Diabetes And Celiac Questions....

[Michele G]

I am looking for input from people who are diabetic and then went gluten free. My husband has had problems managing his blood sugar levels, despite massive amounts of insulin and strict diet adherence. He finally went to a Dr who did the blood test for all types of food sensitivities, and found that he is Gluten intolerant (going to a gastro Doc Monday to see if it's worth getting the biopsy).

Anyway, he has been off of gluten for about 2 months now, but still having blood sugar issues. Currently he is basically of of carbs all together (all grains, potatoes, etc.). Just meat, veggies and fruit (not much fruit, but he eats a small apple for his morning snack when his blood sugar starts to drop, it does not spike his sugar, but balances it nicely...)

He has been told by the dr that the intolerance causes a leaky gut situation, which *may* improve as he stays off of gluten, which should help his body metabolize his food better, hence balancing out his sugars... Has anyone experienced this? What I am reading here often makes it look like once you get off of the what, other food in-tolerances rear their ugly heads! I don't know how he would handle that! Not well I suspect.

Anyway, any advice, input, hints, would be GREATLY appreciated as I am feeling pretty lost, as I do all the shopping, make all the meals, etc.....

thanks in advance

[missy'smom]

I am looking for input from people who are diabetic and then went gluten free. My husband has had problems managing his blood sugar levels, despite massive amounts of insulin and strict diet adherence. He finally went to a Dr who did the blood test for all types of food sensitivities, and found that he is Gluten intolerant (going to a gastro Doc Monday to see if it's worth getting the biopsy).

Anyway, he has been off of gluten for about 2 months now, but still having blood sugar issues. Currently he is basically of of carbs all together (all grains, potatoes, etc.). Just meat, veggies and fruit (not much fruit, but he eats a small apple for his morning snack when his blood sugar starts to drop, it does not spike his sugar, but balances it nicely...)

He has been told by the dr that the intolerance causes a leaky gut situation, which *may* improve as he stays off of gluten, which should help his body metabolize his food better, hence balancing out his sugars... Has anyone experienced this? What I am reading here often makes it look like once you get off of the what, other food in-tolerances rear their ugly heads! I don't know how he would handle that! Not well I suspect.

Anyway, any advice, input, hints, would be GREATLY appreciated as I am feeling pretty lost, as I do all the shopping, make all the meals, etc.....

thanks in advance

I encourage you to visit the forum for those who follow the diabetes management program of Dr. Richard Bernstein. It matches well with the direction you have already gone Open Original Shared Link There are a number of members who have celiac disease or are gluten-free.

The additional food intolerances/allergies may/may not start up after going gluten-free. It may be that they were there and are just more noticeable with other things out of the picture. I can't say which it is for me but I do have many and it seems to match with leaky gut syndrome. I will be getting and endoscopy and colonoscopy in the near future to find out if I have any damage/conditions and what they might be contributing to the problem of my many food allergies.

I wish I could address your original question. I had diabetes when I went gluten-free but I was not DX and did not monitor it so I don't know how it was affected by going gluten-free. It certainly did not go away I am sorry to say. I am insulin deficient more than insulin resistant. I also have GAD antibodies, which are found with T1. There is also a late onest autoimmune form of diabetes that is less known called LADA or Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. It is a slow onset type 1 that starts in adulthood rather than childhood. We here with celiac disease are more vulnerable to that. It is often misdx as T2. Open Original Shared Link

I can say that my casein allergy raises my blood sugar and not just the meal that I consume it in. It brings my baseline up quite a good bit. It's that autoimmune component.

[algarve]

I've known I had gluten allergy for a few years when my sister was diagnosed with it. In the last couple of years I found I did well on a low carbohydrate, high fat diet which I've been sticking to. I was gluten free, except for long-rise sourdough bread I was making myself.

