Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Problems With Surgery Related To Gluten Intolerance?

dws

By dws
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

dws Contributor
dws
Posted

Hello everyone, I had minor knee surgery a couple of months ago-arthoscopic to remove plica and a lateral release. My knee swelled up like a canelope and I developed scar tissue which I am currently going through hell trying to fight thru. My surgeon has never seen such scar tissue problem with the minor arthroscopic surgery and my physical therapist says he's seen it twice in 23 years. Has there been any correlation made between gluten intolerance and or celiac and this type of reaction? Scar tissue development is usually a problem with the more major surgeries like acl replacements and knee replacements. Why was I so lucky? Everyone in the medical field I consult says my surgeon is a good one and it really was a routine procedure.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


BabsV Enthusiast
BabsV
Posted

Yikes! I am sorry but I don't have an answer for you. My best friend (non Celiac) had ankle surgery and developed horrible issues with scar tissue. She ended up having some sort of ultrasound treatment (if I remember properly) that broke it down. It was painful but very effective...Could just be your body and the way it heals -- I am prone to developing adhesions after surgery which have caused discomfort on occasion.

dws Contributor
dws
Posted
  • Author

Yikes! I am sorry but I don't have an answer for you. My best friend (non Celiac) had ankle surgery and developed horrible issues with scar tissue. She ended up having some sort of ultrasound treatment (if I remember properly) that broke it down. It was painful but very effective...Could just be your body and the way it heals -- I am prone to developing adhesions after surgery which have caused discomfort on occasion.

Babsv- they have been giving me ultrasound treatments in pt, but it is the standard type of ultrasound they use in pt for a lot of things. I would be interested in hearing more about the treatment your friend had. I think I'll be ok eventually, but there's definitely a lot of work ahead- and more pain too! I really have been pretty freaked out about the whole thing. Going from being athletic to a person with limited mobility has scared me to death. Starting to calm down and cope a little better. Keeping a positive attitude is important and like a lot of people, thats not always my strong suit.

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

I am one of those people who lays down a LOT of scar tissue (and very strong scar tissue at that!). Now admittedly I did not have a problem with my two arthroscopic surgeries on my knee, but when they did a partial replacement I asked my surgeon to order one of those knee bending machines for me. She said, "Oh, I think you can do it yourself!". Well, six months later, after all the scar tissue finally broke down, and after six months of my PT working on it constantly, my knee finally bent :huh: The scar tissue was so thick and so strong that any exercise I did to try to break it loose threw my sacroiliac out of joint and I would end up at the chiropractor. :o (The swelling was pretty impressive too!). My surgeon was threatening to put me under again and physically force it, but I said , well, just think of all the scar tissue that will create!!! So I do feel for you but I don't think you should freak out too much about it. Some of us are just better at making scar tissue than others perhaps :D And the swelling is protective of the knee. We just overreact. I am sure that eventually the swelling will go down and the scar tissue break up and release its grip. That's my two cents worth.

pondy Contributor
pondy
Posted

dws- I had 2 arthroscopes (torn meniscus in each knee).. I get it - I was really slow to heal & also had tons of s scar tissue & swelling. Don't know if it is related to having celiac disease, but I am slow to heal with everything - even bruises.

It has been a full year since my last scope ( had PT also) & it IS better. Keep working it & do light non-strenouous to the joint excersizes if you can. Mine got better - just took about 6 months longer than the Doc said it would. Hang in there!

dws Contributor
dws
Posted
  • Author

dws- I had 2 arthroscopes (torn meniscus in each knee).. I get it - I was really slow to heal & also had tons of s scar tissue & swelling. Don't know if it is related to having celiac disease, but I am slow to heal with everything - even bruises.

It has been a full year since my last scope ( had PT also) & it IS better. Keep working it & do light non-strenouous to the joint excersizes if you can. Mine got better - just took about 6 months longer than the Doc said it would. Hang in there!

Thanks for the reassurance Pondy. I can live with it taking a long time as long as I eventually do get there. I like being active and this has put a big dent in my lifestyle. Might be a good time to explore some more sedintary hobbies while I work this out. If you have a minute, I would like to hear more about how you progressed through range of motion. In 2 months I have made it from about 30 degrees to 80. I have a lot of pain when working on the scar tissue in pt followed by a good bit of swelling which then reduces ROM. A very frustrating cycle. My entire joint capsule also tightened and shrank around the joint. This has gotten a good bit better but I still have a lot of tightness above my knee and into the quad. Sound familiar?

pondy Contributor
pondy
Posted

Thanks for the reassurance Pondy. I can live with it taking a long time as long as I eventually do get there. I like being active and this has put a big dent in my lifestyle. Might be a good time to explore some more sedintary hobbies while I work this out. If you have a minute, I would like to hear more about how you progressed through range of motion. In 2 months I have made it from about 30 degrees to 80. I have a lot of pain when working on the scar tissue in pt followed by a good bit of swelling which then reduces ROM. A very frustrating cycle. My entire joint capsule also tightened and shrank around the joint. This has gotten a good bit better but I still have a lot of tightness above my knee and into the quad. Sound familiar?

dws -

I was in PT 2 times per week for about 3 months. If memory serves, I ended up at about a 92 degree ROM. I'm sure I'm 100% now though. What seemed to help a lot was manually manipulating the tissue - like giving my knee a really deep massage. It was painful but necessary. I rode the stationary bike as often as I could - went to the gym on crutches, hopped on & pedaled in 'granny gears' - no resistance for a while, then gradual increases. Another thing that helped me was this: lay on the floor with your legs up against the wall - slowly slide your feet down to your butt & then slide them back up. That helped me so much also. I still do this sometimes. In my experience, non-strenuous exercise helps to lube my joints.

I'm sure you have a slew of exercises from your therapist, so I won't go into all of what I did.

I'm not an expert by any means & I'm sorry if this isn't helpful. I can offer you encouragement though!

*you can do it!*you can do it!*you can do it!* :D

I don't know if looking too much into sedentary activities is a good idea or not... I think that it's really important to do what you can - at home - as well as in PT. From experience, I'd recommend being proactive with your recovery. I'm not saying don't rest - you do need to take it easy on your body, just don't ever give up!

Lifestyle change? Oh yeah, I can relate! I am a former runner - 5 to 8 miles a day. I love to run... when I lost that it was traumatic. However, I can run again now (though I don't too much because I have an ankle that always 'pops out of joint'). I've looked into new activities... I'm saving for a kayak! :D

I don't know what you were into pre-surgery, but maybe you could look into something different for a while - something maybe that primarily works the upper body? Just till you get stronger? (and yes, you will get stronger.)

All best to you,

Pondy

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,327
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    dnamutant
    Newest Member
    dnamutant
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.