Celiac And Other Autoimmune Diseases

[Jestgar]

What I want to know is that if gluten is the trigger in any of these diseases, why do they never seem to be clinically documented as going into remission when the patient is gluten free, and why would people with the same genetics for Addison's would have different triggers?

The last statement is a good one. I also had neurological symptoms prior to going gluten free. They resolved on the gluten-free diet. But that doesn't mean I was developing MS and it went in to remission. It simply means that I had gluten ataxia from gluten exposure and it stopped. MS and Celiac can be similar in symptoms, but they are not the same disease. I know no one really said that, just wanted to point that out.

I would say that gluten is not the trigger. To continue with the current example. A person has some slight pre-disposition to develop Addison's. Not an "Addison's gene", just some diffuse weakness/improper signalling/whatever within the endocrine system. If nothing goes wrong in their health, they never develop it.

If they also have Celiac's, any antibodies that are produced won't preferentially attack the endocrine system, they'll just produce symptoms there first due to the underlying defects. The symptoms would mimic Addison's, but disappear after removal of gluten.

If the attacks continue, the person develops Addison's disease. Symptoms won't resolve with removal of gluten because sufficient damage has been done that the system can't recover.

I'm not a fan of thinking things are OFF/ON in biology. I tend to favor the spectrum theories.

Also, how do you know you weren't Celiac when first exposed to gliadin. All you know is that you didn't have symptoms.

[Guest Doll]

I would say that gluten is not the trigger. To continue with the current example. A person has some slight pre-disposition to develop Addison's. Not an "Addison's gene", just some diffuse weakness/improper signalling/whatever within the endocrine system. If nothing goes wrong in their health, they never develop it.

If they also have Celiac's, any antibodies that are produced won't preferentially attack the endocrine system, they'll just produce symptoms there first due to the underlying defects. The symptoms would mimic Addison's, but disappear after removal of gluten.

If the attacks continue, the person develops Addison's disease. Symptoms won't resolve with removal of gluten because sufficient damage has been done that the system can't recover.

I'm not a fan of thinking things are OFF/ON in biology. I tend to favor the spectrum theories.

Also, how do you know you weren't Celiac when first exposed to gliadin. All you know is that you didn't have symptoms.

I've never seen it documented that the antibodies produced to gliadin or the intestines in a Celiac can attack anything other than their specific targets. It's not the antibodies produced by Celiac's that cause damage to other organs, these organs are under attack from specific antibodies to themselves. In the case of Addison's, it's the adrenal cortex. These are specific. The symptoms of Addison's are specific to the loss of hormones produced by the adrenal gland, as it is destroyed. If you test positive for autoimmune Addison's, you have these antibodies. You may or may not also have Celiac.

The body has been shown to heal if autoimmunity can be removed (at least in most cases), so if gluten was the trigger for this autoimmunity, some remission in theory would show. To my knowledge there is little/sparse concrete if any documentation of this.

I would be fascinated to see this, which is what I think we all would love. But it doesn't seem to be the case.

I hope I am understanding you correctly!

[Jestgar]

I've never seen it documented that the antibodies produced to gliadin or the intestines in a Celiac can attack anything other than their specific targets.

I've never seen this either, but I've also never bothered to look it up. I'm just exploring alternative explanations which seem to me to be more plausible than "Celiac leads to other autoimmune disorders"

What if, instead of saying that the gliadin induced antibodies attack a specific organ, what if they can set off an event that causes antibodies to be produced against a specific organ? Then the rest of the argument still holds true, remove the pre-disposing condition (gluten) and you remove the resultant symptoms until sufficient damage has been done that the symptoms can no longer resolve.

I'll try to remember to look it up tomorrow, but I do remember hearing that RA antibodies are no longer considered to be the definitive sign of RA because many people have the physically evident symptoms, but no RA antibodies.

I think this may also fit with CarlB's adrenal exhaustion diagnosis. Not specifically Addison's, but damage starting.

