Celiac Disease and Fatigue

Many people experience fatigue before their Celiac Diagnosis. It is a very common complaint and is a logical side-effect of malabsorption. If your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs to function, you'll feel tired, weak and unenergetic. After a successful diagnosis of Celiac Disease and some time spent on a Gluten Free Diet, your energy levels should improve. But what happens if you are still experiencing fatigue - even after several years Gluten Free? Check out the following article recently published on Celiac.com by Registered Nurse Wendy Cohen.

In the article, Wendy describes a situation where fatigue is still an issue after going Gluten Free. She suggests a possible issue with the body's adrenal glands could exist.

Although relatively tiny, the adrenals have a very big job. Adequate levels of the adrenal hormone cortisol are required by the body to help prevent inflammation and tissue destruction, keep blood sugars level, moderate nervous system responses, and attempt to maintain homeostasis, or the steady-state of balance in the body. Periodically experiencing incredibly painful episodes of inflammation and tissue destruction from an accidental exposure to gluten places a huge strain on the adrenals, including a sudden demand for high cortisol levels to help moderate the inflammatory response. Each time, the body is able to cope, but with each experience it may take longer for the adrenals to recover. When stress is prolonged, these high levels of cortisol must be maintained. And if there is no significant recovery period during which the adrenals can rest and replenish themselves, adrenal fatigue results.

She goes on to list several other auto-immune diseases that have been studied and proven to be linked to Celiac Disease - Diabetes affecting your pancreas, thyroid disorders and hepatitis affecting your liver. Wendy suggests that Autoimmune Adrenal Hypofunction and Autoimmune Hypo-Adrenalism are two possible related diseases to Celiac that have not been fully studied in the USA as of yet. Check out the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue below as outlined in the article. Sound familiar?

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
* Fatigue
* Depression and memory difficulties
* Sleep Disturbances
* Migraine Headache
* An increase in allergies or the development of new allergies
* Alcohol Intolerance
* Low Blood Pressure and Low Body Temperature
* Blood Sugar Regulation Problems (Hypoglycemia)
* Low Libido & Hormonal Imbalances
* Inflammation

Good information to know which establishes yet another link to an associated disease.

See my other posts about Celiac Disease and related symptoms or diseases here.