My fibro symptoms are now gone, for 7 years.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3 different docs diagnosed my multiple symptoms as Fibro, then threw up their hands ( one doc even took 4 steps backwards away from me, in the cramped exam room). they had nothing to offer, they said.
This was in april 1998. I was 52.
I got to the point I could barely function, was totally wiped out, and had to quit work.
In 2002, I heard on NPR a story of similar symptoms being related to gluten allergy/celiac disease, in adults.
turns out the classic symptoms had always been for kids, and celiac disease symptoms in adults is now beginning to become recognized. In kids, lottsa allergies.
the gluten intolerance manifests with whole body dysfunction, and so can produce the IBS, the muscle pain, insomnia, mood swings, brain fog that we have experienced as "fibro".
I immediately went off wheat in my diet, and within 4 days the pain faded, was gone in 7.
It took 6 months before I could read, but every day my concentration got better.
My vision improved to the point I had to change glasses, and my eye doctor could not explain the improvement.
I started taking a multiple mineral formula with Malic acid, and taking L-tyrosine, since both repair the cells and adrenal glands ( for energy). And I took melontonin 1 mg an hour before bedtime for sleep.
Over time, I have improved and function at age 63 much better than I did 10 years ago. I garden dig dirt, weed, do housework, read for hours a day. The melontonin is not needed any more, I sleep deeply and well, and the only time I have muscle/joint pain is if I drink sodas ( the phosphorous is hell on bones).
If I eat the smallest bit of wheat, I get immediate bowel distress.
Gluten allergy can be shown by blood tests now ( they used to do a biopsy of the bowel).
Continued use of gluten in people with celiac disease can lead to colon cancer, so it is important to rule out celiac disease, which is common esp. among people of Irish/Scottish descent.
A google search for celiac disease will turn up 100 x more nfo. than was available 10 years ago.

Worth checking out.

[elleng]

1. Its great to read this, grrrrrl.

I've got none of this, but having read about so many that do, this should REALLY help.

[mopinko]

2. are the blood tests reliable?

pretty sure i had one.

[marybourg]

3. No, not very. But you should have one before you go gluten free

because once you're not ingesting gluten the test will always be negative, and then you'll never be sure. If you had a negative test and you think you might be gluten intolerant, it can't hurt to try a g.f. diet. You'll know pretty soon, as the OP indicated, whether it's what you need. BTW, don't assume you had the celiac panel. Most doctors, even g.i. specialists know very little about it and don't usually give the corrects tests. P.S. Even the spell checker didn't didn't recognize the word "celiac"

[mopinko]

4. i did have the test.

i have some pretty good docs.
have had a lot of gi stuff along with the firbo. also 100% irish.