Fibromyalgia Who Told You There Wasn’t A Cure?

—

by

Andre Broussard, D.C.
in

by Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S.

If you listen to conventional medical “talk”.. you would tend to believe that Fibromyalgia has no cure. You would be one of the 10 million people who suffer with FMS who would accept their affliction as something that they must simply live with..

Well my comment to that is “HOGWASH”.. Who gives any physician the right to deny his/her patient the opportunity to seek “peer-reviewed” proven treatments? Now understand this.. I am not talking about some magical “herb” found in the tropical forest that has recently been discovered.. No, I am talking about accepted.. documented..and most important “successful” treatments that will reverse your suffering..

Forget the “backlash” from your physician if he or she refuses to embrace what they SHOULD already know.. I will not accept total ignorance of the facts… Now “hear” what I am about to say..

By no means am I putting down your family doctor.. I really believe that your doctor is doing what he/she has been taught…. Medical school is tough enough teaching the basics of human diagnosis..Unfortunately by the time your family doctor has put out his/her shingle.. research has advanced 5-10 years.. Now how does your doctor stay abreast of the research?

They have two choices.. one is too dig deep into the medical research journals and discover the wealth of information available for the multiple of sick folks…. Or they can rely on their pharmaceutical rep to keep them updated … Let’s get real.. Do you really think that the pharmaceutical rep is going to offer anything other than what his/her company has to sell?.. and you know what they sell.. Yes you are right drugs and more drugs…

Here I go again… my frustrations rising to the surface.. You too would be upset if you consulted with as many people as I have who are being “DENIED” (not on purpose) the truth… My objective in this report is to give you the A-Z on what you need to know to help yourself.

Let me do a quick review of the basics of Fibromyalgia.. (you can find a more detailed review of the basics on any of the “big .com health sites such as WebMd, MayoClinic.com.. but I can just about guarantee you WILL NOT find anything other than the same old.. same old.. on all these sites.. They all say the same thing and leave the reader to assume that the only treatment found in modern medicine are DRUGS.. What a shame…and can you believe they make millions… Now I subscribe to the 10 mega .com health sites and I have yet to see any of them offer the “suffering reader” an ounce of documented alternative advice… yes… yes.. I have read a few (hidden between the drug ads) “tiny” mention of a nutritional treatment but nothing to write home about.. But I can tell you with 100% confidence that you WILL NOT find any mention of WHY and HOW you are suffering with this disease..

Sorry.. there I go again.. I have to stop myself from getting downright mad.. at these “heavy hitters” who offer nothing of any real significance to make your life better and free of pain.. Again.. I will say.. and here me out… I AM NOT AGAINST the appropriate use of medications in the context of addressing the underlying issues which have got you here is the first place (excuse my English)

Back to the Basics: (the abbreviated version… I know what you want and it is not another regurgitation of the basics.. what you want is … HOW IN THE WORLD CAN I GET BETTER?? Am I right?. Well here is the short version of the Basics:

Here is a list of the most common signs and symptoms of Fibromyalgia

    • Widespread musculoskeletal pain
    • Aching
    • Fatigue
    • Localized tenderness
    • Tender lymph nodes
    • Morning stiffness
    • Heart palpitations
    • Dizziness
    • Aching
    • Temporal mandibular joint dysfunction
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Irritable bowel syndrome
    • Raynaud’s syndrome

Facts You May Already KnowFibromyalgia (FM) is a rheumatic autoimmune syndrome that is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, and an array of other symptoms. The symptoms may vary from day to day, ranging from moderate discomfort to severe disability.

In 1986, sixteen medical centers in the United States and Canada joined together in a study to determine the criteria for diagnosing this condition. In 1990, a committee from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) proposed diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. They suggested that the criteria for fibromyalgia should include the presence of widespread pain in combination with tenderness at 11 or more of the 18 specific tender point sites.

