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

This article on CD and migraine was published this month.  It only studies
4 CD patients with migraine placed on a GF diet.  It would have been even
more interesting if ALL the migraine study patients, both with and without
confirmed CD, had been placed on a GF diet to see if gluten had a more
general effect on migraine. (Note:  I, personally, do NOT have migraine.)


American Journal of Gastroenterology, March 2003, Volume 98, Issue 3, Pages
625-629

Association between migraine and celiac disease: results from a preliminary
case-control and therapeutic study

Maurizio Gabrielli M.D., Filippo Cremonini M.D., Giuseppe Fiore M.D.,
Giovanni Addolorato M.D, Cristiano Padalino M.D, Marcello Candelli M.D,
Maria Elena De Leo M.D, Luca Santarelli M.D, Mario Giacovazzo M.D, Antonio
Gasbarrini M.D, Paolo Pola M.D and Antonio Gasbarrini M.D.

ABSTRACT

Objectives:
Subclinical celiac disease (CD) has been associated with various
neurological disorders, the most common being neuropathy and cerebellar
ataxia. The aims of the present study were to assess the following: 1) the
prevalence of CD in patients affected by migraine; 2) whether there are
regional cerebral blood flow abnormalities in migraine patients with CD
compared to migraine patients without CD; and 3) the effects of a gluten
free diet in migraine patients with CD.

Methods:
A total of 90 patients affected by idiopathic migraine were enrolled, and
236 blood donors were used as controls. Serum IgG antitransglutaminase
(TgA) and IgA antiendomysial (EmA) were measured. In positive cases,
diagnosis was confirmed endoscopically. A gluten free diet was started in
the patients diagnosed with CD, who were followed for 6 months. A single
photon emission CT brain study was performed before and after a gluten free
diet.

Results:
Four of 90 (4.4%; 95% CI = 1.2–11.0) migraine patients were found to have
CD compared with 0.4% (95% CI = 0.01–2.3) blood donor controls (p < 0.05).
During the 6 months of gluten free diet, one of the four patients had no
migraine attacks, and the remaining three patients experienced an
improvement in frequency, duration, and intensity of migraine. Single
photon emission CT studies showed a regional baseline reduction in brain
tracer uptake in all four patients. Such reduction in uptake completely
resolved at follow-up.

Conclusions:
Our results suggest that a significant proportion of patients with migraine
may have CD, and that a gluten free diet may lead to a improvement in the
migraine in these patients.

Affiliations:
a Internal Medicine; and Department of Pathology,, Catholic University of
the Sacred Heart, Gemelli Hospital, Rome, Italy. b Department of Catholic
University of the Sacred Heart, Gemelli Hospital, Rome; Italy. c Department
of Internal Medicine, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.

* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *