Day 10: Gluten intolerance, fibromyalgia and your thyroid

feeling under the weather?

Is there a connection between gluten intolerance,  fibromyalgia and your thyroid? Discussing that might be a bit akin to asking; which came first the chicken or the egg. Fibromyalgia is one of "those" ailments that until recent years was considered a non-medical issue and was primarily treated through the use of anti-depressants.

While doctors and scientist now recognize it as a real disorder, I don't recall anyone saying its a disease...yet. To understand Fibromyalgia, if you aren't afflicted or have a loved one who is, consider the following description I gave to a loved one upon waking up in extreme pain. "I feel like someone has doused me in gasoline and lit me on fire." In other words, the pain I experience in my connective tissues is a  "burning" feeling. Thankfully, with the elimination of grains 10 days ago, I have very little of that pain.

A few years back when I had an onset of Fibromyalgia that was like nothing I've ever experienced before and hope to never experience again, I found myself researching for days on end to find answers and this is finally how one doctor explained it to me: "Fibromyalgia is not a disease, its a symptom so we have to find the underlying disease or disorder that causes it to flair up."

I've learned that hypothyroidism is linked to Fibromyalgia.  I've also read that hypothyroidism is linked to gluten intolerance. Which by the way is NOT Celiac's disease. 

And while I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I can tell you that in 1992 I had most of my thyroid removed due to nodules and I've struggled with all those symptoms, outlined in both  Dr. Durrant's interview and Dr. Clark's site.  I also found another link for you to look at concerning the Celiac and Gluten Intolerance and thyroid connection: Stop the Thyroid Madness:  Another site to look at: Thyroid-info.com .

So what does this all mean to you? There are a myriad of symptoms for gluten intolerance that include, chronic sinusitis, skin rashes, IBS (irritable bowl syndrome), fatigue, insomnia, auto immune responses that trigger inflammation that can lead to fibromyalgia and perhaps even interfere with your thyroid function.

Again: (yep, here comes the disclaimer) do your own research and talk to your doctor before you make any major changes to your diet, medication and exercise. (gee, I sound like one of those infomercials for a drug that scare the living daylights out of you)