What Causes Fibromyalgia?

No one knows for sure what causes fibromyalgia. Here are some theories:

Illness or extreme physical or emotional stress causes fibboromyalgia
Minor repeated trauma to the muscles causes fibromyalgia
The sleep disturbance that is associated with fibromyalgia causes fibromyalgia
An abnormality in the central nervous system causes fibromyalgia
A misalignment of the spinal column, particularly the upper neck causes fibromyalgia
A vitamin D deficiency causes fibromyalgia
Insufficient, properly digested protein causes fibromyalgia
Multiple hormone deficiencies cause fibromyalgia
Problems with the immune system cause fibromyalgia
An increase in free radicals causes fibromyalgia
Mecury poisoning causes fibromyalgia
Aluminum poisoning causes fibromyalgia

There are many things to account for in trying to determine the cause of this syndrome called fibromyalgia. Consider the following list of symptoms:

Chronic fatigue not relieved by extra sleep or rest
Headaches
Dryness of the throat and excessive water consumption
Urinary tract irritation
Aches and stiffness in muscles/bones (arthritic-like pain)

• In lower back
• In neck area
• In jaws
• In arms, shoulders, legs

Muscular weakness
Muscle spasms (involuntary twitching)
Tingling sensations in fingers (especially) and feet
Gastrointestinal disturbances

• Abdominal pains
• Blood in stools
• Diarrhea
• Bloated feeling (gas)
• Constipation
• Tenderness in stomach area

Feeling of nausea (flu-like symptoms)
Pinkish-red or bluish-red spots (like bruises, but round or oval) on
the skin that fade and clear up in 7-10 days.
Skin rash or itching, especially after showers or bathing.
Mouth sores (also from fluoridated toothpaste)
Loss of mental acuity and ability to concentrate
Depression
Excessive Nervousness
Dizziness
Tendency to lose balance
Visual disturbances

• Temporary blind spots in field of vision
• Diminished ability to focus (possible retinal damage)

This list of symptoms is taken from page 393 of a book by George Waldbott titled, "Fluoridation: The Great Dilemma," published in 1978. These are symptoms of fluoride poisoning. Jason A. Uttley makes a very good case for arguing that the cause of Fibromyalgia is fluoride poisoning:

http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/fibromyalgia.html

I believe that a major cause of fibromyalgia is an accumulation in the body of excessive amounts of fluoride, aluminum, mercury and likely iron as well. I believe that fibromyalgia is made worse by less than optimal intake of vitamin D, magnesium, boron and iodine.

What Can We Do About Fibromyalgia?

To address the aspect of excessive amounts of fluoride, aluminum, mercury and iron in the body, there are five things to do:

First, reduce your fibromyalgia symptoms by reducing your intake of flourides. Drink fluoride free spring water, distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or water treated to remove fluoride (usually with some aluminum compound as a catalyst and then further filtered to remove any aluminum from the treated water). Use fluoride free toothpaste. Don't cook in teflon cookware. Don't take fluorinated medications or supplements. Don't drink teas or other beverages with a high fluoride content. A number of people have reduced their fibromyalgia symptoms simply by reducing their intake of fluorides.

Second, reduce your fibromyalagia symptoms by reducing your intake of mercury, aluminum and unneeded levels of iron. Don't use salt containing aluminum. Don't us baking powder containing aluminum. Don't use atiperspirants containing aluminum.

Third, reduce your fibromyalgia symptoms by reducing the fluoride in your body. This is easier said than done. The only substance that I know of that might possibly do this safely is boron, which the body needs in small amounts, but it is toxic in large amounts - one could say the same thing about iron, or idodine or even table salt. I take a multivitamin (SuperNutrition Opti-Pack Iron-Free) that contains 3mg of boron per daily dose. (Boron is essential for bone building) I assume this is a safe dose, but it may not be therapeutic for fluoride removal. There just isn't much on this subject.

Fourth, reduce your fibromalgia symptoms by reducing the mercury, aluminum, and unnecessary iron in your body. Consider taking oral chelation therapy, IP6, boron.

Fifth, reduce your fibromyalgia symptoms by treating the symptoms of fluoride poisoning. This is basically what people have been trying to do to help fibromyalgia sufferers. One hopeful course of action mentioned in the article by Jason A. Uttley (the EarthClinic link) is to support the kidneys.

I think this is all very interesting, and really applaud the fact that you would care enough to go to the trouble to help others with a condition you do not have.

