Visual Disturbances

[Cinnamon]

Before going gluten-free, my 11-year-old had numerous neurological symptoms. He had what appeared to be partial seizures, though we don't know for sure since he never had one during either of the 2 EEG's he had. He staggered at times, had slurred speech. He had terrible brain fog, couldn't remember the names of common things. He had twitching, at times, that he couldn't control. All these things went away after going gluten-free, and he's doing great overall.

But one thing that he still has is visual disturbances. He says he often sees flashing lights, either at school or when he's in bed at night. He says it's hard to explain what they look like. They only last a minute or two. Sometimes he says he sees an area of blackness that goes up and down really fast, "like if your eyebrow was twitching and going up and down really fast", is how he describes it. He'll rub his eyes and then see black areas that "look like spiders when I look at the wall." It only lasts a couple of minutes.

His regular doctor says it's probably just ocular migraines without the headache. The eye doctor says it's just nothing and lots of people get that, especially when they're tired. The neurologist said nothing about it, but just examined him and pronounced him fine.

Is it a celiac thing? Does anyone else get these kinds of things? I started giving him magnesium supplements to see if that would help, since they say it helps with migraines, though I don't think he's ever had a headache in his whole life. But apparently you can have migraines without the headache.

Does anyone have any idea what else it might be, or have a similar thing going on?

[NorthernElf]

Has the eye doctor looked for retinal detachment ? If he hasn't, make him ASAP ! My daughter has a different condition that makes her susceptible to retinal detachment and it needs to be caught early to be "fixable". Symptoms include flashes, as well as seeing floaters and a narrowing of peripheral vision. We have spoken with other people with her condition and the longer it's left the harder it is to fix, or it can even be impossible.

I get blurry vision in one eye when glutened but not when I'm gluten-free, FWIW.

[JerryK]

Blurred vision and dry eyes here....that's about it.

[YoloGx]

Before going gluten-free, my 11-year-old had numerous neurological symptoms. He had what appeared to be partial seizures, though we don't know for sure since he never had one during either of the 2 EEG's he had. He staggered at times, had slurred speech. He had terrible brain fog, couldn't remember the names of common things. He had twitching, at times, that he couldn't control. All these things went away after going gluten-free, and he's doing great overall.

But one thing that he still has is visual disturbances. He says he often sees flashing lights, either at school or when he's in bed at night. He says it's hard to explain what they look like. They only last a minute or two. Sometimes he says he sees an area of blackness that goes up and down really fast, "like if your eyebrow was twitching and going up and down really fast", is how he describes it. He'll rub his eyes and then see black areas that "look like spiders when I look at the wall." It only lasts a couple of minutes.

His regular doctor says it's probably just ocular migraines without the headache. The eye doctor says it's just nothing and lots of people get that, especially when they're tired. The neurologist said nothing about it, but just examined him and pronounced him fine.

Is it a celiac thing? Does anyone else get these kinds of things? I started giving him magnesium supplements to see if that would help, since they say it helps with migraines, though I don't think he's ever had a headache in his whole life. But apparently you can have migraines without the headache.

Does anyone have any idea what else it might be, or have a similar thing going on?

I agree have him checked out again maybe by another eye doctor--and do continue the magnesium.

However I have had all kinds of visions and blurriness etc. which only went away after I started taking more absorpable B vitamins. Co-enzyme B's to be exact. I find Country Life to be the best for me since they are tablets without sorbitol--which most of the sublinguals have (sorbitol that is). Problem being that sorbitol often has gluten. I have low B-1, however one can have a variety of B vitamin deficiencies--its not always B-12 like the docs will try to convince you of. B-1 can affect the eyes and brain as well as the nervous system in general creating Beri Beri like symptoms.

Celiac often makes it difficult to absorb B vitamins as well as vitamin D and E, A and the essential fatty acids. I suggest he take supplements for all those things. If he can handle it, take cod liver oil and it will give not only D but also A and Omega 3's.

Additionally, taking skullcap regularly will help both soothe and strengthen the nervous system.

