<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thanks to everyone who responded to my question about a connection
between Raynaud's and Celiac Disease. I have summarized some of the
replies I received.

Mary Carol
[log in to unmask]

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I have (unconfirmed) celiac and do suffer from Raynaud's!  ... I've
been GF for 6 years and it has not gotten any better with strict diet
adherence.

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I number among my friends quite a few vegans.  They seem to have
circulatory problems which mimic Raynaud's quite closely apparently
due to lack of something (I've no idea what) in their diet.  Since
there is always a possibility of being zapped by some previously GF
food item which a helpful food industry or geneticist has decided to
make cheaper/better etc by adding gluten, then there is a definite
possibility for the same thing to happen to celiac.  When Karin (my
celiac wife) is running properly GF she has no circulatory problems,
but she does get white fingers in cold weather
and at other times, if something goes wrong.  I imagine this would
exacerbate Raynaud's.

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Raynaud's can be related to scleroderma which is an autoimmune disease
(this condition sometimes occurs along with Celiac) or it can be
related to nerve disorders. I recently saw a neurologist for my arms
falling asleep at night.  He asked me if I had Raynaud's disease and I
said no.  I'm not sure what he was looking for, but I know the only
test he ordered for me was to check my Vit B12 levels.  There is a
peripheral neuropathy related to a B12 deficiency and perhaps
Raynaud's would be related also.

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I have both CD and Raynaud's.  The Raynaud's is contributed to
Connective Tissue Disorder (Lupus, Scleroderma, ...).   I have been
told by a number of reputable Doctors & Rhuematologists that CD and
Raynaud's/CTD are not connected.  Only one Doctor, a Surgeon, believes
they are connected as both are autoimmune related diseases.

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Homepage about PBC, which is sometimes associated with Raynaud's and
Celiac  ...  http://hometown.aol.com/pbcers/pbcers.htm

". A statistically increased incidence of Raynaud's phenomenon and
atopy was found in the patients with dermatitis herpetiformis compared
to the control group."   http://www.nutramed.com/skin/dhref.htm

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Have not heard of a connection between celiac and Raynaud's but
Raynaud's is a symptom of hypothyroidism. There is an increased
possibility of having hypothyroidism if you are celiac. Both my wife
and I suffered from Raynaud's before being diagnosed hypothyroid. Once
that was treated the Raynaud's improved greatly. I am both hypothyroid
and celiac.

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I had Raynaud's before I was diagnosed with Celiac disease.  It was so
severe that  my hands would turn white and hurt almost daily.  This
went on for several years, then I was diagnosed with CD and almost
instantly after going on the GF diet the Raynaud's almost disappeared.
I am only troubled a couple of times  a year.

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I have it and don't know if direct connection to celiac. I was told by
Drs. was a side effect of connective tissue diseases.

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My mom has CD and Sjogren's Syndrome which are connected - and her
Raynaud's is part of the SS