I just saw this show on the PBS channel about Lyme Disease. This lady that has a lyme support group was talking to the host of the program. All her symptoms sounded the same as Celiac, plus her children now have Lyme...
She has been on intravenous antibiotics because she does not absorb the antibiotic pills, but is now off the intravenous & feeling worse again... Only she is getting progressively worse, whereas the people that have celiac and go on the diet get better.

I do know that when I had constant bladder infections and lived on antibiotics that I felt somewhat better, although I was eating wheat.

I wonder how many of these people that have lyme, really got lyme because their immune systems were already weak from celiac, & not only do they have lyme but really the worst thing is the undiagnosed celiac. Be interesting to take 100 lyme people & get the Enterolab gene test...

what do you guys think?

This subject has come up a few times, on celiac forums as well as lyme disease forums, apparently. The symptoms do cross over between lyme disease, celiac disease, B12 deficiency, and MS. These things can and do co-exist, and there seems there might be an increased association between lyme disease and celiac disease, too. If you have celiac disease, B12 deficiency, and lyme disease....they all need to be treated.

We've had a few members here treated for Lyme disease as well as gluten sensitivity/celiac disease. It seems like it might be a chicken/egg scenario. Lyme disease can damage the gut, and leave one more susceptible to developing gluten sensitivity/celiac disease. Celiac Disease can weaken the immune system, possibly leaving one more susceptible to succumbing to lyme disease.

Cara

I went through this list of symptoms and had about 20 of them. It has been a question I've been pondering. Do I have an autoimmune arthritis and food intolerances? Or do I have Lyme disease? I suppose I should have the testing done, but I'll certainly have to go outside my HMO to get it done.

If I do have Lyme, I don't seem to be as debilitated by it as most of the people I've read about.

A fellow we know definitely had Lyme Disease a few years ago. He ended up with it affecting his heart and so he has an implanted defibulater. It really took him down. He was a very healthy robust person before this unfortunate incident.

Kitt

Kitt, do you think that he would be willing to get a gene test?
Celiac can also affect the heart & cause an enlarged heart... one of the guys I work for has a son with an enlarged heart & went on the GF diet after my urging, but has not been tested. His father & step mother are now GF also...

The problem with doing a genetic test for gluten sensitivity is that Dr. Fine says https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPage...rpretation.htm I think it would be interesting to know how many people with Lyme have gluten sensitivity by the fecal tests developed by Dr. Fine

Mystery Diagnosis was on last night and one story was about a young girl who became very ill with whole body pain and contractions. Of course all tests, including Lyme, were negative - I think for years. The doctors told her parents they were sheltering her too much so then sent her on a trip to Europe. To make a long story short, she roomed with a person who had similar symptoms. This person had Lyme. Of course proper testing finally revealed Lyme disease. The doctor who diagnosed her sent her blood to three separate labs.
Anne

We learned of my son's gluten intolerance after he had unrelenting nausea following treatment for Lyme (he had the classic rash). Now, years later, I think he had gluten intolerance (or possibly CD) for a very long time (i.e. pre-Lyme) as he had chronic sinus infections and asthma as a young child. So I doubt Lyme triggered the intolerance but it seems to have triggered more classic GI symptoms which made us learn of the intolerance.

I am sure that is as clear as mud

--Judy

Hi GFPaperdoll. All I know is that he was tested for Lyme Disease and that is what he had. As I said, this was a few years ago. I also know that back in 1993 I asked about being tested for Lyme Disease. The neurologist assured me that it would not necessarily be accurate since in my area we have so many woodtick bites. It, of course, has to be from the tick that carries it. I'm sure my troubles were from shingles that went to my head but did not come out. All the symptoms pointed to that; either shingles or a virus of some kind for sure. Not fun.

By the same token, if you get the woodtick that carries Lyme Disease off in 18 - 24 hours (something like that), it won't transmit Lyme Disease.

Kitt

I initially thought that I had Celiac but after five months on a gluten free diet with an improvement in my digestive issues but my health continuing to decline I pursued further testing and just received a Lyme diagnosis.

Hello, I'm new to this board but couldn't resist posting to this question.

Hi Rinne - Glad to hear that you got the Lyme diagnosis - not always easy to get a proper diagnosis with Lyme. How long did it take you to get diagnosed? What test was used. What treatment are you getting for this. I hope you are feeling better. Are you going to continue to be GF?

Anne