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Post by JC on Jun 17, 2011 6:00:37 GMT -5
"The researchers conclude that focal white-matter lesions in the brain may represent an extra-intestinal manifestation of celiac disease. They theorize that the lesions may be the result of a decreased blood supply caused by the constriction or obstruction of blood vessels due to inflammation, or caused by the destruction of the nerve fiber due to inflammation. Further, children with white-matter lesions, even if they do not have intestinal symptoms, should be tested for celiac disease. Last, more research needs to be done on people celiac disease of all ages to develop a proper predictive value, and to discover the exact cause of the lesions." SON OF A BITCH. This is just crazy. I wonder if my migraines will go away once I'm off all gluten? I'm finding more articles saying that celiac disease is now being considered a neurological disease along with the more common definition of a GI disease. It's implications include disorders such as migraines, restless leg syndrome, psychosis, nerve disease, neuropathy, ataxia, depression, and polyneuropathy. This is just unreal. I had no idea that celiac could be a neurological disease. Source: www.celiac.com/articles/112/1/Brain-White-Matter-Lesions-are-Common-in-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html
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Post by Karen on Jun 17, 2011 6:14:39 GMT -5
Holy sh*t, imagine if your migraines go away! Can you think back to your last few? Did they correspond to some high gluten levels in your diet at all??
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Post by JC on Jun 17, 2011 6:42:54 GMT -5
It's funny because I had a whole wheat made pizza yesterday and I have a small headache today. I'm reading more and more and I'm just elated. Everything makes so much sense now. I just never considered celiac because this sh*t was happening in my damn brain! Gluten was the last thing for me to be rid of for the endo diet because I have been in such denial about my body's reaction to wheat. I knew it was a problem but I haven't done anything about it because it was hard. I'm somewhat glad I didn't eliminate gluten because then this test could have come back negative and I would have never known. But now I have work to do I guess. I'm so excited to see how much better I feel once it's all gone. The fog brain, the inability to concentrate, the MS-like symptoms, the white stools, etc. From what I understand, it takes a long time for this stuff to leave your system. Geez, all these years of migraines and all these crazy symptoms... and it was all just something as simple as celiac. Unreal....
I could kiss my neurologist. What a fantastic doctor.
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Post by pretty on Jun 17, 2011 10:52:11 GMT -5
this is the craziest thing ever! wow I am SO glad they were able to find it! AND glad you were still on gluten, so they could get the test result right! wow sweetie! it's just so cool you'll possible NEVER have another migraine! please let me know if you need food help. I have recipes.... aaaaaannnnnd.... the most delicious food ever is Gluten Free! That's right Mexican Food! as long as you do corn tortillas that is! oh sweetie answers are good. THis is gonna be good.
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Post by hellsbells on Jun 17, 2011 11:47:16 GMT -5
I'm blown away too. Holy f**k. Amazing. Great news babe, GR George, kick gluten into touch and you'll be a whole new woman!
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Post by JC on Jun 17, 2011 12:52:47 GMT -5
Thanks you guys! It's definitely awesome news!! Pretty, I was thinking too about all of my favorite foods and every time my thoughts went to Mexican food I was like HELL YEAH! HAHA. And sushi too! Minus the soy sauce.
I'm so excited to see how differently I feel once the gluten is gone. The possibility of no more migraines just seems so surreal. All this time being told there's no cure. There may be no cure but there sure is a source!
The way this gluten allergy causes brain lesions is quite scary actually and I can see why my doctor said this condition could get dangerous. Eating gluten, as all us endo girls know, causes inflammation. For me, the inflammation was in my brain. The inflammation in the brain constricted blood flow to certain areas which caused ischemia. Ischemia is just a fancy word for tissue death. Basically my brain was slowly dying. Combine that with the clotting disorder he found coupled with me being on birth control for a year... my neurologist truly saved my life. I was just asking to have a major stroke.
