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Anyone Have Nerve Damage Caused

Guest missyflanders

By Guest missyflanders
in Related Issues & Disorders

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Guest missyflanders
Guest missyflanders
Posted

by celiac?

I am seeing a neurologist for numbness and tingling in my arms and legs and found somewhere that it could be from nerve damage caused by celiac. I am also dealing with depression. I am beginning to think I just don't have a handle on the celiac disease and that is my entire problem. I have had all sorts of blood work and testing. I am having an EMG done next week to check for nerve and muscle damage.

I am just tired of all the doctors and testing. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Missy :(

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jaimek Enthusiast
jaimek
Posted

I had had numbness/tingling in my arms and legs for a while before i was diagnosed with celiac. Now that I am gluten free, I never get that sensation anymore. I did see a neurologist before knowing that I had Celiac and he didn't see anything wrong (although he didn't do any tests). How long have you been gluten free? The numbness should go away after a couple months of not having gluten. I go through my bouts of depression as well. Guess it all comes with the disease. I had/have a hard time dealing with it sometimes but I get through it. Just hang in there. Hopefully it will all get better and this gluten free diet will pay off in the long run (at least that is what i keep telling myself). Let us know how the test results come out. I am very curious to see what they say!

Chaz Newbie
Chaz
Posted

Yes,I had symptoms starting as pain in the right big toe which later became numbness and progressively got worse and affected the feet and lower leg on both sides.This progressed over a number of years,and my doctor did not come up with a reason for it.I had also ameliorated my digestive symptoms with a high fibre vegetarian diet,but was eventually diagnosed when I went in for severe abdominal pain and they discovered I was anaemic.This started them off to the races with the tests but it took a while to reach a diagnosis because celiac disease was near the end of their list of possibilities.Once I went on a gluten free diet the numbness was one of the quickest symptoms to go away and was almost 90% gone in a few months,but after seven months I still have some lingering neurological symptoms including a persistant tingling around the left ear and sometimes it affects the thumb and index fingers,but overall the severity was rapidly lessened with the gluten free diet.If celiac disease is the cause the gluten-free diet may help fairly quickly.My doctors didn't have much to say about these syptoms and seem to be waiting to see if they will go away from the diet.I did find some information relating to this on the Columbia University GI website which seems very informative.

hope this is helpful,

good luck

  • 1 month later...
micky Newbie
micky
Posted

missyflanders,

After 6months being gluten free I had numb legs and tingly feeling, it eventually spread to my arms, hands and fingers (right side only). Then I began having trouble walking, to the point where I had to use a cane, and I would trip over my own feet . Then began the shaking and the stuttering. I was stubborn, tired of tests that ended with no definate answer, or an accusing stare(32 years of celiac and being told i was anorexic and/or had IBS and told to take a lot of fibercon... <_< ) and therefore waited too long before I went to the doctor.

They've done so many tests I can't count them on both hands anymore, yet nothing obvious showed up. This last test was a lumbar puncture (spinal tap).

I often wondered if all of this was related to celiac, I've seen some reports of nerves being damaged similar to the demyelation in multiple sclerosis. Right now, in my case, they have ruled out many things, but not multiple sclerosis.

It sounds like it may be normal to have the tingling and numbness for celiacs, but if it gets worse as mine did, I definately suggest to look into it.

With luck I will know something soon, and if so, I'll definately update, perhaps it will be of help. My issue may not be related to celiac or yours, but then it may be, its good to look at it from all angles.

My biggest fear is the big "I don't know" which many celiacs are all too familiar with.

Good Luck to you, and don't hesitate to go see your doctor if the symptoms get worse.

micky

*edit* I just read your other post "is this normal" and am sad to hear that they don't have any answers yet :( *

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