Fibro Pain All Over Your Body? Treat Your Nose!
- UPDATED WITH NEW INFORMATION
Did you know that more than 80% of people with fibromyalgia (FMS) have chronic sinus problems? When your body's wracked with pain, you're tired and lost in brain fog, a stuffy nose might seem like the least of your problems.
Research shows, however, that treating your sinus problems can help alleviate a lot of your FMS symptoms, and can even help you lose weight.
Sound strange? Here's why researchers say it works: yeast problems are common for us, and chronic sinusitis just happens to be one of the main symptoms of yeast overgrowth. The other is spastic colon, which causes gas, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation. Does that sound familiar? If so, you'll probably want to ask your doctor about yeast overgrowth.
According to Mayo Clinic researchers, your immune system tries to fight the yeast, and that constant immune response may be a cause (or partial cause) of central sensitization, which is the mechanism believed to cause fibromyalgia symptoms (and many chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms as well.)
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study by the Mayo Clinic, researchers found that amphotericin B, given nasally, cleared up the sinusitis and associated yeast-overgrowth symptoms.
NEW INFORMATION: Amphotericin B is typically given topically or intravenously, and the intravenous treatment carries some serious risks. The study mentioned above showed it is far safer given nasally. Accentia BioPharmaceuticals is working to get a nasal-spray version of amphotericin B, called SinuNase, approved by the FDA.
Other symptoms of yeast problems include sugar cravings and weight gain, so getting rid of it can help you lose weight and keep to a healthier diet.
Do some of the symptoms here describe you? (I've got every single one of them, so I know what my next doctor's appointment will focus on!) Have you felt better after treating either sinusitis or yeast overgrowth? Share your stories here or on About.com's Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome forum.
- Read more about chronic sinusitis & fibromyalgia.
- Learn about the multitude of signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia.
- Find out about alternative fibromyalgia treatments, including acupuncture, massage and other bodywork.
Comments
I got a handle on the yeast problem by taking acidophilis pills every day. One could also eat plain yogurt with the active probiotics (live cultures) inside… maybe that DanActive yogurt would work too, but I wonder about the sugar feeding the yeast.
Gosh…I’m not sure about this one. I use to have alot of sinus probs. and had surgery to correct a deviated septum. But I didn’t find this to help with my fibro issues at all. Agreed that, when one feels stuffed up, it’s hard to focus and the body is lethargic…i’m just not sure that it’s as simple as it sounds. It sure couldn’t hurt though.
I have tried Amp B capsules (bought from France with a US Rx) and also Nystatin tablets wtih a strict protein and veggie diet for six months. It did relieve the sinus problems and all allergy problems and I felt better, but as soon as I started eating more veggies, fruit and grains, it all came back again. The drugs Cytomel and Armour Thyroid help if you have resistance to thyroid hormone. You can see http://www.DrLowe.com for more info. But anti yeast drugs only helped me temporarily.
Hrm. I have allergies and frequent sinus infections and drainage. I’m fortunate not to have the bowel symptoms. I don’t think yeast is my problem, then, because the allergies tend to be very seasonal and I’ve had allergy testing done to see what I’m allergic to.
This is a great article, but for those of you with allergies, you might want to get allergy testing done and then consider yeast as the culprit if nothing shows up on your tests.