Sue111

[sue111]

Hi there, has anyone else lost there appetite for three months before being tested for celiac 

Thankyou

[knitty kitty]

Yes, loss of appetite is one of the early symptoms of Thiamine deficiency.  

Thiamine is Vitamin B1.  There are eight essential B vitamins.  We cannot make them so we must get them from the diet every day.  Malabsorption due to the damage done to our small intestine in Celiac Disease can make absorbing sufficient nutrients difficult.  

Thiamine is the B vitamin that runs out first since it cannot be stored for long.  Thiamine deficiency symptoms can occur in as little as three days.  You can have a subclinical deficiency for a long time before the deficiency shows up in blood tests. 

Early thiamine deficiency symptoms can easily be overlooked or attributed to life situations.  The earliest symptom of Thiamine insufficiency is loss of appetite, anorexia.  Fatigue, sleep disturbances, irritability, balance issues, short term memory loss and brain fog are other symptoms.  Abdominal pain, muscle cramps and tremors, weight loss, peripheral neuropathy, over-emotional reactions, dizziness and lightheadedness can also occur.  

Because thiamine deficiency can cause permanent damage, quick correction of thiamine deficiency is important.  The World Health Organization WHO suggests giving high dose Thiamine and looking for improvements. 

High dose thiamine is 500 mg/day or more of Thiamine Hydrochloride or another form of thiamine like Benfotiamine or Allithiamine (TTFD).  Benfotiamine has been shown to help reduce inflammation and promote healing in the digestive tract.

Since the eight essential B vitamins work together, a B Complex supplement should be taken, as well as magnesium glycinate which is needed to make enzymes with Thiamine.  

My doctors completely missed my Thiamine deficiency symptoms.  I developed POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), anorexia, slurred speech and stuttering, memory problems and balance issues.  Luckily I recognized the symptoms from nutrition and microbiology classes at university.  I had improvement of symptoms within an hour of taking Thiamine. 

Hope this helps!  

[Scott Adams]

Loss of appetite is a fairly common symptom of celiac disease, and in some people this can lead to anoresia nervosa: