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Food Intolerance & Celiac Disease Linked to Painful Neurological Conditions



A paper, published in ‘Neurology’, reported physicians at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian found a link between Peripheral Neuropathy and Celiac Disease.

Peripheral Neuropathy, which impacts up to 20 million people in the United States, causes pain, numbness and weakness in the arms and legs.  If left untreated, Peripheral Neuropathy can lead to debilitation.

The ‘Neurology’ paper reported on how 5% of all patients with neuropathy were found to also have Celiac Disease.

According to Dr. Russell Chin, one of the paper’s authors, "Based on the diagnosis, we are now able to treat a substantial number of patients with neuropathy who previously could not be helped.”

Also, many individuals suffering from Celiac Disease experience at type of neuropathy known as "small fiber neuropathy".  This condition causes sensations of severe burning, stinging, and electrical-like pains.  Unfortunately, "small fiber neuropathy" is commonly misdiagnosed due to it being non-detectable by the tests commonly used by neurologists.*

* Note: About 16% of  patients suffering from “small fiber neuropathy” are also diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  

Dr. Norman Latoy, Medical and Scientific Director of The Neuropathy Association and the paper’s senior author, has been quoted as saying, "Many of our patients were told that there was nothing physically wrong with them, and were advised to seek psychiatric care for presumed anxiety or depression.”

Celiac Disease is known to run in families, and in several of the cases, other family members were affected.  Some were incorrectly misdiagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which is an inherited form of neuropathy due to genetic mutations.  

"Not all family cases of neuropathy are due to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease," according to Dr. Latoy.  "Peripheral neuropathy can also occur in association with other causes for neuropathy that run in families, such as diabetes or autoimmunity..."

The paper also reported on how 1/3 of the celiac neuropathy patients did not have any gastrointestinal symptoms such as mal-absorption, abdominal pain or diarrhea; which are commonly involved with Celiac Disease.

"What many people  don't realize," notes Dr. Peter Green, Director of the Celiac Disease Center at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, and co-author of the paper, "Is that 50% of adults with Celiac Disease have few or no gastrointestinal symptoms, and present with other manifestations such as anemia, or as in this case, peripheral neuropathy." 

In regards to a treatment, John Kernohan, Director of Better Control of Health, states, “The elimination of gluten-containing foods in the diet for known Celiacs is the most accepted approach.  For those Celiacs who are not improving with a gluten-free diet, and for those medically screened not to have Celiac Disease, further testing for other food intolerances with the highly reliable and validated 96-Food IgG ELISA Food Intolerance Test is one of the most accurate ways to identify food proteins behind their ill-health.”

Currently, patients with neuropathy are not regularly screened for Celiac Disease.  Patients and physicians should be aware that individuals experiencing unexplained neuropathy or pain from an unknown origin should consider testing for both Celiac Disease and IgG-mediated food intolerance; even in the event they do not have the classic gastrointestinal symptoms.

For more information about the at-home screening kits available through Better Control of Health for Celiac Disease, gluten/gliadin intolerance, and IgG-mediated food intolerance, please visit www.bettercontrolofhealth.com.

Better Control of Health, Ltd.
Telephone: (786) 953-4945
Email: [log in to unmask]
www.bettercontrolofhealth.com

Please Note: The information provided in this message is for educational purposes only and in no way should it be considered as offering medical advice.

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