<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> About 10 days ago, I wrote: JL> I am posting this message for the benefit of someone in my local JL> support group. She is in her fifties, was an undiagnosed celiac for JL> most of her life, but was diagnosed and has been GF for about seven JL> years. JL> JL> In the last year or so she has been experiencing neurological JL> problems: unsteady gait, weakness of hands and limbs, and muscle JL> spasms... JL> JL> If you have or had neurological symptoms such as I described JL> above, even though you were on a GF diet; and then found or received JL> treatment which eliminated or relieved these symptoms, could you JL> send me the details privately?...In a week or so I will post on the JL> list a summary of what I learn from the private messages I receive. I'll share what I've learned so far. Karen Hughes wrote: KH> I find that if I get an accidental dose of wheat, it sets KH> off a chain reaction of problems that lasts 2-3 months and KH> includes the neurological problems. Especially interesting are KH> the muscle spasms.... I had assumed that the problem was a KH> deficiency in minerals or vitamins but the finding of other KH> autoimmune disease as well could suggest other possibilities. KH> For example, a search of medline suggests that hormonal factors KH> may play a role in autoimmune disease.... John Dennis posted a MEDLINE abstract. Part of that follows: ML> Central or peripheral nervous system complications are occasionally ML> observed in adult patients with celiac disease. Several mechanisms ML> have been proposed including vitamin deficiency, vascular ML> inflammation and a direct effect of gluten intolerance. Typical ML> nerve fiber damage due to demyelinization has been suggested.... Julie May wrote: JM> She has a neurological problem - dopamine is a neural transmitter JM> and would cause trouble. Too high of seratonin would do the same JM> thing. She is best off to contact Dr. Hitzig....and do some JM> research on seratonin and dopamine. A large percentage of our JM> population has this problem, and only recently has it been truly JM> recognized. There are many dopamine enhancers and seratonin JM> inhibitors that could help your friend. In fact she's probably on JM> some, but there's only one guy who seems able to achieve the JM> balance of the two... I've tried contacting Dr. Hitzig, but I've gotten no reply so far. REMEMBER: These comments did not come from medical experts. See your own doctor(s) before acting on any of the information posted here. I don't expect any further responses to my request, but if I get any I'll pass them on to the list. --- Jim Lyles, [log in to unmask] --- ---------- Holly, Michigan, USA ---------