Celiac Disease and Fibromyalgia

I've done lots of reading about associated symptoms and diseases of Celiac Disease and have come across some articles where people were diagnosed with Fibromyalgia for years and then they were also diagnosed with Celiac Disease. The National Fibromyalgia Association defines the syndrome as...

a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.

Fibromyalgia, which has also been referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome, fibromyositis and fibrositis, is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities."

The symptoms are very similar to Celiac Disease. A recent study noted here indicated that 9% of the participants were originally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and then correctly diagnosed with Celiac. With all the "Gluten Free Diet can cure this or that" in the news lately, I've seen some articles about people easing some symptoms of the syndrome by going Gluten Free.

The point is to let you all know that if you've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in the past, you may want to get tested for Celiac Disease. Their symptoms are similar.