[mle-ii]

I wanted to remark on gluten being a problem for non-Celiac (what ever that really means). Non-Celiac, do you mean doesn't have the genes, doesn't show antibodies in the blood, doesn't show antibodies in the stool, doesn't have damage done to the villi or something else?

One remark is, that one could produce antibodies to any of those that show up in Celiac, all without having Celiac Disease (again what ever that means). If you don't believe me look it up in PubMed. (1)

Another thought is, that gluten ideed can have a detrimental effect to those who might not even ever develop Celiac. Mechanisms that I see are opioids derived from gluten (2) (and other common problem foods), gluten and other foods bind to the cells of the lining of the intestine (3) (imagine what the bodies response to this might be) or even immune response to gluten that passes through the gut wall and produces antibodies (leaky gut). Heck I'll even go out on a limb and say that folks who have been infected by pathogens looking like gliadin (we've mentioned a few already) will produce an immune reaction that could cause damage to the GI. What is the bodies response to a constant infection (gliadin) or other food proteins? I'm not sure, but I imagine it's not good.

1) Open Original Shared Link

2a) Open Original Shared Link

2b) Open Original Shared Link

3) Open Original Shared Link

Mike

I'll try to remember to look it up tomorrow, but I do remember hearing that RA antibodies are no longer considered to be the definitive sign of RA because many people have the physically evident symptoms, but no RA antibodies.

Look at this recent release

A gut feeling for joint inflammation - using coeliac disease to understand rheumatoid arthritis.

Open Original Shared Link

[jcc]

I think too often we think in all or nothing ways, and look for a "one answer fits all" solution, rather than consider it might be an answer for a subset of the population. I think it is a shame when science discounts a possible treatment for a condition because it doesn't work for everyone, and sadly, that happens all the time.

10% of schizophrenics respond to dietary changes (gluten and /or casein). Not all, so this is slow to be accepted as possible.

Many children with autism respond to a gluten-free/cf diet, but not all. For this reason, it is still controversial some fifty years later after first proposed, because not every child responds...despite remarkable improvement in some.

About 20-40% of ataxia and peripheral neuropathy are caused by gluten sensitivity by recent study, not all.

Some seizures are caused by gluten sensitivity/celiac disease, but certainly not all.

There are many, many, many causes, nutritional, genetic and otherwise, that contribute to these diseases.

I wouldn't ever suggest anything close to all autoimmune disease begins with gluten (or casein) sensitivity, but you won't find me saying gluten sensitivity doesn't possibly contribute to other autoimmune disease besides celiac disease.

I think there are likely multiple causes and multiple treatments for many disease processes, particularly "autoimmune" disease. We categorize autoimmune and other disease by the symptoms, the part of the body involved, rather than by the triggers or cause...because the triggers or cause are often unknown.

Celiac disease is the only autoimmune disease where the cause IS KNOWN, but researches are starting to suspect that gluten can cause autoimmune attack of other organs with or without co-existing celiac disease...and perhaps other gluten related autoantibodies that we don't yet know about will emerge.

Other suspected causes?? Bacteria? Virus? Spirochete? Other food sensitivity? Vitamin deficiency?

We have to stop thinking that there is only one cause/trigger of a disease or that one treatment fits all. I just don't think it works like that. Heck, a gluten free diet doesn't fix ALL celiacs, as there is refractory sprue. Do you suppose those patients might need a casein, soy free diet, too? Or maybe more of a certain nutrient?

Does this make sense to anyone else?

Cara

I wanted to remark on gluten being a problem for non-Celiac (what ever that really means). Non-Celiac, do you mean doesn't have the genes, doesn't show antibodies in the blood, doesn't show antibodies in the stool, doesn't have damage done to the villi or something else?

LOL...good question! I think all of the above apply. Good post!

[mle-ii]

I think too often we think in all or nothing ways, and look for a "one answer fits all" solution, rather than consider it might be an answer for a subset of the population. I think it is a shame when science discounts a possible treatment for a condition because it doesn't work for everyone, and sadly, that happens all the time.

10% of schizophrenics respond to dietary changes (gluten and /or casein). Not all, so this is slow to be accepted as possible.