Here are some “gold” nuggets you can sink your teeth into..

a) There is no ONE treatment for Fibromyalgia..meaning forget the notion that a specific vitamin or drug is going to cure fibromyalgia

b) Change your mind-set on “looking” for the XYZ miracle treatment and begin to learn the importance of looking for the “real” cause(s) of your health condition.

c) Remember, treatment is not “disease-specific” but rather treatment is “patient-specific”. This means that two people suffering with fibromyalgia may find that each receives two entirely different treatments and both dramatically improve.. One patient may find that the underlying cause of their condition is due to a thyroid problem, while the other person finds that their problem was due to a bacterial infection of the small intestine.

Does this begin to make sense??

Can you see how foolish it is to assume that the same medication or the same exact supplement would work for all people suffering with fibromyalgia or any other auto-immune disease?

Begin to see how illogical it is to search for a specific treatment when in reality common sense should tell us, that just maybe..what is causing your condition may be entirely different from what is causing your friend’s fibromyalgia..

Now I hear you LOUD and clear.. you may be thinking, that sounds good but how do I find out what is causing MY problem.. and who is going to help me figure this whole thing out??

Well.. this is where YOU need to take the initiative and LEARN the facts and present them to your doctor.. DON’T take no for an answer.. If your doctor refuses to “ACCEPT” the FACTS then it may be time to move on and find a doctor who is staying current with the medical literature.

The following tests should be considered and eventually ordered by your physician.. Most insurance companies WILL pay for these tests. However, your physician has to order them..

I am going to encourage you to educate yourself on the following tests.. For each test, I will explain the significance of why the test should be order and what the results would mean for you and your condition.. Remember, you are simply one to three tests away from making Fibromyalgia a bad memory.

The most important thing to consider when searching for the solution for fibromyalgia or any other disease entity, is the fact that there are a variety of influences that are most likely contributing to your sickness. Looking for the causal chain is of primary importance in determining the course of action that each person needs to take to get well. Diet, food selection, gut integrity, adrenal function, and metabolic support are the first areas to consider.

Heavy metals, thyroid, bacterial/parasitic infection and hormonal imbalances as well as gut integrity are significant clues that could be disrupting the whole process of cellular metabolism as it relates to lactate build up, energy production, and fatigue.

Here are the key tests that one needs to have done in order to get well..

Chemistry Profile (Blood) This profile generally includes the following tests: Albumin, Alkaline Phosphatase, Aspartate Aminotransferase, Bilirubin, Calcium, Creatinine, Lactate Dehydrogenase, Phosphorus, Total Protein, Urea Nitrogen, Uric Acid, and may contain others.

My Comments: The basics of all patient evaluation should include a general metabolic panel, CBC.. etc.. Remember, the most obvious health challenges should always be ruled out prior to the ordering of Functional Medicine Lab Work. Most patients I consult with have already had a pretty decent work-up by their family physician and/or the rheumatologist. The problem stems from the fact that these tests..although being extremely vital to a basic work-up, are 9 times out 10 negative.. Nothing wrong! Nothing can be more frustrating than to hear your doctor say, that your blood test were all normal and he/she can not determine WHY you are having all these problems..

Well this leads us to the next level of medical management and it is termed Functional Medicine Lab testing. The first test I recommend and it is the Hallmark test used to properly assess my patients suffering with Fibromyalgia. This one test is worth it’s weight in gold.. but is totally overlooked.. or better yet not known by traditional physicians. The name of the test is called…

Array 2 – Intestinal Antigenic Permeability Screen (from Cyrex Labs)

This test was developed by Dr. Vojdani and is designed to evaluate the mucosal lining of your intestines. Here is short bio on Dr. Vojdani.. Impressive!! Remember he is one of the many professors across the country who TEACH your family doctor what he/she knows (or should I say what he/she “should” know…)

Dr. Aristo Vojdani is a renowned expert in immune function disorders and immunoassay technology. He was called before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs to provide crucial evidence proving the existence of the neuroimmunological disorders suffered by Persian Gulf war veterans. His testimony was instrumental in creating the law that now guarantees free medical care for affected Veterans. Dr. Vojdani has published 69 peer-reviewed scientific articles and holds 6 patents on inventions related to immunoassay technology. He continues to conduct cutting edge immune system related research and to serve as an Associate Professor at Charles R. Drew School of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.

