<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Interesting article for many of CD patients who also suffer with these
disorders.  The disappointment is that they are discussing antibiotic
therapy as a cure for dysbiosis (overgrowth of "unfriendly" intestinal
flora).  Dysbiosis is only made worse with antibiotics, opening the way
for an even worse problem - candidiasis.  The best, safest and most
lasting treatment for dysbiosis is a diet low in refined carbohydrates
coupled with consumption of liberal quantities of cultured foods: kefir,
yogurt, raw sauerkraut & kimchee.  Second best treatment is commercially
prepared "probiotics."  ~Valerie in Tacoma
-------------------
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/472635?mpid=27030
Breath Test Links Fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 29 - An abnormal lactulose breath test
(LBT), indicative of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, in
fibromyalgia patients and in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients may
help to explain common features of the conditions, researchers report in
the April issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Dr. Mark Pimentel from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles,
California and colleagues note that nearly a third of fibromyalgia
patients in some studies are also diagnosed with IBS, suggesting a causal
link between the two disorders.

The researchers tested their hypothesis that the lactulose breath test
would be abnormal in both IBS and fibromyalgia by performing the test in
42 fibromyalgia patients, 111 IBS patients, and 15 healthy controls.

All 42 patients with fibromyalgia had an abnormal LBT, compared with 93
(84%) of IBS patients and 3 (20%) of the controls.

Hydrogen production was significantly greater in fibromyalgia patients
than in IBS patients or healthy controls. Moreover, the researchers note
that in 41 fibromyalgia patients, there was a significant correlation
between their visual analogue pain score and the peak hydrogen level and
hydrogen area under the curve seen on the LBT.

"The additional finding in our study that the degree of pain in
fibromyalgia seems to correlate with the degree of hydrogen suggests a
possible link between the LBT findings and hyperalgesia," the
investigators write.

"This study suggests that an abnormal LBT may be a common link between
subjects with fibromyalgia and IBS," the authors conclude. "Further study
is needed to determine if treatment and normalization of the breath test
with antibiotic treatment can produce an improvement in fibromyalgia in
addition to bowel complaints."

Ann Rheum Dis 2004;63:450-452.


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