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“My daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease in March last year. She's done amazingly well on the diet! However, the last 1-2 months she's has been getting headaches. Is it related to celiac disease?” Thanks, Shelly.
My reply: Headache is certainly associated with gluten-sensitivity. Headaches and migraines have repeatedly been reported to be associated with gluten in the diet. Not surprisingly, researchers have found that removing or cutting back on gluten in the diet can greatly reduce these symptoms. One study by M. Hadjivassiliou (2001) reported the findings in ten patients with gluten-sensitivity. Their brain tests had suggested inflammation of their central nervous system. All of these people had experienced significant chronic headaches. Some had also suffered from unsteadiness and poor muscle coordination. The great news for them was that after removing gluten from their diets, all of the nine who went gluten-free had full or partial relief (there was only one patient who would not try the diet). Your daughter has been on a gluten-free diet for less than a year. It can take longer for the brain effects of gluten to completely go. Also, when you go off gluten, you can become even more sensitive. So now, even tiny amounts of gluten might be upsetting her. So go back and examine the foods that she is eating - double check that her food does not contain gluten. The gluten syndrome includes the brain, skin and gut symptoms caused by gluten. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford. |
