A person with fibromyalgia will often say she has pain all over her body, and that any type of touch—light or firm—exacerbates the pain. Other common symptoms include joint stiffness, dry eyes and skin, brain fog, moodiness, depression, and anxiety. Fibromyalgia is also associated with sleep problems, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, facial pain, and sensitivity to odors and noises.

Although the causes of fibromyalgia are not entirely clear, research has identified some important contributing factors.

Low Vitamin D Levels

Nearly all of his fibromyalgia patients are deficient in vitamin D, says Ron Hunninghake, M.D., medical director of the nutritionally oriented Riordan Clinic in Wichita, Kansas. His clinical experience is backed up by numerous studies.^{1 2 3} In addition, the deficiency may be exacerbated by an inclination to remain indoors, away from sunlight, thereby limiting one’s own vitamin D production. The relationship between low vitamin D and fibromyalgia may be significant because musculoskeletal pain is one of the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. Research has found that vitamin D supplements can reduce other types of pain, so it may very well be of benefit in fibromyalgia. ^{4 5 6 7}

Low Glutathione Levels

Glutathione is the principal antioxidant made by the body, and it plays important roles in protecting the body from oxidative damage and supporting the liver’s detoxification processes. A 2009 study found that fibromyalgia patients with low blood levels of glutathione were more likely to have morning stiffness.⁸ Glutathione is rich in the mineral sulfur, but because many people do not consume sulfur-containing foods—such as eggs, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables—they may not be able to make sufficient glutathione.

Low Magnesium Levels

Low magnesium levels might contribute to fibromyalgia—one study found that 45 percent of fibromyalgia patients were deficient in magnesium.^{9 10} Low magnesium levels can cause muscles to spasm and shorten, a major cause of fibromyalgia pain.¹¹ And some research has also linked low levels of vitamin B1 to low magnesium—both magnesium and vitamin B1 play numerous roles in the body, including the critical role of producing energy in the muscles.

Inflammation.

Chronic inflammation drives virtually all disease processes, including fibromyalgia. Part of the body’s inflammatory response is regulated by chemicals called cytokines and when elevated, cytokines can produce pain and fatigue as a side effect. Inflammatory cytokine levels are elevated in people with fibromyalgia.¹²

Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Some evidence suggests that the inflammatory response in fibromyalgia and muscle weakness may be related to abnormal chemical reactions and excess free radicals in the mitochondria.¹³ Mitochondria are the cell structures that burn glucose and fat for energy, and muscle cells contain the largest number of mitochondria of any cells in the body. Some nutrients, such as the B-vitamins, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and carnitine, play essential roles in normal mitochondrial activity.

High Stress Levels

Psychological and physical stresses are associated with fibromyalgia, and post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and neck and spinal trauma sometimes precipitate the disorder. Not surprisingly, pro-inflammatory cytokines are typically elevated and neurochemical imbalances are often present in fibromyalgia. The neurochemical imbalances can contribute to the psychiatric aspects of the disease.

Chemical Sensitivities

Fibromyalgia patients often react to chemical odors, which suggests allergy-like sensitivities may be part of the constellation of related health issues. As a consequence, it is important for fibromyalgia patients to avoid exposure to common chemicals, which might include copy machine fumes, chlorine, common household cleaning products, and assorted chemicals released from carpeting and household wood products (such as particle board). These chemical sensitivities may extend to both over-the-counter and prescription drugs, resulting in exaggerated side effects.

Natural Ways to Reduce Fibromyalgia Pain

Although nutritional deficiencies are common in fibromyalgia, conventional physicians routinely overlook them and generally prescribe various medications. However, no drug can correct a nutritional deficiency. Following are some of the most important nutritional supplements for people with fibromyalgia.

Vitamin D

Relatively few studies have tested the effects of high-dose vitamin D supplements on fibromyalgia patients, and most of the benefits of the supplements have been found in clinical practice; however, a 2009 study published in Endocrinology Practice did find that vitamin D supplements reduced fibromyalgia symptoms.¹⁴ Researchers tested the effects of vitamin D supplements against placebos on 610 patients. People receiving vitamin D for eight weeks benefited from a significant improvement in symptoms, based on a fibromyalgia assessment questionnaire.

Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to a variety of other pain issues, including low back pain, rheumatoid and other forms of arthritis, migraines, and neuropathy.¹⁵ In one study, researchers found that people with low levels of vitamin D were particularly sensitive to pain.¹⁶ Considerable other research has shown that vitamin D can benefit people with other types of muscle and joint pain. Because vitamin D deficiency is so common—affecting three of every four Americans—it is essential to ask your doctor to measure your blood levels of the vitamin. Take 10,000 IU daily for one month, then reduce the dose to 5,000 IU daily.                                                                                                      

Glutathione Precursors

It’s crucial that fibromyalgia patients boost their bodies’ levels of the antioxidant glutathione. Nutritionally oriented doctors may administer intravenous glutathione because oral supplements are poorly absorbed by the body. However, two precursors of glutathione—N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and alpha-lipoic acid—are very well absorbed and boost the body’s levels of glutathione. NAC contains both sulfur and the amino acid L-cysteine, which are key building blocks of glutathione, and alpha-lipoic acid is rich in sulfur. Other forms of nutritional sulfur, such as methylsulfonalmethane (MSM), might also be helpful. Try 500 to 1,800 mg of NAC; 100 to 300 mg of alpha-lipoic acid; or 1,000 mg of MSM.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Acetyl-L-carnitine, a form of the amino acid L-carnitine, may be of particular benefit to people with fibromyalgia. Researchers at the University of Verona, Italy, gave fibromyalgia patients a combination of 1,000 to 1,500 mg of oral acetyl-L-carnitine daily, plus a single 500 mg injection of it over ten weeks. Patients receiving acetyl-L-carnitine had significant reductions in pain, compared with patients receiving placebos.¹⁷ Acetyl-L-carnitine and other forms of this nutrient play essential roles in normal mitochondrial function.

Coenzyme Q10

Some research also suggests that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplements might help people with fibromyalgia. Like various carnitine compounds, CoQ10 plays crucial roles in how every cell—and therefore the body as a whole—produces energy. Researchers have reported that fibromyalgia patients have low levels of CoQ10.^{18 19} Another report found that a combination of 200 mg of CoQ10 and 200 mg of the herb ginkgo biloba for approximately three months led to a reduction in fibromyalgia symptoms.²⁰

SAMe

Several human studies have found that SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) can reduce fibromyalgia symptoms. In Denmark, researchers found that 800 mg of SAMe daily led to improvements in fibromyalgia disease activity, pain, fatigue, morning stiffness, and mood.^{21 22} SAMe plays an important role in a biochemical process called methylation, which is involved in regulating genes and producing neurotransmitters. Try 600 mg of SAMe daily.

B-Complex Vitamins

The B-complex vitamins play a variety of roles in normal mitochondrial function and energy production. They are also critical for proper brain functioning, which may be especially important to fibromyalgia patients who also suffer from brain fog. Several of the B vitamins—specifically, vitamins B1, B6, and B12—have analgesic properties.^{23 24} It is very likely that marginal intake of these vitamins increases sensitivity to pain. Try a daily high-potency B complex supplement.

Omega-3s

Inflammation plays a big role in fibromyalgia pain, and there are several natural anti-inflammatory compounds that may be helpful. The omega-3 fish oils contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which increase the body’s production of prostaglandin E3, an anti-inflammatory hormone-like compound. Fish oils can be combined with supplements of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), derived from borage seed, black currant, and evening primrose oils. GLA increases production of a synergistic anti-inflammatory compound, prostaglandin E1.

Both prostaglandin E1 and E3 suppress activity of prostaglandin E2, which is strongly pro-inflammatory. For fibromyalgia, I recommend 1,000 to 5,000 mg of fish oils containing EPA and DHA combined with 200 to 400 mg of GLA daily.

Pycnogenol^®

The antioxidant Pycnogenol may help to manage the intensity of fibromyalgia symptoms and reduce the need for medication. In one study, people with fibromyalgia who supplemented with 150 mg of Pycnogenol daily, in addition to lifestyle recommendations like stretching, getting adequate sleep, and meditating, experienced a reduction in fatigue, migraines, stiffness, headaches, stress, and fewer IBS symptoms than those who followed the lifestyle recommendations and did not take Pycnogenol.²⁵

Diet and Lifestyle

Adopting a diet rich in quality proteins, along with large amounts of non-starchy vegetables is an important step in minimizing fibromyalgia symptoms. Non-starchy vegetables include virtually all vegetables except potatoes, and a diversity of vegetables is ideal. It is also important to minimize or completely eliminate foods containing refined sugars, grains, and starches, including bread, bagels, crackers, cookies, pasta, etc. Such refined foods can lead to blood sugar problems characteristic of prediabetes, including fatigue and mental fog.

Finally, a study by doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, found that acupuncture led to significant reductions in fatigue and anxiety in 50 patients with fibromyalgia.²⁶ The benefits were apparent after just one month. Related therapies, such as meditation, yoga, and tai chi, might also be helpful.

Dealing with fibromyalgia can be extremely frustrating, and improvements are often incremental. Faced with a fibromyalgia patient, conventional doctors often resort to writing prescriptions for antidepressants or analgesic drugs, which may produce unwanted side effects. A nutritionally oriented or naturopathic physician is more likely to take a “biochemical” look at a patient to identify underlying problems that can be corrected by nutritional therapies. Fibromyalgia is a complex disease with no easy answer; however, when you take a whole body approach with supplements, diet, and lifestyle, you can best support your body’s natural healing abilities.

References

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