I have been searching for an answer to the ongoing progressive muscle aches which started during a 12 week course of statins which I stopped myself in April 17
I have had every test and tried all the supplements and diets you care to name.
All without success!
However, I am very pleased to report that after avoiding Nightshades for a week now, the aches have improved, and I plan to continue for sure.
Mind you, I am really missing my curries, chili sauce and tomatoes!
Has anyone else had any luck with muscle aches after avoiding Nightshades please?
And can anyone shed light on the 'science' behind it?
And I will be over the moon if the improvement continues to the point where I am able to ride my bike at my pre-statin pace!
My muscle pain never goes away even if I stay away from food for 3 days, mine is also tissue pain , have given up, I let them be an invited guest as I do not have any other choices. As to tomatoes 🍅 this tiny veg puts me on the edge, it’s not just gluten
Vegetables in the potato family - tomatoes, aubergines - they are all nightshades and have some poison in them that affects some people. They may have allergies to these foods.
I can't remember when I didn't have itchy skin. I've taken antihistamines most of my life and they only give temporary relief. I might try eliminating nightshade, anything is worth a try.
I think I might well give it a go and will let you know if I have any improvement. Thanks for the tip , I have actually heard this theory before so it’s well worth trying
The reason people suggest giving up nightshades, as I understand it, is because of the naturally occuring Nitrates found in them. I've never heard of people giving them up for muscle pain but I have for chronic migraines and I have heard of it in that context. When they need to induce a migraine in a clinical setting they give you nitroglycerin, works every time apparently. However I don't know anyone who found cutting out nightshades has helped their migraines, the general suggestion being that there is no where enough nitrates in nightshades to trigger a pain response, any initial positive response being put down to placebo, but that is for migraine, and who knows people have different sensitivites....
This is just a trial for me - the latest of very, very many
I have had mostly good days though, muscle wise, on this diet, but today the aches have come back to a level I've never had before, for what ever reason
So, will give it another day and call it one way or the other by Monday morning
Good luck! With fibromyalgia I'm not sure you'll be able to find any answers long term though. Especially if it is a neurological problem as some suspect. Time might be better spent learning how to adapt to more pain in your life. I know you are a very active person I am too, you just have to get used to being in more pain and being stiffer than everybody else! If you have fibro that is, its a very vague diagnosis.
I don't have fibro, but just ticking 'every' box, in the hope of finding an answer to the aches, which started with that 12 week course of statins which I took myself off in April 17
Should not the Dr have taken me off them, when I kept complaining about the aches? Unfortunately he didn't.
No fibro - Doctors could find no 'muscle damage' with lots of tests - Muscle biopsy, 4 MRI's, 3 EMG's, CK and Rhabdo blood markers etc Tests said All Normal
SO, just trying 'everything' that I hear helps with muscle aches
And I've tried lots!
For example Co Q10, berberine, creatine, l-carnitine, d-ribose, magnesium, D, B12, C and 50 more - nothing helped
As I said yesterday, which was an achy day, I shall call it tomorrow after 10 days on this non-nightshade diet
Blimey it had the air of urgency about, something severely lacking in the NHS! I guess I've been like this since childhood so gave up looking for help along the way. Still I do a lot exercise just do it in pain, so haven't given up on fitness at least. Have they suggested things sensitization and things of that nature four muscle pain?
I would have thought placebo would be why they improved!
It may be that the brain became sensitized to pain in those muscles after the statins started them. All you can do is reduce stimulation to the brain, maybe consider finding a different sport to engage in, one that requires different thought processes?
Good luck with your fight, I would just be concerned that many us live in pain without answers (like with fibro) bc the medical world just doesn't have them.
Mine definitely started with those statins - no pain, just stiffness and aches, mainly of the vastus medialis - the cycling muscle!
I know 'Fibro' is a last resort diagnosis when everything else has been checked and they send you away with painkillers?
A Neuro I saw 2 years ago said to try 'osteo pressur' which is basically pressing something hard into the muscle's 'trigger point' until it hurts, to 'release' the tension within the muscle - didn't work
Ditto cold baths, painkillers, chili oil rubbed into the muscle and 100's of other trials!