Read this carefully… it is one of the MOST important things you will learn on WHY you may be suffering with fibromyalgia or may I say.. any number of “auto-immune diseases.

Now look at the above picture.. what you see is something called the Mucosal Barrier.. The mucosal barrier is found in the small intestines, lung, sinuses, urinary tract etc.. and has many functions but for this report.. I am only going to discuss two.

First, the Mucosal Barrier acts a protective barrier preventing “toxins” from entering the circulation. These toxins can be anything from viruses, bacteria, chemical exposures, food sensitivities and a bunch more. For the above illustration, let me use a chemical toxin like formaldehyde.. OK.. lets say you inhale this toxin.. normally if your mucosal lining (barrier) is healthy it will NOT allow it to enter the blood stream.. By the way.. the big “orange” ones above represent the bad guys.. Medically they are called “antigens”.. Viruses, bacteria, undigested protein, chemicals are all considered antigens.. The “small ones” above represent the “good guys”.. nutrients, minerals, amino acids and everything that is GOOD that SHOULD enter the circulation.

Now again as long as your mucosal barrier is healthy.. the bad guys should stay out and the good guys are allowed into the circulation to supply nutrients to the cell.

With me??

The above picture represents the ideal..

Simply put.. Healthy mucosa allows nutrients to pass the barrier while blocking the entry of toxins..

This picture shows what happens when the barrier is damaged. Not only are the “bad guys (antigens) sneaking into the blood (circulation) but the nutrients (good guys) are blocked, not able to get into the blood and feed the cell.

Now something bad will happen when the above occurs…You will have something called an antibody-antigen reaction…This means that the “bad guys” (antigens) are in battle with the “antibodies” (soldiers of the immune system)

Is this making sense??

Abnormalities of the immune or mechanical barriers leads to an inflammatory cascade of events. Now think about this.. if the cell is not “fed” no wonder you are fatigued.. The mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) is damaged..

Now I am going to share something that will knock your socks off. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of this topic, I will have to reserve it for another report..but I WILL give you a small nugget to bite on..

Serotonin and benzodiazopines are produced in the mucosal lining.. What is that.. yes.. when the mucosal lining is damaged.. your body CANNOT produce adequate amounts of the essential neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. etc..and can you believe benzodiazopines.. No wonder Zoloft, Effexor, Xanax are prescribed by the truck loads..

Does it make sense that just maybe.. if you “healed” your mucosal barrier you would not need to take Zoloft, Prozac and any of the more common antidepressants? Well.. think about it..

SIDE NOTE

If you are taking antidepressants or benzodiazopines (Ativan, Valium, Xanax) and are having a hard time or better yet an impossible time attempting to get off these meds… then you better believe that you should DEMAND that your doctor order the appropriate tests to check your mucosal barrier.. I would bet that over 90% of people who have been unable to get off these psychiatric medications have a compromised mucosal barrier function. Again, this is a “major” topic for another report.

Now if you think this is new information.. think again.. Dr. Michael Gershon from Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center wrote a book titled The Second Brain: A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine a number of years ago.. His research provides “exhaustive” documentation of the importance of the mucosal health and the production of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and benzodiazopines

It has been observed that patients with fibromyalgia have alterations in the metabolism and regulation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Now I will warn you.. I would NOT accept anyone wearing a white lab jacket to “discount” something that may be the most important reason for your suffering. PERIOD!!

Proper testing can identify many of these imbalances, and help determine which interventions are likely to be most effective for each patient.

The following lab tests are strongly recommended:

1: Comprehensive Blood Profile (most people have already had a decent blood test)

2: Intestinal Barrier Function Test

3: Cortisol/DHEA Levels

4: Comprehensive Thyroid Profile including thyroid antibodies (DO NOT accept the TSH as the primary test for thyroid health).. I have seen too many patients with normal TSH levels exhibit abnormal reverse T3 and antibodies.. A normal TSH DOES NOT mean that your thyroid is functioning optimally..