Many children with autism respond to a gluten-free/cf diet, but not all. For this reason, it is still controversial some fifty years later after first proposed, because not every child responds...despite remarkable improvement in some.

About 20-40% of ataxia and peripheral neuropathy are caused by gluten sensitivity by recent study, not all.

Some seizures are caused by gluten sensitivity/celiac disease, but certainly not all.

There are many, many, many causes, nutritional, genetic and otherwise, that contribute to these diseases.

I wouldn't ever suggest anything close to all autoimmune disease begins with gluten (or casein) sensitivity, but you won't find me saying gluten sensitivity doesn't possibly contribute to other autoimmune disease besides celiac disease.

I think there are likely multiple causes and multiple treatments for many disease processes, particularly "autoimmune" disease. We categorize autoimmune and other disease by the symptoms, the part of the body involved, rather than by the triggers or cause...because the triggers or cause are often unknown.

Celiac disease is the only autoimmune disease where the trigger IS KNOWN, but researches are starting to suspect that gluten can cause autoimmune attack of other organs with or without co-existing celiac disease...and perhaps other gluten triggered autoantibodies that we don't yet know about will emerge.

Other suspected causes?? Bacteria? Virus? Spirochete? Other food sensitivity? Vitamin deficiency?

We have to stop thinking that there is only cause to one disease or that one treatment fits all. I just don't think it works like that. Heck, a gluten free diet doesn't fix ALL celiacs, as there is refractory sprue. Do you suppose those patients might need a casein, soy free diet, too? Or maybe more of a certain nutrient?

Does this make sense to anyone else?

Cara

LOL...good question! I think all of the above apply. Good post!

Exactly, which is why (I remarked on it in an earlier post) I found the studies showing that certain pathogens (one was a fungi and the other was a virus, that both look like gliadin) weren't the cause of Celiac quite laughable. They said because pathogen A only showed up in X% of cases it wasn't a trigger, others said that because pathogen B only showed up in Y% of cases it wasn't a trigger. Hello, how about looking into multiple triggers, multiple pathogens that brought about lack of tolerance to proteins. Seems pretty plausable to me.

Along the same lines I'm starting to think that the Lymphocytic Colitis (Microscopic Colitis) is most likely a symptom of something else. Some unsuspected/undectected pathogen.

Seems that bacteria and other pathogens are pretty clever. Take a look at this recent article:

Open Original Shared Link

Huh, some pathogen is able to mimic something else in the body and cause all sorts of problems.

I think they're clever enough to avoid current detection for sure, and I know that they are clever enough to hide away and turn on at a later time.

Hmmm... seems I started to ramble a bit.

[ArtGirl]

that ....Do you think that both the genes for autoimmunity (including Celiac) and gluten intolerance run in your family? That's my guess. You "lucked" out?

If you were to actually devlop an autoimmunity without those genes and only GI genes, that would be a link worth exploring. It is possible to have both conditions in one person or in one family, so that would have to be ruled out.

I have to admit I am not familiar with Entrolab, but have you had a full Celiac panel and gene test through your MD?

I don't think that there are celiac genes in my family's gene pool, otherwise there would have been more unexplained illness and/or death. I remember my mother saying that my sister was the only one who she could find out about who had Type 1 Diabetes. All she could turn up was one child two generations previous that had died young. My parents and their siblings have all passed away now, so there's no one left to ask questions of.

I have not had a celiac panel for myself since I've not had medical insurance for years and so haven't gone to doctors much - but even when I did have ins. years ago and was trying to find out why I had D so much, the doctor didn't have a clue and only ran a few general tests. I didn't even realize what Celiac was until a few months ago when I found this board.

[jcc]

Seems that bacteria and other pathogens are pretty clever. Take a look at this recent article:

Well, that sort of flew past me . There is a woman who used to post on BT who had some very interesting theories about fungus as being a trigger for Celiac Disease. Very interesting stuff, not that I could understand all of it. She was a biochemist or similar by profession, and I never even took high school chemistry. I like to keep an open mind as things are not always as black and white as they seem, particularly not in a gray area like this~

Also, triggers and cause are not exactly the same. Celiac Disease is caused by an abnormal immune system response to gluten, although there may be various environmental triggers to set things in motion. I confuse the terms all the time, and at times even when I am trying hard to think about it... I have trouble distinguishing.

