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Joint Pain Due To Celiac?

TardyTurtle

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TardyTurtle Newbie
TardyTurtle
Posted

Hi Everyone,

I have been having problems with my joints for the past year. It started with my knees scraping (feeling like bone on bone) and cracking as I walked up stairs and now all my joints feel affected - especially knees and wrists. I have been mostly gluten free for the past 6 weeks and feel these symptoms have escalated in the past couple weeks. My knees now hurt and feel inflamed. My wrists also feel weak and crack with some pain.

I have read celiac can cause an autoimmune reaction in my joints. Does anyone else have this experience and/or suggestions? Thank you!

BTW, I am 31 yrs old, not overweaight, and with no previous injury to my joints - so likely shouldn't have osteoarthritis -here is my dx detail:

Last week, lab tests confirmed active dietary gluten sensitivity, autoimmune reaction to transglutaminase, elevated anti-casein (cow's milk) IgA antibody, and two copies of a gene that predisposes to gluten sensitivity (HLA-DQ 3,1 (Subtype 7,6)) However, do not possess the main HLA-DQB1 genes predisposing to celiac sprue.

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YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted
Hi Everyone,

I have been having problems with my joints for the past year. It started with my knees scraping (feeling like bone on bone) and cracking as I walked up stairs and now all my joints feel affected - especially knees and wrists. I have been mostly gluten free for the past 6 weeks and feel these symptoms have escalated in the past couple weeks. My knees now hurt and feel inflamed. My wrists also feel weak and crack with some pain.

I have read celiac can cause an autoimmune reaction in my joints. Does anyone else have this experience and/or suggestions? Thank you!

BTW, I am 31 yrs old, not overweaight, and with no previous injury to my joints - so likely shouldn't have osteoarthritis -here is my dx detail:

Last week, lab tests confirmed active dietary gluten sensitivity, autoimmune reaction to transglutaminase, elevated anti-casein (cow's milk) IgA antibody, and two copies of a gene that predisposes to gluten sensitivity (HLA-DQ 3,1 (Subtype 7,6)) However, do not possess the main HLA-DQB1 genes predisposing to celiac sprue.

Yes the ravages of gluten intolerance definitely can cause such joint problems. It certainly has for me. I am very sensitive to any gluten at all--even as it turns out in soaps and lotions etc. that have (wheat germ) vitamin E in them! This of course includes cosmetics. I also can't have any grain made anything including alcohol and white (or wine or malted) vinegar.

I suggest in the meantime to make your life easier you invest in buying some bromelain/papain caps and pancreatin enzymes. It will help your intestines deal with food better and you will have less inflammation. If you have the money, invest also in either nattokinase or serrapeptidase to take down the scar tissue and inflammation in your intestines. Best taken on an empty stomach maybe with some extra bromelain/papain or other enzymes. Taken away from food they are called "systemic enzymes" and help take down inflammation.

I have also had success using liver cleansing herbs to take down the inflammation--such as alternating one week on and one week off with either milk thistle (silymarin caps) or dandelion root. And yes -- no tinctures!

If you don't have D you can also alternate Oregon Grape Root and Yellow Dock. They help the liver and intestines get rid of toxins and thus again inflammation. Many people with arthritic like symptoms are helped by these detox herbs.

Marshmallow root and/or slippery elm will also help heal and soothe the intestines which will also take down inflammation as a byproduct.

These and other remedies really do help. I have other more extensive posts here on natural remedies.

Of course eat lots of greens and at first a more caveman (or woman!) diet--avoiding grains altogether at first is best.

And no sugar! Use stevia as a sweetner instead.

And exercise, mud packs on hands and feet plus saunas really do help!

Plus of course extra vitamin D (cod liver oil is best if you can tolerate it since it has vit. A plus Omega 3's), minerals including calcium & magnesium and sea minerals, and some good B vitamins, pro-biotics, vitamin E, etc. -- all gluten free.

Hope this works for you! Eventually you won't have to do as much but for now all the above can speed up the process of healing.

Bea

Lisa16 Collaborator
Lisa16
Posted

Hi Tardyturtle!

I have the very same genes you do and the same joint pain. Mine is slowly getting better after 5 months gluten-free. I think/ hope it will continue to improve. It hit my knees and hips first, and then it got my arms, hands and feet.

BTW-- there is a thread about that gene type on the post-diagnosis forum that you might want to look at. People with those genes list their symptoms.

Yolo gives excellent advice. I am going to take some of it myself.

Good luck!

Lisa

Candy Contributor
Candy
Posted

Same here -I have joint pain /trouble too-stiffness. I'll try cutting out foods we shouldn't eat ,I'll return to papain tablets (I used them when I was a teen,before I knew I had celiac).I haven't heard of the Pancreatin pills, I'll look them up(there are so many enzymes and stuff for consideration) I haven't given it much thought. The advice and response to the joint question was very good-I'm glad someone brought up the issue of joint problems in Celiacs,as I've that prob. myself amongst other things,like white spotted teeth and runny blood(I was advised to ingest more vitamin K to promote clotting.I did, it's also found in Parsley fresh or 2tsp.dried,now my blood isn't so runny if I get a cut).Viatmin K is fat soluble so I take it with some oil.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Yes, by the time I was diagnosed I had some pretty severe joint damage to go with the pain. By six months gluten-free my canes had moved into a corner to stay. My damaged joints still look a bit knobby but I have been in remission from my arthritis with no meds now for over 5 years. Something that the doctors thought would not happen.

Just as an info tidbit, one gene that in the US is a RA gene, DQ9, is considered a celiac in other parts of the world. That is the one I have double copies of.

bluejeangirl Contributor
bluejeangirl
Posted

I noticed also it helps to drink lots of water, it keeps the cartilage healthier and plumper. Don't drink to much coffee or alcohol because they'll dehydrate you. Sugar and a hgh carb diet causes alot of inflammation. There are some good books on inflammation. I've read alot of them but its been a few years since and I can't remember a single title. :(

Gail

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

you talk about a couple of things, including the knees, and I thought I would check and make sure that you had been thoroughly evaluated by a competent orthopaedist. some things may relate back to celiac, but some don't. there are problems that can lead to joint deterioration that have nothing to do with autoimmune conditions (I have one, chondromalacia patella, that is caused by a muscular imbalance, and - likely - the way my bones are angled, genetically; I also have a tendency to chronic tendinitis in the wrist as I work at a computer all day). it's worth determining if any of the pain/inflammation/damage is caused by this, so that you can work with an appropriate health professional (be it a physical therapist, chiropractor (yes, they work on knees too), or whatnot) to correct any postural misalignments or misuses than could be contributing to the problem.

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RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted

Besides magnesium, what has helped me with joints is glucosamine. The product I take also happens to have MSM, and I don't know if that has anything to do with the effectiveness. It has done wonders for my jaw, which is what I started taking it for in the first place.

Wonka Apprentice
Wonka
Posted
Besides magnesium, what has helped me with joints is glucosamine. The product I take also happens to have MSM, and I don't know if that has anything to do with the effectiveness. It has done wonders for my jaw, which is what I started taking it for in the first place.

I can't take glucosamine, it gives me awful stomach aches.

TardyTurtle Newbie
TardyTurtle
Posted
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Thank you everyone for your informative, helpful responses. I have a lot to look into!

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