Nutritional Therapies for Fibromyalgia

Patricia Stephens, Certified Nutritional Consultant

My opportunity to work as a nutritional consultant in a natural pharmacy has shown me that fibromyalgia patients, along with many others with chronic health problems, get dramatically better when using natural therapies. Natural medicine offers hope for anyone with chronic disease.

I have been able to get completely off all conventional medications, and have had NO fibromyalgia pain for over ten years. It has not been an easy journey because I had no one to lead me. I have studied, experimented on myself, and listened carefully to those who come into the pharmacy where I work. These lessons have proved to be superior to what I have read in any of my textbooks.

Introductory Thoughts

Most of us with fibromyalgia have used many drugs hoping to stop the many symptoms that are robbing us of our quality of life. Most of these drugs, at best, are just masking some of our symptoms.

Most of our pain does not respond well to conventional intervention. We have struggled with a package of symptoms which include pain, brain fog, insomnia, low energy, hormonal imbalances, mood issues, headaches, bowel problems, urinary problems, etc. Conventional medicine, in general, has offered us little hope.

However, natural medicine offers hope because it helps the body do what it is supposed to do by addressing what is deficient or out of balance. The body has a powerful in-house pharmacy. Why not tap into this pharmacy and let the body heal itself? Is this possible in someone who has so many complex health problems? Absolutely! I am living proof of it.

Many of us have never considered looking for the root causes of our illness because our symptoms are widespread.  Relief from the misery is a priority.

KEY THOUGHTS: Natural medicine can address the root causes of fibromyalgia and thereby restore quality of life by giving the body what is deficient, so the body can help heal itself.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this site is based on my personal experience and those who frequent the natural pharmacy where I work. In no way does it replace the advise of your physician. Each patient is biologically unique. Supplements as well as drugs can affect each of us differently.

A Beginning Place

So how does one get started? A good beginning question is, “How badly do I want to get well”? Nutritional therapies can take some work. The body didn’t get sick overnight, nor will it heal overnight. You will need to be patient. I cannot stress this enough. If you are looking for a natural medicine that will correct every problem immediately, without any work, changes in diet, etc., natural medicine may not be for you. Don’t get discouraged. Some supplements can work quickly. Read on.

Remember that no one was more interested in your case than you are. Learn to become your own best advocate. If you are going to get well, plan on becoming an active part of your own health care. You can do this by studying and/or locating professionals who are knowledgeable. They will empower you as you move forward. 

My goal is to share with you what I have learned in my own journey back to health in order to shorten your own journey of recovery. My prayer is that you will be well. When you get well, go out and help someone else.

The good news is there are ways to reverse chronic disease using natural therapies. Smile. There is hope.

KEY THOUGHT- Because no one is more interested in your case than you are, learn to become your own advocate.

Underlying Causes of Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Correcting the following is how I have regained my health. Many others with fibromyalgia have also responded positively by making the same basic corrections. I believe it will help you, as well.

Hormonal Imbalance

Hormones are powerful messengers and work together as a carefully orchestrated team to improve quality of life. Any of our hormones can become imbalanced, and when they do, they can affect other hormones. Just remember that there is a way to monitor them and restore balance.

Some of the most talked about hormones that improve quality of life are estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, thyroid hormone, and melatonin. These hormones work together much like instruments in a symphony. Much is known about these hormones and others, but much is also yet to be learned. Currently, it is a pioneer work.

I believe that most fibromyalgia patients have hormonal imbalances. Correcting these imbalances can dramatically improve our symptoms. Hormones deliver powerful messages throughout the body. Deficiencies or imbalances can affect sleep, mood, memory, urinary function, bowel function, temperature changes, energy, skin health, and the like. Imbalances can affect us differently depending on genetic expression.  

Conventional hormonal replacement is basically NOT what I am talking about here, although if you are feeling better on HRT, by all means stay with what is working for you.

KEY THOUGHT- Hormones are powerful messengers. When they are in balance, the body can feel well. When hormones are low or out of balance, symptoms can surface.

Suggested ways to make these corrections will follow.

Brain Chemistry Imbalances

Brain chemical imbalances can cause many symptoms other than just mood problems. As I look back, after correcting some of my own brain chemistry imbalances, my entire body got better.

Most doctors who treat fibromyalgia use psychotropic drugs. They know that some patients’ symptoms can be alleviated by using drugs borrowed from psychiatry.

If you have tried antidepressants without success, it might be that they have not selected a medication that affected the right neurotransmitters (usually dopamine or norepinephrine) that were out of balance for you.