Cara

[Guest ~jules~]

Ok, my great grandmother on my dads side died of lymphoma, three months later my grandmother dies of lymphoma, (my dad's mom) My aunt (my dad's sister) decides to never have children because of her relentless stomach problems. Okay, now I have celiac....hmmmmmmm.....Oh and my mother is diabetic....Now that makes me think too much.

[gfp]

I am with you on the AD-12 theory too, anything is possible. Maybe one idea is right, maybe both are, maybe neither are.

I can say that with our current medical standards, most people who do not EVER test positive (including borderline elevated) for Celiac in ANY way, shape, or form, do not have Celiac. The new tests are very specific. I agree testing frequency is poor for this disease, but my point initially was that most people who have autoimmunities DO NOT have Celiac. Steve posted a great snippet saying 12% in a group of those with Addison's have Celiac. Yes, that is a lot. But what about the other 88% that DON'T have it? Which was proved within the study? This could just demonstrate the genetic link some people seem to have, in which they are prone to multiple autoimmune diseases and have a defective immune response.

That depends what you mean by do not have it.

Do not have elevated AgA, AgG and transglutamase or one of the three OR biopsy? or were not tested etc.

Just bear with me and I'll try and put it all together...

I also think it needs to be made clear that those who say they have gluten intolerance and have no autoimmune diseases weren't necessarily protected from the gluten-free diet.

No but perhaps some of them were? and this is really the point.

If we start off with a presumption that they cannot then we will never test....

I can point you to old studies on h. pylori where the same arguament is used. The big arguament was always but sme people with jugedenal ulcers don't have h pylori. Once testing was routine and methodology was brought in and people got used to looking for h pylori then the numbers went up.

BUT some people still don't have h. pylori however many DO benefit from antibiotics.

They generally don't have the genetics to get autoimmune diseases in the first place. They say they react to gluten, but they are not Celiac. If they have no autoimmune or genetic markers for Celiac, I am saying that the risk of additional autoimmunity is the same as the general public.

Once again that presupposes DQ1 ios the only genetic marker for celiac... and this is not surprising since the majority of studies have been done with populations derived from type R haplotype BUT everytime its extended we start finding non type R haplotypes as well and perhaps there is a second minor gene.

It's like saying that Type 2 diabetics (a NON autoimmune disease with the same name) have the same risk of additional autoimmune diseases as Type 1 (autoimmune) diabetics, even though they are completely different diseases complete with different genetics. As I said, I (and the whole medical community) don't really know what the mechanism behind "gluten intolerance". It doesn't seem to be autoimmune Celiac, though. I am NOT saying that the gluten-free diet is not beneficial to them, just that the autoimmunity issue is not there. I personally can admit I do not know much about non-Celiac gluten intolerance.

I think this is not surprising because nobody seems to know much about it. The studies just have not been done. Lets face it the oats issue is still not conclusively proven either and yet oats contain no gliadins.

Why, because the studies that have been done have been done on specific groups and in relation to biopsy proven celaic (or other criteria)...

I do want to point out that some people (fairly rare) have innate antibody deficiencies. This might explain those who test negative but react or have intestinal damage on biopsy with negative bloodwork.

I don't think Alba is working on a cure per se, but university researcher centres are. There are a handful of scientists searching for fame, fortune, or maybe have a child with Celiac and just really want to help. A cure can make money as well. Think about how much people pay for cancer treatment hoping to be free of disease. I live in Canada, but I can just imagine.

Yes but almost all cancer research is privately funded. This is a rather different ballpark to trying to get a grant on say studying human sexuality (just watched Kilnsey again )

Hey gfp, don't you have a PhD in Organic Chem? If anyone is going to "cure" Celiac, it might as well be you! I'll be your lab gopher....hehe....

