Multiple Sclerosis?

[Sieben]

I'm still awaiting seeing my GE. I had a weak-positive blood test (tTG IgA=8.9 U/ml).

I saw some people mentioning that their GP screened them for MS. I have a lot of symptoms consistent with MS, including Uhthoff's phenomenon. I understand these symptoms are also consistent with B12 deficiency ala celiac disease.

Some studies show that people with MS also have elevated tTG IgA levels, so I'm quite worried I might have MS instead of celiac disease.

Is a MS diagnosis routine during celiac disease diagnosis? Should I be (seriously) worried?

[mushroom]

In people with the neurologic symptoms from gluten there is some crossover between celiac symptoms and MS. I wouldn't be concerned at this stage.

[Takala]

No. There is a neurological form of celiac/gluten intolerance which mimics MS so much, that some of us were misdiagnosed for decades.

I have some problems with heat intolerance, but it is because I don't sweat enough because I probably have Sjogren's, altho the idiotic cheap rheumatologists I saw did a blood test for that, too, and announced I didn't have it, altho THOSE blood tests also have a high failure rate. My eye doctor and dentist would beg to disagree with them, as it is easy to see I have a dry mouth and dry eyes and all the side effects. The neurological form of gluten problem I had also effected my vision a LOT. I was losing color vision in one eye, my eyes refused to track together, and I had night blindness. And my vision has IMPROVED on a gluten free diet (about 9 years in) to where by about 2 years ago I noticed I could see a lot better at night, again, which continues to fascinate me. I don't quite have all the color vision back on one side, but most of it. My ataxia is much, much better, unless I get glutened.

After several years of battling the HMO and another year of battling the Neuro from Hell

[ravenwoodglass]

As the previous poster mentioned gluten ataxia will cause bright spots, UBOs on a brain MRI. Some neuros will want to do a spinal tap after finding the UBOs to be certain it is MS. The spinal itself is not bad but you have to stay prone afterwards for quite a while. Mine was done in the ER (don't know why the neuro wanted it done there) so I had to get up and leave soon after. This lead to the most excruciating headache I have ever had. If they do chose to do one on you, or you chose to let them, make sure you have the procedure done somewhere they will let you stay layed down for as long as possible. Also make sure that there is someone to go and get the script pain pills you might need the next day if the headache does hit.

Of course you could also choose to go strictly gluten free for at least a couple months and supplement B12 and see if the symptoms improve before undergoing either procedure.

[Sieben]

Even if I am diagnosed with celiac disease by the GE/endoscopy, should I still see a neuro for the overlapping symptoms?

[ravenwoodglass]

Even if I am diagnosed with celiac disease by the GE/endoscopy, should I still see a neuro for the overlapping symptoms?

IMHO I would wait until you have been on the diet strictly for a bit. Be aware also that false negatives on testing for celiac are really common so do give the diet a strict try after testing no matter what the test results are. I show false negatives on testing and a couple months before I was finally diagnosed I was told I would be in a wheelchair within 6 months. Within a couple months of celiac diagnosis I could walk unaided and by 6 months instead of being in a wheelchair I was running up my stairs.

[Cara in Boston]

I was tested for MS a few years before I tested positive for Celiac.

Strangely, when they ruled out MS . . . they didn't keep looking for a cause. They just said, "maybe you get dizzy when you are dehydrated, make sure you drink more water." and stuff like that. They even prescribed medication for motion sickness (I never took it). But once they ruled out brain tumor or MS, they didn't seem too concerned with my continuing symptoms.

I just quietly went on thinking there was something terribly wrong with me.

A few years later, my son tested positive for celiac and as I started reading about it, I realized I had all the symptoms . . . problem solved - easy.

Cara