Many with fibromyalgia are low in serotonin, but I believe our main deficiency is dopamine. After taking a medication that affects dopamine and watching so many symptoms get better, I believe that doctors have overlooked this important chemical deficiency. After watching a large number of other fibromyalgia patients get better when they took something that elevated dopamine, the evidence tells me this is correct.

KEY THOUGHTS- Fibromyalgia symptoms can disappear when dopamine levels are elevated. Many of them also need a medication or supplement that also helps regulate serotonin like an antidepressant or 5 HTP. Sometimes, it is just a matter of elevating or balancing these neurotransmitters. Other times, one has to also address hormone deficiencies at the same time.

Toxic Overload

I also believe that fibromyalgia patients have a toxic overload. Our bodies, for whatever reason, aren’t eliminating toxins like healthy individuals. When we are toxic, we feel sick. There is a way to unravel the toxic overload, thereby making us feel much better.

An example of this is constipation. It can be a big problem for most fibromyalgia sufferers, although a few have chronic diarrhea. When the bowel isn’t eliminating toxins, our bodies become more toxic. As a result, we feel sluggish. Even though there are other organs of detoxification, the bowel carries off a lot of waste. Depending on genetic weakness, toxins affect each of us differently.

Toxic overload can be far more than just in the colon. The cells and tissues can become toxic which create symptoms throughout the body. These symptoms show up where we are genetically weak.

Another area of toxicity that can produce significant symptoms in FMS patients is heavy metal toxicity. I went to a great seminar several years ago lead by the Dr. J. Alexander Bralley, CEO of Metametrix Labs. He told me after testing people with chronic illnesses for years, he found these results generally showed high heavy metals in these patients.  Because of his opinion, I had my own heavy metal levels tested. He was correct in my case. I showed high levels of mercury, aluminum, and some cadmium.

I had another test done called a Clifford Reactivity Test. It showed that I was allergic to mercury. This test also revealed the type of material that would NOT be reactive to avoid other problems. As a result of this test, I decided that I should have my mercury amalgam fillings removed by a mercury-free dentist in Atlanta, Ga. This removal has to be done carefully to protect the patient and the dentist.

I got much better gradually after having my mercury fillings removed. I also worked on ridding my body off the heavy metals that were currently present in the cells and tissues by using some natural therapies. 

Nutritional Deficiencies

Nutritional deficiencies can cause many symptoms throughout the body. Our bodies are composed of nutrients, and nutrients help our bodies function normally. When there are deficiencies, the “machinery” doesn’t work as efficiently.

Magnesium deficiency is a good example. A large percentage of the population is low in magnesium. Magnesium controls over 300 processes in the body. Increasing magnesium in deficient individuals can help some with headaches, others with back pain, others with better sleep, etc. These deficiencies show up differently in various individuals. Many fibro patients also feel much better on magnesium.

Where does a fibromyalgia patient begin? 

Brain chemistry

Balancing neurotransmitters (brain chemistry) can improve fibromyalgia symptoms quickly when you are addressing the chemicals that are out of balance or low.

One of the most effective supplements that I have found is NADH. This supplement helps to improve the production of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. I believe this is a big deficiency in fibromyalgia patients. (If you are currently taking an antidepressant, you should be able to combine NADH with most antidepressants. (The only exception is Wellbutrin which also affects dopamine.) Remember that NADH affects dopamine, whereas most antidepressants affect serotonin.

Most of the time, when the dosage is right, NADH improves energy, memory, mood, stops or reduces aches and pain, and improves sleep, etc. Dosage is critical. It won’t work when the dosage is too low. It can take up to six weeks to begin working; but more often than not, I see that it works much quicker. In fact, I have seen it work the first day when the dosage was correct. If you don’t get immediate results, keep working with it. You may need more time.

Experience has taught me to start with 5 mg. of NADH in the morning on an empty stomach. After a few days, if there is no change, go to 10 mg. in the morning. Watch sleep, energy, mood, memory, etc. When you are close to a therapeutic dosage, all of this should get better. Some may need an afternoon dosage if their benefit begins to diminish. If you are using too much, you might be a bit hyper, restless, agitated, etc. You should not get this response if you start low and work your way up. Dosage really matters.

5 HTP and/ or St. John’s Wort are excellent additions to the NADH because they enhance serotonin. Do not use them if you are already taking a conventional antidepressant. I encourage our clients who are already taking a conventional antidepressant, to just combine the NADH with the antidepressant they are taking as long as it is not Wellbutrin.