Unfortunately for this its organic geo-chemistry. Most of my "patients" have been dead for 300ma, liquified and turned into oil....

However on to the whole thing....

Medical science is somewhat at the same stage as physcis at the start of the 20C.

Watson and Crick did not dicover the relevance of DNA until 1953 and common day uses of genetics are still expanding but this is in science, not medicine because over the same time medicine started double blind long terms trials so even after scientifically cigarettes were proven to cause cancewr it took 50 years of clinical trials during which time many people died.

I pretty much think that diseases are still looked at as symptoms based.

That is GI diseases are classified as such... but also that we clump diseases together in historical ways and this prevent links being noticed.

The effect of this is that in some cases more than once disease or with different causes is called the same thing and the same disease with different symptoms or manifestations is not recogniosed as the same disease with a different expression.

In the same way the commonality of diseases in different patients is not recognised partly due to it being in different specialisms but also simply due to most specialists ignoring what the patient tells them.

The non linking of GERD and celaics being one...

This doesn't mean all GERD is caused by one mechanism either ... and lets not even start with IBS.

[Nancym]

Autoimmune diseases are really hard to diagnose a lot of the time. Some of them take dozens of years before they're diagnosed. I suspect a lot of people have an autoimmune disease that are never diagnosed. I remember watching one Mystery Diagnosis where a woman with Behcets took 17 years to get a diagnosis. Probably it takes getting to a fairly acute stage before someone gets a proper diagnosis, some people just never get all that acute.

Unfortunately for this its organic geo-chemistry. Most of my "patients" have been dead for 300ma, liquified and turned into oil....

You sound like a typical doctor! Most of your patients are dead.

[covsooze]

I'm feeling the after effects today of either a glutening or a caseining, so this post won't be long and detailed, but I just wanted to throw something into the pot. I'm reading The China Study by Colin Campbell, who apparently is very big in the field of nutrition. He did a massive study in China of people's eating habits and whetehr there was any link with their health. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to refer to gluten or coeliacs, but it did find a big link with autoimmune cases in general, and that was casein. He's not saying casein causes autoimmune diseases, but rather, where the genes are there, having casein in the diet can contribute to the disease triggering. there's a lot of research to back this up. Equally, and perhaps more surprisingly, removing casein from the diet can then significantly improve the health of anyone with an autoimmune disorder.

Dr Campbell advocates a vegan diet, as that is what his research - and that of others - demonstrates prevents disease of all types. Sadly, a lot of us (including myself) are intolerant to many plant based proteins, so veganism is just not practical. But, it's a very interesting study, nevertheless.

[Jestgar]

Watson and Crick did not dicover the relevance of DNA until 1953

I just wanted to point out that they published the structure of DNA, based on data that was in part stolen from Rosalind Franklin....

I think too often we think in all or nothing ways, and look for a "one answer fits all" solution, rather than consider it might be an answer for a subset of the population.

I have a friend in her forties. Every female member of her mothers family has had bi-lateral breast cancer. Her mother is currently undergoing a second round of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer after surviving bi-lateral breast cancer many years ago. It's the same etiology as the cancers from the two "breast cancer genes" BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Recently her mom entered a study where they typed for these two genes. She has neither of them. Does this mean she doesn't really have cancer? That all of her sisters didn't die? That her daughter hasn't spent her life assuming she'll die before she's 50?

Don't get hung up on what's known.

[gfp]

I just wanted to point out that they published the structure of DNA, based on data that was in part stolen from Rosalind Franklin....

Don't get hung up on what's known.

Hey I'm trying to moderate my inbuilt "correctness gene" here

It might interest you to know I have followed her around... Kingston on Thames (bachelors degree), Paris (now) and as part of my MSc. thesis I used the XRD at Birbeck.

I am for obvious reasons avoiding the US...

However I don't think its fair to say stolen since Crick and Franklin worked together and Franklin was a close family friend.

[Nancym]

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to refer to gluten or coeliacs, but it did find a big link with autoimmune cases in general, and that was casein. He's not saying casein causes autoimmune diseases, but rather, where the genes are there, having casein in the diet can contribute to the disease triggering. there's a lot of research to back this up. Equally, and perhaps more surprisingly, removing casein from the diet can then significantly improve the health of anyone with an autoimmune disorder.

