Symptoms of Celiac Neuropathy

Celiac Disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder. People with CD cannot absorb gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. When these people eat gluten the immune system responds by attacking the small finger-like projections, called villi, in the small intestine and destroying them. Without villi, a person cannot absorb nutrients and may become severely malnourished no matter how much food they eat. In these cases, many symptoms, both digestive and neurological, may occur. Celiac Disease is genetic. It runs in families, but often is triggered by a virus, an illness, stress or pregnancy.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Symptoms of CD may include digestive problems such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, vomiting and weight loss. In children, growth may be stunted and the enamel on teeth damaged. But in some people there may be no digestive issues at all. Instead many seemingly unrelated symptoms such as joint pain, anxiety, seizures, neuropathy and anemia, may delay the diagnosis of CD because most health practitioners do not associate these symptoms with a gastrointestinal disease.

Symptoms of Neuropathy

Symptoms of neuropathy included muscle weakness, cramps and spasms caused by motor nerve damage. Sometimes there is a loss of balance and/or coordination. It can be caused by a disease such as CD, nerve compression, toxins or inflammation. Many times no cause can be determined.

CD and Neuropathy

The symptoms of CD Neuropathy are the same as the symptoms for non-CD neuropathy. Many other neurological disorders are associated with celiac disease as well. In fact, even though CD is considered a gastrointestinal disorder, neurological dysfunction may be the only symptom of CD. Untreated CD leads to reduced nutrient absorption, diarrhea and weight loss which may cause neurological issues. Currently it isn't clear to the medical community whether gluten itself leads to neurological problems or the problems are caused by nutritional deficiencies resulting from CD. Dr. Marios Hadjivassilious, a neurologist at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in England, believes that it is not the nutritional deficiencies that cause neuropathy but the fact that CD is a systemic disorder. According to Hadjivassilious, CD should not be seen as solely a "disease of the gut" because it affects so many parts of the body. Other neurological disorders that have been linked to CD include: cerebellar ataxia, epilepsy, dementia and depression.

How Prevalent is CD Neuropathy?

New research presented by Dr. Hadjivassilious has shown that gluten neuropathy accounts for 26% of all axonal neuropathies and 34% of sporadic, axonal neuropathies.

Other Conditions Associated with Neuropathy

Other conditions associated with neuropathy include alcoholism, metabolic disorders, autoimmune disorders, Bell's palsy, cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome, kidney failure, diabetes mellitus, infectious disease and vitamin deficiencies.

Conclusion

Some medical experts like Dr. Hadjivassilious do believe that gluten sensitivity causes neurological syndromes. However, the association between neurological syndromes and gluten sensitivity needs to be confirmed by larger epidemiological studies. Diet trials studying the effect of gluten on other disorders such as autism and schizophrenia have been inconclusive. Treatment of CD involves eliminating gluten (wheat, rye, barley). In many cases neurological problems may subside when the patient begins to follow a gluten-free diet.