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Well, This time I really am in over my head.  Years ago I knew that color
deficiency was a recessive gene related to the sex chromosome (have I got
the terms right so far?), but I'd forgotten it.  That being the case, the
celiac gene is somewhere else on the long line of chromosomes, so there is
no particular chance that they are related, and anyone - ANYONE -out there
who knows more than I do about such things is more than welcome to correct
me.  Meanwhile, I'll summarize the responses that have come in, as they are
rather interesting.

My non-celiac son (19) is red and green colorblind. His non-celiac paternal
grandfather is also, yet they blame it on me, the mother, also non-celiac.
Janet in Modesto Calif.

I remember from biology classes that red/green colour deficiency is on your
sex chromosomes and that it is very difficult to get a red/green deficient
female (very common in males).  I believe it is carried on the X chromosome,
so the only way for you to have inherited this is to have both your mother
and your father having this on their X chromosome - it wouldn't necessarily
have shown up in your mother because this is a recessive gene and her other
chromosome might have had the dominant one.  The way to trace it back would
be to find out if your mother's father was also colour blind or somebody in
her mother's line would have had to been - just that it wasn't usually
diagnosed back then.  So I don't think it is linked to cd, but since cd is
heritable, you probably get cd in a similar way to getting colour deficiency.

Okay, my brain hurts now, too much biology, not enough chemistry.  Hope this
helps explain your genetics!

Rebecca

No.  However, for some reason I consciously, always CRAVE strong, deep
colors, so maybe I am feeling like I don't see them right.  Also, I cannot
"locate" a color in my mind -- I am never sure what to name a color, and I
seldom agree with the name other people give specific colors in
conversation, so I suspect I don't see them the same as others do.

ALSO, this "color deficiency" was recently a discussion thread on a mailing
list of autistic people and others with similar neurological problems.
GUESS WHAT?  There is a connection between autism and celiac disease in
many more people than chance alone would produce.  And both autism and
celiac seem to be more genetic than otherwise.

So we seem to have a thread that needs someone to pursue it and find out
what the connections are.  Unfortunately I am doing caretaking for a
73-year-old who broke her leg and I can't sit on the 'net all day to figure
this out.  I hope you can!

Patty

        At age 47, I was diagnosed last month as gluten sensitive/CD.
About 20 years ago I was also diagnosed as being color blind, but cannot
remember to what colors (my wife is my color-coordinator for my work/church
attire though).  Interesting post.

Peace.
mi

I am definitely not color deficient, but am very interested in the
replies you get, as I work with color. Please summarize!
Thanks
Nancy in nyc

interesting that you think about the color/CD connection
because I am told that I have a 'wonderful sense of color'
and I feel it ... color is very important in my life.
On the male side of my family my son, and uncles have
color 'deficiencies' but not the red/green one.   And among
the women there is always that argument "It's torquoise blue"
"No, no!  It's torquoise green"    You might be onto something here!
Valerie,  California

Interesting.  Is there any self-test to determine this?

Chuck

The test is simple.  There are many cards with designs made of colored
dots.  If you have normal color vision you see numbers in the dot design.
If your color vision is not normal you will not see the numbers.  Any book
in your local library about vision would likely have copies of the number
charts and the answers, so you don't need to see an opthamologist to know
the answer.  GK

I have celiac disease and also have a color problem.  Mine seems to be more
of a problem with yellow.  I see greens as blue, can't distinguish shades
of apricot/pink/orange, could not see a large pink patch painted on a
yellow wall, and also could not see the big yellow splotches my oil
painting teacher said I had in the middle of my painting!  I saw an eye
doctor but he could not detect it.  He said there a many many color
problems and most people don't notice them.
I'm looking forward to the summary.
Kelly

I am a celiac for 20 years and now that you mention it I am also red/green
def......Interesting!

Bob

Interesting idea.  My maternal grandfather was colorblind, although I don't
know the details.  My son, age 29, is colorblind, and the doctor explained to
me how he couldn't see the difference in red and green when they are at the
same intensity level.  I don't know if this qualifies him as red/green
deficient or not.  The same doctor said about 10% of all men are "color
blind" and that is why many of them have trouble coordinating shirts, ties,
etc.  He has not been tested for celiac, and is not interested at this time.

I am the celiac, and am a professional wardrobe and color consultant.  I
choose shades of colors, from 2000 samples, to be the most attractive and
flattering for a person to wear.  This is not a seasonal approach, but based
on the individual's own hair, eye, blush, and skin coloring.  So no two
people are the same.  My eye is capable of selecting ane eliminating subtle
shades.  When I was doing some training in 1984, I remember being told that
the human eye can discern more shades of red than any other color.  I think
this is why women have so much trouble wearing red lipstick with red clothes.
Quite often we see lipstick that clashes with the clothing coloring.  I
always wonder if they know what a horrible sight it is.  Of course, our body
chemistry changes the shade from the tube slightly, so it is hard to select
the correct shade sometimes.  This is one reason it is handy to have a color
palette in your purse, to help you make selections.

So, this theory is pretty interesting to me.  I will be curious to find out if
there appears to be any correlation.  I am sure you will get some opinions!

I will be out of the country from Sunday until early October.  But my
message will collect while I am gone.
Anne in San Antonio

 blue/green color deficiency seems to run in our family, for what
it's worth since i'm not diagnosed CD.  I'll look forward to your summary
on this!  Mary R

Interesting.  I (the gluten intolerant one in the family) am
not red-green color blind (that I know of!)  My father,
however, is.
Sally