SAM-e is also a wonderful natural antidepressant that can provide excellent benefits for many fibromyalgia patients. It can also be combined with NADH. It too, works best on an empty stomach. Dosage really matters on SAM-e. The general rule is to start with 200 mg. twice a day. After a few days, if no better, go to 400 mg. twice a day. Some even go higher. As soon as you get better, you can usually drop the dosage. Going up to get benefit is what we in the natural world call a “loading dose”. As soon as you are better, you can usually drop the dosage. This is important with SAM-e because this supplement is expensive. However, I have seen it deliver results when nothing else would. SAM-e also promotes good liver health. Some have mild gastric distress if the dosage is too high. This can also be temporary or transient.

I see a calm energy when combining NADH and 5 HTP/ or St. John’s Wort. You should also notice improved sleep, less pain, better brain function, mood, etc. This is when the dosage is correct.

There are also other supplements that affect dopamine. These supplements can do the same work of NADH. Some supplements are better matches for some than others. Another supplement that elevates dopamine is  L-tyrosine.

Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance

Some symptoms of hormonal imbalance are: anxiety, irritability, anger, cramps, heavy bleeding, clots, water retention, weight gain, cold hands and feet, headaches, carbohydrate  cravings, muscle pain, acne, back pain, foggy thinking, blood sugar instability, decreased sex drive, vaginal dryness, endometriosis, infertility, gallbladder problems, sleep problems, uterine fibroids, osteoporosis, allergic tendencies, autoimmune disorder, breast tenderness, depression, irregular periods, ovarian cysts, etc.

If you relate to many symptoms on this list, consider making some corrections in your endocrine system.

Endocrine Corrections

Ideally, the best way to begin this is with a quality saliva assay in order see if you endocrine system is balanced. This gives you a measurement tool so you don’t have to guess.

A reputable company that does saliva assays is Diagnos-Tech Labs. They have reasonably-priced saliva assays that measure the free hormone levels. (The free level is what is active in the cells and tissues of the body.) They should also be able to direct you to a doctor in your area who can order an appropriate test. (800-878-3787). www.diagnostechs.com  I have also had good experiences with Great Smokies Diagnostic Labs www.gsdl.com and Metametrix Labs. www.metametrix.com

Saliva assays can be an excellent way to measure hormone levels. They are far less expensive and are less invasive (no blood). This assay measures the free level, which is the level that is believed to be active in the cells and tissues.

Most doctors in the conventional world of medicine order a blood test which generally measures the bound portion.  This test is cheaper than if they order a free level. The bound level is only measures the potential hormone instead of measuring what is active in the cells and tissues where it matters most. It is the unbound or free level that is a more accurate measure of what is going on in the cells and tissues. Saliva assays measure the free level. (You should be able to get a more in depth description of this at www.diagnostechs.com )

If you are taking conventional hormone replacement therapy, don’t stop it abruptly. Later, if you want to try to switch from conventional hormones to plant hormones, here is the best way to proceed:

Alternate your prescription hormone one day and the plant hormone the other day for a month. During the second month, take the conventional HRT one day and the plant hormone for two consecutive days. Repeat so you are using the conventional hormone only every third day. This helps your body to adjust slowly to weaker plant hormones which helps to keep hot flashes, sleep problems, mood problems, etc. out of the picture. Most of the time you won’t have to take the conventional hormone regularly at this point, but if you still have symptoms, add it back and wait a bit longer. Your body will guide you.  Again, do not stop your conventional hormones abruptly.

Plant hormones can take some time to begin working. Most of us see improvements in a month. They will continue to provide increasing benefit up to two months after beginning.

If you are NOT taking hormones, and you feel like you have imbalance or deficiency symptoms, a good supplement that I would like to recommend is Vitex (chasteberry). It is my understanding that it can up-regulate estrogen and help improve the progesterone-estrogen ratio.

Adrenal support products such as ginseng, licorice, B vitamins, or adrenal glandulars can be very helpful.  I highly recommend adding adrenal support to any plant that affects estrogen or progesterone, especially if you are post-menopausal.  It can dramatically improve fibromyalgia symptoms. (You would not take all of these adrenal support products, but one or two of them.)

As we move toward menopause, our ovaries start to make fewer hormones. At this time, it is the adrenal gland that begins to pick up production of our female or male hormones. If our adrenal gland is exhausted, or is not functioning properly, then we are not able to make enough of our own hormones. At this point, deficiency symptoms will surface.

DHEA is an adrenal hormone that many fibromyalgia patients are low in. It is best to monitor your level to see if you are low before adding it. It can help many fibromyalgia patients. It is best to use 5-10 mg. initially, and supplement only short term. DHEA levels will build up. I would recommend using DHEA for two to six months in low dosages, if you test low in it, or if you feel better on it.

