Fibromyalgia is estimated to affect nearly 6 million, or 1 in 50, people. Fibromyalgia is typically characterized by chronic pain, particularly muscle pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, brain fog or cognitive impairment, depression, and painful tender points throughout the body. Conventional medicine has yet to discover the cause of fibromyalgia and only offers to treat the symptoms with pain relievers and antidepressants.
Functional medicine, on the other hand, looks for the cause of fibromyalgia and other chronic illnesses, treats the problem at the root, and heals the patient. As a functional medicine doctor, I have helped many patients recover from fibromyalgia. Below are the top ten causes of fibromyalgia that I see in my clinic.
10 Causes of Fibromyalgia
Gluten intolerance : Common in over 55 conditions, gluten is often referred to as the “great masquerade.” Indeed, most of the symptoms of gluten intolerance are not digestive, but rather neurological symptoms such as pain, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, behavioral problems, fatigue, and depression.
Candida Overgrowth : Candida is a fungus, or yeast, and a very small amount lives in your gut. However, when it overproduces, Candida breaks down the intestinal wall and enters the bloodstream, releasing toxic byproducts into your body that cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, digestive issues, and pain. Virtually all of my fibromyalgia patients have Candida overgrowth.
Thyroid : More than half of people with thyroid problems have no idea they have one, and 90% of them have hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid. It’s important to have your doctor check six different blood markers to measure your thyroid function. It’s imperative that your doctor use optimal values instead of the standard reference range when evaluating and diagnosing thyroid disorders. Getting my patient’s thyroid levels into an optimal range typically relieves their fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbances, and depression.
Vitamin Deficiencies: Magnesium, vitamin D, and B12 deficiencies are the most common vitamin I deficiencies in people with fibromyalgia. I have had several patients who have completely reversed their fibromyalgia symptoms with magnesium alone. The best way to measure magnesium is through red blood cell (RBC) magnesium levels, which can be tested in any conventional laboratory.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and Leaky Gut : There are more bacteria inside us, then on top of us are our own cells. When these bacteria are unbalanced by the use of antibiotics or a high-sugar diet, we can lose our ability to absorb and absorb nutrients, especially vitamin B12. Gluten can cause SIBO and leaky gut, and SIBO and leaky gut can lead to intolerances to gluten and other foods. It’s a catch 22 and a vicious cycle. You must first repair the gut in someone with fibromyalgia or a chronic illness.
Adrenal Fatigue : Adrenal fatigue is a consequence of chronic stress, whether real or perceived. Chronic pain is an adrenal stressor, although it is usually not the first adrenal stressor. The initial stressor is usually something like food intolerance, candida, mercury poisoning, vitamin deficiencies, or mycotoxins. My goal is to support the adrenal glands with adaptogenic herbs while we seek out and correct the source of the stress.
Mycotoxins : Mycotoxins are highly toxic substances produced by poisonous molds. Only about 25% of the population carries the genes for sensitivity to the effects of mycotoxins. Traditional mold tests only test for mold spores and do not test for mycotoxins. I use a mycotoxin urine test in my clinic to determine if someone has been exposed to toxic molds.
Mercury toxicity : I recommend all my patients find a biological dentist and have their mercury fillings removed. Mercury is toxic to our bodies and can be a piece of the puzzle for people with fibromyalgia and other chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune disorders, neurological disorders, and cancer. I then recommend heavy metal testing with a urine challenge test before and after DMPS.
MTHFR Mutations : This is a genetic test that you can get at any conventional lab. The more mutations you have in the MTHFR gene, the less able you are to methylate and detoxify toxins such as mercury and lead in particular. The more mutations you have in this gene, the greater your need for methyl-B6, methyl-B12, and folinic acid to keep your detoxification pathways functioning properly.
Glutathione Deficiency : Glutathione, a molecule, is the most critical part of our body’s detoxification system. Glutathione is recycled in our bodies unless our toxic load becomes too high or we lack GSTM1 and GSTP1, the enzymes needed to recycle and produce glutathione. Taking glutathione or its precursors (NAC, alpha-lipoic acid, milk thistle) often significantly helps my patients combat fatigue.
As you can see from the list above, many of these causes are interrelated, and there is often no single cause of fibromyalgia or chronic illness. It’s a combination of several or possibly all of the above. Because finding the cause can be very complex, I recommend finding a healthcare professional in your area to find the cause for you. You don’t have to suffer unnecessarily or mask your symptoms with painkillers and antidepressants. There are doctors like me who can help!
Dr. Amy Myers, MD, is a recognized leader in functional medicine. She has helped thousands of people worldwide recover from chronic illnesses with her nutrition-based program, The Myers Way. Her book, The Autoimmune Solution, was published by HarperCollins.
