It's Just Stress...or Fibromyalgia...or...

[Brattitude]

These are the conversations I have had with my doctor for a couple of years now. The most recent is fibromyalgia because the blood tests came back negative for rheumatoid arthritis. After talking with a co-worker and disclosing that I am definitely allergic to malt, she said I should look into gluten being the problem. I then did some research and ended up having 90% of the symptoms listed.

Why has nobody ever brought this up as a possibility before? I have been scuttled from one specialist to the next with all of them telling me there is definitely something wrong but they don't know what because all of the tests have come back perfectly normal.

I have been gluten-free (as best as I can tell) for 4.5 days and I am already less tired and I haven't had a headache in 2 days (a record).

In a strange way I was hoping I wouldn't feel better because the diet is so difficult, so I'm having mixed feelings about feeling better.

I guess I'll just keep going on the diet and see how things progress. It's nice to see I'm not entirely crazy though (or alone).

[mom2one]

I could of wrote that post, I am so confused and just trying to process this all. I am sure someone here can help you and point you in the right direction.

I wish you luck, and I too have been feeling better and having more energy as well.

[ravenwoodglass]

Why has it not been brought up before? Because doctors are clueless about anything that is not relieved by a prescription. I suffered for almost all my life. I told doctors as a child that eating made me feel bad but only got tested for diabetes, over and over and over and over. Once I was almost dead doctors finally thought to test for celiac but because I am one of the 'lucky' 30% who don't show up positive in blood tests the diet was never even mentioned.

The diet is difficult at first but it is doable, especially once you start to feel the results. For me the diet was a miracle and after I got through the first couple of weeks of withdrawl the benefits I have gotten have given me a new life. Too bad it took 40 + years to diagnose me, my life and my childrens would have been so different if I had been diagnosed promptly.

[healthygirl]

What I found, and I think others have as well, is that when you go off the gluten free diet you feel so lousy with the return of symptoms , that you can't wait to go back to gluten free. There are so many great gluten free products out there, it is just a matter of sourcing the stores in your area that carry the products and figuring out which products you like. As well, I look at it as a reason to eat healthier. It gives you the opportunity to eat more whole foods (fresh cuts of meat, fresh fruit and veggies and I love rice and sweet potatoes). I know when you are dealing with all the fatigue, the thought of even starting to figure out what to cook let alone starting into cooking meals from scratch is overwhelming, but as you start to feel better try to set aside some time to experiment with your meals. Good luck!!