I've seen lots of people mention aches and pains as symptoms of their celiac disease. I've recently had positive blood tests and am waiting for the biopsy before going gluten-free. One of my increasingly bad symptoms is joint and muscle pain generally. But I've also got a disc problem, which I got from an injury many uears ago, but which has flared up in the past year, alongside the flare up of all my other symptoms. I'm wondering if the celiac disease could be making the back pain worse. Could there be a link? What actually causes the pains we get?

I'm sure there must be a link but I don't know what it is... I know I was dx with Fibromyalgia years ago and have back and neck pain from a car accident in 1987...

I had really bad back pain along with other body pain. I had x-rays and MRI's. The MRI's showed a mild bludge in a disc in my back. I saw a chiropractor for many months but my pain didn't get better. He had me get an Epidural Injection which actually made my back much worse. I also saw a Rheumy, Neurosurg, and a Neurologist but they couldn't tell me what was wrong.

Now that I'm gluten-free my pain is so much better. I've only been gluten-free for a few months and I'm hoping it will continue to improve. I still get a backache every once in a while but it's usually because I've over done it.

I would love to have links to any articles that help to explain why this occurs. Is the gluten attacking the muscle, joints etc?

ok i recommend that you all read my paper when i post it. it is all about what you have been talking about. it is all about gluten ataxia which is about pain in joints and muscales.
Lauren

Gluten causes inflammation. My son was in terrible pain prior to going gluten free. He was only three years old. He moved about like an 80 year old. He was pain free quickly after going gluten-free.

Hey, Lauren! Where and when will you be posting your paper? I would LOVE to read it because this all applies to me.

Hope to hear from you soon,


Flo

i will post it tomorrow because i am just putting the final touches on it tonight. it is due tomorrow. i will post it on the forum. or if you would like i can send it to you personally. just let me know. and because of my paper i plan to go to the United Kingdom sometime in my life time and do Celiac research.
Lauren

Looking forward to reading it Lauren! Pop in and see me for an English gluten-free tea if you ever make it over here

i have posted my paper!!!!!!!! yay
hope you enjoy
Lauren

About joint pains - I don't know, there is a connection I believe and others will attest, but I am developing them regularly in flares now in my hands and feet and I have been off gluten for over a year. I recently had an MRI of my hands to look for joint erosion and fortunately nothing was there. I have had all the tests and only positve ANA so far, but my rheumatologist said in the early stages of rheumatic disorders, it's not uncommon to be negative on everything.

It's not a huge discomfort, though I am losing a little confidence. No one in my family has this, well, my dad but he is 65 so I would expect that. His mom might have had joint issues, so I may have inheirited from her.

I guess the thing that frustrates me is I am so diligent with my diet and yet lately especially I have been achy, sore, tired, and losing steam. Part of this is probably this new job I took 6 weeks back - it's tough work! And then to be achy, yuck. However, I am not sure what else to cut from my diet, I guess I could experiment with dairy further, however that in the past has not changed anything. I already avoid eating more things that not, so it's tricky.

Anyway, I hope someone has some ideas. I am feeling a little down about it tonight, sorry I don't seem to have any.

Stephanie

Stephanie, I definitely feel your pain as I am experiencing something very similar: joint and muscle pains and soreness, stiffness throughout my ENTIRE body, etc. How long have you been gluten free? How long have you been feeling your pains? Where is the overlap? It has been a little over a month and a week since these symptoms have flared up. I have been with celiac disease for at least 4 years and have not been eating properly. So, it is very likely, as my GI says, that this is my body's delayed and intense reaction. BUT, it's always important to do more research as you definitely know, SO, here's what I have learned: Lectin is in many gluten-free foods as it is in potatoes, tomatoes, dairy, eggplants, eggs, peppers, corn, etc. Lectins are found to cause inflammation in the body. For people with celiac disease, who have damaged intestines and other newly developed food intolerances, it is possible that lectins could do an extra number on their bodies and cause more inflammation and, therefore, pain. Here's a link to more information about lectins. http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html. I have been going gluten-free (finally) and lectin-free for over 2 weeks now. The pain had decreased significantly for about 4 days until yesterday when it flared up something crazy. This, like your prolonged bouts with pain, may be normal. Imagine all the damage that our bodies could have undergone while we were eating gluten. I have It is possible that your body is reacting to lectins as well as a reaction to being glutened somehow now or in the past.


I'm definitely praying/hoping for you. Please do the same for me. Let's hang in there.


peace, LoVe. POETRY!



Florence

Oh yeah, neck pain & back pain. I too thought it was from a car accident, well me as pedestrian vs. car, & the neck pain & jaw pain & joint pain & head pain and foot pain. All seemingly better GFCF soy free.

Stephanie,
If it is arthritis, I might have a couple ideas.
1. I've talked with people that have had some success with excluding what they call nightshade vegetables. It didn't work for me, but you could try it. Night shade vegetables are bell peppers, tomatoes, bell pepper. Forget what else, there are a few more.
2. Also tart red cherry juice seems to be helpful for people with arthritis as well as for people with gout. I have that, and I think it does help. I tell my patients with gout to try cherry juice. (I'm a registered dietitian, not a doctor) However, the gluten free diet seems to be helping me a whole lot more, so I'm confused as to which pains are which. Since I've just started the gluten free diet, I'm still trying to sort this all out. I'm going to add the cherry juice back in after I've been gluten free for a while so I can see which does which. I've got some info on a co. in the U.S. if you are interested. e-mail me and I'll look for it. No, I'm not selling anything personally, it is just that cherry juice is hard to find, particularly concentrated so you don't get a lot of extra sugar. You can take a look and judge for yourself. Susie

I was almost crippled with arthritis about 10 years ago. I eliminated gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, beans, beef, nightshade vegetable, peanut butter and more. Actually, all I ate for a year was fish, rice, some vegetables, some fruits and sunflower seeds. I'm really not kidding. I started to get better almost immediately, but it took almost a year to get completely joint-pain free. I now teach PE and run triathlons in the summer. I still avoid gluten, eggs, dairy and soy and it isn't a bad trade-off at all.

I am a nursing mom and I went on a gluten-free diet in September to treat my daughter's horrible GI issues, which I suspected to be celiac. She has improved tremendously. We have no history of celiac in the family, but a lot of people with possible symptoms on both sides of the family. I was suspecting my husband was the gene carrier because he and his brother are Type 1 diabetics. I now think it may come from me. I have had terrible joint pain all of my life. I would wake up screaming with "growing pains" as a child. I was tested for RA and no one could figure out why I was hurting, so I just learned to live with it. Since I went on the gluten-free diet for my daughter, the pains are gone!!!! I couldn't believe it. It's the first time in 29 years I haven't had to deal with it.

I too had terrible joint pain. Whenever I get gluten, I have it return. Mine is mainly in my legs.
Monica