn’t turn red, you’re eating too much starch or sugar.

Also, I would note that one patient of mine is on an organic vegan diet. If she strays just a little, she constantly complains that the pain comes back.

Bowel Bacteria

Each of us has a “fingerprint” of bacteria, fungi, and parasites in our intestines.  No two people are exactly alike in kind and amount of organisms.  Some are “good” because they aid in digestion or make vitamins, while others are “bad” because they make toxins or block absorption of essential nutrients.

You should start on a program of supplementing “probiotics” or the most common “good” organisms to improve bowel function. Don’t use the same probiotic supplement all the time, but rather change around.  There are differences and you may find one that works better than another.  One man told me that the “cheap” one his wife bought seemed to work better than the “expensive” refrigerated one he had purchased.

Exercise

It is interesting to note that exercise is the only fibromyalgia treatment that consistently improves pain and functioning in those with fibromyalgia.  This makes sense because most of the fibromyalgia symptoms are due to a lack of circulation and exercise increases circulation. Moreover, exercise helps to increase endorphins that are so helpful for controlling pain and improving the function of the autonomic nervous system.  However, those with profound fatigue can feel worse after exercise so they must start slowly and increase very gradually.   Many find that Yoga, Tai Chi, or Pilates are more beneficial.

Liver Detox

I don’t put a lot of faith in the detox programs sold in the stores because people use them instead of making the dietary and lifestyle changes that really help the liver to detox.  The best start to an ongoing program for detox is a high fiber diet.  Fiber binds many toxins, allowing them to be eliminated.  Moreover, most of the high-fiber foods contain vitamins and nutrients that help the liver to detoxify.  For example, cilantro (coriander) has been found to be the best way to remove mercury from the body.

Aside from this, there are several supplements that help the liver:

1. N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) -1 gram per day
2. Selenium – 1 mg per week (I often have to give the 200 mcg dose – 5 pills once a week)
3. Milk Thistle (silymarin)
4. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) – 100 mg per day

Nutrients

It seems that most try high doses of anti-oxidant vitamins, but this is a disease of energy production so it is better to use those nutrients that are needed for energy.  These are:

1. B-vitamins (these may need to be injected)
2. Magnesium – 400 mg per day
3. CoQ-10  – 100 mg per day
4. Zinc (with copper)  – 40 mg per day
5. Ribose – 1 tsp twice per day
6. L-carnitine – 2 grams per day

There are several “mitochondrial energy” supplements that contain most or all of these.  I use Standard Process or Life Extension for this.

There are many doctors who have successfully used the “Meyer’s Cocktail” intravenous vitamin treatment.  I have also found this helpful.

Sometimes B-12 works better as an intramuscular injection, rather than oral, sublingual, or IV.  I have one patient who owned a tile store and was unable to function because of the constant pain and fatigue.  We had tried testing and several treatments without benefit.  I wanted to try a B-vitamin injection, but only had B-12 on hand at the time so we decided to use just 1 mg IM to see if it would give her more energy.  She came back so happy because she was significantly better.  She was sleeping better and was able to work all day.  For over three years she gave herself weekly injections of B-12 and was finally able to stop and continues to feel generally well (but not “normal”).

A Word of Encouragement

If these remedies don’t produce results, then it may be necessary to find a doctor who is skilled in fibromyalgia syndrome for advice and further testing.  Remember, you are the only one who knows how you feel so you are the only one who can determine if a fibromyalgia treatment is working.  You must guide your treatment.

Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a complex problem with multiple causes and few “cures.”  However, those who continue to seek answers generally do find improvement.  It has been shown that people generally get better over time, and those who are trying new things get better faster.  Don’t give up.  We often don’t find a fibromyalgia “cause,” but sometimes can still find a treatment that brings relief of suffering.  It isn’t a quick fix, but a process over time.