5: Comprehensive Stool Exam: based on the patients history, I may suspect a bacterial, fungal or parasitic infection. Ordering a comprehensive stool assessment may provide that one piece of the puzzle that can solve your pain and suffering..

Over the last 6 months, I examined two patients both suffering with fibromyalgia who tested positive for a bacterial and parasitic infections.. Would you believe that one round of anti-parasitic medication followed with appropriate re-inoculation of the gut wall with pro-biotics reduced these patients symptoms by 75%..

SIDE NOTE

A comprehensive stool assessment includes “Three” random stool samples NOT one..Most physicians will have the patient provide “one sample” and if negative will assume that nothing is wrong.. This is a MAJOR problem in the world of diagnosis.. For example, one of the patients above had two normal stool samples.. but the third one came back with one of the worst parasitic pathogens.. What would have happened if I only had the patient provide “one” stool sample?? Yes, you are right.. one of the cause(s) of her problem would have been missed..

Remember this and remember it well… the solution for your suffering is NOT to be found in a drug bottle or a bottle of supplements from your local health food store.. The answer lies in knowing what may be the cause(s) of the condition in the first place..

Can it be that your fibromyalgia illness is due to a thyroid problem.. or maybe a GI tract infected with a bacteria or parasite pathogen.. or maybe a compromised mucosal lining blocking the absorption of essential nutrients and contaminated the circulation with antigens (bad guys)?? Well you tell me… a good diagnostic investigation will many times yield a good outcome.. Remember that..

SIDE NOTE

Please do not run out a buy some of the popular parasite programs that you see sitting on the shelves of your local health food store.. NO.. that is the WRONG thing to do.. First of all if you DO have a parasitic infection.. the last thing you want to do is “Self-treat” with one of those popular parasite formula… Remember this.. there are a number of “species” of parasites and “one-size fits all” parasite formula will likely be ineffective and worse may actually make you worse.. If you are asking why it has helped others.. than you must remember that if you roll the dice enough times you will get a lucky 7.. but I DO NOT play Russian Roulette with my patients.. I would rather be “sure” than assume when it comes to identifying the cause(s) of your health challenges.

Well I hope this report has made sense… I am committed to sharing information that WORKS and works like nothing else has ever done in the past.

You need to take full responsibility for your health and educate your family doctor.. Your doctor NEEDS to know that you will NOT accept anything less than what modern medical technology has to offer. Just because YOUR doctor has not heard about a test(s) DOES NOT mean that it doesn’t exist.. You now hold in your hands an answer that will change your life forever.. What are you going to do about it??

Please feel free to have your doctor contact me.. I would be happy to assist your physician in helping you get well. I can be reached at 1-864-905-7605 or via e-mail drgrisanti@gmail.com

    • Dr. Grisanti’s Closing Comments:
    • This report provides a brief introduction of the importance of “good” medical detective work. The recommended tests are important for beginning the investigation of the cause of your health problem…. however, I must say.. there are other causes NOT discussed in this report. Due to the length of this paper, I focused on a few key areas commonly seen in doctors who practice Functional Diagnostic Medicine.
    • The following references are just a sampling of the abundant medical citations documenting all that I have written.. I will like to say in conclusion, that no physician can deny the existence of these findings and most certainly no physician in his right mind would discard what is considered the essence of clinical practice, and that is medical peer-reviewed research. Any physician who would take the time to review the many citations that follow, would have to walk away with a “renewed” perspective on health and disease.. and this would be found right in his/her backyard.. The National Library of Medicine.. http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgiREFERENCES:Farhadi A, Banan A, Fields J, Keshavarzian A. Intestinal barrier: an interface between health and disease.J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2003 May;18(5):479-97.Sun Z, Wang X, Andersson R. Role of intestinal permeability in monitoring mucosal barrier function. History, methodology, and significance of pathophysiology. Dig Surg. 1998;15(5):386-97.

      Hollander D. Intestinal permeability, leaky gut, and intestinal disorders. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 1999 Oct;1(5):410-6.

      Bjarnason I, MacPherson A, Hollander D. Intestinal permeability: an overview. Gastroenterology. 1995 May;108(5):1566-81.

