Fibromyalgia – It’s Always Best to Treat Upstream

Patients and call-in listeners often ask me about hormone replacement therapy, should they be taking estrogen and or progesterone? I believe in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) and using natural compounded forms of estradiol, estriol, and progesterone can and often is helpful in eliminating some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Estrogen replacement therapy for low blood levels of estrogen can stimulate sex drive, positive moods, and reduce hot flashes among other things. Progesterone, the calming hormone may help calm the mind, reduce anxiety, promote deep sleep, and help build bone.

Helpful yes, but before you fill the BHRT prescription from your “one size fits all” doctor, please realize he or she is often treating downstream.

There are doctors who have found the “religion” of bio identical hormone replacement therapy. These physicians fall in love with this novel approach to treating symptoms and often erroneously assume that any patients they see, needs to be on hormones. Again, this can be helpful but often times the results are mild and the investment in time and money are great.

If your cargo ship crashes on the rocks and begins to leak you could retrieve these items downstream where the current is weak. Of course the cargo will most likely be tainted with water damage. Or you could fix the problem instead-patch the hole in the ship.

With fibromyalgia, treating upstream means focusing on restoring proper homeostatic, self regulating mechanisms associated with the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands (HPA- axis). The HPA axis is our body’s computer self- it regulates body temperature, sex drive, sleep, moods, pain, energy, immune system, and most of the bodily systems.

Restoring proper HPA function is key to correcting the cause(s) of fibromyalgia.

You restore HPA function by building up your stress coping chemicals, serotonin, dopamine, cortisol, DHEA, magnesium, B vitamins, and minerals.

To replenish, your stress coping chemicals you’ll need to take the right supplements and nutrients that then make the stress coping chemicals- 5HTP plus B Vitamins make serotonin etc.

You’ll also need to restore deep, restorative sleep, and repair adrenal fatigue (low cortisol, DHEA levels).

Rarely do I find BHRT, yeast diets, detoxification programs, colon cleanses, heavy metal removal, or allergy programs yield substantial long-term symptom reduction. I’m not saying these treatments can’t be helpful, they can, but it makes more sense to treat upstream, correct the cause of low sex hormones, yeast overgrowth, food allergies, detox issue, etc- restore the body’s self regulating mechanism and many of the SYMPTOMS of poor health are eliminated.