Lupus, Celiac Disease, and Gluten Sensitivity

When my lupus symptoms first started to appear pre-diagnosis I recall the first health issues I had were to do with my stomach and bowel.

I was diagnosed with pernicious anemia in 2000 which is where the body is unable to absorb vitamin B-12. I had a borderline result meaning they weren’t 100 percent sure if my deficiency as a result of pernicious anemia or a malabsorption issue or even both. To rectify this, I have to have vitamin B-12 shots every 8 weeks.

Lupus and digestive issues

Initially, after I started my shots to treat my deficiency, these issues improved. However, they never truly went away and when my health started to decline at a rapid rate, the stomach and bowel issues became really problematic.

I lost about 40 pounds in weight as my appetite was virtually non-existent, and I would often find that I was in so much pain. It would be so bad that I couldn’t sleep. I’d suffer from cramping and diarrhea and a full feeling in my stomach most of the time.

Gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, and lupus

After visiting a naturopathic doctor, I took an intolerance test which showed I was sensitive to gluten. He informed me that I would need to have an endoscopy to reveal if I had celiac disease. He advised me that there is a distinct difference between having a gluten intolerance and being celiac but equally, both can cause a negative impact on one's health!

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, and the body produces an immune response when it is exposed to gluten and as a result, the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged but you often experience some of the below symptoms with gluten intolerance as well.

Some of the symptoms include:

• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Abdominal cramps
• Bloating
• Sickness/nausea
• Acid reflux
• Mouth ulcers

Interestingly, according to a study published by the British Medical Journal, it can be common for gluten sensitivity to be masquerading as lupus and vice versa!¹ As we all know, it can be incredibly difficult to get a lupus diagnosis and it would appear that the clinical markers can be similar for both diseases.

Tests for gluten sensitivity vs. celiac disease

I wasn’t sure if it was a sensitivity to gluten that I was dealing with or full-blown celiac disease, but I decided that I would see how my body reacted when cutting out gluten from my diet.

I set myself a time limit of 12 weeks, and I kept a diary of my symptoms. I did find it surprisingly easy to make the change to my diet, but the only thing I missed was fresh bread!

After the 12 weeks were up I did notice a vast improvement, especially in that my digestion and fatigue were much better.

I have taken a blood test, which has since been developed to see if I have celiac and it came out negative but I strongly feel that if I keep off gluten, it helps to keep my lupus symptoms in check!