Dr. Fine mentioned in his lecture that Casein seems to be something that might explain autoimmune diseases. He also seemed to think that dairy products cause more osteoperosis than it prevents, but he didn't elaborate.

[gfp]

The study, published in the Lancet in 2001, found that mortality in people with celiac disease was most significantly affected by diagnostic delay, pattern of presentation, and adherence to the gluten free diet. A delay in diagnosis of more than one year and a severe presentation of celiac disease at diagnosis doubled the observed deaths during the study. Non-adherence to the gluten-free diet, defined as eating gluten once a month or more, increased the relative risk of death six-fold. These factors were highly statistically significant. There are limitations to this study, however, including the fact that people diagnosed in the 1960’s were more likely to present with a severe case of celiac disease, including intestinal lymphoma.

Alessandro Ventura and colleagues conducted an important study on the presence of autoimmune disorders in people with celiac disease. Published in 1999 in the journal Gastroenterology, these researchers recruited 909 patients with celiac disease, as well as 1268 healthy controls and 163 patients with Crohn’s disease. The results were dramatic, and highly statistically significant.

Ventura found that the risk for developing other autoimmune disorders increased relative to the age of the person with celiac disease at diagnosis. For instance, a child that is 2 years of age has a 5% chance of developing another autoimmune disorder, but a person over 20 years of age at diagnosis has a 34% chance.

Source :

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CELIAC DISEASE PROGRAM

Open Original Shared Link

[barbara3675]

In agreement with Ravenswood's posting on 9/11 and Nini's on 9/6. I had fibromyalgia and a thyroid problem first and then discovered that I was gluten intolerant through testing at Enterolab. I fully believe that the fibromyalgia is much better due to the lack of gluten in my diet. Doctors just aren't studying up on this because there are not pills for it, but sooner or later they will catch on to the benefit of all of us an we will have been the smart ones all along.

[lonewolf]

I've met several people who had MS diagnoses who have reversed their symptoms by dietary changes outlined in the MS-Direct site (gluten free, casein free, legume free, more). I personally know somebody whose Sjogren's symptoms and associated antibodies reversed on a gluten, casein, soy, and corn free diet. Personally, I think some of the reports on Open Original Shared Link, Open Original Shared Link, and Open Original Shared Link remitting on a gluten free diet are most remarkable...so don't miss those pages either.

In any case, it isn't just lay people who are thinking this. Researchers are actively looking at these things, and the spectrum of gluten sensitivity does seem to be widening.

Hope this helps~ Open Original Shared Link

Cara

I just now read through most of this thread, and realized that I am fairly ignorant of all the ins and outs of understanding genes and T-cells etc. But this post caught my eye because of the mention of kidney disease. I've had psoriasis for about 20 years, was diagnosed over 10 years ago with hypothyroid and psoriatic arthritis. All of these are autoimmune. I stopped eating wheat, eggs, soy and dairy over 10 years ago, got over the arthritis completely, but still have the psoriasis and thyroid issues. I had been gluten "lite" for about 7 years and decided to try to add spelt into my diet. Very soon after that I developed a kidney disease that was determined to be autoimmune. I realized that there was a link to my disease and gluten intake, so went gluten-free. My kidney disease went into remission. I started on spelt again and the disease relapsed. I went gluten-free again and have been in remission for over 2 years, even before I was FANATICALLY gluten-free including CC. The doctor doesn't have time to listen to me tell him that it's related to gluten - he knows I'm crazy. So, I'm probably the only person in the world who is managing my kidney disease, which there is supposedly no cure for, by maintaining a gluten-free diet. And there will never be any research into my specific disease because it is usually managed by large doses of prednisone which do bring about periods of remission. My unscientific mind has determined that there is a direct correlation between autoimmune diseases and gluten intake and I am living my own experiment.

[Alohastar]

Nice information from PubMed etc. You're A+. thanks.

