Low Iron

[isto]

Is low iron common for celiacs or gluten intolerant? I seem to have a perpetual problem and need to take iron supplements. Will it get better the longer I am GF?
Danita
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[cruelshoes]

Iron deficiency anemia is quite common among celiacs. Often, it is the first symptom to show up. According to my son's GI doctor, this is because iron is absorbed in the duodenum (part of the GI tract right after the stomach) and that is often the first part to see damage from gluten intollerance.

I myself have has anemia for over 15 years, and nothing I did would fix it. Now that I know I have Celiac (dx in August) hopefully I can do something about it.

As your gut heals, your absorption should improve. Barring any other problems, your anemia probably will too.

Hope this helps.

[isto]

Thanks, cruelshoes! I am astounded at all the different symptoms I had that I never associated with the digestive problems until I started learning about CD!
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[aklap]

Hi Danita,

Yup..Colleen's right!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16026376&query_hl=1

Coeliac disease in children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus: the effect of the gluten-free diet.

Sanchez-Albisua I, Wolf J, Neu A, Geiger H, Wascher I, Stern M.

University Children's Hospital, Tubingen, Germany. soekler.sanchez@t-online.de

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We assessed the frequency of coeliac disease in 281 children with Type 1 diabetes and the effect of gluten-free diet (GFD) in newly diagnosed cases. Serological screening was performed using anti-gliadin and anti-endomysium antibodies. Data were obtained about clinical symptoms, height and weight-for-height. RESULTS: A small intestinal biopsy was recommended to 18 patients (6.4%) with positive serological results and 12 children agreed. Nine of them had coeliac disease. Three out of nine coeliac children complained about gastrointestinal symptoms. On a GFD, the symptoms disappeared in two patients. Iron-deficiency anaemia was present in four subjects and disappeared in the three patients who accepted the GFD. In three patients (33%), coeliac disease was asymptomatic. Height and weight-for-height were in the normal range for all patients. For well-complying patients, there was a significant increase in height standard deviation at diagnosis and on follow-up (-0.28 vs. +0.35) (P = 0.03). Changes in weight-for-height were not significant (-4.0% vs. +1.4%) (P = 0.2. There was a trend to an improvement in HbA(1c) (8.0 vs. 7.3%) (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serological screening is effective. There is a therapeutic benefit for some screening-detected patients, but confirmatory studies are needed.

PMID: 16026376 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[duchessisa]

We didn't check her level right away but my daughter went from obvious anemia to perfectly normal a year later when it was checked. Who knows just how quickly she was in a normal range, physical signs vanished with in two months though.