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    Hi, everyone.  I'd like to reply to the post by Dalit E. Dar, who
wrote that "if you have celiac disease, there is a good possibility
that you are casein intolerant as well, therefore you should avoid
dairy food!!"
    This is the first time I've seen this very important issue raised
on the list.  From time to time I've noticed that individual
listmembers mention having problems with casein (especially true for
those with autism), but no one has made the general statement that
celiacs are likely to have casein intolerance.  I definitely have
this problem, as does at least one other celiac I know.  It's quite
different from lactose intolerance and potentially more serious,
IMHO.
    I get the same generalized response to casein as to gluten, with
only slight differences in symptoms (no DH type rash with casein, for
instance).  Both casein and gluten set off a physical, mental, and
emotional "chain reaction" that lasts for 4-5 days and that may
include depression, tics, coordination problems, dyslexia, mental
fog, irritability, and obsessive/compulsive thought patterns and
behavior.  Not to mention severe stomach and abdominal cramps,
bloating, joint and muscle pain, and headache.
    In his research on autism, Reichelt has mentions the similarity
between the two proteins, casein and gluten (sorry, no specific
references on hand, but you can check Don Wiss's web page for
information on Reichelt's work).  But up until now I thought it might
be only people with autism who were affected by both proteins, or
perhaps the small subset of celiacs who have autism.
    I hope more research will be done eventually to illuminate the
relationship between celiac and casein intolerance.  I suspect that
some people who can't clear up all their symptoms simply by avoiding
gluten may need to eliminate casein as well before they can regain
their health.

All the best,
Jeanne Prine
Athens, Georgia

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