Silent Celiac Disease with Osteoporosis.

What is the connection between celiac and osteoporosis?

Hi ChristyJ,

Can I ask how you reversed your second loss? Thanks.

Celiac affects your ability to absorb the nutrients you ingest as it damages the villi in your gut lining. I am not celiac but am gluten intolerant and have not eaten gluten in 11 years. I have several autoimmune issues and there is a connection between autoimmunity and gluten, particularly if you have Hashimoto's, autoimmune hypothyroidism. I also have alopecia for 20 years, treated medically for about 10 years which was like playing wack-a-mole, injecting each new round spot as they appeared each month. During the 10 years of treatment, I never went into remission. When I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, I knew I had to stop treatment but by then I had done a lot of research and new information was coming out on the connection of gluten to autoimmunity. I gave up gluten and within a few months, the alopecia slowed. I then gave up dairy, another inflammatory food for some, and my alopecia went into full remission for the first time and has mostly held for the last 11 years without any medical treatment. I relay this info because I think many with osteo may also have autoimmune issues and if so, it's best to get your microbiome in top shape and avoid inflammatory foods to give yourself the best chance of absorbing all of the nutrients we need to build bone and maintain health.

Very interesting. Thanks. I too have a genetic marker for celiac.....which have realized is actually gluten intolerance diagnosed by my rheumatologist. I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) at age 58...very young(er) than average which is 70. I was told to go gluten free and its made a big difference. I can really tell when I "cheat".

With PMR came prednisone...and after 1.5 years of taking it now osteopenia....and just recently pain from osteporosis. Sort of "when it rains, it pours".

Thanks for the insight on this...will keep doing research focus on my nutrition. My rheumatologist said "gluten-free is not 'a little bit of gluten'"...

I was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 50 due to unexplained weight loss, I too was asymptomatic digestively. By the time I was diagnosed my small intestinal villi were cobblestoned. In fact, they were so compromised my gastroenterologist said she could see the damage visually (!) in the endoscopy and only did the biopsy "for completeness." I lost 20% of my bone density because those poor smashed villi couldn't absorb calcium, I know how much I lost because I had a baseline scan at age 37.

The good news is that my bone density recovered substantially once I went gluten free. However, then I went through menopause and lost bone density again. Since then I've reversed much of the second loss and have moved from osteoporosis to osteopenia.

I found that I don't have cruise but a GI Map done through Dr Mccormick showed that I have a sensitivity to gluten. I cut it out and feel.so much better. I also take Digestymes to help me digest since I don't have enough hydrochloric acid. I exercised and ate "right" , but there was that issue and both sides of my family have osteoporosis. I am so happy for you that your bone density is improving!

how long to heal?