Originally Posted by glenntaj

--you're not that unusual, at least from where I'm sitting; celiac/gluten intolerance is a known producer of peripheral neuropathy, especially small-fiber kinds, and this can result not only from nutritional malabsorption but directly through nerve cross-reaction to gluten peptides.

Much of the work on this has been done in Europe, but in the US there are a number of researchers at the Cornell Weill and Jack Miller centers (in New york and Chicago, respectively) who have researched this in considerable depth. (My neurologist at Cornell Weill, Dr. Russell Chin, has published copiously on this subject with his colleagues).

You definitely should take a look at the neurological sections of The Gluten File, which we have linked right here in our gluten/celiac forum. The Gluten File is the single most comprehensive database out there on the subject, with links to thousands of studies and papers. It's creator is Cara (jcc) who has gone through an incredible journey for both her condition and those of her offspring and is, I think, the person most individually responsible for bringing gluten issues to mainstream discussion of the last decade:



It's gotten to the point that I know Dr. Chin ans some other doctors will actually tell you that if you have a small-fiber neuropathy that other tests have been negative for, not only should you be titred up for gluten antibodies, but even if these are negative it wouldn't hurt to try a gluten-free diet, which is an intervention that is not harmful, and may help.