But one thing bothers me. What about people like myself who suffer from secondary fibromyalgia? I never had a symptom a day in my life until I developed a chronic pain condition in my abdomen. A year after that the fibromyalgia set in, with all the symptoms, all the tender points and everything.

At that time I did a lot of research myself, and spoke to or e-mailed a number of well-know rheumatologists to try to find a way to treat or cure the fibro despite my chronic pain. The most common answer I got then was that fibromyalgia, at least like mine, is most likely caused by a disruption in the normal cycle of living caused by my chronic pain. I couldn't sleep, eat, work or exercise in any normal pattern, and this caused a huge upset in how my body functioned, leading to FMS.

Do you think there could be more than one cause, or more than one condition that mimics fibromyalgia? From what I've read, it's the tender points more than anything else that confirms the diagnosis, and I have them all. But mine have never been as terribly severe as those of others I've read about here. Any thoughts on that?

Has anyone ever put the connection to their fibro. to the fact that they took an antibiotic in the fluoroquinolone class? I ask this because the symtoms can be almost identical. These antibiotics have fluoride in them also. These antibiotics are: cipro, levaquin, avelox, floxacin, and a few others that all have the same long lasting (years) side effects. If you have taken an antibiotic in the last few years before you started to get fibro. then it is possible that you had a reaction. Just google in the anti. you took and look at the side effects. It might be what is causing you problems.These Fluoroquinolones are very hard on the muscles and tendons amongst other things.

If your fibromyalgia symptoms are not related to fluoride poisoning, then it is possible they are a kind of connective tissue problem. Try checking out the following website:

http://www.ctds.info/index.html

The answer to your question is yes, someone has made the connection between their fibro and taking an antibiotic in the fluoroquinolone class. The first link in my first post is authored by a person who got fibromyalgia after two months of being treated with Cipro.



The second link is specifically about problems with Cipro. It is authored by three people who belong to "Parents of Fluoride Poisoned Children (PFPC)." People can decide for themselves what they think about the similarities between the Cipro side effects listed and their fibro symptoms. Be sure to read the long list of additional side effects that are not expanded on in the main part of the article.

Has also been linked to fluorosis, as well as some OTC green algae products.

Oh jeeze. Very interesting. (Hi, btw I was Erebear on the other BT before the crash and just got diagnosed with fibro this year. Got a bi-polar diagnosis first.)

I had to take floride at school every week and it messed up my teeth (I know-weird). Then I had post-partum after my first child and was on Prozac.

My pain showed up after some odd neurological event that we could never track down or name almost 4 years ago. Then the pain came a year after.

Interesting as all get out.

I have heard a few pain managment docs say they believe fibro is started with neck injuries. Quite a few say this, actually. And I have had a few mild neck injuries.

Wouldn't it be nice to KNOW how this disease / disorder starts? Maybe, then we could treat it more effectively.

Thank you for your comments. I didn't know about fluoride contamination of green algae products.



Please note that fluoride aids in the uptake of aluminum by the brain - could this be a significant factor in fibro fog, hypersensitivity to pain?

The mention of Cipro is very surprising to me. I was treated with several rounds of Cipro as a precaution in case my abdomimal pain was caused by some type of infection. They decided on this because I have had a high white blood cell count for the whole duration of my condition. So maybe it was the Cipro that led to secondary fibro setting in. Hmmmm, very, very interesting.

You asked: "Wouldn't it be nice to KNOW how this disease / disorder starts? Maybe, then we could treat it more effectively."

I agree. I think the likely cause is fluoride poisoning. But not everyone who ingests significant amounts of fluoride gets fibromyalgia. Here are some further conjectures on my part.

Assume that fibromyalgia is caused by fluoride poisoning.

Then fluoride poisoning will bind to and therefore lower available magnesium and calcium. Fluoride may also facilitate the transport of aluminum to the brain.

Many people in the US, but not all are magnesium deficient. It seems to me that if a person is already deficient in magnesium then they will manifest symptoms of fluoride poisoning sooner than someone who is not magnesium deficient. For many processes in the body, even if a person is not calcium deficient, if they are magnesium deficient, the available calcium cannot be used without sufficient magnesium.

People who suffer from fluoride poisoning may manifest different severities of certain symptoms depending on how much aluminum they take in. The more people use baking powder, drink from aluminum cans, use aluminum foil (have you ever seen pin holes in foil you have taken off of some stored foods? Guess what, that food now has some dissolved aluminum in it), use alum or other aluminum containing deoderants, use aluminum cookware - the more aluminum could be transported to their brains by some mechanism involving the fluoride in their bodies.