Then recently I was doing some blood testing and I also found I had anti-GAD antibodies. My levels were pretty high at 358 U/ml. My total IgG is elevated and my IgA and IgE levels are below normal. I'm still producing small amounts of insulin and my C-peptide levels are ok, so I'm trying to slow the progression of LADA. Currently my HbA1c is at 6.4%. After I got the results for IgG and IgA I decided to also stop eating sourdough bread and so eliminated wheat completely from my diet.

I came across Dr Richard Bernstein in my searches, and pre-ordered the new edition of his book coming out in November. I'm looking forward to reading it.

I'm using low dose naltrexone (LDN) in combination with the diet etc to see if I can improve the autoimmine component and also reduce my HbA1c level back to normal again. So far my anti-GAD antibodies is down to 276 U/ml in 2 months, but I'll have to track it longer to see if this trend continues.

[missy'smom]

I've known I had gluten allergy for a few years when my sister was diagnosed with it. In the last couple of years I found I did well on a low carbohydrate, high fat diet which I've been sticking to. I was gluten free, except for long-rise sourdough bread I was making myself.

Then recently I was doing some blood testing and I also found I had anti-GAD antibodies. My levels were pretty high at 358 U/ml. My total IgG is elevated and my IgA and IgE levels are below normal. I'm still producing small amounts of insulin and my C-peptide levels are ok, so I'm trying to slow the progression of LADA. Currently my HbA1c is at 6.4%. After I got the results for IgG and IgA I decided to also stop eating sourdough bread and so eliminated wheat completely from my diet.

I came across Dr Richard Bernstein in my searches, and pre-ordered the new edition of his book coming out in November. I'm looking forward to reading it.

I'm using low dose naltrexone (LDN) in combination with the diet etc to see if I can improve the autoimmine component and also reduce my HbA1c level back to normal again. So far my anti-GAD antibodies is down to 276 U/ml in 2 months, but I'll have to track it longer to see if this trend continues.

It's interesting that your GAD is down. I didn't think about that being possible or re-testing. I'm afraid I won't be able to get mine re-tested. I fought HARD to get mine done in the first place.

There was a blogger who went paleo and eliminated many top allergens. She was a young woman, T1 hadn't been dx too long and was able to get off insulin. Her story is here. Open Original Shared Link It's interesting. In the end she went back to insulin and off the diet. I don't agree with everything she says or did but she has some things of value to share. There are a number of folks who have done similar and stayed on that path and off insulin or reduced insulin.

I've been having significant food allergy problems the past few months again and my baseline numbers have been creaping up but I recently started a 4 day rotaion diet to manage the allergies and eliminated a couple things I suspected were bothering me and my pre-meal/fasting BG's have dropped down by 10-20 points to completely normal numbers again-low 80's. That change occurred at the same time as my GI inflamation from these allergens went away and BM's returned to normal. I still take insulin for my meal coverage as I am no longer low-carb and still insulin deficient so need it for the fast acting carbs but I was without insulin for 2 years while low-carb and I know that these fastings are not affected by the insulin. I saw the same thing happen while LC and off insulin-BG baseline go down when my system was not dealing with allergens.

[cahill]

diabetes and celiac's are both autoimmune diseases.

[algarve]

diabetes and celiac's are both autoimmune diseases.

You mean type 1 diabetes and celiac disease are both autoimmune diseases.. Glycemic control such as through diet (low carb) seems to delay onset of LADA even though it's autoimmune.

[cahill]

You mean type 1 diabetes and celiac disease are both autoimmune diseases.. Glycemic control such as through diet (low carb) seems to delay onset of LADA even though it's autoimmune.

It makes sense that a low carb (low or no gluten) would delay the onset even though it's autoimmune

[algarve]

It makes sense that a low carb (low or no gluten) would delay the onset even though it's autoimmune

Exactly. No gluten would be important in the case of celiac disease. But generally I think a non-grain diet is probably a good idea for everyone, since grains contain phytic acid which unless the grains are prepared properly would cause digestion issues which aren't ideal for good health and mineral absorption.