      Ecknauer R. The barrier-function of the gastrointestinal (author’s transl)] Z Gastroenterol. 1982 Mar;20(3):150-63.

      Russell IJ, et al. Cerebrospinal fluid biogenic amine metabolites in fibromyalgia*fibrositis syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. May1992;35(5):550-6.

      Ferraccioli G, et al. Somatomedin C (insulin-like growth factor 1) levels decrease during acute changes of stress related hormones. Relevance for fibromyalgia. J Rheumatol. Jul1994;21(7):1332-4.

      Gershon MD, Serotonin and its implication for the management of irritable bowel syndrome. Rev Gastroenterol Disord. 2003;3 Suppl 2:S25-34.

      Gershon MD, Review article: roles played by 5-hydroxytryptamine in the physiology of the bowel. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 1999 May;13 Suppl 2:15-30. Review.

      Gershon MD, Chalazonitis A, Rothman TP, From neural crest to bowel: development of the enteric nervous system. J Neurobiol. 1993 Feb;24(2):199-214.

      Sivri A, Cindas A, Dincer F, Sivri B.Bowel dysfunction and irritable bowel syndrome in fibromyalgia patients. Clin Rheumatol 1996 May;15(3):283-286.

      Veale D, Kavanagh G, Fielding JF, Fitzgerald O. Primary fibromyalgia and the irritable bowel syndrome: different expressions of a common pathogenetic process. Br J Rheumatol 1991 Jun;30(3):220-222.

      Sperber AD, Atzmon Y, Neumann L, Weisberg I, Shalit Y, Abu-Shakrah M, Fich A, Buskila D. Fibromyalgia in the irritable bowel syndrome: studies of prevalence and clinical implications. Am J Gastroenterol 1999 Dec;94(12):3541-3546.

      Lubrano E, Iovino P, Tremolaterra F, Parsons WJ, Ciacci C, Mazzacca G. Fibromyalgia in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. An association with the severity of the intestinal disorder.Int J Colorectal Dis 2001 Aug;16(4):211-215.

      Teahon K, Somasundaram S, Smith T, Menzies I, Bjarnason I. Assessing the site of increased intestinal permeability in coeliac and inflammatory bowel disease. Gut. 1996 Jun;38(6):864-9.

      Peled Y, Watz C, Gilat T. Measurement of intestinal permeability using 51Cr-EDTA. Am J Gastroenterol. 1985 Oct;80(10):770-3.

      Russell IJ, et al. Elevated cerebrospinal fluid levels of substance P in patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome. Arthritis Rheum. Nov1994;37(11):1593-60

      Triadafilopoulos G, Simms RW, Goldenberg DL. Bowel dysfunction in fibromyalgia syndrome. Dig Dis Sci 1991;36(1):59-64.

      Chang L. The association of functional gastrointestinal disorders and fibromyalgia. Eur J Surg Suppl. 1998;(583):32-6.

      Wortmann RL. Searching for the cause of fibromyalgia: is there a defect in energy metabolism? Arthritis Rheum. Jun1994;37(6):790-3.

      Riedel W, Layka H, Neeck G. Secretory pattern of GH, TSH, thyroid hormones, ACTH, cortisol, FSH, and LH in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome following systemic injection of the relevant hypothalamic-releasing hormones. Rheumatol 1998;57 Suppl 2:81-7.

      Neeck G, Riedel W. Thyroid function in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.J Rheumatol 1992 Jul;19(7):1120-2.

      Abud-Mendoza C, Magana-Aquino M, Medina R, Grimaldo JI, Rodriguez-Rivera G, Gonsalez-Amaro R. Hypothalamus-hypophysis-thyroid axis dysfunction in patients with refractory fibromyalgia,” Arthritis & Rheumatism, Abstract Supplement, Vol. 40, #9, September 1997.

      Aarflot T, Bruusgaard D. Association between chronic widespread musculoskeletal complaints and thyroid autoimmunity. Results from a community survey. Scand J Prim Health Care 1996 Jun;14(2):111-5.

Story Source