Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Celiac with low iron

Peggy M
 Share

Recommended Posts

Peggy M Rookie
Peggy M
Posted

I was diagnosed 1 year ago with Celiac. Just 2 months before I required 2 liters of blood followed by an infusion of iron.  Then in August of this year another infusion of iron was required. Now I will be going in for another tomorrow.  Is this something Celiacs have a problem with?  I usually get so weak I can hardly walk.  In reading onlin, there seems to be a connection between the two.  What can I do to improve my iron intake?  I do not like having this infusion since it can cause other problems if you get it too often.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


knitty kitty Grand Master
knitty kitty
Posted

Yes, Peggy, 

Anemia is common in Celiac Disease.  Anemia can be caused by not absorbing sufficient iron, Cobalamine B12, and other essential nutrients.  

We need iron to make blood cells but we also need Cobalamine B12.  An intrinsic factor is needed to absorb B12, but gastritis can affect the production of the intrinsic factor in the stomach.  Vitamin C helps the absorption of iron.  Trace minerals such as copper and zinc are needed, too.  Riboflavin B2 is important in correcting anemia as well, not to mention Thiamine B 1, Folate B9, and Vitamins A and D.    

Checking for nutritional deficiencies is part of proper follow up care for Celiac Disease. 

Supplementing with essential vitamins and minerals may be necessary until your intestines heal and can absorb sufficient nutrients on their own.  Following a nutritionally dense diet helps as well.  

Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?  Have you talked to a nutritionist about a nutritionally dense gluten free diet?  

What sort of gluten free diet are you following?  Are you vegetarian? 

Knitty Kitty

Peggy M Rookie
Peggy M
Posted
  • Author

I'm not a vegetarian.  Went to a nutritionist who gave me the diet for seniors. Too much food! If I eat 2 meals a day I'm lucky.  Despise most of the food. No taste. Meat, cheese and eggs I do eat a lot of. I just tried drinking gluten-free protein shakes at lunchtime.  My B12 is ok.  I been taking a B100 complex for years.  Can't take Vit C because of the acid but manage to have 1 serving of fruit a day.  B1 was just tested and is right on target. Must be something that everyone is missing.

knitty kitty Grand Master
knitty kitty
Posted

@Peggy M,

If you've been taking a B100 Complex in the eight to twelve weeks before having your B12 and B 1 tested, your blood tests would be picking up on the vitamins circulating in your bloodstream before being absorbed.  These would be inaccurate measurements.  

You can have a subclinical thiamine insufficiency before it is reflected in the blood.  Same with B12.  Vitamins work inside cells in organs and tissues.  The body will steal from those cells to supply the brain and heart.  The bloodstream is a transport system, but the stores inside the cells are empty.  

Nutritional deficiency symptoms can be very subtle.  Like "No taste" can be a symptom of Thiamine insufficiency leading to loss of appetite and anorexia.  Zinc deficiency can make one lose the sense of smell and taste.  

The best test for Thiamine deficiency is to take Thiamine and look for improvement according to the World Health Organization.  Thiamine Hydrochloride or Benfotiamine are available over the counter.  Benfotiamine has been scientifically shown to promote intestinal healing.  

Check your vitamin supplement label.  Thiamine mononitrate is not utilized well by our bodies.  It's shelf stable, doesn't degrade sitting on a store shelf.  It's not good for our bodies, but manufacturers like it because it's cheap.  

The B vitamins are water soluble and easily excreted by the kidneys.  We need more when we are sick, physically active, and under stress.  

Every mitochondria in every cell uses thiamine to make energy so cells can function properly.  Some cells contain hundreds of mitochondria.  When there's insufficient thiamine, the mitochondria cannot function properly.  Mitochondria are involved in Celiac Disease.

Please try taking extra Thiamine and Benfotiamine.

References:

Mitochondria and redox balance in coeliac disease: A case-control study

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29243228/

Mitochondria: It is all about energy

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10167337/

  • 4 weeks later...
AvdBrink Newbie
AvdBrink
Posted
On 11/16/2023 at 4:18 AM, Peggy M said:

I was diagnosed 1 year ago with Celiac. Just 2 months before I required 2 liters of blood followed by an infusion of iron.  Then in August of this year another infusion of iron was required. Now I will be going in for another tomorrow.  Is this something Celiacs have a problem with?  I usually get so weak I can hardly walk.  In reading onlin, there seems to be a connection between the two.  What can I do to improve my iron intake?  I do not like having this infusion since it can cause other problems if you get it too often.

Dear Peggy M.,

Just yesterday I posted a message on iron malabsorption under "Related Issues and Disorders". Maybe Iron Pyrophosphate (capsules) is worth trying. All the best.

AvdBrink

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,136
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Kimberley Ogle
    Newest Member
    Kimberley Ogle
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      69.9k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • pmarklesparkle
      Best apps for people with celiac

      By pmarklesparkle · Posted

      Thank you, Hopeful!  I've downloaded both of those apps and will try them out.  Much appreciated!
    • Thelma Cadieux
      Cycle of dermatitis herpetiformis

      By Thelma Cadieux · Posted

      Thanks but I will check it out with my doctor, usually stress will trigger it,
    • Hopeful1950
      Cycle of dermatitis herpetiformis

      By Hopeful1950 · Posted

      Has any doctor suggested taking a round of Dapsone?  If you have dermatitis herpetiformis, dapsone will clear it fairly quickly.  It is not a drug you would want to take forever, but when all else failed my doc had me take it as a way to determine if it was dermatitis herpetiformis.  Sure enough it worked like a miracle and itch stopped and after 2 months the rash cleared.  Then I embarked on figuring out how to eat to avoid the breakouts.  It is my understanding that once you expose to gluten, the reaction happens and antibodies are deposited in your skin.  They can blister right away or hang around for a long time and get "activated" by other things like your monthlies, pressure, stress etc.... It makes it difficult to diagnose and difficult to manage.
    • Hopeful1950
      Best apps for people with celiac

      By Hopeful1950 · Posted

      I use an app called Spoonful where you can scan labels and it will tell you whether it is safe, questionable (and why) and also something you can substitute.  It also makes it easier to see what is on the label.  There are some ingredients that I avoid in addition to gluten. You can also search the app by a category.  I just searched on "cosmetics and a few things popped up as compliant.  I think the app is mainly focused on food.  When I first started out reading labels was a nightmare and it took me so much time at the store.  This app has really helped me when I am looking at something new.  They update frequently, and if something isn't in their data base there is an AI function where you can enter the information from the label and it will analyze it right away for you. I have used an app called Find Me Gluten Free in the past when I am traveling to find restaurants.  People's reviews are very helpful because even when a restaurant claims to be able to accommodate, often people will find out differently and they report it on reviews. Hope this helps.
    • Scott Adams
      Gluten Ataxia and Malabsorption

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      It took me 2-3 years to feel like my gut recovered, and then I still had gluten ataxia issues for well over a decade.  This study indicates that a majority of celiacs don't recover until 5 years after diagnosis and starting a gluten-free diet: Mucosal recovery and mortality in adults with celiac disease after treatment with a gluten-free diet However, it's also possible that what the study really shows is the difficulty in maintaining a 100% gluten-free diet. I suspect that if you looked closely at the diets of those who did not recover within 2 years might be that their diets were not 100% gluten-free. Perhaps they ate out more often, or didn't understand all of the hidden ingredients where gluten can hide. Either way, it shows how difficult recovery from celiac disease can be for most people. According to this study: This article explores other causes of flattened villi:    
×
×
  • Create New...