Diet for fibro

[Wineo29]

Has anyone tried eliminating gluten and sugar and had improvements? There are lots of posts on YouTube saying it has cured or a least improved their symptoms.

Kind regards

Rachel

[Dizzytwo Moderator]

Hi there and welcome 😊 have you tried checking out our search box. There has been a number of posts on this subject over the years as you can imagine.

Momo

[Wineo29 in reply to Dizzytwo]

Hi yes, i saw that once I posted :)😀

[Dizzytwo Moderator in reply to Wineo29]

👍😊

[Makie-Uppie]

My GP mentioned that refined sugars and wheat gluten (Along with coffee and alcohol and the list goes on) are irritants to the digestive and immune system. He advised I reduce them and see what happens, the upshot (sorry) less time on and discomfort on the throne in the bathrrom. Not much effect on anything else but that was enough.

[Cat00]

Eliminating gluten made no difference. Sugar at the right will actually help and I can't function without coffee!

[moo196]

The absolute best thing I have ever done is to give up diet coke and anything else with artificial sweeteners in. The pain in my hands disappeared within a few days and I can always tell if I accidentally miss the ingredients in something.

[Anth14]

My acupuncture therapist believes pain is caused because of inflammation, which is caused by sugar. She suggested to me that i cut it all down and have a plant based diet. I have not yet because i am not in the right frame of mind to do it, plus I like my chocolate a little too much..

[Sally444]

Hi Wineo29. I haven't had gluten, dairy or coffee for years (bar the very occasional day when I just can't resist proper dairy chocolate). It is more to prevent stomach upset, acid indigestion and heart palpitations but I would say that if I did eat gluten or dairy, (and I got caught out with a few items that I didn't realise contained it), I did feel like it sapped my energy. You do have to be very careful though and speak to a doctor before you eliminate food groups as they all help to absorb other good stuff so you have to make sure that you are not accidentally decreasing essential vitamins, minerals etc. My advice is always lots and lots of veg. I add extra veg to everything....my family always laugh at me about how everything has to have added peas/carrots/broccoli/beans. The list is endless.

[Eggcustard in reply to Sally444]

Hi, do you take supplements for calcium from not eating dairy? I have stopped dairy and know I need calcium but haven’t sorted it out yet. Thanks

[Sally444 in reply to Eggcustard]

Hi Eggcustard. (I love the name and do love egg custard tart. Haven't had one in years!!) Sorry for the late reply, I've been on holiday. Anyway, I don't take supplements (except vitamin D) but I do make sure that I eat lots of stuff that contains calcium. things like dark leafy vegetables, baked beans, fish, fortified soya milk and yoghurts. I love to cook so have been experimenting with lots of different meals recently and when I had recent blood tests, the doctor asked if I was taking supplements as my calcium was fine and my folic acid was well above average. I try to have fun with food as it can be quite miserable when everyone else is eating whatever they like and I have to just sit back and watch, however, when a new 'Free From' item comes out in Tesco, I get very excited. (It's the little wins that keep me going! )🤣 I would always recommend seeing a doctor if you're cutting out dairy as it is very important to make sure that you keep an eye on calcium levels as well as other nutrients. Also, be aware of hidden milk in things such as crisps, soups, sauces etc. Its a minefield out there. Good luck with it, I hope it makes you feel much better.

[erasurefan]

Hi i was getting so much pain in my body and really didnt know whether it was my fibro or food.

I take a severe allergic reaction to lactose so this has been eliminated from my diet for the last 25 years. In recent years as i say severe pains and was noticing it was substantially worse after eating bread, pasta and consuming larger amounts of sugar. Long story short have eliminated gluten and sugar and feel so much better. I was sluggish, continually ached all the time before. Feel like i have a new lease of life. Sluggish feeling and aches improved dramtaically!

[Dinkie]

Yes diet makes a difference to me. No processed foods, very little gluten (I was advised not to cut out completely) no refined sugars. Yes I occasionally fall from the wagon and pay for it for a few days but sometimes that little treat is worth it. Like all things what works for one may not work for another so it's a case of trial and error.

[JayCeon]

Going more for the thread title than the actual question...:

Apart from the above mentioned no 1) gluten, 2) sugar and 3) dairy, there are lots of other diets and I've seen I think all associated with or tried by people with fibromyalgia and/or co-morbid IBS. So it depends what you mean by 'symptoms'.

I tried almost all myself (and still do (1), 2, (3), 5, 6, 11, 15, 17, 18 (19)), none helped for fibro-pain itself.

The last one I saw was 4) fructose free: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/292....

5) Whole foods, 6) organic, 7) grain free, 8) low carb, 9) Keto(genic) diet (high fat, low carb, low protein), 10) low FODMAP (fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols, i.e. all short-chain carbs), incl. fructans., 11) low oxalate or 12) salicylate or 13) histamine, 14) no nightshade, 15) paleo diet and 16) AIP diet (Autoimmune protocol): Variant of the paleo diet: minus nightshades, nuts, seeds, sweeteners and eggs.

(3+15= a vegan form of paleo = "pegan" - as supposed "cure" for fibro from the 'nutrition docs' - respected by many, not me - on German TV)

17) Mediterranean diet: Unsaturated fats (e.g. omega 3: flaxseed oil) rather than saturated fats, complex carbs rather than simple carbs, 18) elimination diet for IBS & stomach hyperacidity 19) Hay diet ("separate" proteins & carbs in one meal).

[LisaSnow FMA UK Volunteer]

Honestly if you have the commitment to try, it may be worthwhile just to see if dietary change works for you. I think others' experiences are unlikely to be ours. I for one value the joy of eating whatever I crave in life. To sacrifice the joy of foods just to have a bit of improvement is not right for me.