Posterboy's Blog

To All. Is Refeeding Syndrome being misdiagnosed as Celiac Disease today?

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Refeeding Syndrome happens among the severely malnourished and having Celiac disease is a risk for a Refeeding Syndrome leading to a Celiac Crisis aka Celiac diagnosis.

See this research entitled “Celiac Crisis: an unusual presentation of gluten-sensitive enteropathy” where the Symptoms of Refeeding Syndrome (Electrolyte Imbalances) is being diagnosed as “Celiac Crisis” instead….

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Refeeding Syndrome is missed in 50 percent of patients and there have been many studies showing Refeeding Syndrome (RFS) being diagnosed as Celiac Crisis instead….

Quoting from the above study about this phenomenon in Celiacs...

“PubMed articles published between September 1990 and April 2018, were searched using the uniterm

“celiac crisis” in patients older than 18 years; 31 reported cases were gathered (Table 1). The mean age was 52 years ranging from 23 to 83 years and a gender predominance was found among females (1.81:1).

Interestingly, amid the 31 cases,  only 3 had the diagnosis of Celiac Disease before the crisis. ”

So in these studies these Electrolyte Anomalies aka Refeeding Syndrome where ultimately diagnosed as Celiac disease instead of RFS….of which there is a readily medically treatable regimen with good clinical/patient outcomes.

See this Medical New Today article to see if you are experiencing what is known as Refeeding Syndrome many times diagnosed as a Celiac Crisis instead...

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I only know it happened in my case.....and your case might be similar....low Potassium is often an early sign of Refeeding Syndrome....

IN these cases the Electrolyte abnormalities showed up before the Celiac diagnosis as it did in my case too!

It is  not as a rare as people/doctor's believe it is .....in only two years time the case studies on the this topic for Refeeding Syndrome (Connection/Association) as a a trigger for Celiac disease has gone up 50+ Percent because doctors are now more aware and are looking for it more!

See this very recent 2020 Case Study article that bears this out...entitled

"Life-threatening onset of celiac disease: a case report and literature review"

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where they note:

"The present case highlights that celiac disease may manifest quite abruptly with a severe malabsorption syndrome, that is, electrolyte abnormalities"..

.IE Refeeding Syndrome....commonly known/diagnosed as a "Celiac Crisis" instead today I believe...

Comparing the number of studies of Refeeding Syndrome in Celiac's went from only 31 to almost 50 studies

in under two years time...

It is time doctor's became more aware of these connections so Celiac's can be helped sooner in those who have developed a Thiamine deficiency (commonly found in Refeeding Syndrome) as the triggering cause of a Celiac Crisis!

You will probably also have a Magnesium deficiency presenting as Low Potassium and Chronic Fatigue.....I know I did in my case!

Because as the Medical News Today article pointed out.....Low Potassium is a symptom of Low Magnesium levels...quoting from the above Medical News Today article...

Refeeding syndrome can also lead to a lack of magnesium. Hypomagnesemia is the name for dangerously low levels of magnesium.

Signs and symptoms of hypomagnesemia include: low potassium levels, or hypokalemia ......weakness.... and fatigue.

And in my case terrible "Charlie  Horses" aka Muscle Spasms that got better after taking Magnesium Citrate with meals.

I hope this helps at least one other person....I share because I have suffered these same symptom's going undiagnosed in/with my Celiac diagnosis and if I am right being the Posterboy for Celiac disease and this research is right being Misdiagnosed as a Celiac Crisis instead today! I hope it helps the next person....I only know it helped me!

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

2 Tim 2:7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included.

Posterboy by the Grace of God,