Open Original Shared Link

This is a good site about autoimmune disease.

Autoimmunity requires a trigger - that is true, Untreated celiac can provide the trigger because as long as gluten is ingested the immune system is producing cells that damage the villi. Type 1 Diabetes - although treated with insulin - is an ongoing attack itself. That if we found a way to stop the immune attack - the islet cells could regenerate, but they are destroyed faster than they can regenerate. That is why somone with diabetes often develops hashimotos hypothyroidism or celiac.... because their system is geared up all the time

Celiac is one disease where we can calm the immune system by avoiding gluten - we avoid gluten - the immune attack stops. We ingest gluten - it will begin again immediately because the T cells have memory. Its about the only immune mediated disease where we can stop the immune response by avoiding the "antigen". An analogy related to an immune response would be a stinging insect allergy - as long as you dont get stung - you wont have an immune response. Just like gluten - as long as you dont eat it - your immune sytem is quiet. So many think that if a celiac goes gluten-free , the immune system calms down and hopefully reduces the possibility of other immune disorders - because you took away one potential trigger for further disease. But there are many triggers.

If a genetic flaw is there and the right trigger occurs (it can be environmental, viral, bacterial) the autoimmune disease will develop.

Some articles about celicc and autoimmune

Pub med :

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Celiac Disease-Associated Autoimmune Endocrinopathies

[grace333]

i have had m.s. for about 30 yrs. recently i was in a store and picked up a book with an article on a gluten free, lowfat diet for m.s. everywhere i turn this keeps popping up. i lived in so. america for three yrs symptom free and actually did things i had't done in many yrs. since returning to the u.s. things have really detereated health wise. i have to look at many factors but reading the article on this website on m.s. and celiac disease has me investigating the two diets between so. america and here in the u.s thank you all for continued posting as i investigate further God bless

[mysticfrog]

Greetings all

I am new to this site ...and this disease. It is just about the straw that broke the camels back. When I was 25 I was diagnosed with pernisious anemia. Rare for that age I am told. Then came the autoimmune thyroid disease. My faithful body killed it mostly and I take the max amount of Synthroid. Then came the Lupus. First looked at back when I was 25 and then firmly diagnosed ten years ago. Them came the diabetes. Type I at my age, seems I am producing antibodies against the pancreas. I am now 50 and today my Dr called back with the results of new slews of test for chronic nausea, tummy pains and weightloss...and quess what. Celiac. ARGGGGGGGG!!!

I have been told by Doctors at Duke University and at the Mayo Clinic that people with autoimmune problems tend to develope more than one problem. All stand alone things but usually clusters for people like me. I can not tell you how frustrated this make me. I just keep wondering ....what next.

[2kids4me]

Welcome - you are not alone - the cluster is in myself and my two kids.

You are not alone, it is frustrating and depressing at times.

my son and I developed a way to deal with bad days - injections that hurt? the needle must DIE - he smashes it into concrete or darts it into a cork board we made

When diagnosed with celiac he wanted me to rent a cement truck and run over a loaf of bread and a box of Tim Horton donuts. He said it tongue and cheek but it gives us a laugh or two on a bad day

You are in the right place because many on this board have multiple medical issues /autoimmune / food allergies in addition to celiac.

[confused]

I just read threw these post and found them very helpful. I wanted to bump them up for some other newer members could read them.

paula

[georgie]

Thanks for bumping this up Paula.

Once a separate disorder (hypothyroidism, diabetes for example) develop - going gluten free is not the treatment for those diseases so it wont help those particular diseases once they develop...

I have noted that now I am gluten-free - that I need HALF the Armour Thyroid that I was taking before. I was taking 240mg Armour previously for about 5 months, then after going gluten-free my T3 blood tests went high and my Dr wanted me to take less. I did, went dairy free as well , and am happily chirping along on 120mg Armour.

I am on a few Thyroid lists and trying to tell folks this but they don't want to know about a diet change Even if they have 'IBS' and 300mg Armour is not working. If anyone wants to go to STTM and help me they are welcome cos I am getting puffed out trying !