Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Case Report on Controlled Remission of Symptoms by a Dietary Strategy
A 34-year-old woman suffered from significant chronic pain, depression, non-restorative sleep, chronic fatigue, severe morning stiffness, leg cramps, irritable bowel syndrome, hypersensitivity to cold, concentration difficulties, and forgetfulness. Blood tests were negative for rheumatic disorders....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmed.2018.00094/full |
| _version_ | 1811242334178770944 |
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| author | Silvia Maria Lattanzio Francesca Imbesi |
| author_facet | Silvia Maria Lattanzio Francesca Imbesi |
| author_sort | Silvia Maria Lattanzio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A 34-year-old woman suffered from significant chronic pain, depression, non-restorative sleep, chronic fatigue, severe morning stiffness, leg cramps, irritable bowel syndrome, hypersensitivity to cold, concentration difficulties, and forgetfulness. Blood tests were negative for rheumatic disorders. The patient was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Due to the lack of effectiveness of pharmacological therapies in FMS, she approached a novel metabolic proposal for the symptomatic remission. Its core idea is supporting serotonin synthesis by allowing a proper absorption of tryptophan assumed with food, while avoiding, or at least minimizing the presence of interfering non-absorbed molecules, such as fructose and sorbitol. Such a strategy resulted in a rapid improvement of symptoms after only few days on diet, up to the remission of most symptoms in 2 months. Depression, widespread chronic pain, chronic fatigue, non-restorative sleep, morning stiffness, and the majority of the comorbidities remitted. Energy and vitality were recovered by the patient as prior to the onset of the disease, reverting the occupational and social disabilities. The patient episodically challenged herself breaking the dietary protocol leading to its negative test and to the evaluation of its benefit. These breaks correlated with the recurrence of the symptoms, supporting the correctness of the biochemical hypothesis underlying the diet design toward remission of symptoms, but not as a final cure. We propose this as a low risk and accessible therapeutic protocol for the symptomatic remission in FMS with virtually no costs other than those related to vitamin and mineral salt supplements in case of deficiencies. A pilot study is required to further ground this metabolic approach, and to finally evaluate its inclusion in the guidelines for clinical management of FMS. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:49:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0a211360f9874ee4b1b3e42482a0cfc1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-858X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:49:59Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-0a211360f9874ee4b1b3e42482a0cfc12022-12-22T03:30:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2018-04-01510.3389/fmed.2018.00094333403Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Case Report on Controlled Remission of Symptoms by a Dietary StrategySilvia Maria Lattanzio0Francesca Imbesi1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, ItalyNeurological Department, Ospedale Niguarda Ca’ Granda, Milan, ItalyA 34-year-old woman suffered from significant chronic pain, depression, non-restorative sleep, chronic fatigue, severe morning stiffness, leg cramps, irritable bowel syndrome, hypersensitivity to cold, concentration difficulties, and forgetfulness. Blood tests were negative for rheumatic disorders. The patient was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Due to the lack of effectiveness of pharmacological therapies in FMS, she approached a novel metabolic proposal for the symptomatic remission. Its core idea is supporting serotonin synthesis by allowing a proper absorption of tryptophan assumed with food, while avoiding, or at least minimizing the presence of interfering non-absorbed molecules, such as fructose and sorbitol. Such a strategy resulted in a rapid improvement of symptoms after only few days on diet, up to the remission of most symptoms in 2 months. Depression, widespread chronic pain, chronic fatigue, non-restorative sleep, morning stiffness, and the majority of the comorbidities remitted. Energy and vitality were recovered by the patient as prior to the onset of the disease, reverting the occupational and social disabilities. The patient episodically challenged herself breaking the dietary protocol leading to its negative test and to the evaluation of its benefit. These breaks correlated with the recurrence of the symptoms, supporting the correctness of the biochemical hypothesis underlying the diet design toward remission of symptoms, but not as a final cure. We propose this as a low risk and accessible therapeutic protocol for the symptomatic remission in FMS with virtually no costs other than those related to vitamin and mineral salt supplements in case of deficiencies. A pilot study is required to further ground this metabolic approach, and to finally evaluate its inclusion in the guidelines for clinical management of FMS.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmed.2018.00094/fullfibromyalgia syndromefibromyalgia symptom remissiondietary strategyexclusion dietchronic painfructose withdrawal |
| spellingShingle | Silvia Maria Lattanzio Francesca Imbesi Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Case Report on Controlled Remission of Symptoms by a Dietary Strategy Frontiers in Medicine fibromyalgia syndrome fibromyalgia symptom remission dietary strategy exclusion diet chronic pain fructose withdrawal |
| title | Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Case Report on Controlled Remission of Symptoms by a Dietary Strategy |
| title_full | Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Case Report on Controlled Remission of Symptoms by a Dietary Strategy |
| title_fullStr | Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Case Report on Controlled Remission of Symptoms by a Dietary Strategy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Case Report on Controlled Remission of Symptoms by a Dietary Strategy |
| title_short | Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Case Report on Controlled Remission of Symptoms by a Dietary Strategy |
| title_sort | fibromyalgia syndrome a case report on controlled remission of symptoms by a dietary strategy |
| topic | fibromyalgia syndrome fibromyalgia symptom remission dietary strategy exclusion diet chronic pain fructose withdrawal |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmed.2018.00094/full |
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