Progesterone Cream (Serenity and Emerita are good brands.) I recommend this only for a few months. (It is ideal to measure your progesterone levels first to know what your level is before supplementation.) Some try it to see how they feel on it. If they feel better, obviously, they are low.

If you have PMS, or are peri-menopausal or post-menopausal, progesterone can help you. It is often helpful in fibromyalgia patients because a large number of us are low in progesterone. (In my opinion, creams can be helpful, but there can be better ways to address the deficiency such as Vitex or Indolplex (indol 3 carbinol).

THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT RATIO BETWEEN ESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE. We have been told by most well-meaning doctors that if you don’t have a uterus and if you aren’t trying to get pregnant, you don’t need to worry about progesterone. I see something very different as I work with women in my area.

A large number of women have symptoms of estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance means that you don’t have enough progesterone to balance out your estrogen level. One of the major reasons so many women are estrogen dominant is STRESS. Stress can be a major culprit in hormonal imbalance. Another reason is there are a lot of estrogen mimickers in the environment which throw off the ratio.

I am a big fan of plant-based hormones because of their safety and effectiveness. I have seen them provide benefits without the risks. Plant-based hormones are basically adaptogenic, which means they have a balancing effect on the endocrine system.

Bio-identical hormones (doctor-prescribed) are another good way to improve low endocrine levels. A compounding pharmacist makes these based on your doctor’s prescription. (If you use prescription bio-identical hormones, be sure that you monitor your levels so that you are not exceeding the normal range. They are stronger than what you might purchase at a health food store.)

When you monitor your levels, make sure it is a free or unbound level. Because bio-identical hormones are delivered in the free state, they may show up low in the blood, when in reality, they can be even high in the free state. Saliva assays are probably a lot more reflective when using bio-identical hormones.

It is all about balance. If a hormone is too low or too high, you can have problems. The good news is there are good saliva assays that help you balance your levels.

A good company that makes a high quality sublinqual hormone is Bezwecken. www.bezwecken.com These can also be purchased on the Internet. Phyto B is estrogen and progestereone and Progon B is just progesterone. If you decide to use these, I would highly recommend monitoring your hormone levels once or twice a year to make sure you are in balanced. You can also watch how you are feeling. That is also a great guide.

Recently, I put a friend of mine with fibromyalgia on Phyto B. After using it a few days, she told me she felt so good it was almost “scary”! She saw what I have seen. Hormones can dramatically improve the quality of our lives. They can be safe allies in the war against disease.

KEY THOUGHT: Hormones work as instruments in a symphony to improve quality of life. They can improve energy, memory, sleep, mood, reduce or eliminate pain, improve urinary and colon health, etc.

There is an important ratio between estrogen and progesterone. Balancing these hormones can dramatically improve your health.

There are ways to take the guesswork out by using good saliva assays.

God is Nature made plants that are a perfect match for our endocrine system.

Addressing Toxic Overload

There are many schools of thought regarding how to rid the body of toxins. Don’t allow these multiple schools of thought to stress you.

Ridding the toxins can be tricky, and I don’t recommend it immediately. I would recommend that you first work on hormones and brain chemical imbalances because I think this can help you feel better rather quickly.

Ridding the body of toxins can make you feel worse temporarily, and that is why I would recommend that you wait until you are better.

Most of us with chronic health problems have heavy metal toxicity. Malic acid helps reduce heavy metal toxicity. I think this is why it helps fibromyalgia patients feel better. An amino acid called L-methionine, or zeolites can also help. There are a lot of other products that can help remove heavy metals.

When a chronically ill patient is toxic, it can be tricky to unravel the toxic load because when you start pulling toxins from cells and tissues, they can feel worse temporarily. When you dump large amounts of toxins into the bloodstream to be removed by the organs of elimination, you can feel worse for a few days to a few weeks. You can have a headache, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, or any other flu- like symptom for a few days to a few weeks. Some don’t have these symptoms that we call “die off”, but many do.

Because I remember trying to detox too quickly in the early days, and I remember how badly I felt, I want to encourage you to consider waiting until you feel better by bringing balance to your neurotransmitters and hormones.

When you are ready to pursue this, the best way to lessen these die off symptoms is to INCREASE WATER AND FIBER. Fiber traps toxins and helps escort them out of the body and water helps flush toxins. If you still become too symptomatic, back down the dosage for a few days. Later, increase the dosage as prescribed by the product that you are using. Once these poisons exit the body, you should begin to feel a lot better.