With that being said, all it takes is a good doctor. I'm just so happy and I feel like the luckiest person in the world. I am extremely lucky and I couldn't be more thankful.
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Post by 1234 on Jun 17, 2011 13:48:57 GMT -5
Jenaya, this is crazy. Of course the inflammation in the brain would cause migraines. This is fascinating. I hope you feel amazing in a couple months!
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Post by Karen on Jun 17, 2011 19:18:16 GMT -5
Aw, that's just awesome that he kept on pushing for answers. Remember that awful one you saw a while ago that just wanted to drug you up? And I'm proud of YOU for keeping up with it and pushing for answers, too! I know for a while you were really overwhelmed and didn't want to investigate further for a while, but you did and now you have your 'reward' (I use that term loosely) for sticking with it. I really can't wait to see how much better you're feeling by the time school starts up in the fall. You were kick-ass before, now you'll be Super-Freaking-Woman!
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Post by JC on Jun 18, 2011 7:06:47 GMT -5
AWW! Thank you Karen!! I did almost give up. My last appointment with him I had planned on walking in there and saying I felt better and that I'd follow up with him in a year. But instead he came in with his guns blazing and was like, "I'm not done with you yet! I can't ignore that abnormal brain MRI of yours!" It sounded like he did some research since the last time I saw him. What kind of neurologist looks for a food allergy? HA! I love it!
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Post by JC on Jun 18, 2011 7:44:37 GMT -5
I know this isn't completely endo related but I think it does prove a point. For anyone resisting or skeptical that diet can't treat your symptoms (this included me before) I want to show what exactly happened to my brain and how scary it has been to see these lesions everywhere and not know the cause. A food allergy did this to me. And if a food allergy can do this to my brain, it sure as hell can mess up our reproductive systems too. I do advocate for the diet but the funny thing (and quite ironic) is that the one thing I didn't give up was gluten because of how difficult it is. I want people to actually SEE the effects of what a diet can do to you. Since nobody can SEE endo, I thought by showing these images that it would make a little more sense why diet changes work. All of those little white spots you see are dead brain tissue. There are hundreds of spots like this all over my brain.
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Post by Karen on Jun 18, 2011 7:56:39 GMT -5
Powerful stuff, Jenaya!
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Post by hellsbells on Jun 18, 2011 8:54:05 GMT -5
Thanks for showing these, making me think twice about my reluctance to give up wheat!
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Post by painttheseconds on Jun 18, 2011 8:54:19 GMT -5
I'm just so glad you Dr. did some investigating and now you finally have some answers. Your Dr. gives me hope. This is really powerful stuff and just encourages me to stick with the diet. F*** gluten. If it can do that to your brain who knows what else it can do. I want nothing to do with that stuff. Thanks for sharing all of this. I'm learning so much.
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lur6
Junior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by lur6 on Jun 20, 2011 8:38:25 GMT -5
Jenaya, I am so happy for you that such a scary thing can helped by a diet! I've been gluten-free for a looong time now and have read almost every book on it out there. If you're looking for a really great book about really going completely gluten-free I suggest Elizabeth Hasselback's book called "the G-free diet". She tells it all! It's in your vitamins, your chapstick, your shampoo, your body lotion, chicken stock! Places I never thought to look. I also have tons of cook-book suggestions if you need them. If you need anything let me know. and some sushi places have Tamari sauce for us GF people!
ps your brain is very nicely shaped!
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Post by JC on Jun 20, 2011 8:58:15 GMT -5
ps your brain is very nicely shaped! Are you hitting on me? Thanks for all the help. I'm quite overwhelmed at the stuff I'm reading. I probably had this damn allergy for a long time and never knew. Nobody ever thought to look because I never had GI symptoms. I am definitely going to be buying some books at some point. I need a good reference so I'll look into your book. I have a huge "to-do" list of books to read including TCOYF (I know KAREN!). I'm so excited to the possibility of having a "cure" for my migraines!!!
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