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Abc27.com: Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia

Tuesday December 18, 2001 10:33am Posted By: Katie McCarthy

Health Digest - A walk is how Darlene starts each day. It's something she couldn't do nine years ago. Darlene suffers from fibromyalgia - a disorder that causes severe pain all over her body. "Basically, five days out of the week I didn't get out of bed. Oh, a couple of hours during the day, but that's about it."

After years of therapy and thirteen different medications, Darlene tried a new treatment--a changed diet. She eliminates two things--aspartame and monosodium glutamate or MSG. Her pain is gone. Doctor Siegfried Schmidt had four other patients like Darlene try this diet. The patients suffered from allergies and fibromyalgia. He says the results surprised him. Siegfried Schmidt, M.D./Family Practitioner, "These people are back to normal life, which is, when you come from chronic pain, to be normal, this is a miracle." Doctor Schmidt thinks the chemicals in the food could affect the brain and cause the pain. Siegfried Schmidt, M.D., "To me, in a disease where we have no treatment, we don't know what it is, but we can eliminate it in some people with just a dietary regimen. To me, that's, I mean, what are we waiting for?"

It's difficult for Darlene to think about the years she lost. At least now she can finally enjoy life again. Dietitians say it's important to read labels very carefully and they recommend eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Copyright 2001 WHTM, LLC