Jump to content

  • 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

Sudden Encephalopathy And Possible Celiac?

Mtndog

By Mtndog
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

Mtndog Collaborator
Mtndog
Posted

Hi Y'all- My aunt woke up one day two weeks ago (I just found out today) and had NO short term memory. She's had all sorts of tests ruling out tumors, etc and they haven't mentioned Alzheimer's or dementia because it was so sudden. My cousin told me the doctors are baffled.

I told her that maybe celiac was a possibility since her blood niece (I'm adopted so I'm not blood related) has celiac on her siter's side has celiac (my mom- her sister- died of stomach cancer and no one has a CLUE why she got it).

I told her to have her tested.

Encephalopathy can be caused by malnutrition so I'm wondering if malabsorption is an issue.

Any thoughts? I'm really worried. :(

I found this link, but could it happen THAT suddenly?

Open Original Shared Link

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


georgie Enthusiast
georgie
Posted

My mother had that happen. She woke up and didn't know who she was , or where she was , or anything at all. It was really scary. Mums improved. She had to go back to bed for a long deep sleep of 20 hours ( drug induced ) and then when she rewoke she was lots better. There is a name for it - can't recall it now. Does that sound like your aunt ? Mum's happened 20 years ago now, and she made nearly a full recovery with just some memory loss.

Mtndog Collaborator
Mtndog
Posted
  • Author

No, my aunt remembers everything but what happened five minutes ago.

Here's the freaky thing. i emailed her daughter to tell her about the neurological part of celiac and my cousin emailed me back to say that my aunt has known for several years that she has a "mild" case of celiac but hasn't been following the diet because her symptoms aren't that bad.

I wanted to scream! I told her that you can have no symptoms and still be doing damage internally and that I have friends whose only symptoms are neuro.

What really freaks me out is that this is my mom's side of the family and my mom died of a rare form of stomach cancer 3 years ago. She was never tested for celiac and if she had it, she was asymptomatic. :ph34r:

Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted

I'm so sorry about your aunt, I haven't got a clue... isn't it frustrating when you find out someone you love KNOWS they have a problem but aren't doing anything about it because "it's not that bad"??? Especially with Celiac... the effects are cumulative, it can only get worse if she doesn't decide to stick to the diet.

Mtndog Collaborator
Mtndog
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for the support. Sometimes I feel like the celiac police, but I just want to spare everyone else what Ii've been through. Argghhh!

Guest adamssa
Guest adamssa
Posted

Hi!

I'm sorry that I didn't notice this thread earlier. I had something somewhat similar happen to me--when I first got long lasting brain fog it came on suddenly. I was having really terrible gi problems at the same time and dizzy after eating. At first, after the severe dizziness went away my mind was clear. Then, one horrible day last year I got very, very, dizzy and was in a lot of pain and ended up in the ER. I then had brain fog (and at first it was pretty severe) that did not lift entirely until this summer after I had been gluten-free for a few months. (Then it came back and now I"m getting it under control again...long story...I post obssively about possible fog causes :)

It was very, very, very, very scary and depressing for me, and I know that you are more mentioning memory loss than brain fog. But, if I can recover from a sudden onset of brain fog that severe than a good thing is that it is possible for similar things to happen to everyone.

Unfortunatly, the thing with me is that there were a lot of factors. I had my gallbladder out shortly after going to the ER, they thought that was it. My own theory though, is that it was a combination of that and the gluten, and that at some point something just tipped the balance and my body couldn't take anymore. Something else to look into is a severe hypoglycemia episode.

The good and bad thing about message boards is that we all post about our own experiences, and try and connect everything that happens to someone else with what's happened to us to make sense of it. Sometimes it's hard to know when you should make connections or not. But, I guess I would say that I would guess that fog can suddenly happen because of a gluten probem.

all the best,

Sara

AndreaB Contributor
AndreaB
Posted

Bev,

I'm sorry about your Aunt. It's so frustrating when people think Celiac isn't that bad.