It's very common for people with celiac disease, and other diseases in general to be deficient in zinc and have elevated levels of copper. There is some evidence that depleting the body of copper and improving zinc status can improve things. Zinc among other things is necessary for insulin production.

Zinc, Insulin and Diabetes

Open Original Shared Link

In my case I can only keep my blood zinc level in the normal range by taking around 100-150mg of zinc a day. That gives me a blood zinc level of around 100 mcg/dl (normal range 59-135 mcg/dl). 50 mg/day zinc will only just put me in the normal range. By comparison my copper level tends to be around 130-135 mcg/dl (normal 66-130 mcg/dl). With disease progression it's common for copper levels to continue increasing, especially with a lack of zinc in the diet I guess.

[algarve]

It's interesting that your GAD is down. I didn't think about that being possible or re-testing. I'm afraid I won't be able to get mine re-tested. I fought HARD to get mine done in the first place.

Yes it's interesting that it's going down. I'm checking GAD about once a month so I will be watching if this trend continues and see what I can learn from the results. It's still early days though. My first result was 358.8 --> 321.4 --> 276.5 every month after that.

It's a shame you can't get retested.

Currently my non-fasting blood insulin has been sitting between 4.4 and 6.3 microU/ml (reference range 2.2-12.4 microU/ml) and my non-fasting C-peptide at 2.0 ng/ml (reference range 0.8-2.5 ng/ml). Both being fasting reference ranges.

There was a blogger who went paleo and eliminated many top allergens. She was a young woman, T1 hadn't been dx too long and was able to get off insulin. Her story is here. Open Original Shared Link It's interesting. In the end she went back to insulin and off the diet. I don't agree with everything she says or did but she has some things of value to share. There are a number of folks who have done similar and stayed on that path and off insulin or reduced insulin.

This is interesting too and there is hope. She is very young and probably lacks experienced support. Either way, this diet may not be enough on it's own, or at least it would be much more challenging and require a lot of effort to work everything out. Regular diagnostics and lab testing would also be necessary.

I'm going to stay on a very low-carb, gluten free diet which I was on already before I discovered the high anti-GAD antibodies. The way I stay on low carbs is to include plenty of calories from fats such as butter and coconut oil. But I'm also trialling a number of anti-diabetic agents, such as Cinnamon, Gymnema sylvestre, Bitter Melon, Fenugreek, Chromium GTF and Vanadium (as bis-glycinato-oxo-vanadium - organic form of vanadium) and Alpha Lipoic Acid. I use these in combination, because single agents don't generally appear to have enough effect, or the doses need to be too high.

Currently I'm taking these for the diabetes:

3600 mg Cinnamon

1800 mg Gymnema sylvestre

1200 mg Bitter Melon

3000 mg Fenugreek

4800 mcg Chromium GTF

24 mg Vanadium (as bis-glycinato-oxo-vanadium)*

1200 mg Alpha Lipoic Acid

4.5 mg naltrexone - LDN (at bedtime)

Usually I take these in 3 divided doses with meals. * This form of vanadium is quite different from other forms and the dose is different too.

I'm doing a lot of what is covered here, with the use of supplements as well as diet to get the desired results.

Open Original Shared Link

[missy'smom]

Your c-peptide looks good. dare I put an exclamation point?

Thank you for sharing.

My c-peptide both times it was measured, fasting, after dx and after starting management was 0.8 on that same scale. I make enough of my own insulin to cover a LC meal but if I eat any starchy vegetables or fast acting carbs I need injected insulin. I don't need basal insulin at this point. I had to abandon my LC diet because I become allergic to frequently eaten foods and had developed a list of too many. I am casein allergic and consumed it most of my life. Casein allergy has also been linked to diabetes in studies I've seen. The best I can do now, with careful management is heal what beta cells are just damaged and prevent further damage to what are left. Easier said than done. Dr. Bernstein has said that the less insulin a person is making, the less likely another autoimmune attack is. I can hope

[algarve]

Your c-peptide looks good. dare I put an exclamation point?

Thank you for sharing.

