Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Or IBS? You May Have Been Misdiagnosed.

While living in California I was diagnosed with Lupus despite the fact that I never got back a positive ANA test or other blood work to confirm that diagnosis. The doctors there chose to treat the diagnosed Lupus with high dosages of Prednisone (A corticosteroid), Plaquenil, and a host of symptom calming medications.

When we moved to Missouri, I was flabbergasted to have my new doctors tell me that they were certain that my problems were not Lupus and that many of my symptoms were the result of years of the wrong treatment. While they agreed that I must be fighting an auto-immune type illness they were convinced that the worst of my problems were exacerbated by the use of the corticosteroids which had in fact given me osteoporosis. In addition, this medication had thinned my skin to the point that it tears as easily as a 90 year olds even though I am only 55 and caused previous conditions to worsen.

One thing that has been brought up as a likely culprit of my problems is leaky gut syndrome. This is an inflammation of the lining of the gut that creates symptoms similar to Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It can develop from such culprits as prescription hormones (such as birth control pills and/or hormone replacement therapy) and prescription corticosteroids (such as hydrocortisone); antibiotics; and processed foods and drinks that contain parasites, mold or fungus. It is exacerbated by large amounts of refined foods including chocolate, store bought cookies, soft drinks, white bread products or an increase in the amount of caffeine or alcohol that you consume.

It seems, according to the doctors, that due to the changes that these items cause to the gut wall harmful microorganisms are able to enter the circulatory system. This in turn, can then lead to many systemic inflammatory and immune-related symptoms and conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, eczema, Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia, Raynaud’s disease, chronic urticaria (hives) and inflammatory bowel disease.

The symptoms of leaky gut vary but can include any of the following: facial swelling (when exposed to strong smells); gas, bloating and post-meal cramping; bouts of diarrhea and constipation; headaches; irritability; and lack of concentration. Individuals with leaky gut will eventually succumb to fatigue, and memory loss. Also, like irritable bowel syndrome, both conditions involve significant amounts of chronic abdominal pain and can mimic menstrual irregularities, pain with bowel movements, diarrhea, and/or constipation. Increased incidences of fibromyalgia have also been linked to this syndrome.

In Leaky gut what is occurring is that substances that normally pass through the bowels are able to enter the blood stream through the abnormally large spaces present between the cells of the gut wall. It is also acknowledged by health care professionals that leaky gut may have started after a yeast infection, and the possibility of Candida lingering in the intestine must be considered and treated if found. Gastrointestinal infections, like Candida, have the potential to damage the lining of the intestinal walls causing them to leak. Once this lining is compromised via infection, medication or chemicals, there is a greater likelihood that toxic substances will be absorbed into the system. Also because the most common substance in the digestive tract is food, nonabsorbable food can now be absorbed causing an immune reaction in the gut-associated lymphatic tissue.

To treat leaky gut syndrome you must first get treatment for candidiasis and other microorganisms that blood tests may reveal. Various medications including Diflucan or Lamasil may be prescribed or aggressive natural nutriceuticals may be given to fight the fungal infection. The hardest part of the treatment, however, is that to cure it the patient needs to eat fewer simple carbohydrates and replace them with more complex ones such as vegetables. The good news though is that the process is very effective in curing leaky gut and diminishing or eliminating symptoms. Remember, though that doctors will tend to prescribe medications that may not only make the condition worse but may actually be the cause of the syndrome so avoid NSAIDs, corticosteroids, prescription antibiotics, anti-histamines and immuno-suppressive drugs unless they are unavoidable to your condition.

Good luck and I hope that this gives hope to any of you out there who are feeling frustrated with what appears to be a hopeless illness.

[tags]Leaky gut syndrome, fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel syndrome, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, simple carbohydrates, Diflucan, Lamisil, Fungal infection, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Candida, gastrointestinal infections, stomach pain, cramps, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, hormone replacement therapy[/tags]