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>I was recently diagnosed with CD.  Something I have noticed also recently is I
>seem to be quite forgetful.  Far more than usual.  For awhile it got so bad I
>would forget words in the middle of a sentence. Sometimes I would forget what
>I was talking about.  I seem to be improving since going on the GF diet, but
>I'm wondering if this is related or is there something else going on.
 
YES!   There is a direct connection between celiac and forgetfulness (and
other mental symptoms):   forgetfulness and many other mental symptoms can
be caused by deficiencies of various B vitamins.   Celiac is a
*malabsorption* syndrome and many nutrient deficiencies may result.
When I discovered I was celiac I was grossly underweight  and suffering
from numerous deficiency symptoms.   I lost my job as an electrician
because my balance was so bad that if I went above the 3rd rung of a ladder
I fell over because I could not tell which way was up.   I could not wire
lights because my fingers were so numb that I could not put a nut on a bolt
unless I could SEE it.   I would trip walking across a flat smooth parking
lot.   I would be doing something & need a tool, go to get it, forget what
I was looking for, decide I could remember it if I went back to what I was
doing, then could not remember what I had been doing unless I SAW evidence
of it.   The light hurt my eyes so bad I needed sunglasses even on cloudy
days.   the ringing in my ears was so loud that I could not tell when the
phone was ringing.   I constantly felt very strong emotions that were
extreemly disproportionate to the situations (fortunately  I knew that
(intellectually) and had enough sense to not ACT on or EXPRESS the
emotions.)   The cracks in the corners of my mouth were so bad that I could
not smile without pain. Etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.      ALL of the
mental/neurological symptoms dissappeared within 3 days of starting
megavitamins  (I could stand on the very top rung of an eighteen foot
ladder ON ONE LEG without difficulty, etc, etc. - If I was religious, I
would have called it a miracle).   Within 6 weeks I had regained all of the
weight I had lost over the years and was a very SOLID (no fat) 164 lbs.
and was healthier than I had ever been in my entire life.
 
The MAJOR key to my rapid recovery, especially from the mental symptoms,
was *large* doses of vitamins, especially the B-complex.    It took about
1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of B-complex/day initially.   If, for any reason,
I discontinued the B-complex, symptoms returned within days, but always
disappeared within hours of restarting the "B"'s.    Gradually I was able
to reduce the dose to only about 50 to 100 milligrams/day after several
years.
 
The Value of supplements:
The rate of absorption of a nutrient can depend on many factors.   Among
these are:  the concentration of necessary enzymes, the total surface area
of interface1 (gut epithelial membrane) exposed to the nutrients, the total
time of exposure, interactions with other nutrients2,  competition with
microorganisms in the gut3,  and CONCENTRATION OF THE NUTRIENT (and other
things).    All other factors being equal, increasing the concentration of
the nutrient (by, for example, taking supplements) will increase the amount
absorbed (so long as there is no point in the transport chain that is fully
saturated).
 
In addition to taking LARGE amounts of supplements (up to 2,000 milligrams
of B complex/day!*) I ate foods with a VERY high nutrient density  (HIGH
NUTRIENT DENSITY is the key, NOT high calories!).     I also ate a lot of
eggs (extreemly good nutritional value),  cruciferous vegetables (broccoli,
cauliflower, brussels sprouts), high carotene vegetables (sweet potatoes,
carrots, pumpkin),  fruits & nuts,   basically only high nutrient foods.
Essential fatty acid supplements (Thompson Labs  or "Omega 700" by Solgar
are good) were also VERY helpful.
 
Any physician who maintains that "forgetfulness"  (or other mental
symptoms) cannot be related to celiac (or other malabsorption syndrome)
does not know his/her nutrition.
 
 
Jim Barron
Chapel Hill NC
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* these very large amounts (which, in the absence of malabsorption, would
be excessive) were necessary only for a short period.   Later I was able to
taper off the dose.