Janelle Esker What is the 1 NOT SO EASY thing that eliminated my Fibromyalgia? Living with inflammation is not easy, every day is another day managing pain. Discomfort is in your every thought and even when you try to forget it there is still the ongoing pain, always the pain. Then there is the exhaustion. Every single day a struggle!
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals. Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection, or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.
Women are much more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and depression.
– Mayo Clinic
1 NOT SO EASY Thing That
Eliminated My Fibromyalgia
I have suffered from Fibromyalgia for most of my life, even as a child I was known to always have aches and pains. Five years ago, while undergoing tests to help my daughter who has autism, I learned that I had the genetic marker for Celiac Disease. With this knowledge in hand, my journey began to become gluten-free and that my friend is the No more Fibromyalgia for me! 1 (NOT SO EASY) Thing That Eliminated My Fibromyalgia!
Six months into my gluten-free journey I began to feel so much better! The most notable effect was NO MORE PAIN! It was gone…gone! I had more energy and was generally enjoying life. I was in awe that making just one change in my diet could make such a difference. I feel so much better and nothing could ever induce me to eat gluten ever again! Now, I have accidentally ingested gluten and when I have it in my system I am in pain and also get a whole host of other issues, that is one of the ways that I know it was the gluten making me so sick and in such agony.
So, What foods have gluten in them?
Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, and any foods made with these grains.
- White Flour
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Durum Wheat
- Graham Flour
- Triticale
- Kamut
- Semolina
- Spelt
- Wheat Germ
- Wheat Bran
Common foods that are usually made with wheat include:
- Pasta
- Couscous
- Bread
- Flour Tortillas
- Cookies
- Cakes
- Muffins
- Pastries
- Cereal
- Crackers
- Beer
- Oats (see the section on oats below)
- Gravy
- Dressings
- Sauces
Hidden glutens are in most prepackaged food so purchase only foods that have been certified gluten-free. Check out the Well-Stocked Gluten-Free Pantry! My absolutely favorite writer and chef is Danielle Walker of the Against All Grain blog! Her journey toward wellness and healing will inspire you and oh my, her recipes are all DELICIOUS! I consider all her cookbook’s must-haves. The newest cookbook did not disappoint – Danielle Walker’s Eat What You Love: Everyday Comfort Food You Crave; Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Paleo Recipes
HOMEWORK
1. Get tested for Celiac Disease
2. Try a gluten-free or Paleo diet
3. Check out my gluten-free recipes
4. Go shopping
As you begin your gluten-free journey it may seem overwhelming at times but stay encouraged and keep on the path of health!
YOUR TURN...
What decision has helped you regain your health?
Blessings,
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Janelle, I have often been confused by the term “gluten-free.” Don’t all grains have their own specific gluten (protein)? When most folks say “gluten-free” do they mean wheat-free? I went wheat-free a couple years ago for one month and had no change at all. Not even when I went back on (which I was told would be the real test), and I’ve been tested for celiac disease (though I understand intolerance is another thing entirely, which is why I tried my wheat-free month). I almost wish I could say I felt great off wheat because as hard as it would be to give up wheat (I bake my own bread) I would love to get rid of pain and feel more energy.
I’m on a trial of celebrex, which I’d rather not take, but if it makes me feel better, I’ll try it. And I’m swimming!
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for your comment! I am so glad you mentioned the confusion over “gluten-free”. Gluten-free is not Wheat-free. Gluten is found in wheat, spelt, kamut, triticale, barley, and rye. It takes on average, 6 months to remove gluten from the body. To make matters worse, there are different forms of gluten that are also found in every grain. For highly sensitive people I recommend a Paleo diet which does not include any grain. Two of my daughters are Paleo and I am thinking that I am moving in that direction…I would ultimately like to cure all my autoimmune diseases…if it is God’s will. Please keep me posted on how the Celebrex is working for you. I am always interested ALL for options for autoimmune sufferers.
I praise God for your improvement! Bless you!
Thank you Laura!
So awesome to hear about your recovery! This is why I encourage EVERYONE with a chronic health problem to go gluten free (and grain free for many, as you mentioned). If you don’t mind me giving my opinion, I’d have most people skip step 1 unless they just really really really want to know for sure. For most people, they get tested, are negative, and then become very confused.
There are many forms of gluten sensitivity, and many ways to test for it, none of which are definitive. In fact, another gene has recently been identified that causes gluten sensitivity, but not Celiac. This is called the haptoglobin A and B genes, and approximately 15% of the population is either homozygous or heterozygous, and it’s especially closely related to genes for autoimmune disease.
Since this was only recently discovered, and there could be many more genes that give a predisposition to gluten sensitivity that we are as yet unaware of, IMHO, anyone with a chronic illness should be strictly gluten free for at least 6 months. And anyone with an autoimmune disease should probably be gluten free for life, or at least until their autoimmune disease has been reversed for several years.
Also gluten (and the lectins in other grains) cause inflammation in EVERYONE’s gut. Always. Some are just better at managing this inflammation than others.
Kerri
Hi Kerri,
Thank you so much for your comment and I agree with everything you stated! You are 100% right about testing for celiac disease…it has a very high false negative rate! Thank you for providing even more information which will be helpful for my readers! Another important thing you brought up is that gluten stays in your body for a really long time so you must be gluten-free for at least 6 months and I usually tell people a year! Every persons body is different and each person’s “gut” is different. Thank you for stopping by The Peaceful Haven!!
Hi, I been suffering fibromyalgia for 18 yrs. I’m Cuban, so I eat a lot of rice, beans, and bread. Does beans have gluten? Thanks for you blog!
Hi Olga,
Beans do not have gluten in them. Bread does…and of course there are many hidden glutens like in margarine and certain spice blends, also things like soy sauce. I hope this will help! I will be praying for your recovery!
