Gluten-free diet in the management of patients with irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia and lymphocytic enteritis

An evaluation of the effect of 1 year of a gluten-free diet was performed in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome displaying lymphocytic enteritis. Gluten withdrawal produced a slight but significant improvement of the functional symptoms, suggesting that gluten might be partly responsible for this clinical picture. This hypothesis should be confirmed by a double-blind placebo-controlled trial since it cannot be ruled out that the studied patients displayed a subjective sensation of improvement due to the placebo effect of gluten withdrawal. Further investigations are needed before recommending gluten withdrawal in patients with fibromyalgia and lymphocytic enteritis.