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On the subject of "arthralga"  which apparently means "joint or bone pain,"
these are the responses I've received.   Thank you all for your
thoughtfulness.

Have had arthralgia for years (30something) and although relieved
slightly on gf diet, the years of malabsorption have taken their toll.
I recall a number of people saying they had neuromuscular symptoms.

You might read the posts (from the archives) and see whether any of the
information is useful.

I highly recommend you see a Rhuematologist (preferably one at a
teaching hospital/University).  I was diagnosed with CD three years ago,
and now have developed Connective Tissue Disorder (Lupus, Sclarederma,
Rhuematoid Arthritis, ...).  Some of these diseases can be life
threatening, others just painful/annoying.  They are all auto-immune
related, and an Internist typically is not a specialist in this field.

Yes, possible. One doesn't "cause" the other. Just a matter of luck of the
genetic draw. Nearby genes in the same chromosome in replication tend to
travel together, rather than split. All autoimmune diseases have one (of
their two disease genes) near the same marker in the immune system gene
section.  Genes are necessary but not sufficient for an autoimmune disease
(hence environmental history) so your parents could have had the genes for
CD or lupus without actually having one or both diseases.

My arthralgia abated when I eliminated corn and glutens and dairy from my
diet.  Food allergy?  Trigger to an auto-immune reaction?  Coincidence?  I
don't know.  I wasn't waiting 3 months to see a rheumatologist, I was put
off by the allergist I saw.  I just went on an elimination diet.  I cleared
up my obvious skin problems and prutitis (itching) and the joint and muscle
pain disappeared at the same time.

Arthralgia  could well be related to your cd. Rheumatoid arthritis is
particularly associated with cd, but having one auto-immune condition
(like CD) seems to make any other auto-immune conditions more likely
to happen to someone. Lupus is a possibility, too. But don't worry
too much about it. There are blood tests for RH & lupus that can be
done along with the regular blood work--although I suspect they're
not 100% reliable, no more than the celiac tests are. The main tests
I've heard of are the latex-fixation (for lupus, I think), and the RH
prep. They shouldn't be too expensive, unless there are more costly
tests around that I haven't heard of yet.

The main reasons for finding the reason for your arthralgia   would be
1. to start treatment for it specifically, and 2. to know what to
expect for it in the future. RH can deform and disable the joints,
and lupus can seriously damage internal organs. So you would want to
"rule them out" if you could! This isn't medical advice, just one
person's 2 cents worth of opinion.

I've been getting routine blood screening for RH and lupus for over
30 years now, and both have always been negative. So my doctors don't
have a clue why my joints hurt, swell and turn red & hot, or why they
stiffen up on me, especially in the morning. After 30+ years, there
is no deformity, just some mild limitation of motion in a couple of
places. Fortunately, the symptoms are much lighter since I went gf!
(Although I'm presently being treated for my second frozen shoulder.
The first one was much worse, back in my gluten-eating days.)

> I don't know what arthralga is but I do know that autoimmune diseases
> tend to appear in clusters.  I have CD and Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia
> purpura, which is an autoimmune disease where the body destroys its
> platelets for no know reason.  My gastro told me that CD is seem with lupus
> also. If you do a medline search you will find more info on this subject.
> Hope this helps,

An article entitled Definitions Associated With Celiac Disease appeared in
the spring 1996 issue of Lifeline, a newsletter from the Celiac Sprue
Association United States of America (CSAUSA).  In the article Leon H.
Rottmann, Editor and Publications Board Chairman of CSAUSA, summarized the
medical research of Seamus OMahony, Ann Ferguson and Willem Karel Dicke,
findings that correlate celiac disease with other disorders:

Definite Associations:  diabetes mellitus; thyrotoxicosis; hypothyroidism;
encephalopathy; sarcoidosis; vasculitis; dermatitis herpetiformis;
encephalopathy and cerebellar atrophy; myasthenia; peripheral neuropathy;
malignant lymphomas; small-intestinal adenocarcinomas; esophageal and
pharyngeal squamous carcinoma.

Probable Associations:  Addisons disease; rheumatoid arthritis; Sjogrens
syndrome; bird fanciers lung; farmers lung; pernicious anemia; exocrine
pancreatic insufficiency; inflammatory bowel disease; primary biliary
cirrhosis; collagenous colitis.

I was diagnosed in April with CD, am 55 years old and am experiencing quite a
bit of joint pain .  I have seen a podiatrist who said I had a neuroma
(inflamed nerve) in my foot; an orthopedic who said I had tennis elbow and a
trigger thumb.  I wondered if my connective tissue was going wacko, but we
did do a blood test for arthritis and it was negative.  So far all I am doing
is taking an over the counter NSAID without gluten, but I am wondering if
there isn't some natural thing that I could take that would be similar to
cortisone shots.

Think about candida yeast infection.  It grows in gut and affects joints
and muscles.  You can find out options for treating this on internet.

I also have your symptoms.  I was diagnosed with lupus about 10 years ago.
You should definitely push your family Dr.  or a rheumatologist for an ANA
test (blood) that will tell you a lot.  A blood test can also test for a
rheumatoid factor that tells the level of inflammation.  Until you know more
don't take echinacea or eat alfalfa sprouts.  These are not good things for
people with lupus.  A rheumatologist will also test you for fibromyalgia,
which also causes discomfort.  Most family doctors will pat you on the head
and assume that you are just (pick one) premenstrual, over sensitive, need to
feel special, or menopausal.  Best to see a rheumatologist and not take the
chance on being ignored or dismissed.  I know I sound 'picky' but I've been
there.

Try looking up information on Fibromyalgia.  You may find the information to
your benefit.  Good Luck.