This is all very confusing to me my disease makes it hard to remember keep things straight. I was wondering if cornbread would have gluten in it..also if there are any books that you would recommend. Thank you. I am desperate to feel even a little bit better
Hi Lisa,
All my recipes on The Peaceful Haven are gluten free. I can identify with your suffering and I call what you are experiencing with your memory “grain brain”. Having autoimmune disease is confusing because there are many different opinions on how to treat it. I have had success treating all 7 of my autoimmune diseases through diet. Take a look at my other posts on autoimmune disease and I hope they will encourage you. One of my favorite books on the topic is Autoimmune the Cause and the Cure. I also like The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body. Both of these books have been very helpful.
I have an intolerance to gluten, not celiac but it makes no difference to my fibromyalgia being gluten free. I wish it was that easy for me. The only thing I’ve found to help is juicing & a raw vegan diet. I feel amazing when I do this 100%, the pain is less, I have more energy, can think clearer & am happier. It doesn’t get rid of all the symptoms but eases them enough that I can enjoy & join in with life again. I’m going to try CBD oil as have heard so many good things about it. The thing with fibromyalgia is that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for someone else. Xxx
Hi Lisa,
I agree with you about the juicing! It really helps me…and I also agree that the root issue for the fibro symptoms can be different. Just out of curiosity…how long were you gluten free? It takes at least 6 months to get it out of your system and to feel better. I am interested in CBD oil…I really appreciate the information you shared and I know it will be a blessing to my readers!
No offence meant but it sounds to me as though you never had fibromyalgia and we’re simply misdiagnosed. That happens easily as fibromyalgia shares so many symptoms with other conditions. It sounds like you are either gluten intolerant or a coeliac, and have never actually had fibromyalgia. There is no cure for fibromyalgia and nothing that will completely relieve symptoms. It is different for everyone of course, but as I said misdiagnosis happens a lot because of the massive assortment of symptoms that are shared with other conditions.
No offense taken Raven. I did have fibromyalgia and still do but am asymptomatic. I suffered for 15 years with fibro and more than one doctor diagnosed me. You are right in that no autoimmune disease can be truly cured but you can most definitely heal your symptoms. Diet has been the key for me in reducing my autoimmune response. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I have been wheat free for 2 years now and I started it to get healthier and hoped it would help the aches and pains i had. However, my pain has gotten worse and I have been diagnosed with fibro. Apparently, wheat free doesn’t cure everyone with fibro. I really do wish it worked for me.
Hi Janelle, I’m so glad you are better! I do wonder at the title of your article though. It sounds to me like you were misdiagnosed with FMS. This happens too often & then when people discover a “cure”, They think it should work for everyone. Going gluten-free has helped many people I know with FMS, ME/CFIDS and they don’t have celiac, but for every one of the, there are numerous others who haven’t. I thought you might want to address this a bit more in your article. Again, I am thrilled you found an answer and are once again able to enjoy life!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment. Everyone is different, so going gluten free or grain free is not for everyone. The root cause of all autoimmune diseases is inflammation. But what is causing the inflammation can be different for each individual. If I was misdiagnosed, I was misdiagnosed by 3 separate doctors. One of which is the head of the Rheumatology department at The Ohio State University Hospitals.
Hi. Janelle
I’m new here. But how to I know if my 8 year old son is intollerent to gluten? Every time he eats anything heat he has sudden heat flares like fevers and sweating and all. The doctor said he might be intollerent to gluten but I have no idea what that is.
Hi Rose,
Gluten is a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes illness in people with celiac disease. I would recommend contacting your doctor, allergist, naturopath or nutritionist for help. All these medical professionals would be a help to you!
My mother have been suffering from fibromyalgia disease for the last 3 years and had constant pain, especially in her neck,During the first year,she had faith in God that she will be healed someday by the Almighty. This disease started circulate all over my moms body and she have been taking treatment from her doctor, few weeks ago i came on search on the internet if i could get any information concerning the prevention of this disease, on my search i saw a testimony of someone who has been healed from (fibromyalgia) by this man DR Abumere and she also gave the email address of this man and advise we should contact him for any sickness that he would be of help, so i wrote to DR Abumere telling him about my mothers fibromyalgia disease he told me not to worry that my mom is gonna be okay with his herbal remedies!! actually i never believed it,, well after all the procedures and remedy given to me by this man i went to discuss it with my mom and explain everything to her on what she is about to take in,because Dr Abumere told me my mother must stop other medication just to make sure his own work properly,she agreed because this great doctor gave me assurance about his good work.
Weeks later after my mother start using this herbal medicine she started experiencing changes all over her as the DR assured me that she will cured,after some time i went to her doctor to confirmed if she has finally healed behold it was TRUE, So dear viewers my advise is if you have such sickness or any other at all you can email DR Abumere on: abumereherbalcentre @ gmail. com or visit his websit: www . abumereherbalcentre . simplesite . com
thank you doctor i will forever be grateful.
Hi Derek,
Thanks for the encouraging note about your mom…you are a good son to do so much research on your mom’s behalf. I believe in the power of herbs and I also believe in God’s healing power. Firstly, though I believe in God’s will. I know nothing about Dr. Abumere so I am unable to recommend him to my readers. My only advice is to try to understand what is causing the inflammation in the body so that you can reduce the symptoms of the fibromyalgia.
Great blog! I am loving it!! I am following your feeds also!
Thanks, Aliza, Hope you will find The Peaceful Haven a blessing!
I’ve struggled with Fibro for most of my life and then one year ago was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. My health is much better over all now, thankfully. Going gluten free because of Celiac helped my pain diminish a ton, so thankful I was diagnoised so that my pain level went down!
I feel the exact same way, Emily!
This actually addressed my trouble, thank you!