Hello All,

I've suffered from fibro for close to 3 yrs. I'm not cured yet, but I am much improved. My definition being, going from using a walker & frequent days in bed, to only occasional use of cane, & no days in bed.

I wish I could attribute my problem to simply a cal/mag deficiency. But I've taken cal/mag citrate chewable supplements faithfully for over a decade. The fibro showed up WHILE on the supplements. I suffered a trauma (root cause:stupidity) that didn't heal, and in time the localized pain spread & fibro was dxd.

My road to healing started with a couple of observations. #1 -- That my 4x/yr periodontal treatments were putting me to bed each time, for several days, with pain. #2 -- That every time I drank a cup of tea (lipton /black /pekoe /green /oolong types) I'd have a mini-flare within an hour. A little googling revealed that one possible common denominator was fluoride. The perio used topical fluoride to decrease sensitivity. And the tea plant has a tendency to concentrate fluoride in its leaves -- tea is quite high in fluoride.

I continue to have my perio work done, without the Fl solution, and without the high-fluoride "polish" at the end. No more days-in-bed following the procedures. Yeah!

I switched to nonfluoridated toothpaste & use only RO water for cooking & drinking. But I haul it, haven't been able to afford whole-house RO, so I still do use tap water for bathing. And this is another source of fluoride, since Fl is absorbed through the skin.

My hypothesis is that fluoridated compounds, as well as chlorinated & brominated compounds (another biggie for me) -- trigger my fibro pain in part by their action on the thyroid gland. Like many fibro sufferers, I've found that keeping my free thyroid hormone levels in mid reference range is critical to doing well.

Halogens like fluroide, chlorine, & bromine, are kissing cousins of iodine, another halogen. It has been shown that Fl, Cl & Br "fit" & bind to iodine receptors in the body -- and indeed, being more reactive, are quicker to do so than the clunkier iodine. This screws up both the thyroid gland, as well as the peripheral thyroid hormone receptors.

Bromine (as brominated ...)in used in bleached grains, and is also found in a number of food additives. Bromine is also used to bleach refined oils ... which I'd found cause me to flare when consumed in excess.

Unfortunately, it's hard to find a swimming pool that does not use a combination of chlorine & bromine for sanitation. Aquacize is so helpful for fibro ... but doing it a halogenated pool may not be beneficial for some, in the long run. An ozonated pool may be a better option.

But back to fluoride. For decades, docs used fluoride to suppress thyroid in seriously hyperthyroid people. Fluoride is one of the most highly reactive elements known ... think back to that high school chemistry. Fluoride, in even minute quantities will deactivate enzymes ... thyroid enzymes, muscle enzymes, digestive enzymes. Many respected scientists believe that fluoride does more harm than good. However, there are sociopolitcal powers in place ... and inertia among the general public, to improve the situation.

One natural remedy pioneered in India for fluorosis, and also used by vets for fluorsis in animals, is using tamarind. Tamarind has been shown to bind fluoride out, even from the long bones. When tamarind is consumed, fluoride is excreted in the urine. Tamarind is most easily found in Asian/Oriental stores, IME. There is also a Mexican tamarind, however most of the research I've seen has been done w/Asian tamarind. One could do worse than taking a little tamarind every day. It's a fruit with a date-like texture, but with a tart-sweet taste. Emphasis on the tart.

IMO, every fibro sufferer should look into whether fluoride & other halogenated compounds are increasing their pain. However, there is a lotta research to suggest that there are fibro sub-groups ... some with one kinda gene, some with another. Some with methylation defects, others not. Some with bacterial/viral triggers that when treated, resolve the fibro. Some with metabolic syndrome that, when treated, improves the fibro. Some with immunological & neurological findings, others not.

Now, it is possible that some day in the future, one common thread will draw all the fibro subgroups together ... and maybe that common thread will be fluoride. But the fact that not every person America has fibro, while most Americans have fluoride exposure, argues for a certain specialness in fibro sufferers ... whether they have increased levels of exposure to FL, or decreased ability to deal with it.

Fluoride & the halogens have been a part of my fibro healing, but not the whole story. Gluten was a culprit in my IBS, now GONE with GF diet. And, nightshade-free diet, which I've been on for only one month, has been very helpful for residual muscle & joint pain.

Best wishes.