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rosemarydreamer

Beach Lover
May 25, 2009
79
5
Middle Tennessee
Has anyone else taken the supplement d-ribose for fibromyalgia? After reading a magazine article about this natural sugar while vacationing in Santa Rosa last week, I purchased this at 'For the Health of It'. The personnel there were very helpful. My constant aching muscles and tiredness have definitely improved. I can't believe that I had not heard of this supplement before now.
 

Miss Critter

Beach Fanatic
Mar 8, 2008
3,397
2,125
My perfect beach
I first heard of it from Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum on Dr. Oz's XM Radio show. If you have fibro, you are likely already familiar with Dr. Teitelbaum, as he is a well-known expert. CFS & Fibromyalgia Solutions for Patients and Their Doctors
He and Dr. Steven Sinatra also recommend it for congestive heart failure. I'd taken it awhile back for some fatigue issues, got better, then forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder.
Have you been tested for gluten sensitivity? Many auto-immune diseases are caused by food sensitivities. I never had fibro, but did have other issues that cleared when I removed gluten from my diet.
 

rosemarydreamer

Beach Lover
May 25, 2009
79
5
Middle Tennessee
Thanks for the link. I'll take a look at it. I have read the book, but it has been several years ago. What kind of health provider would you see to be tested for gluten sensitivity?
 

Miss Critter

Beach Fanatic
Mar 8, 2008
3,397
2,125
My perfect beach
Your regular family doc can order the blood work. The markers are IgA and IgG, if I remember. Both were elevated in my son. After meeting with two gastros, we chose NOT to have the upper endoscopy/biopsy and instead used a lab in Dallas that uses stool sampling to diagnose, and also offers DNA analysis. The cost for all was around $400.

We chose against the biopsy mainly because the patient has to eat gluten for 4-8 weeks prior, or the test will not be accurate. I'd eliminated all/most gluten from Jr.'s diet after the blood test, and he was doing MUCH better. When I reintroduced gluten for the biopsy, he turned into a walking zombie, leading me to search for an alternative.

It's important to note that celiac disease is just one aspect of gluten sensitivity. There are other genes that can be involved, and just because one does not have celiac disease does NOT mean one is not gluten sensitive. In Jr.'s case, his main symptom was chronic tiredness, though in retrospect, there were digestive issues that we did not recognize at the time. In my case, arthritis in my fingers and knees disappeared, as did over 20 pounds.

Here's some info on blood tests that I just googled: diagnostictesting - jccglutenfree

Or you could proably skip the whole blood thing and just go with the stool and/or DNA test. The various tests and costs are outlined on their site
http://enterolab.com
You do not need a doctor's order to use EnteroLab. The results and interpretation are sent directly to you. You can then take them to your personal doc if you choose.

The book Dangerous Grains has lots of useful, scientifcally researched info on the link between gluten and auto-immune diseases. I highly recommend it.
Amazon.com: Dangerous Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains May Be Hazardous To Your Health (0735918331297): James Braly M.D., Ron Hoggan M.A., Jonathan Wright: Books: Reviews, Prices & more@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PBzLR22QL.@@AMEPARAM@@51PBzLR22QL
 
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