Fibromyalgia is one of those mysterious ailments with no identifiable cause, vague symptoms, and no standard treatment. Some medical textbooks and dictionaries don’t even list it as a disease or condition. Nevertheless, people who have fibromyalgia clearly have common complaints of muscle pain, fatigue, and increased sensitivity to pain. The condition appears to have both physical and psychological roots, which include stress, lack of sleep, poor diet and digestion, a suppressed immune system, and perhaps a deficiency of some important vitamins and minerals.
"Fibromyalgia tends to manifest itself like chronic fatigue syndrome, but the pain is the predominant factor. Also, people who have fibromyalgia tend to be malnourished," says Hope Fay, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Seattle. "There are lots of different theories, treatments, and supplements out there. Some work for some people, others don’t. It is one of those conditions that you try to treat very broadly."
If you suspect that you have fibromyalgia, see your doctor. Although there is no specific test for it, your doctor may be able to rule out other causes with testing, says Dr. Fay.
Support Your Immune System
For chronic conditions like fibromyalgia, many natural healers believe that the first step is to help the body help itself. That begins with nurturing and strengthening the immune system, says Elizabeth Wotton, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at Compass Family Health Center in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
"People with this condition often just get laid out by colds and flu. They’re up, then they’re down. They just don’t have very good resistance," she says. Recovering from fibromyalgia can be a lengthy process, so Dr. Wotton likes to prescribe the herb astragalus, a long-term immune booster.
Astragalus provides what is known as deep immune support. Studies show that it helps guard your body by increasing the activity of protective cells and raising the level of antibodies in your system. The exact mechanism isn’t clear, but the herb seems to work within the bone marrow itself, where immune cells are manufactured. That’s quite different from the action of echinacea, another popular immune-boosting herb, which rallies or speeds infection-fighting white blood cells to the site of an infection.
Dr. Wotton recommends taking one teaspoon of astragalus liquid extract three times a day. You can also take astragalus capsules. If the supplements are 500 milligrams, a typical dose would be one or two capsules three times a day with meals.
"Astragalus begins to build up the immune system to provide support on a long-term basis. It’s really good for this type of chronic condition because it gives you some stability," she says. "You should take it for at least four to six months."
Get a Lift with Ginseng
Deep weariness is one of fibromyalgia’s most nagging symptoms. It’s a weariness brought on by pain, stress, and lack of energy. To give her patients a lift, Dr. Wotton recommends ginseng. "It’s a tonic herb that makes you feel less run-down," she says.
Although ginseng has a reputation as an energy booster, it’s not actually a stimulant but rather an adaptogenic herb. It can help your body adapt to different conditions. In the case of stress and fatigue, the adrenal glands may be functioning erratically. If they are working too hard—pumping out too many hormones—ginseng will reduce this action. If they aren’t functioning well and aren’t releasing enough hormones, ginseng can stimulate them to produce more.
"By supporting the adrenal glands, ginseng increases endurance and strengthens a person’s ability to withstand stress," says Dr. Wotton. "In that way, it can boost energy and bolster the immune system, even though it doesn’t have a direct effect on the immune system itself. People with fibromyalgia sometimes get in their situation because they don’t let up and either can’t or won’t give themselves and their bodies a break. Finally, their bodies just get worn down."
She recommends one to two teaspoons of the liquid extract twice a day or one 200-milligram capsule twice a day. But don’t take ginseng after 2:00 p.m., she cautions, because it can keep you awake at night. It may also cause irritability if taken with caffeine or other stimulants.
Magnesium for Your Muscles
Many fibromyalgia patients seem to have low levels of magnesium, which may be a significant cause of their muscle pain, says Dr. Wotton.
Calcium and magnesium work together to tense and relax muscles, with magnesium acting as the primary relaxation mineral. When it’s lacking, the muscles remain tense and inflammation can build up. This may be one source of muscle pain, says Dr. Wotton.
It isn’t really known why some people lack magnesium. Perhaps they don’t absorb it well or aren’t getting enough in their diets. Whatever the reason for the shortage, the solution is to take a magnesium supplement. That usually relaxes the muscles, allows blood to flow into the constricted areas, and flushes out the waste products of inflammation, says Dr. Wotton. Your doctor can do a white blood cell magnesium test to determine if you are lacking this mineral, she says.
