Fibromyalgia and dieting

by Nathan Wei, MD, FACP, FACR

Nathan Wei is a nationally known board-certified rheumatologist and author of the Second Opinion Arthritis Treatment Kit. It's available exclusively at this website... not available in stores.

Click here: Second Opinion Arthritis Treatment Kit



One question I’m often asked is, “What’s the role of diet in fibromyalgia?”

The answer to this is not simple.

The three mainstays of therapy in fibromyalgia include medication, non impact aerobic exercise, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Recently, there is some evidence that food allergies (IgG) may play a role in at least some of the symptoms. So the first role of dieting in fibromyalgia is to explore the possibility of this problem accounting for some of the symptoms.

Patients with fibromyalgia often find it difficult to initiate an exercise program. Because of this, they gain weight. A sensible diet designed to lose the extra pounds is critical. The more weight a patient has to haul around, the worse their symptoms.

Extra weight may also aggravate any osteoarthritis in the low back that may secondarily be involved in fibromyalgia.

In the past, we have used a drug called phentermine, a mild amphetamine to help with the fatigue that patients with fibromyalgia have. The phentermine helped some patients to lose weight. Phentermine does have potential side-effects including headaches, jitteriness, and elevation of blood pressure.

We do recommend a sensible diet supplemented by nutritional supplements high in antioxidants.

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