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Dear listmates,

thank you for all the information and support. I really could discover more
on CD and MS.

Some share the problem, or have another neurological disorder, or relatives
with the two diseases, and asked me to post a summary, so here it is.

No answers from the medical community.

1) The link between CD and MS has not been well explored, yet there are/have
been various studies in this direction, best reference comes from the pages
of Don Wiss at:

http://www.gluten-free.org/

read the Ron Hoggan articles, Ashton Embry's essays on MS and diet,
molecular mimicry and autoimmune diseases, http://www.cadvision.com/embrya
Don, and many others suggested the Paleolithic diet.
http://www.PaleoDiet.com/
http://aspin.asu.edu/msnews/mac.htm

It's useful to read Roger Mac Dougall's story, see how he recovered from an
advanced stage of the disease through paleo nutrition. Thanks again Don, for
all the help!

2) IMO, MS is really a complication of CD, or at least gluten intolerance
(various degrees). It is an entheropathy more than a neurological disorder,
triggered by a viral or bacterial insult on the intestine. (In my case,
cholera in India in 1990. The bacterial toxins, causing intense watery
diarrhea, altered the intestinal walls, increasing permeability, then
creating leaky gut syndrome.)
It would be interesting to know how many among those who develop MS have
been exposed to exotic microbes, or to an acute gastrointestinal disease a
few years before onset.

2b) I continue to recommend Dave Q's web-site: Multiple Sclerosis Natural
Recovery, it has lots of useful information on MS and CD - that's where I
started, then discovered our list!. http://www.2cowherd.net/q/ms.htm

3)  I received several answers on Vit B12 (for malabsorption), different
protocols, some say first injections once a week, then monthly, others said
they had them twice a month, but all agreed on their benefits, some were
surprised my neuro wouldn't prescribe them, being harmless in any case.
Others suggested sublingual tabs, also chlorophylle as a natural
alternative.

4) Most suggested I never gluten challenged again and to forget about the
biopsy, somebody said there is a saliva test for gluten intolerance, but I
guess that too wouldn't work without taking gluten.

5)  Tests to be taken (besides Vit.B12, Rheumatoid factor, Lyme's
disease -these 3 I just did, waiting for results) are calcium levels,
thyroid function, sugar absorption, lactose intolerance.

This last I don't need being allergic to milk and dairy altogether, besides,
these foods are unhealthy for MS (saturated fats).

6) As to doctors open to cross-discipline diseases, a true help came from a
listmate in S. Africa, suggesting to contact a professor in Rome, Italy (I
am from Rome!), who wrote the forward to a book on neurological issues in
CD. The team of researchers works at University of Siena, Italy.

The title of the book is: "Epilepsy and other Neurological Disorders in
Coeliac Disease" edited by G. Gobbi, F. Andermann, S. Naccarato, and G
Banchini. Then Don Wiss sent me a promo about this book, I will contact
these people.

Another person suggested I see an endochrinologist and or a
rheumatologist, these specialists being more open to confrontation.

7) finally,  three others signaled studies in the UK relevant to the issue:
in the British Medical Journal, June 26, 1999, there is an article by
physicians working at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, on CD and
neurology, title:

Gluten sensitivity: a many headed hydra - by Hadjivassiliou et al.
BMJ www.bmj.com
just type it in the search section. A listmate sent me the main author's
email address, but it didn't work, if you want to try again, it's in the
BMJ.

8) Another listmate also signaled a new tooth-paste for weak dental enamel,
called Enamelon, available in the US.

I hope that this information is useful to those who requested it. Cheers to
all,
                       Giovanna
                       (Rome, Italy)