Renew Life is a reputable company that knows a great deal about how to cleanse the body. www.renewlife.com  They are also excellent educators.

Other Supplements That Improve Quality of Life

Minerals are often low in fibromyalgia patients. Often, magnesium helps. You might need calcium, or some other mineral. Good combination mineral products are available and are usually helpful.

Malic Acid can dramatically reduce fibromyalgia pain. It can also improve energy. One of the ways it seems to work is by lowering the toxic load on the body. Malic acid is found in apples, but you would have to eat too many to get the effect from a good malic acid supplement.

Probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus can often help the gastro-intestinal complaints of fibromyalgia patients. It can dramatically improve the bowel and reverse issues like constipation. Give it a little time. It might take a few weeks to balance or improve colon health. They can also help flatten the stomach.

I recommend taking probiotics at bedtime, or any other time of the day when you have a two-hour-window away from medications and supplements. Probiotics compete for absorption of other medications and supplements. It won’t hurt you to combine them, but you won’t get full absorption from your medications and other supplements.

Colon health cannot be separated from body health. It is said that there are more neurotransmitters in the gut than in the brain. (Ever get nervous and get “butterflies” in the stomach?) There is a gut-brain connection. Also, there is some impressive research that shows colon and liver health help good healthy hormonal production.

Co Q 10 can provide better energy at the cellular level which improves physical energy, better neurological health, etc. This one is expensive. I would try the others first.

B Vitamin Complex helps improve energy, mood, memory, sleep, etc.

Quality of Nutritional Supplements

Because there is no FDA regulation on supplements in the USA, one needs to be careful when buying supplements. You generally get what you pay for in the world of supplements.

The best supplement companies have high standards. They are very interested in protecting their good names. In so doing, they make sure that there are enough active ingredients in their products. They also work hard to protect the quality of supplements from harvesting until it is delivered to the buyer. You will pay a little more for these products.

Find a good health food store in your area. Avoid discount stores and many Internet companies that you aren’t sure about.

Diet

The ideal diet generally consists of more whole grains, less dairy, more leafy green and yellow vegetables, fresh fruits, high quality protein sources like lean meats and fish. Nuts can be a good snack.

Dairy is often a big problem for those with chronic health issues. Most of us don’t have the enzyme to break it down. What other animal on the planet drinks another animal’s milk? There are excellent replacements that are tasty and nutritious. Soy, rice, almond and oat milks are available at your grocery and local health food stores.

Eat fewer simple carbohydrates like sugar and white breads. This can also help you lose some weight.

We all have a cheat-treat here and there, but the majority of our diet should be healthy. A lot of us self-medicate with food.

Exercise

You have heard this before, but exercise will help you. I know that most of you are very low in energy. (I remember complaining to my doctors telling them that I would exercise if I had energy.) The supplements that I am suggesting will help give you that energy. When you feel better, start walking or swimming. Start slowly and build up as you can. You will feel better.

Stress

Watch your stress level. Stress can make all our symptoms worse. Once you begin to feel better, the temptation is there to play catch up. This can cause a set back. Allow your body to heal once you are feeling better.

IN SUMMARY

The quickest way to feel better is to improve hormonal balance and brain chemistry. Supplements can be very effective because they can give you benefit, usually without side effects.

Dopamine is a very important brain chemical. I believe that fibromyalgia patients are low in it. I have seen a large number of patients get dramatically better when elevating it.

The way to do elevate dopamine with supplements is NADH and L-tyrosine. Dosage really matters. If you are too low, it won’t help. If you are too high, you can be agitated. That is why we start low and go up gradually.

If you are not taking hormonal replacement therapy, and you have symptoms of deficiency or imbalance; you might try Vitex with some adrenal support. (Adrenal support can be extremely beneficial.) Also, if you have had a total hysterectomy, you may need something that is higher potency. I recommend Beczwecken sublinqual plant hormones like Phyto B (estrogen and progesterone) or Progon B (just progestereone).

It is a good idea to test your hormonal levels. We don’t have to guess. Saliva assays are a great way to do this. Diagnos Tech is a good lab that is reasonably priced.

There are a fast growing population of doctors and other professionals around the country training in natural medicine. It is ideal to locate one of these professionals to give you confidence as you move toward a state of better health.

Smile. There is hope. Get well so you can embrace life again. Put your hand back in to help others. You too can be the voice of encouragement. Above all, thank a loving God for His blessings.

DISCLAIMER

 
 Feel free to email us at:

patricia@addfibro.com
 

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