Celiac Disease And Migraines

[Nic]

Hi, I am a mother of a celiac son and I always test negative for celiac although I know I carry the gene as my father has it as well as my son. I recently was tested due to almost daily stomach pain and now constipation. I have always been more on the constipated side but now need to take laxatives frequently to help (my son's symptoms have always been constipation). Within the past year I started getting optical migraines (the eye part of the migraine without the head ache). Now it is so frequent that I am having eye trouble everyday and even more recently I am getting the head ache with it. I went to my GP who said they were optical migraines and suggested due to the stomach problems to go gluten free even though I test negative (which I have not done yet, not sure what I am waiting for). I read up on migraines and celiac and it seems like some study show a link. Has anyone ever heard of this or looked into it?

[ravenwoodglass]

For some of us there is definately a link. I haven't had a migraine since I went gluten-free....unless I get glutened. Gluten can be a neurotoxin for us and for some the neuro issues are present even before the gut stuff.

[happygirl]

Open Original Shared Link

[daphniela]

I used to have migraines daily before going gluten free. Now I never get them. I do get an occasional headache but that is rare.

[angieInCA]

I've suffered from migraines my entire life (first one at age 10). I would get them in clusters 2 to 3 times a month. After going Gluten free my migraines disappeared. If I get glutened one of my first signs is a headache.

[Libbyanne]

I never used to get headaches at all, but growing up both my mom and my older sister would get horrible migraines. After going gluten free (something I decided to do on my own even though in previous years blood tests have been negative) I've noticed that a headache (not a migraine though) is often one of the first reactions I have after being glutened! This is usually preceded by stomach pains and followed by extreme - want to put my head on my desk and sleep - lethargy, and brain fog. Neither my mom or my sister have been tested but my mom tried the diet when I started (which was very helpful for me ) and noticed improvements in many areas. So, IMO headaches/migraine are definitely connected.

Oh! And...for any Dr. Oz fans out there..I learned from him about the Vagus nerve which runs from our brain to our stomach - Open Original Shared Link. So it's not unlikely that the migraines could be connected to digestive problems...