An important thing to do is soothe and heal the lining of the gut which no doubt got eroded from years of celiac. So taking marshmallow root and/or slippery elm caps will help with this a lot.

Taking bromelain/papain and pancreatin with food will help with digestion. And taking bromelain/papain away from food with nattokinase or serrapeptidase (these act as fibronylitic agents--you can look them up on the Internet) will help get rid of the scar tissue which has more than likely formed in his intestines---though the good news that as a child its easier to get rid of than as an adult. As a child he wouldn't need much. You can have him take the fibronyltic agents with the co-enzyme B's which for best effect should also be taken away from food. Best last at night and first thing in the morning. This cold be important to improve his absorption of basic micronutrients he needs to improve his nervous system etc.

Hope this helps!

Bea

[Cinnamon]

Thanks so much, you guys. It's great to be able to get opinions from others on things. I'm definitely getting some co-enzyme B's. I was giving him regular B complex, and it seemed to help, but then I was afraid it was too much of a mega dose and stopped. He should have a second opinion, too. I just ordered some serra peptidase, so we'll see if that helps, I was reading the thread about it in another section earlier and it sounds like a good thing. Hopefully it will tone down the inflammation. I'm hoping it helps me with my thyroiod nodules and other assorted blobs of lymph, as well as help him heal. Thanks again.

[Cherry Tart]

Wow - this sounds familiar! I too experienced flashing lights in my peripheral (with eyes open and worse when they were closed) and single black dots at the center of my vision path. These occurances happened in great frequencey before the gluten-free diet. They began to diminish a year after going gluten-free. However, I do get them from time-to-time when I get glutened. I too was told by a doctor that they were caused by constricting blood vessels in the optic nerve due to a migraine. Sometimes I did experience an actual headache, often times just the visual disturbance. I would suggest taking your child in for a second opinion, just for peace of mind

[Cinnamon]

Thanks, Cherry Tart! He's only been totally gluten-free since January, so maybe it will get better with time. It's worrisome to me, but the doctors don't seem worried about it. It seems like gluten can affect every single part of our body!

[ravenwoodglass]

I had this for years and it was ocular migraines. I would only get the headache a few times a year but the flashing lights were almost daily. It did go away after I had been gluten-free for a while. It sounds like you have addressed this with both his regular and eye doctors but if your still not comfortable totally it wouldn't hurt to have another eye doctor look. Gluten is a pretty nasty neurotoxin and it sounds like your son has quite a bit of neuro involvement. One thing about the brain though is it can recover especially in one so young. You will most likely be astounded with the difference in just a couple of months.

[tom]

I had the peripheral flashes for a while last year - strangely years after going gluten-free.

Never tracked down a cause, tho I haven't had them since - called photopsia, I believe, in my case.

My mom was having VERY strange visual disturbances when glutened - it finally convinced her to be vigilantly 100% gluten-free.

[chb]

I have visual disturbances that sound very similar. For me, they were the "straw that broke the camel's back" and led me to search for what the heck was wrong.

I started with the migraines in the fall of 06. My doctor described them as textbook for ocular migraines. They weren't too bad until the end of last summer. Even on the days I didn't have a full blown migraine, I would be very light sensitive and have constant flashing. The best way I can describe it is that it seems like someone has flashed a bright light in my face and I have to blink and clear away the flashes. (Kind of like the paparazzi is following me around constantly.) It is often associated with mental dullness like you descibed for your son. When I saw the neurologist at the beginning of the year, she was totally not concerned and just wanted me to take medicine to decrease my nuerologic sensitvity. It did not work that well, but what did make a HUGE difference was the gluten free trial I tried.

I have had my blood tests (high for only antigliaden IGA) and am waiting for my GI referral on the 17th. I can't wait to go gluten free and get rid of this stuff.

I hope your son continues to get better with the diet. I have not seen an eye doctor, but my regular physician and the neurologist acted like it was no big deal.

[Cinnamon]

Thanks so much for your replies. I'm feeling better about this. His doctors don't think it's a big deal, either. Hopefully the longer he's gluten-free, the better it will get. I think sometimes he gets glutened at school with all the crumbs.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!