Search the Community

Celiac.com 03/29/2018 - Fatigue is the most common symptom plaguing a majority of patients. Trouble sleeping, weight issues, PMS, headaches, fertility or libido issues, and achy joints are also very common and can all be affected by hormonal imbalance that continues after gluten has been removed from the diet. The trouble with trying to resolve such symptoms is that the root cause can vary. If every patient with fatigue had a thyroid problem, it would be easy to correct because we would know exactly where to look. If you're gluten intolerant you may have suffered from some of the complaints listed above prior to discovering your celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. But perhaps now, despite your gluten-free diet, some of these same symptoms continue to plague you. If so, read on. Let's review the list of symptoms and add a few more: Fatigue Trouble sleeping Weight trouble PMS Migraines Infertility or miscarriage Achy joints or muscles Allergies Light headedness Frequent illness Asthma While the list is long, believe it or not, there is a common cause to all of them. I'm not saying it's the only cause, but what I do wish to discuss is the reason why someone can be found gluten intolerant, successfully institute a gluten-free diet, yet continue to suffer from many of the above symptoms. There are two glands in your body called the adrenal glands. They sit atop each of your kidneys and they are the masters of multi-tasking! If I asked you if one part of your body was responsible for: Giving you energy, maintaining your weight, keeping your immune system strong, maintaining stable mood, anti-aging, controlling sleep quality, assisting with hormonal balance, keeping allergies at bay and more…what would you say? You might think to yourself that if there was one type of body part responsible for all those things then you had better start treating it well! You'd be very right in your analysis. As you've probably guessed the aforementioned adrenal glands are responsible for that very long list and, unfortunately, those very same adrenal glands tend to be quite stressed in the gluten intolerant individual. Why? Because adrenal glands are sensitive to, and get very stressed with, unstable blood sugar. Stable blood sugar comes from eating healthy food that your body finds nourishing. As you well know if you're gluten intolerant, gluten, for you, is a poison. Therefore years of eating gluten created unstable blood sugar and thereby put a tremendous strain on your adrenal glands. Because of the many, many jobs that the adrenal glands do, simply removing gluten as a stressor is typically insufficient to restore them to normal function. They need to be 're-set' with a nutritional and dietary program, to restore their good health. This explains why many who are gluten intolerant continue to suffer with the symptoms mentioned above. Therefore, even if your gluten intolerance has been diagnosed and you've instituted a strict gluten-free diet, if you haven't also found a clinician who understands and specializes in restoring health and function to the adrenal glands, you may very well continue to suffer with symptoms associated with adrenal stress. The good news is that the treatment to normalize adrenal function is not at all difficult. It is a completely natural program, when done correctly, involving no dangerous drugs or surgery. There are lab tests to determine the level of adrenal malfunction occurring but these are functional specialized lab tests rather than traditional ones. I mention this because I want to ensure that there is no confusion created when I mention adrenal function lab testing. The adrenal glands can become diseased but the disease isn't common. If you ask your traditional doctor to test for adrenal malfunction he or she will test for adrenal disease – once again a rare occurrence – and will likely pronounce your adrenal glands 'fine'. What I am discussing is malfunction vs. disease, two very different conditions. While adrenal gland disease is rare, adrenal gland malfunction is extremely common. It is this latter condition that we are discussing here. This is an important distinction because I want to make sure that if you are suffering from adrenal fatigue that you aren't given a 'clean bill of health' incorrectly. Unfortunately this happens often. If it took you a while to receive a diagnosis of gluten intolerance then you will understand this phenomenon. Sadly this area of health is fraught with misunderstanding and it is the patient who suffers, often unnecessarily. If you need any help finding a clinician to help you, feel free to contact me. Normalizing adrenal function is one of our areas of expertise and patients visit us for treatment, at our destination clinic, from across the country, as well as internationally. If we cannot find a clinician close to you that specializes in this then we are more than happy to see you here. The good news is that the treatment is natural and inexpensive. I look forward to hearing from you.

Celiac.com 03/11/2022 - As many of you already know, celiac disease can be associated with quite a few other autoimmune diseases such as lupus, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s, Sjogren’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, etc. In addition, celiac disease can also be connected with a few hormonal issues such as thyroid disease (specifically Hashimoto’s), adrenal fatigue, and high/low levels of estrogen. For those with celiac disease and hormonal issues, some of the symptoms you can experience include hot flashes, insomnia, headaches, weight gain or loss, fatigue, muscle spasms, heavy menstrual cycles, heart rate changes, and much more. There are many ways you can treat hormone imbalances, but many people prefer to first try more natural methods, in the hope of avoiding pharmaceutical medications. For those in this group, nutrition can be an excellent way to help stabilize your body’s estrogen levels and feel better fast. Foods to eat include pistachios, artichokes, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and cauliflower), chia and hemp seeds. Simply by incorporating these nuts, seeds, and vegetables into your daily lifestyle, you’ll begin to feel more energetic and have less pain. Even if you don’t happen to be living an allergen-friendly life, these foods can definitely be beneficial for hormonal regulation. For those with celiac disease, eating gluten-free foods can help reduce the intensity of your thyroid and adrenal fatigue symptoms. There are even certain herbs that can be beneficial for your hormone levels, and picking the right once, of course, will depend on your body’s individual needs. From maca, yarrow, red raspberry, ashwaganda, chase tree, black cohosh, mother wart, mugwort, shepherd’s purse, stinging nettle, to burdock. Choosing the right one may help decrease fatigue, lessen menstrual pain, reduce hot flashes, and ease headaches. Be sure to read up on the known side-effects of any of these herbs before taking them, as they may interfere with other conditions you may have, for example ashwaganda can increase your blood pressure. Lastly, there are certain types of exercises that can help to alleviate chronic pain and adrenal fatigue. Yoga can be a fantastic way to become flexible, strengthen muscles, and balance estrogen levels. Try working out three times per week doing yoga or light dancing. In summary, many people with hormone imbalances can often find relief with basic approaches, such as exercise, nutritional changes, and adding herbal supplements which can often make a big difference. References: Reuters.com Glutenfreesociety.org