Is this a sign of intolerance to gluten/celiac?

[olavodogNOR]

Hey. i just joined this forum. i have been battling debilitating neurological issues for 2 years now (i am male, 26 years of age) and i am wondering if its gluten related.

i do not eat gluten on a regular basis. i have some products containing wheat and i usually cheat on pizza once a week or so.

for the past 2 years ive been dealing with extreme cognitive decline, i have a real hard time talking, i can barely remember words, places, names. at times i am slurring my words, even mixing up words like "big foot, turns into: fig boot", i feel like im trapped inside a brain that doesnt work. ive had some days the past 2 years where all of this has cleared up, but it seems like if i eat gluten the effects linger for so long that if it takes over a week to reset my system, i eat gluten again and the loop continues.

ive also been just so fatigued. like chronic fatigue. i still workout 5 times a week but im dragging.

but the worst part is the cognition and the brain fog. i just dont feel like i did before.

other symptoms i have: psoriasis, eczema, tinea versicolor, hair loss, tinnitus at times, joint pain, severe anxiety especially social anxiety because of my brain not working, i feel on edge most of the time like somethings seriously wrong but i cant put my finger on it.

 

any advice?? is this gluten related? i have stopped eating gluten and dairy aswell. i had some lactose free milk last week and i woke up the next day full of skin breakouts on my arm.

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, olavodogNOR!

Nearly all of the symptoms you describe fit either Celiac Disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). They share many of the same symptoms. The difference is that Celaic Disease damages the villi that line the small bowel and thus generates medical problems related to malnutrition. Even though we may be eating well the damage to the villi prevents efficient absorption of nutrients. We have some definite tests for diagnosing celiac disease but none for NCGS. A diagnosis of NCGS can only be arrived at by first ruling out celiac disease. Some experts feel that NCGS may be a precursor to celiac disease.

It often takes two years or longer for the villi to heal completely once one starts the gluten-free diet in earnest. Many of the symptoms you describe are probably related to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. We commonly advise significant supplementation to correct this, even after starting the gluten-free diet. It speeds up healing and compensates for the damage to the villi while they are rebuilding.

You need to realize that if you begin the gluten-free diet now and then decide to get tested for celiac disease you would need to go back to eating regular amounts of gluten for 6-8 weeks before testing or you will invalidate the test results.

[olavodogNOR]

20 minutes ago, trents said:

Welcome to the forum, olavodogNOR!

Nearly all of the symptoms you describe fit either Celiac Disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). They share many of the same symptoms. The difference is that Celaic Disease damages the villi that line the small bowel and thus generates medical problems related to malnutrition. Even though we may be eating well the damage to the villi prevents efficient absorption of nutrients. We have some definite tests for diagnosing celiac disease but none for NCGS. A diagnosis of NCGS can only be arrived at by first ruling out celiac disease. Some experts feel that NCGS may be a precursor to celiac disease.

It often takes two years or longer for the villi to heal completely once one starts the gluten-free diet in earnest. Many of the symptoms you describe are probably related to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. We commonly advise significant supplementation to correct this, even after starting the gluten-free diet. It speeds up healing and compensates for the damage to the villi while they are rebuilding.

You need to realize that if you begin the gluten-free diet now and then decide to get tested for celiac disease you would need to go back to eating regular amounts of gluten for 6-8 weeks before testing or you will invalidate the test results.

thank you for the reply! i do feel like absolute s$#& everytime i eat gluten so id rather just avoid eating it from now.
What supplements is adviced to use during this period? i am eating a very very nutrient dense diet so i would assume im getting everything i need but aparently not since im not absorbing it you think? im having grass fed red meat, quality eggs, fish several times per week, organic fruits/berries, some organic white rice here n there. and gluten free sauces.

also been making milk kefir but i think im gonnaa remove that for awhile since ive heard of cross reactions with dairy and gluten.

any other advice you have for me? i really need to get this sorted ive had my life put on hold in my mid 20s because of this and its really destroying my life honestly

[trents]

Make sure all your vitamin and mineral supplements are gluten free. Wheat starch can be used as a filler in pills. Costco's Nature Made and Kirkland Signature lines are good choices and will clearly state on the label if they are gluten free.

