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

Just wanted to thank everyone for thier responses.

I had eleven responses to my post which I  listed below.

I have a question.  I have recently been having more problems with my
ankles giving out I will be walking and all of a sudden I fall most of
the time I catch myself but not always. Right now I find myself giggling
about this but it is really a concern to me. I don't know what I can do
to stop this from happening. I also have alot of problems with my hips
cracking it sort of sounds like when you crack your fingers. Does anyone
else have these problems. I will summarize.  I had a bone scan done last
january that showed that I have osteopenia but she said it was not that
bad. Should I go in for another one to have them look at my ankles and
hips specifically?

Here are the responses:::

One person stated that they get the same exact feel but has never had a
bonescan

Another person stated that her knees give out more than the ankles and thinks
it's somehow related to celiac disease and suggested that I search for
musculoskeletal on the internet and see what it comes up with anything
similar to what I am experiencing.

Another response stated that she used to twist her ankles all the time prior
to being gluten free, and now it does not happen at all.

Another person stated "I attribute it to an arthritic autoimmune response
caused by celiac." This person suffers from the same as I described in my
e-mail.


I hadn't heard of anyone else with problem ankles until your letter.
Mine were not painful but would also suddenly just give out with my
knees crunchy, popping similar to your hip description. During the same
time period the bottom of my heals would be quite sore and pinchy for no
obvious reason......always worse in the morning when first getting out
of bed.  Since these 'sensitive' spells would last for weeks and clear
up for a short period of time, always to return, I finally started to
suspect it was something else I was eating, beside gluten, causing the
problem.  Finally, by the long, tedious process of elimination, I
figured out that corn syrup was the culprit.  And oh, did I hope that
wasn't the case.....there went the gummy bears and anything else
sweetened with corn syrup.  Tough to deny myself yet again...but no more
corn syrup, no more problem heals or weak ankles....all gone --for two
months so far!

I have rheumatoid arthritis and my son is celiac.  Both being in the
autoimmune family.  We both have problems this cracking joints and
ankles not as strong as they use to be.

Another person suggested the product listed below.

Please take a look at Nikken products.  They can help with ankle
strength as well as the osteopenia.  You can go to my website:
www.5pillars.com/micki

Another person suggested that I go to see my doctor about this. ( Which I
will but I don't think that a doctor would be able to figure this out
either.)

When I recieved this e-mail I was surprised I have taken this medication in
the past and had no idea that it caused this type of problem. I wonder how
many times you would have needed to take this medication in order for this to
affect you?

Do you take Cipro? It can have a direct effect on your Achilles heal
tendons.

"Based on more than 130 reports of tendon inflammation (many involving
rupture), most frequently involving the Achilles tendon, in persons using
the widely-prescribed class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones
(Cipro), Public Citizen, representing consumers nationwide, hereby petitions
the F.D.A., pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 21, U.S.C.
Section 355(e)(3), and C.F.R. 10.30, to add a warning about this serous
problem to the label of all fluoroquinolone antibiotics marketed in the
United States. These include: ciprofloxacin (Cipro, Bayer Corporation),
enoxacin (Penetrex, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin, G.D.
Searle), norfloxacin (Noroxin, Merck & Company), and ofloxacin (Floxin,
McNeil Pharmaceutical). (In 1995, there were 14.4 million prescriptions
filled for these antibiotics in U.S. retail pharmacies according to data
from IMS.) In addition, consumers must be warned through F.D.A. approved
MedGuides (patient package inserts) how to recognize and react to this
potentially serious adverse effect of fluoroquinolone antibiotics. "