My c-peptide both times it was measured, fasting, after dx and after starting management was 0.8 on that same scale. I make enough of my own insulin to cover a LC meal but if I eat any starchy vegetables or fast acting carbs I need injected insulin. I don't need basal insulin at this point. I had to abandon my LC diet because I become allergic to frequently eaten foods and had developed a list of too many. I am casein allergic and consumed it most of my life. Casein allergy has also been linked to diabetes in studies I've seen. The best I can do now, with careful management is heal what beta cells are just damaged and prevent further damage to what are left. Easier said than done. Dr. Bernstein has said that the less insulin a person is making, the less likely another autoimmune attack is. I can hope

I think Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) could be very important in the treatment of autoimmune diabetes as well as allergies. In other diseases I've heard doctors report that they get better results with LDN when patients avoid carbohydrates. Many people also report problems with candida yeast overgrowth when they eat the white carb foods.

Butter and coconut oil would be very important foods in a low carb diet, to supply enough calories for energy and suppress hunger. Butter contains a great number of nutrients, such as Choline, vitamin A, E, and K, without the lactose found in milk.

I'll have to look into Casein allergies more, but generally it seems many people have problems with pasteurized milk which lack of enzymes. I've been avoiding milk and only eat natural yoghurt which I make myself from organic non-homogenized milk

I know a Bromelain/Quercetin combination is effective as an anti-histamine, so it could be helpful to reduce other allergies. Vitamin C is also a natural anti-histamine which works well in combination with Bromelain and Quercetin. I've seen this combination nearly completely control serious seasonal pollen allergies which didn't respond well to anti-histamine drugs. Natural Vitamin A, such as from fish liver oil, is an immunomodulator, which may help too.

For example, a quick search finds an example (although in animals) how vitamin C acts as an immunomodulator that attenuates anaphylactic reactions to soybean glycinin hypersensitivity.

Open Original Shared Link

I have also read how high dose vitamin C can be effective in people with anaphylactic shock from bee stings.

I always take a liquid cod liver oil supplement which supplies about 1000mg EPA and DHA, and 10,000 IU vitamin A. There is good evidence that fish oil helps reduce allergies. I prefer cod liver oil over fish oil because it contains the all important natural vitamin A and some vitamin D too.

"Dietary supplementation with fish oil in anti-inflammatory doses inhibits prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis by stimulated peripheral blood monocytes. This provides a mechanistic basis for the reduction in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) requirements in patients taking anti-inflammatory doses of fish oil."

Open Original Shared Link

There is also an interesting study here on high dose vitamin E.

High-Dose Vitamin E Supplementation Normalizes Retinal Blood Flow and Creatinine Clearance in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

Open Original Shared Link

The researchers used 1800 IU vitamin E per day in this trial which may be excessive for normal people, but it might be appropriate for people with type 1 diabetes to prevent complications. This appears to be good clinical research which shows a clear benefit in people with type 1 diabetes. The blood vessels in the eyes are excellent diagnostic indicators of diabetes and other diseases.

[algarve]

Yesterday I received a copy of Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, 4th Edition which just came out. It looks very good and I read some parts, especially about Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) where he also recommends 4.5mg Naltrexone at bedtime, and which he sometimes uses for his patients. I think there is a lot still to be learnt about endorphins and how LDN stimulates their production in the body. In the mean time LDN is a safe drug with a long history of use that is being prescribed by more and more doctors at this very low dose without any problems.

[domesticactivist]

I'm not diabetic but have always had trouble regulating blood sugar. Since going on the gaps diet, which is grain free and also fruit free at first, I have had much better stability in my blood sugar. Reintroducing fruit threw me for a loop but I seem to have finally got the message of moderation and balancing it out with protein and fat, which helps.

[algarve]

I'm not diabetic but have always had trouble regulating blood sugar. Since going on the gaps diet, which is grain free and also fruit free at first, I have had much better stability in my blood sugar. Reintroducing fruit threw me for a loop but I seem to have finally got the message of moderation and balancing it out with protein and fat, which helps.

