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

Sandra raised a question about calcium metabolism abnormalities in celiac
disease. There has been some interesting work in this area. Dr. Mike Marsh
has shown that our absorption is less of a problem than our excessive
excretion of calcium. Dr. Rude has established that bone remineralization,
in the context of celiac disease is helped more by magnesium supplementation
than by calium, and Dr. Kumar  has shown that endomysium antibodies will
cross react with parathyroid tissue. The parathyroid gland is a major factor
in the control of our calcium metabolism. Given these data, it should be
suprising when a celiac patient does not have calcium metabolism errors. Of
course, autoimmune thyroid disease is also significanlty overrepresented
among celiacs, often reported in ~14% of celiacs investigated.

Although my TSH levels are normal, I did have some problems with
 frequent fractures, until I started supplementing with large daily doses
of magnesium.  I also developed smooth lumps on my fingers, just
beyond the middle knuckle. They appear to have gone away now.

best wishes,
Ron Hoggan
http://www.gluten-free.org/hoggan/

>My sister, who I think likely has CD as well as SjS as I do, has raised,
>smooth deposits of, apparently, calcium deposits on her knuckles.  Her
>doctor also thinks she has some form of thyroid dysfunction.  Her son,
>at age 32, is also developing the deposits on his fingers.  He was
>always her "allergic" child.  Does anyone on this list have this problem
>with the deposits as associated with the CD or with an autoimmune
>thyroid problem?