gluten intolerance linked to diabetes I ?

[rbakker2]

Hi all,
my son (5 years) was diagnosed last July. At the same time we learned that he was gluten intolerant.
We put him (and ourselves) immediately on a strict GF diet. He has been without insulin since mid August. That's more than 6 months by now... I know they call this the honeymoon period, but I can't shake the idea that maybe, if reacting in an early stage of diabetes, there is some chance of auto-healing? I have not been able to find any supporting scientific studies on this, but would like to hear if others have had a similar experience?
Thanks!

 

[alaska]

Hi rbakker

This is very interesting to read.

Can I ask what level of carbs your son is on? Does he have gluten free pasta or gluten free bread in his diet.

There is a link between coeliac and type 1 diabetes but I've never personally heard of type 1 being cured through avoiding gluten. At times, people going through their honeymoon period can go without insulin for periods but I think lengthy periods, of more than a few weeks, is relatively rare.

And then with this said, the cause of type 1 diabetes is still not very well known so I'd be interested to hear more about how your son has managed to go free from insulin (what diet he's on) and what kind of readings and symptoms he was getting when first diagnosed.

Very interesting
Ed

 

[Pneu]

Can I ask what tests were carried out to diagnose his diabetes?

 

[noblehead]

What does your son's consultant/dsn say about this, surely with him being newly diagnosed you will be still in close contact with them?

 

[rbakker2]

I'll come back with some data on his diagnosis. Maybe good to add the following: we believe that his gluten intolerance occurred before he was diagnosed with diabetes, because the intestinal check showed that it was quite damaged already. Apparently in many cases the sequence is the opposite: first diabetes, followed by gluten intolerance.
Regarding the diet: strictly gluten free, we eat little bread, predominantly baked at home, but pasta daily. Also, we substituted cow milk with goat milk, right from the start. Lots of veggies, fruit and salad (hard in the beginning, but he likes it now). Fish and meat intake has probably increased as the carb intake in a GF diet tends to be less.
We also stimulated physical exercise, right from the start.

 

[iHs]

Hi

Although I don't as yet suffer from coeliac disease, my partner does and developed it in 2000.

A little while ago on Radio 4 there was a mention from someone from the Coeliac Society in UK about gluten intolerence increasing. So much, that steps have been put into place to force all food producers to list exactly how much gluten is in their food later this year. It is worrying that diabetes and coeliac disease is increasing so I can only think that the cause is due to the food that people are buying in supermarkets etc.

This is worth looking at again as someone on the forum started using this to treat daughter's diabetes. I would like to know how they have been getting on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVpjsDK0LPA&noredirect=1

search.php

 

[Elc1112]

Hi. I'm type 1 and was diagnosed with coleiacs (gluten allergy) a couple of years after being diagnosed with diabetes. The gluten free breads and pastas are ok but certainly not as nice as 'normal' food! I do find that, because of my gluten allergy, I eat very little carbs and my insulin requirements are quite low as a result. Seems strange that your son has had no insulin for so long though. Def speak to your doctor. Good luck x

 

[rikkeamalie]

Dear Rbakker2,

I were diagnosed with diabetes a year ago. First they said that it was type 2 but after checking for antibodies, they concluded it was tyoe 1.5. Due to this, I did some research on possible causes and found some scientific material which led me to the connection between glutenallergy - perhaps also other intollerances - and type 1 diabetes. Some seems to believe that gluten allergy comes as a result of diabetes. But this does not make sense. It makes more sense that intollerance in the intestinal system causes the body to react agaist itself fx. by destructing beta cells in the pancreas but also other autoimmune cronic deseases, I believe, would benefit from finding the cause to the intollerance. I have tried this theory on myself for the past year keeping a glutenfree diet. My blood glucose has been reduced to normal according to the hospital. For a month I have tried introducing gluten into my diet again with quite negative result. It is not that I started eating sugar coated cookies against rather just whole meal. Still now back at glutenfree my blood sugar is starting to fall slowly again. I am eager to see the antibody result next time I am tested as my theory is that the antibodies in the pancreas accumulated as a consequence to the intollerance. Hope that this was useful info.

 

[rikkeamalie]

http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(00)63042-1/abstract

 

[rbakker2]

Hi rikkeamalie,
Many people quote that they are diagnosed with Coeliac disease after the diabetes was discovered. In my son's case it was quite the opposite, we discovered the coeliac during the diabetes analysis but the endoscopy showed that his bowel was in a very bad shape at that stage, hence the problem had been around for quite some time.
I think that you took a wise decision eliminating gluten, and anybody with diabetes should probably at least discuss this with their GP.

 

[claymic]

I do not know if there is a relationship but in my case my mother is gluten intolerant and i am T2 diabetic - probably means that we both has **** auto immune systems or something and as I take sooooo much after her i must have inherited it!!

 

[rikkeamalie]

Dear Clamic,

Actually according to what I heard the problem might be that the immune system is too good.Probably your mother is lucky to have found out about the gluten intollerance before it turned into some type of autoimmune decease - having heard of them I am almost grateful of T 1 1/2.

Have you been checked for antibodies in the pancreas? It might be a beginning type 1 if gluten/lactose intollerance is the cause.

My granddad had psoriasis, another autoimmune decease just as T1. Perhaps he also had an intollerance without knowing it. So if the theory is right intollerances (not just gluten) can lead to all types of autoimmune deceases.

If being checked for intollerances remember that having a check for allergi is not the same as discovering intollerances. Intollerances are rarely discovered in an allergy test.

Br, Rikke

 

[claymic]

Hi Rikkie

That is an interesting theory. I know how sick my mother gets if she has anything she is intolerant to, and I can say that I never had any reaction when eating wheat. What I find interesting is that you mentioned lactose intolerance. I am in fact lactose intolerant...not from birth - but come to think about it probably not far before or after my diabetes diagnosis!

I am not intolerant to all dairy - it varies...I cannot do milk or cream but greek yogurt is fine and cheese is fine.

I did not think there was any connection between lactose intolerance and diabetes.....anyone know any more?

thanks
Clay

 

[spendercat]

I have been gluten intolerant for 30 years, and T2 for the past year. I honestly think the gf diet I followed all that time delayed the onset of diabetes.
Simply, I believe food intolerances are signs of metabolic disturbances that can also express themselves as diabetes , and other autoimmune problems, like arthritis.
As to why metabolic syndrome is being seen in such large numbers in the Western world - who knows? Refined starches and sugars, maybe?