If you have always had trouble regulating blood sugar, wouldn't that indicate you have some sort of diabetic condition? Have you ever checked Anti-GAD Antibodies and Anti-IA-2 Antibodies? Also testing your blood Insulin and C-Peptide levels would indicate your insulin production. If your non-fasting insulin and c-peptide levels are low then you'll have trouble controlling blood sugar, as I do. ZTT is a simple test related to total immunoglobulin (especially IgG) and high levels can indicate chronic and autoimmune diseases. My ZTT is slightly elevated and my total IgG is elevated. You can also do tests for Insulin Antibodies. My ICA-IgG test was also positive, but everything else negative.

Definitely the grain-free, fruit-free diet is a good idea to stick with.

[domesticactivist]

If you have always had trouble regulating blood sugar, wouldn't that indicate you have some sort of diabetic condition? Have you ever checked Anti-GAD Antibodies and Anti-IA-2 Antibodies? Also testing your blood Insulin and C-Peptide levels would indicate your insulin production. If your non-fasting insulin and c-peptide levels are low then you'll have trouble controlling blood sugar, as I do. ZTT is a simple test related to total immunoglobulin (especially IgG) and high levels can indicate chronic and autoimmune diseases. My ZTT is slightly elevated and my total IgG is elevated. You can also do tests for Insulin Antibodies. My ICA-IgG test was also positive, but everything else negative.

Definitely the grain-free, fruit-free diet is a good idea to stick with.

I'll have to look into that. I was tested for diabetes 1 as a kid and then again several years ago bib I don't know exactly what rests were run. I was just told they were negative.

[missy'smom]

If you have always had trouble regulating blood sugar, wouldn't that indicate you have some sort of diabetic condition? Have you ever checked Anti-GAD Antibodies and Anti-IA-2 Antibodies? Also testing your blood Insulin and C-Peptide levels would indicate your insulin production. If your non-fasting insulin and c-peptide levels are low then you'll have trouble controlling blood sugar, as I do. ZTT is a simple test related to total immunoglobulin (especially IgG) and high levels can indicate chronic and autoimmune diseases. My ZTT is slightly elevated and my total IgG is elevated. You can also do tests for Insulin Antibodies. My ICA-IgG test was also positive, but everything else negative.

Definitely the grain-free, fruit-free diet is a good idea to stick with.

Yes, I agree. There is more to diabetes than just T1 and T2 and pos. or negative. There is more coming out these days about blood sugar regulation issues and there are spectrums for the various issues. It would be worthwhile for you to get some more data and do some more homework towards understanding what is up with you. Grain-free diets are very good for BG regulation. I did it but it was important for me to get further testing and know the things I do now about my body.

[algarve]

I'll have to look into that. I was tested for diabetes 1 as a kid and then again several years ago bib I don't know exactly what rests were run. I was just told they were negative.

Let us know if you learn more about your tests that might explain things more clearly. When I first stumbled upon the Anti-GAD Antibodies test and read that it was a predictor of (type 1) diabetes, I did the test without any idea what to expect. But the positive results provided me with very important information, so it was very lucky.

[domesticactivist]

I'll keep you posted. It may be a while, though as I'm looking for a new doctor and my insurance is minimal.

[algarve]

"Anti-GAD antibodies target an enzyme called Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase. This enzyme is responsible for converting glutamic acid to GABA, a chemical found in high concentrations in the cerebellum of the brain. Anti-GAD antibodies are particularly common in diabetes mellitus and autoimmune diseases such as thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis."

There is some interesting research in mice using GABA (a supplement which is commonly used in sports fitness and health) for type 1 diabetes.

GABA Therapy Prevents Type 1 Diabetes and Reverses Established Disease in Mouse Models

Open Original Shared Link

It makes sense that people who have anti-GAD antibodies may be deficient in GABA, which can lead to symptomatic health problems. Taking a GABA supplement may restore this deficiency and improve symptoms.