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

Sisters, this is really for you, but if you men are seriously curious, I'll
let you read it, too!  HA HA!  I believe this information may be of use to
the female celiacs in our group since celiac is an inflammatory autoimmune
disease that is strongly associated with many other autoimmune diseases.

About 15 years ago, at age 36 I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  But, 4 1/2
years ago, after I went GF, improved my diet, eliminated all reactive foods
& started B 12 shots, got on good probiotics & got my tummy troubles
straightened out, I was WELL!  I felt great!  Whoo hoo!  But after a year or
so, began having fatigue, some muscle aches & depression.  I went to an
alternative MD who said my new problems were associated with pre-menopause.
(Oh joy.)  He put me on very low doses of natural hormone replacement
(triple estrogen & progesterone).  I was amazed at how quickly it helped me
feel happier, more energetic & reduce muscle pain.  I continued feeling
pretty well until just a few months ago.  (You may remember me posting about
arthritis symptoms recently.)   Now, I've entered full force menopause.  The
old aches, pains & depression came back with a vengence with the addition of
unpleasant hot flashes at night (I can't sleep!).  My dose of natural HRT
was doubled & I felt significant pain relief w/i a couple days and began to
sleep a little better.  (A precious little!)

I'm still grappling with the menopause symptoms, but I am particularly
amazed at how much increasing these hormones reduced fibromyalgia &
arthritis symtpoms.  Because I'm a curious gal & wanted to know why, I did a
Google search for estrogen + inflammation.  Lots of articles popped up about
how important estrogen is for reducing inflammation.  One article stated
that declining estrogen levels of menopause is the reason post menopausal
women are vulnerable to more heart attacks & autoimmune diseases.
Interesting, huh?

Anyway, the address to the most pertinent of the articles is below.  I've
copied an excerpt I believe may apply to us female celiacs with our
autoimmune dysfunction.
----------------
http://www.obgyn.net/newsheadlines/womens_health-Autoimmune_Disease-20040624-9.asp

"A team of researchers at Baylor College of Dentistry, a component of the
Texas A&M University System Health Science Center in Dallas, took a fresh
look at the role of estrogen in immune function. Their methods and findings
. . . shed important light on how this female hormone interacts with immune
cells, particularly those present within the tissues lining the joints. . .

"They found that when estrogen levels decrease, CD16 levels increase. This,
in turn, sets off a chain reaction of inflammation, affecting tissues vital
to the body's joints and organs. As a result, changes in estrogen can make a
woman vulnerable to RA and other inflammatory autoimmune diseases, as well
as increase the severity of her symptoms.

"Further study is needed of estrogen's role in exacerbating the symptoms and
the incidence of autoimmune diseases among women, especially during the most
dramatic times of change: postpartum and menopause."
--------------
Wow!  No wonder felt so bad pre & during menopause.  My underlying
inflammatory diseases that were generally kept in "check" by my good diet &
health habits erupted in nasty symptoms when my estrogen levels declined.

I wish I could remember where I read it, but I read that many women's
estrogen levels begins to decrease decades before menopause.  Knowing this
connection between inflammation (pain) and decllining estrogen levels helps
explain one (and perhaps only one) of the reasons why women as a general
rule are more often afflicted with fibromyalgia and autoimmune diseases.

If you want to learn more about natural hormone replacement (the only
hormone replacement that I'd personally use), read Dr. Wright's book,
NATURAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT or Susanne Sommer's book, THE SEXY YEARS.  You
may also find help by doing a Google search for "natural hormone
replacement," or "triple estrogen."  It helps me, it may help you.

Valerie in Tacoma

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