Another theory suggests that the muscle pain and soreness stem from a lack of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the basic fuel source for muscle cells. A combination of magnesium and a substance called malic acid will increase the production of ATP. "This theory says that the muscles aren’t getting enough energy to do their job, so they feel sore and tired all the time," says Dr. Wotton.
By adding magnesium to your diet, you spur the production of ATP, which could help relieve that sore, tired feeling. Look for a magnesium supplement that contains malic acid in health food stores, she says. Take 200 milligrams three times a day for four to six months.
Put Fat on the Fire
Reducing any kind of inflammation usually brings about some improvement, says Dr. Fay. In fibromyalgia, there is clearly inflammation in the muscles and probably in the intestinal tract as well.
You may be able to lessen inflammation throughout your body by reducing your consumption of meat and taking essential fatty acid supplements that do not contribute to inflammation, Dr. Fay says.
Saturated fats from meat contain arachidonic acid, which is used by the body to make inflammatory chemicals called leukotrienes. Evening primrose oil, however, contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a substance that won’t produce those chemicals.
"GLA has a different pathway that leads away from inflammation," says Dr. Fay. "Giving your body more GLA can make a significant difference. When you reduce inflammation, you also reduce pain and fatigue."
She suggests a 1,000-milligram capsule of evening primrose oil three or four times a day. Some people do better if they start with small amounts and increase with time, says Dr. Fay. You can take this preparation at this dosage for three to six months and then gradually begin to cut back, she advises.
Increase Your Vitamins and Minerals
Malnourishment seems to be part of the problem for many fibromyalgia patients. Either their diets are quite poor, food allergies are involved, or the people just aren’t extracting enough energy and nutrients from food, says Dr. Fay.
She tells her patients to cut out coffee, sugar, and refined foods and start on healthier diets that include more fresh fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, and less red meat. Also, she suggests that they take multi vitamin/mineral supplements that provide nutrients in amounts higher than the Daily Values.
Boost Enzymes and Stomach Acid
Sometimes, deficiencies are due to poor absorption of minerals and vitamins in the digestive tract. People with fibromyalgia often have low levels of stomach acid, which leads to an incomplete breakdown of food, says Dr. Fay.
To increase stomach acid, she suggests taking a 650-milligram capsule of betaine hydrochloride with each meal. The supplement is available in health food stores. But before taking betaine hydrochloride, you should check with your doctor to determine if you indeed have a problem with low stomach acid.
"If you get any type of burning sensation, just take a capsule with one or two meals instead of three," she says. "I’d keep it up for several months, minimum. Eventually, your body should start producing more hydrochloric acid on its own." But you need to do other things as well—eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet, regular exercise, and make other healthy lifestyle choices, says Dr. Fay.
The other important players in breaking down food are digestive enzymes. Dr. Fay prescribes plant-based enzyme supplements that contain amylase, lipase, and protease enzymes. Enzyme Process, a supplement manufacturer, markets an appropriate product called Enzyme Process Digeszyme-V. The standard dose is three capsules a day with meals.
"Whatever supplement you get, look for a product that contains a broad mixture of enzymes," she says. "If you have had your gallbladder out, you’ll need one that contains bile salts and acids to help digest fats."
Plant the Good Bugs
Occasionally, digestion and absorption problems may be caused by an overgrowth of yeast (candida) in the gut, says Dr. Fay. Yeast is naturally present in the body in small numbers, but a poor diet, mercury dental fillings, or a course of antibiotic drugs can cause it to grow out of control, she explains. She suggests working with a naturopathic doctor or doctor of oriental medicine to determine the exact nature of your condition.
Yeast can crowd out the good bugs such as acidophilus in your system and increase inflammation, aggravate food allergies, and interfere with the assimilation of minerals and vitamins, says Dr. Fay.
Garlic and pau d’arco are two effective herbal treatments for killing yeast. Dr. Fay suggests taking two 250-milligram capsules of garlic three times a day with meals. Alternatively, you can take an extract of pau d’arco bark. Nature’s Plus, for example, makes several pau d’arco products that are available at health food stores. Supplements are available in 100- milligram tablets, and the typical dose is three a day.
While you’re killing the candida, you can recolonize your gut with Lactobacillus acidophilus, the good bacteria that help maintain intestinal health, says Dr. Fay. She recommends taking one acidophilus tablet in the morning and another at night. "With my patients, I do the recolonizing for at least three to four months," she says.
