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Celiac/gluten Intolerance And Diabetes

Joe0123

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Joe0123 Contributor
Joe0123
Posted

Is there a link between the two diseases? I've been gluten free for 18 months and the past 6 I have felt worse, especially my stomach. It gets so irritable sometimes, even brushing my teeth I have to worry. Since August I've become very thirsty all the time and I urinate many times per day. Also the muscle spasms are back and sometimes my feet and hands will hurt out of nowhere, then it'll go away. Sounds like neuropathy, I think. Do I need to get a test for diabetes? Does diabetes explain some of these symptoms, since I'm positive I'm getting no gluten. Thanks.

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missy'smom Collaborator
missy'smom
Posted

The thirst and urination are symptoms of diabetes. Ask your doctor for an A1C. That's a measure of average blood sugar over the past few months. Any one-time blood sugar number is of little value. Fasting blood sugars, which doctors often go by are not enough to go by IMHO. A glucose tolerance test gives the best picture IMHO. Know what the numbers mean and ask for them. Don't settle for a "positive" or "negative". Blood sugar issues fall along a wide spectrum. Know where you are on the spectrum. Open Original Shared Link You don't lose a thing by getting tested. Better to be "wrong" and rule it out. Blood sugar issues can be very manageable the earlier they are caught, the better. And yes, there is a connection.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Being glutened will also raise your blood sugar like any illness. Especially with your tummy being off you may be getting some gluten sneaking in somewhere. Are you eating a mostly whole foods diet and checking all meds and supplements etc? Do have your doctor do the A1C but also take a look at anyplace you may be getting CC'd.

srall Contributor
srall
Posted

My mother is Gluten Intolerant and has diabetes. She was a dietician, exercised her entire life (I remember as a kid her going through all the crazes: Jazzercise, Jane Fonda, aerobics classes...) and has always eaten very healthy. My 39 year old brother is almost certainly an undiagnosed celiac based on his long-term symptoms and he was just diagnosed with diabetes a few months ago. My numbers are still normal (I'm 42) but I believe there has to be a link.

cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted

Is there a link between the two diseases? I've been gluten free for 18 months and the past 6 I have felt worse, especially my stomach. It gets so irritable sometimes, even brushing my teeth I have to worry. Since August I've become very thirsty all the time and I urinate many times per day. Also the muscle spasms are back and sometimes my feet and hands will hurt out of nowhere, then it'll go away. Sounds like neuropathy, I think. Do I need to get a test for diabetes? Does diabetes explain some of these symptoms, since I'm positive I'm getting no gluten. Thanks.

Joe, there's definitely a genetic link, but even if there wasn't you should see a doc soon.

From wikipedia: "With DQA1*0501 the allele is most frequently found in coeliac disease. With DR3 this DQ2 has the second strongest linkage to Type 1 diabetes, and when paired with HLA-DQ8 is the most abundant phenotype found in late onset, "Type1-Type2" diabetes mellitus type 1."

and

"DQ2.5 and the linked DR3 are associated with probably the greatest frequency of autoimmune occurrence relative to any other haplotypes. The haplotype is positively associated with coeliac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, juvenile diabetes, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), Sj

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

Hi Joe,

I agree with Ravenwood, if your stomach is acting up there is probably a food issue causing it. Could be gluten sneaking in your diet somehow, or it could be a secondary food intolerance. Have you tried eliminating dairy and soy? They seem to be the most common ones. But there are plenty of other possibilities too, like nightshades, corn, eggs etc..

I had some cramps in my calves not long ago when I first woke up and moved my legs in the morning. I thought it might be diabetes because my dad had cramps in his legs and he had type 2 diabetes. I found that if I ate a bowl of white rice late in the evening before bed I would wake up with cramps in the morning. So I quit eating white rice except in very small amounts. I was also taking Unisom for sleep an thot that may have something to do with it but not really sure about that. But the cramps are gone. Now I am eating a lot less starches and rice except for brown rice tortillas to make wraps. I don't know if this helps you or not but thot it might relate.

Joe0123 Contributor
Joe0123
Posted
  • Author

No I am not getting any gluten from anything. And I've cut out lots of food that gives me problems. The problem is that the list keeps growing. My stomach feels worse now than it did 6 months ago.

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cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted

No I am not getting any gluten from anything. And I've cut out lots of food that gives me problems. The problem is that the list keeps growing. My stomach feels worse now than it did 6 months ago.

Two things: The urination/thirst could be diabetes and at least needs to be checked out by a doc. 2) The stomach issues could be related to gluten, to diabetes, to other food intolerances or another condition (ulcer, etc). An elimination diet might be something to try.

But going to the doc to address the diabetes symptoms should be your #1 priority, IMHO.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

No I am not getting any gluten from anything. And I've cut out lots of food that gives me problems. The problem is that the list keeps growing. My stomach feels worse now than it did 6 months ago.

Can you think back to what may have changed six months ago? For example did you start some home remodeling with drywall or putting up wallpaper? Did you start drinking distilled gluten alcohols? Start going to a restaurant you hadn't before or did a favorite change chefs? If you have a significant other and they eat gluten are they being careful to brush teeth before kissing or do they, if female, use lipstick? Do you take any generic scripts? Generics can change binders so even if a drug was safe a year ago it may not be now. It is not unusual for us to become more sensitive to trace amounts of gluten after we have healed for a while. Do you eat processed foods made in the same facility as wheat products? That can be an issue also.

Joe0123 Contributor
Joe0123
Posted
  • Author

I ate some bad apple sauce in May and my stomach has felt worse since then. By that I mean things I could eat before I ate the bad apple sauce I couldn't eat afterwards.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

I ate some bad apple sauce in May and my stomach has felt worse since then. By that I mean things I could eat before I ate the bad apple sauce I couldn't eat afterwards.

Do you mean you may have had food poisoning? If so you may want to ask your doctor to do a stool sample on you. Most cases of food poisoning resolve on their own but not all. You may still have some issues that require an antibiotic to resolve.

Joe0123 Contributor
Joe0123
Posted
  • Author

No not food poisoning, just made my stomach hurt. And since then my stomach has been more irritable than it was before.

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