I dont take any painkillers for fibro, they dont work for me. Like you its mainly tightness/stiffness. I do a lot exercise to try and lower overall pain levels though. I do HIT or the like everyday. A pain specialist suggested I need to get my heart rate high for over 20 minutes a day to benefit from it and the increase in endorphines. I do strength training with weights everyday and before lockdown about 5 hours of kung fu a week. I have 2 kids under six so I cant go off cycling for 60 miles unfortunately!
I'm a huge sceptic when it comes to diets. Partly because I've tried them all, not for fibro but for migraines. None of them worked. The trouble is with sustained stress the brain just becomes over sensitized, its just permanently switched on. I don't think what you eat makes any difference if your brain is sensitized, not unless you have a genuine allergy.
I went to an international symposium on migraine once and I met this woman who thought she was allergic to all food except peanut butter sandwiches. It never occurred to her food wasn't "triggering" her migraines, her migraines were beyond triggers her mind was like mine, its permanently in an excitable state.
I was wondering if your muscle problems were more like what happens with phantom limb? The brain still thinks it's got an itchy arm even if it's been amputated. This might explain why your biopsy is normal and they can't find anything wrong, bc if the problems in the brain they won't find anything wrong with your muscles. Mind you that would be the same for fibro.
Has anyone considered Botox for you?
Personally nothing help my muscles, hot baths, rolling, massage, stretching, permanent DOMs is just part of everyday life for me.
I got an MRI in my neck, but as I say that was after 20 years of going to the doctors/neurologist/rheumatolgists they said I had severe muscle spasm which they said was because I was had pain for years and years. They injected my spine with some sort of anaesthetic. They said it would be 50/50, it didn't work. I've had blood tests but that's it.
I have bladder pain, IBS, insomnia, migraines anxiety which are all heavily associated with fibro and I have no evidence of an inflamed immune response in my bloods so as far the Doctors are concerned that's classic fibro so no need to investigate further!
I just think if you've been doing that level of cycling for that long the statins may just tipped you over the edge, brain wise, like RSI, in a way. That's why I was thinking Botox might help it just dampens signals to brain, if your brain gets a long enough break it can bring your brain excitability down to more normal levels.
Looks like you do a lot of exercise - that's good! - that's what bodies are for - moving, lifting, running, cycling etc, whatever activity you enjoy - keep it up.
And you've tried loads of things as well, which is good.
Life is about NEVER giving up!
My wife, who has MS, puts it this way:
Make a long list of the things you CAN do
And for sure that list will be much much much longer than the list of things you CAN'T do!
So, when I'm down, I do that and always feel better .
And, I always do try and imagine how life is for those less fortunate than myself.
I saw a documentary many years ago, of a young man, who dived into the sea with his friends on holiday in the Med.
Unfortunately, he hit a rock just below the surface and had to be pulled out of the water.
He was left quadriplegic - However, he was amazing! as he was saying that he was fortunate that he could still see, use his brain, talk, hear, learn etc!
And he had a full-time job in IT!
One thing I remember which helped slightly for a week 3 years ago, was tonic water - maybe because it contains a very low dose of quinine, which relieves cramp?
However, after a week, it stopped helping.
I don't think I'll go down the botox route though, as it may have side effects that may make the muscles worse in the long run. Statins!
My Dr offered me a trial last year of Baclofen which I declined.
As for diet, I've been vegan for 30 years now.
I'll certainly pass on anything that I find helps Cat!
I do read here that members really look at what they are eating to see if helps with pain, I look forward to reading peoples replies with interest (think if I had to give up my chocolate would be the hardest as my daily treat) I was put on statins years ago and differently added to the aches , I’ve managed to stay off it but have a cholesterol check on Tues wish me luck .
Hi there. Five or six years ago I discovered that nightshade foods aggravated all symptoms of Fibro and I cut out ALL nightshade foods. After a year or so I gradually started eating the vegetables occasionally.
Having just read this Post I am now hoping that I will start feeling better as I have been going downhill for several months. I’ve just realised that I’ve been eating, potatoes, tomatoes, Chile’s , etc., fresh - straight from the garden 😲🤭 and have been woefully overdoing it!
Thank you for reminding me to take it easy on the Nightshade family.
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Pain management consultant
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