An autoimmune disease is where your body attacks itself. Whether it is attacking your nervous system, brain, or thyroid gland, it is eating away at healthy tissue. A majority of my fibromyalgia patients suffer from some sort of immune system dysfunction. What is scarier, about 90% suffer an autoimmune dysfunction!!!
Let me take you through a quote on quote, normal autoimmune patient (not everyone fits this description, but the mechanism of how your body responds is all the same). This person was one that suffered multiple ear infections as a child, was put on tons of anti-biotics. As they got older their parents always took them to the doctor when they got sick, getting more anti-biotics as well. The intestinal tract begins to become permeable (imagine tiny microscopic holes) because of all the anti-biotics (they ruin the intestinal tract), this is called Leaky Gut Syndrome.
Now, let's say...this person is in their mid-20s. They seem to have a lot of acid reflux and GI complications. They see their primary care doctor who prescribes Nexium for the acid reflux. It helps for a short time, but the symptoms continue (they continue because the Nexium is actually tricking the body to stop making acid all together, BAD BAD BAD). Now they return to be prescribed the "NEW" drug to help with their symptoms (not their problem mind you, their symptoms).
This innocent person is now on a few different prescription drugs, all of which affect the GI system, damaging the the intestinal track (60% of your immune system is in the intestinal tract) even more. Now, when this person eats foods that contain GLUTEN, they seem to have a lot of muscle soreness, bloating, fatigue/tiredness, diarrhea...and the list can go on and on. The innocent person has not made the connection between gluten and their symptoms because no one has ever talked to them about this. So, they continue with their daily diet...still with symptoms and more symptoms, and more symptoms.
They are now into their 30's, maybe with children...and the once energetic, full of life parent...can barely make it through the day. They have severe fatigue, muscle pain, intestinal issues, insomnia, maybe even dizziness or light-headedness. It seems they are struggling to find the energy to live a "normal" life.
The now suffering 30 year old sees a new primary doctor (because the other one is on vacation somewhere) and is told they are suffering fibromyalgia and to take some anti-depressants and a "fibromyalgia"
You might see where this is going!!! You might have even been down this route before. But...has anyone ever looked at your immune system? Here is where 90% of doctors are missing the boat.
Remember when I talked about the intestinal track being permeable? Well, anytime someone consumes a product with gluten in it, gluten passes through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream. Since gluten doesn't belong there the immune system rages a war against it. Well, your thyroid gland's molecular structure is almost identical to that of a gluten particle. So now, your thyroid gland is being attacked and destroyed by your immune system. These are the patients that are affected with fatigue, weight gain, adrenal stressors (which release catecholamines into the blood stream to stimulate the small pain fibers = fibromyalgia)
This is an autoimmune condition. If you have an autoimmune condition and no one is checking for it, this why you are STILL suffering fibromyalgia symptoms!!!
Your immune system is crucial to help your fight with fibromyalgia!!!
Note: This was just an example of many of the patients I see. Not everyone is gluten sensitive, some are dairy, yeast, egg, and soy sensitive. Some people are suffering an immune system dysfunction and are not sensitive to any of the five. The only way to determine this is through proper testing.
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