Please keep us posted if you will.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,112
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Donna J G
    Newest Member
    Donna J G
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • jenniber
      Celiac support is hard to find

      By jenniber · Posted

      same! how amazing you have a friend who has celiac disease. i find myself wishing i had someone to talk about it with other than my partner (who has been so supportive regardless)
    • RMJ
      need help understanding testing result for Naked Nutrition Creatine please

      By RMJ · Posted

      They don’t give a sample size (serving size is different from sample size) so it is hard to tell just what the result means.  However, the way the result is presented  does look like it is below the limit of what their test can measure, so that is good.
    • knitty kitty
      Insomnia help

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @cristiana,  I react the same way.  Dairy consumption flushes out my digestive system within an hour, too! As casein is digested, it forms casomorphins that bind to opioid receptors in our bodies.  This is similar to digested gluten peptides being able to attach to opioid receptors in our bodies.   We have opioid receptors throughout our bodies including lots in the digestive tract. Casein raises tTg IgA antibodies just like gluten consumption does, which leads to further intestinal damage and continuing inflammation.  No wonder our bodies react to it by pushing the "emergency evacuation" ejection seat button! The mother of my childhood friend was British and introduced me to drinking tea properly with milk or cream.  I miss it so much.  And chocolate ice cream.  Not worth the after effects, though.  I've found taking Omega Three supplements (flaxseed oil, sunflower seed oil, evening primrose oil) helps shake those dairy cravings.   Green leafy veggies like broccoli, kale, and greens (mustard, turnip, collards) are great sources of calcium.  Avoid spinach as it is high in oxalates that block calcium absorption and may cause kidney stones.  Yes, more leafy greens are needed to reach the same amount of calcium in a glass of milk, but the greens have other benefits, like increased dietary fiber and polyphenols that act as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and promote health.   Exposure to gluten (and casein in those sensitive to it) can cause an increased immune response and inflammation for months afterwards.  The immune cells that make tTg IgA antibodies which are triggered today are going to live for about two years. During that time, inflammation is heightened.  Those immune cells only replicate when triggered.  If those immune cells don't get triggered again for about two years, they die without leaving any descendents programmed to trigger on gluten and casein.  The immune system forgets gluten and casein need to be attacked.  The Celiac genes turn off.  This is remission.   Some people in remission report being able to consume gluten again without consequence.  Another triggering event can turn the Celiac genes on again.   Celiac genes are turned on by a triggering event (physical or emotional stress).  There's some evidence that thiamine insufficiency contributes to the turning on of autoimmune genes.  There is an increased biological need for thiamine when we are physically or emotionally stressed.  Thiamine cannot be stored for more than twenty-one days and may be depleted in as little as three during physical and emotional stresses. Mitochondria without sufficient thiamine become damaged and don't function properly.  This gets relayed to the genes and autoimmune disease genes turn on.  Thiamine and other B vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are needed to replace the dysfunctional mitochondria and repair the damage to the body.  
    • TheDHhurts
      need help understanding testing result for Naked Nutrition Creatine please

      By TheDHhurts · Posted

      Hi, I bought Naked Nutrition Creatine. It lists itself as gluten free but is not certified. (It used to be, but they dropped it in the past year or two apparently.) I wrote the company and asked them what testing results they had for creatine and they sent me the attached, which says the test result for gluten is <0.025MCG. I'm used to seeing test results as ppm, so I'm not sure what <0.025MCG means. Can it be converted to ppm easily? I want to confirm that it is safe to use.
    • cristiana
      Insomnia help

      By cristiana · Posted

      When I was still recovering my gastroenterologist suggested I bought lactofree product as I was very bloated.  So I bought some from the supermarket and from memory, I drank a nice big glass of milk - and it went right through me literally within an hour or so, if my memory serves correctly.  I came off dairy completely next and it worked like a charm, but started to reintroduce quite gradually it as I missed it! To this day, if I overdo dairy products, they work like a mild laxative.  I've never wanted to give up milk completely as I like it so much, and my mum had osteoporosis and it's an easy way of getting calcium.  But it doesn't really 'sit' well with me.   You may need to experiment a bit as when I was healing certain dairy products were worse than others - I could cope with one brand of Greek yoghurt, but I got extremely and painfully bloated with another brand of live British yoghurt.  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.