I get asked this a lot, and I can tell you that many that have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia that have eradicated gluten from their diets have experienced their symptoms lessening. So is there a link?

It’s clear that gluten sensitivities and other foods cause their own set of symptoms or may exacerbate the symptoms of fibromyalgia. But there is simply not enough research to determine if the two are totally related.

Since many of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia are similar to gluten intolerance (and even Celiac’s Disease) it is commonly misdiagnosed. Of course when this happens, and people remove the gluten from their diets, the symptoms often subside.
If you have Fibromyalgia or another auto-immune disorders, you may consider a trial of eliminating gluten from your diet and see if your symptoms improve. It’s not like the body needs gluten at all, and in the last few years, there’s been an explosion in foods that taste great and are completely gluten free, making eating gluten free easier than ever.

Kim Wirth is a registered nurse in Austin, Texas with significant experience helping people to live full lives without the presence of gluten in their diets. Send her questions at kwwirth@yahoo.com

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