<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Check out these articles on thiamine deficiency... http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic221.htm http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic221.htm Thiamine is found in very few food, killed by heat, and destroyed by an acid in coffee (reg & decaf). Need is increased by diet high in carbs or nitrates/nitrites which require a NADH emzyme, made from thiamine-derived cofactor A... (And another website-- http://www.mc.uky.edu/ahec/skyahec/methem-CE.htm ) Unfortunately, the most common form used in foods & vitamins is thiamine mono-nitrate. Supplementation w/ that seems like two step ahead & 1 back at the very least. (Freeda vitamins have the HCL form of thiamine. www.freedavitamins.com ) I developed a nitrate overload from long term use of sensitivity toothpaste containing potassium nitrate and caused nitrite sensitivity which resulted in painful dermatitis. Source of most dietary nitrates is from vegetables--roots, stems, leaves, green parts. Reducing stomach acid (w/ drugs) encourages the growth of bacteria which converts nitrates to nitrites in the stomach & mouth. After months of trial & error, I've found I get skin reactions from the 3 mg of thiamine mononitrate in vitamins. (Worst part is that after every test in the book, I had to do the research & dx the problem my self. Still figuring out how to make it go away permanently so I can start eating some vegetable again, but my painful heat & pressure sensitivie blisters on my palms & soles is now 99% better on my mostly veggie-free, gluten-free diet.) Potassium regulates the electical system in the heart. Normal range is small, between- 3.6 and 5.0 Too much & you get heart problems & diet...Same goes for too little. Supplementing should be done under medical supervision. Test is easy for doctor to run. I have hypertension, probably caused by the nitrate toxicity. Unfortunately, I can no longer take diuretics as part of treatment because I lose so much potassium & rx potassium supplements don't work. Unfortunately, the other drugs I've been on don't work well or cause side effects, so I'm still working w/ my doctor on that one. _______________________________ I don't know if you can find a cardiologist who would consider celiac in relation to heart function but it would be a good idea. I also experienced arrythmias before going on the gf diet. I also know from research that celiac can also cause cardiac myopathy so I do know that having celiac can have a profound affect on the heart. My B12 was down just prior to going on a gf diet. After getting B12 by injection I diaresed tremendously and I felt so much better. Have your husband's B12 checked. It should be at least 250. You are right though, the low magnesium and calcium can play havoc with heart rhythms. Nancy RN Michigan I don't know if you are aware of this site but www.pubmed.com is a site that contains many sources of information. You could put in celiac and cardiac myopathy or celiac and arrythmias _____________________ When they do a blood test that shows the RBC ( red blood cells) if they are high it can cause difficulties with the heart because the blood is thick. I had very rapid heart beat and skipping. Now after donating blood for several months I am no longer experiencing these problems. I was told at the blood bank that very few docs find this problem and patients can also have strokes from this. __________________ You should consider the possibility of a magnesium deficiency. If I didn't take magnesium, I would have terrible palpitations. If you do a search for "magnesium" and "arrythmia" you will find plenty of information. A form of magnesium that is often recommended is magnesium taurate. __________________ I can only suggest one approach. Are you aware of the difference between "screening" blood tests and "bioavailable " blood tests ? The first is cheaper and is what most doctors use. The second is more expensive but tells you how much of the mineral or vitamin is actually "available" to the body. In my case, the screen test gave me a low normal reading, the second told me and my doctor that my vitamin B-12 was extremely low. _____________ My cardiologist (and you certainly should see a cadiologist -- I found a serious, quiet research oriented doctor who listened well) suspected potassium deficiencies. I was given a 24 hour heart monitor to wear (this is not invasive and surely must be done)...which showed no gross arrhythmias. I could not tolerate the potassium in pill form...so I decided to get the potassium I needed through diet. I was able to help myself by using tons of fresh ruit every morning (and some frozen...all sugar free, no additives) to make a wonderful smoothie which tastes great. I use (all year long) fresh watermelon, fresh mango, fresh banana, blueberries (frozen sometimes...again no added ingredients...blueberries only), raspberries (same caution), fresh or frozen peaches, apple, pear, (winter mostly for the last two), a bit of orange juice, fresh pineapple...often add fat free yoghurt, but you don't have to...pure cherry or pure blueberry syrup if you like...all the potassium cured my leg pain and to a large extent palpitations... *Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*