B12 sublingual

B-complex

5000IU daily of D3

Magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate (not magnesium oxide, which isn't absorbed well)

Zinc

Take a look at oats (even gluten free oats) causing a cross reaction. The oat protein avenin is similar to gluten and causes about 10% of celiacs issues.

Dairy. Yes, you already mentioned that. One study showed that about 50% of celiacs react to dairy like they do to gluten.

Don't rule out other health problems not related to gluten.

[olavodogNOR]

21 hours ago, trents said:

Make sure all your vitamin and mineral supplements are gluten free. Wheat starch can be used as a filler in pills. Costco's Nature Made and Kirkland Signature lines are good choices and will clearly state on the label if they are gluten free.

B12 sublingual

B-complex

5000IU daily of D3

Magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate (not magnesium oxide, which isn't absorbed well)

Zinc

Take a look at oats (even gluten free oats) causing a cross reaction. The oat protein avenin is similar to gluten and causes about 10% of celiacs issues.

Dairy. Yes, you already mentioned that. One study showed that about 50% of celiacs react to dairy like they do to gluten.

Don't rule out other health problems not related to gluten.

ok i have all of thoose. im gonna remember to take the b12 sublingually. thanks!

[Posterboy]

OlavodogNOR Et Al,

On 9/19/2022 at 3:53 PM, trents said:

Make sure all your vitamin and mineral supplements are gluten free. Wheat starch can be used as a filler in pills. Costco's Nature Made and Kirkland Signature lines are good choices and will clearly state on the label if they are gluten free.

B12 sublingual

B-complex

5000IU daily of D3

Magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate (not magnesium oxide, which isn't absorbed well)

Zinc

Take a look at oats (even gluten free oats) causing a cross reaction. The oat protein avenin is similar to gluten and causes about 10% of celiacs issues.

Dairy. Yes, you already mentioned that. One study showed that about 50% of celiacs react to dairy like they do to gluten.

Don't rule out other health problems not related to gluten.

Trents has given you good advice but I would add Benfotiamine to that list......

It will help (along with Magnesium Glycinate and/or Magnesium Citrate (your choice there) your fatigue issues....

Benfotiamine is a fat soluble form that has much higher absorption than the form found in B-Complexs and/or mutlivitamins.

And with your B-complexs start taking multi-times a day.......B-Vitamins are water soluble and will be low again 4 to 6 hours later.

So unless you take them frequently you won't get the help you seek from them......

See this article on "Understanding nutrition, depression and mental illnesses"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738337/

I am quoting them because I want you to see how to take B-Vitamins correctly (which almost nobody does)

Quoting their paragraph on B-Vitamins.

"B-complex vitamins

Nutrition and depression are intricately and undeniably linked, as suggested by the mounting evidence by researchers in neuropsychiatry. According to a study reported in Neuropsychobiology,[42] supplementation of nine vitamins, 10 times in excess of normal recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for 1 year improved mood in both men and women. The interesting part was that these changes in mood after a year occurred even though the blood status of nine vitamins reached a plateau after 3 months. This mood improvement was particularly associated with improved vitamin B2 and B6 status. In women, baseline vitamin B1 status was linked with poor mood and an improvement in the same after 3 months was associated with improved mood."

It takes 3 months of taking B-Vitamins frequently to do their maximum good and get the results you seek!

Vitamin Blood Serum levesl won't increase until you have take frequently for at least 3 months.

A proxy for this.....is the color of your urine.....Riboflavin will begin to turn your urine a yellow color when it begins to bypass the kidneys.

You want your urine to be a bright yellow when taking a B-Complex a sign you are bypassing the B-Vitamin you are now taking.......when that happens your B-Vitamin levels are begining to be restored to your cells.

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice.

Posterboy,

[Posterboy]

On 9/19/2022 at 1:56 PM, olavodogNOR said:

other symptoms i have: psoriasis, eczema, tinea versicolor, hair loss, tinnitus at times, joint pain, severe anxiety especially social anxiety because of my brain not working, i feel on edge most of the time like somethings seriously wrong but i cant put my finger on it.

OlavodogNOR,

Your Tinea Versicolor is skin infection tied to a Candida Infection.  This can happen when develops SIBO which typically happens when one get Low in Stomach Acid.

