It’s been a while since my last post. I came across what I believe to be the root cause of my Fibromyalgia pain and fatigue. By making a change to my diet, I found immediate and sustained improvement to my condition. Before I shared this information here, I wanted to give it a few months of trial and error to make sure that I wasn’t experiencing some sort of placebo effect. It’s been long enough now to know that this may be the trick to keeping the condition under control.
A few months ago, I was on a photography forum and came across a post from a woman who I seemed to have a lot in common with. We had both recently quit our full-time jobs as analysts in the corporate world because we were unable to function at work due to illness. We had similar goals and aspiration to make a full-time living with our stock photography. A few things she mentioned in the post lead me to believe that she may have Fibromyalgia. I sent her a private message to introduce myself and mentioned that I had Fibro which was why I left my job of over 20 years. She wrote me back and stated that indeed was her ailment, but that she was almost cured of it.
“Have you heard of oxalate foods?” she asked. That question changed my world. Over the following few weeks, she filled me in on her struggles with the disease that kept her laid up in bed for years. She recently had stumbled upon this article written by a general practitioner that found significant relief from her Fibromyalgia symptoms through a change in her diet to reduce oxalate intake:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2174474/The-GP-gave-fruit-veg-cure-aches-pains.html
This article piqued her interest so she started to research oxalates in-depth and changed her own diet accordingly. She immediately began to see signs of improvement. Over time, her Fibromyalgia symptoms virtually disappeared. The only time that things flare up for her is after she has had a meal that was high in oxalates.
Surely this was too good to be true, I thought. But what the heck, why not find out more and give it a try. Up until then, I was only having limited success with controlling the symptoms. If a change in diet would get to the root cause of the issue, I was all for it. So I began to probe her for more and more information. The following is a brief compilation of the information that she shared and data that I found by scouring the internet:
What are oxalates?
Calcium oxalate is a natural compound that is produced by many plants. Its purpose appears to be to give the plant it’s form and shape and to ward off bugs. When bugs or small animals eat a plant and consume the oxalates, they become sick and can die. This begs the question:
If this stuff kills bugs, what does it do to humans?
Read this article on the Always Well Within website for a great answer to this question. Quoting this article:
“When too much oxalate is absorbed into the bloodstream via the gut, it can team up with calcium to form sharp calcium-oxalate crystals. These crystals can then wedge themselves into tissue almost anywhere in the body causing damage and/or exacerbating pain and inflammation.”
“Most people are able to safely metabolize and process oxalate out of the gut through the stool. According to researcher Susan Owens, M.A., Director of the Autism Oxalate Project, a problem occurs when excess oxalate is absorbed through the gut due to intestinal permeability, poor fat digestion, inflammation, or prolonged diarrhea or constipation. Overuse of antibiotics may also pose a problem since this can reduce or eliminate the oxalate-degrading bacteria in the intestines.”
Here are a few more articles with information on this subject:
http://www.lovingourguts.com/what-are-oxalates-2/
http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/the-role-of-oxalates-in-autism-and-chronic-disorders/
http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/home/eng/oxalates.asp
http://www.coreonehealth.com/oxalates-and-their-role-in-fibromyalgia-syndrome
As you will read in the articles above, calcium oxalate crystals are the leading cause of kidney stones and are believed to be linked to other diseases such as thyroid disease, autism, arthritis, interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia and others. This is serious dangerous stuff, folks.
But why am I so tired and anxious all the time?
As I began to learn more about how oxalates cause pain in our bodies, I was still left wondering what caused the chronic fatigue I was experiencing that kept me in bed most days. I read in many articles about how chronic pain and inflammation put stress on our system which wears down the adrenal system. Dr. Teitelbaum of http://www.endfatigue.com is one of the world’s highest regarded physicians specializing in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He theorizes that adrenal failure is the root cause of both disorders. I do believe that adrenal fatigue is the cause of CFS, but I question whether Fibromyalgia is a cause of adrenal fatigue.
I found this article on Social Phobia World interesting. It states that “Oxalates can interfere with the smooth running of the thyroid gland, a vital organ in the human body. It works almost as a pairing with the adrenal glands, if one isn’t working properly, it often tires the other out. The adrenal glands produce and regulate cortisol. Cortisol is part of the “fight or flight” response, so imbalances in either the thyroid or adrenal glands can produce anxiety or anxiousness.”
How do I reduce oxalate buildup?
