Absorption Of Medication

[Sorrow]

I'm curious to know if anyone else has had a similar experience. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 13 years ago. I was diagnosed with celiac this year. For the last ten plus years I have been taking the maximum pain medication (tramadol) that was legal, and my pain was still huge. After I went gluten free I was able to cut down my dosage by a third. However, if I have gluten I start suffering withdrawal from my opiate medicine because I stop absorbing it. Does anyone else have this problem?

[T.H.]

I have not, however, my GI has mentioned that celiacs' absorption of everything gets, well, pretty wacked when they eat gluten. From what I understand, we can stop absorbing some parts of our medication, but at the same time, we may also absorb MORE of some parts of the medication, too. I think that latter had to do with leaky gut issues.

Basically, he said that we have to be careful with medication when we have gluten.

[Skylark]

I've noticed I'm more sensitive to medications in general. I wonder if I'm absorbing better?

[love2travel]

I'm curious to know if anyone else has had a similar experience. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 13 years ago. I was diagnosed with celiac this year. For the last ten plus years I have been taking the maximum pain medication (tramadol) that was legal, and my pain was still huge. After I went gluten free I was able to cut down my dosage by a third. However, if I have gluten I start suffering withdrawal from my opiate medicine because I stop absorbing it. Does anyone else have this problem?

I, too, was diagnosed with FMS and celiac. The maximum dose of Tramadol has not worked for me at all - just like eating candy or something. Same with the other 20 medications I have tried for chronic pain including Oxycontin and morphine. So far after being strictly gluten-free for six months I have even more pain than ever (but I also have major injuries from a few years ago so it is not just FMS). I am going to ask my doctor about Cymbalta again, though, as I have not tried it for three years and perhaps now it will help???!! I know I am absorbing things now because my calves are much better with magnesium and I just noticed the other day (finally) that I am having less fibro and celiac fog. Plus my celiac panel came back last week nearly perfect! YAY!

It does make sense that you would have malabsorption issues when you go back to eating gluten, though. Are you taking any supplements from your chronic pain doctor? Some people with FMS also swear that eliminating nightshades make a difference. I have not yet taken that step but know I should...