Here is an article about it....

https://www.livestrong.com/article/341334-foods-to-avoid-if-you-have-tinea-versicolor/

You might want to look into taking Betaine HCL (aka Powdered Stomach Acid) and/or Coconut Oil....

This article explains how to use Baking Soda to do a home self test for low stomach acid.

https://drjockers.com/5-ways-test-stomach-acid-levels/

Coconut Oil is known to be good for a Candida Infection (aka a yeast infection) and consider taking some Molybdenum as well.....it is helpful for detoxification especially in someone with SIBO etc.

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice.

Posterboy,

[Bruce B]

Brain fog was my initial issue with gluten as well. I was a postal worker, and would take PB and jam on whole wheat with me every day to snack on my route, and started noticing almost immediately a sense of fog right after eating. In time it became worse, but I never suspected anything related to food. Fast forward 8 years and my body reacts strongly to gluten. My main symptoms are the cognitive effects, body aches, mood effects, and an almost immediate increase in resting heart rate, varying from my normal resting rate of about 65-70 to the mid 90's, sometimes hitting almost 110 bmp ( at rest!). It is frightening and almost immediate, and lasts for at least 3-4 hours. On top of this, I have lingering effects, with not as severe palpitations and fog for up to 48 hours or more (on exertion, caffeine, etc).

I totally understand your desire to cheat on the odd slice of pizza, because I did the exact same thing yesterday, and I sat on the couch for most of the day nursing my heart rate for about 4 hours, before it started to calm down. I was so mad at myself, because I totally messed up my day! On a side note, I have been to the ER on a few occasions and had blood work, and always check out fine, so I know my heart is healthy. I also went for a general food allergy test, and came up clear (this does not test for gluten).

I would suggest a complete cut of gluten from your system for as long as you can muster. I know it can be hard, and that eating on the run or when on road trips becomes almost impossible, not to mention being out with friends or trying to dine out. Dude, it is more than worth it to feel good. Soy also seems to be a culprit for misery, I have eliminated that as well (as additives, fillers, and in cooing oil form).

As a bonus, I have better muscle tone, have lost weight, and my hair is healthier ( hair loss has stopped as well)! I am 55, and god knows how long it pounded my system before I became aware, and made necessary changes. I have been gluten-free (mostly) for just over 2 years now. Make the changes now while you are still a young man. Hope my story helps you and others out.

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Bruce B!

Your reaction pattern sounds like an allergic one but it could also be NCGS. Have you been formerly tested for celiac disease?

[Solomon Wolf]

On 9/19/2022 at 2:56 PM, olavodogNOR said:

Hey. i just joined this forum. i have been battling debilitating neurological issues for 2 years now (i am male, 26 years of age) and i am wondering if its gluten related.

i do not eat gluten on a regular basis. i have some products containing wheat and i usually cheat on pizza once a week or so.

for the past 2 years ive been dealing with extreme cognitive decline, i have a real hard time talking, i can barely remember words, places, names. at times i am slurring my words, even mixing up words like "big foot, turns into: fig boot", i feel like im trapped inside a brain that doesnt work. ive had some days the past 2 years where all of this has cleared up, but it seems like if i eat gluten the effects linger for so long that if it takes over a week to reset my system, i eat gluten again and the loop continues.

ive also been just so fatigued. like chronic fatigue. i still workout 5 times a week but im dragging.

but the worst part is the cognition and the brain fog. i just dont feel like i did before.

other symptoms i have: psoriasis, eczema, tinea versicolor, hair loss, tinnitus at times, joint pain, severe anxiety especially social anxiety because of my brain not working, i feel on edge most of the time like somethings seriously wrong but i cant put my finger on it.

 

any advice?? is this gluten related? i have stopped eating gluten and dairy aswell. i had some lactose free milk last week and i woke up the next day full of skin breakouts on my arm.

I can relate to every word you detailed on your symptoms. I'm on a gluten-free diet and doing well since (besides when I'm accidentally consuming even a bit of gluten that I suffer Neuro symptoms for 2-3 days). I just wait and hope that there would one day be a discovery about an enzyme/supplement etc that could help break the gluten down and prevent the bad affects