The easiest way to reduce oxalate buildup is to stop eating foods that are very high in oxalates. But I caution you to start to eliminate these foods slowly. Otherwise, you could experience what is referred to as oxalate dumping, which isn’t pretty. Just Google the term and you will see what I mean. I changed my diet too fast and was lucky to only experience bad headaches and an upset stomach. Others experience much worse symptoms that could lead to hospitalization. I strongly advise that you consult with a medical professional that is familiar with calcium oxalate buildup before changing your diet or taking any other steps listed in this post. Join the Trying Low Oxalates Yahoo group for a wealth of information on how to safely make this change.
Foods that are very high in oxalates include but are not limited to spinach, rhubarb, almonds (and most other nuts), chocolate (boo hoo!), soy, tea, wheat bran and many other fruits, vegetables and legumes. Click here for a comprehensive list of common foods and their oxalate levels. You can find many other lists on the internet with a quick Google search.
I have also read that it is a good idea to take calcium and magnesium supplements to give the oxalates something to bind to. Otherwise, they will pull the minerals from your body to crystallize. This article on the OxVox website states: “Oxalates, no matter their source, bind to minerals. Oxalates especially like to bind to calcium and magnesium. This means that an oxalate issue can manifest itself as a LOT of different symptoms. From the immediately obvious (heart palpitations or anxiety attacks caused by low magnesium) to the ones you may not see until it’s too late (osteoporosis or tooth loosening due to chronic low calcium), there are dozens of symptoms, and they are all very important reasons to supplement minerals when trying the low oxalate diet (LOD).”
In this article, The National Kidney Foundation suggest: “Eat and drink calcium and oxalate-rich foods together during a meal. In doing so, oxalate and calcium are more likely to bind to one another in the stomach and intestines before the kidneys begin processing, making it less likely that kidney stones will form.”
How soon will I see results?:
I personally saw a tremendous improvement in all of my Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue symptoms within days after I started on a low oxalate diet. Others say that it takes a few months. If you are doing things correctly and are reducing oxalates slowly, it may take several months to see results. You can also cycle between oxalate storing and dumping for quite a while. So please do not give up at the first sign of feeling bad again. If this happens, hop onto the Trying Low Oxalates Yahoo group to seek advice on how to get through it.
I am happy to report that after going low ox for a little over two months now, I feel better than I have in many years! I am back to yoga class, started taking spinning classes, went on a 6 mile strenuous hike and even helped a friend move with little to no pain or fatigue afterwards. I do have occasional flare-ups but they are no bad and I recover from them very quickly.
So is this the cure for Fibromyalgia?
Well, I am certainly not qualified to make a proclamation such as that. But I can certainly tell you that it helped me and others that I know. If you do decide to try this approach, I would be interested in hearing how it worked for you. Please leave a comment below.
Just a disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Consult with one before you take my advice.
UPDATE ON FEB 22, 2017:
It’s been almost 2 years since I wrote the above post and I am very happy to report that I am still feeling amazing! As long as I stick to a relatively low oxalate diet, I am pain free and full of energy with a sharp mind.
One thing I should add to my original post is that I believe that antibiotics were the cause of my oxalate intolerance. Right before my “fibromyalgia” got really bad, I had a respiratory infection that I had to take antibiotics for. I was also eating quite a bit of non-organic food that was riddled with pesticides and antibiotics. ANTIbiotics get rid of bacteria in your gut… both the bad kind AND the good kind. You need the good bacteria! There is a bacteria in your gut that is responsible for processing and eliminating oxalates from your system. If you wipe out this bacteria from your gut, you can no longer process oxalates correctly. The oxalates will then start to build up in your system and wreak havoc. A good PRObiotic will help to replenish this bacteria in your body. I am now able to eat a moderate amount of oxalates as long as I am taking a probiotic and calcium every day (oxalates bind to calcium and then flush out of your system). So, not only am I feeling good, I can also eat a little chocolate now and then! What more could I ask for?
One other thing to note is that I am not entirely sure that I actually had Fibromyalgia. Nobody really knows what Fibromyalgia is or what causes it. There is no test for it. If you have specific symptoms and you do not test positive for all other possible diseases, you are diagnosed with Fibro. All I can tell you for sure is that I had every since symptom of Fibromyalgia and was diagnosed with it. The doctors said there was no cure and wanted to put me on mind-numbing anti-depressants to manage it. That was NOT the solution for me. Changing my diet was. I hope that this simple change will also lead to your cure.
, he writes about the reasons for fatigue and the effects it has on your entire system which I found very interesting. He points out that the root of the fibromyalgia disease stems from the energy crisis that our bodies are experiencing. It is the lack of energy that causes the downstream issues such as adrenal gland dysfunction, chronic pain, insomnia, weak immune system and more.
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Fibromyalgia Stinks 