Food allergies, sensitivities and Fibromyalgia symptoms

Did you know that allergies, sensitivities and intolerances to foods can trigger chronic pain and inflammatory conditions such as fibromyalgia?

What is fibromyalgia?

Simply put Fibromyalgia is muscle and joint pain, usually accompanied by fatigue, it involves inflammation and pain. People with fibromyalgia often also experience digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and abdominal pain.

Clinical experience

I have been practicing as a natural allergist for over 10years and in that time I have found that so many of my clients presenting with this type of pain can find relief simply by identifying and eliminating foods to which they are reacting.

Some people find this hard to grasp, especially for those who do not have accompanying digestive issues. So often I hear:

"What, the food I am eating is causing my pain? But I have no digestive issues!"

It is important to remember that foods are ingested and therefore, affect us systemically. This means they can cause symptoms in ANY part of our bodies - including skin, breathing, hormone balance, mood, energy levels and brain function. They can trigger inflammation and auto-immune responses in the body and can cause the body to attack its own tissues.

If you are diagnosed with fibromyalgia your doctor will usually recommend medications. However, it can be as simple as making some easy lifestyle changes such as exercise, sleep strategies, stress reduction and eliminating the foods to which you react.

Let's take a client of mine - we will call her Maggie.

She came to me with fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic pain and fatigue, and was living on meds for her pain and inflammation. Her doctor told her there was no solution, and to take the meds.

We determined that she was reacting to individual grains in her diet, along with various other allergens.

She was very skeptical; however, she was so fed up with having such a poor quality of life that she agreed to try changing her diet. Within a week of removing the identified allergens, she considered her pain to be less than half the level it had been prior to changing her diet. It took several months, but she is now almost entirely free from pain, and no longer needs her medication.

For Maggie, the real test was when she tried re-introducing the foods that she had eliminated. This triggered a return of her pain and other symptoms and in her own words ‘The treat was not worth it!”

Another client "Paul" 

Whilst seeking answers to his own fibromyalgia Paul had eventually been identified as having celiac disease (intolerant to wheat and gluten), with many of the associated symptoms, including skin rash, bad digestion, constant chesty cough, body pain, and fatigue. On the advice of his doctor he had removed wheat and gluten from his diet; however, the improvement in his symptoms was only slight. His doctor told him this was as good as it gets, take the meds and put up with it.

Paul, refusing to accept that he would have to live with his condition and poor quality of life, sought answers. We identified several other allergens, which had not shown up on the traditional skin or blood testing. He removed these from his diet and his symptoms dramatically improved.

If you want to understand more about your fibromyalgia you can book a  complementary no-obligation assessment with one of our experienced health coaches who can answer your questions. Call 613 230-0998, book online, or email info@ottawahilisticwellness.ca today!

About the author

Sue is co-founder and Clinic Director at Ottawa Holistic Wellness. She also works as a Natural Allergist and Energy Healer.