Dr. Clark's Brain Based Blog

Gluten Poisoning Causes Dizziness, Vertigo and Nystagmus

DoctorDavidClark.com

 Today I share my personal story of gluten poisoning and how it caused vertigo, dizziness nystagmus, nausea and vomiting.

I was on a cruise in February of this year. The cruise line did a really good job of kind of accommodating mine and my family's food restrictions. I have Celiac disease plus several autoimmune tissue reactions.

Obviously, I don't eat gluten---but I also don't eat dairy and I don't eat soy. 

For a couple of days on the cruise everything was great...

And then the Tuesday night at dinner something I'm not supposed to eat made it through.  I'm not sure how it happened, but something made it through.

12:06 am (by the cabin clock) I woke up with wicked nystagmus. 

Nystagmus means your eyes are jerking rhythmically...slow one direction...fast back to the other side.....slow one direction...fast back to the other side. 

I woke up with this nystagmus and the sensation that the room was moving around me...Vertigo.

I couldn’t keep my eyes focused on any one thing for more than a second. I got viciously nauseous...ended up sitting in the bathroom floor and vomited my guts out on and off for almost six hours,

This was not seasickness. 

I got exposed to something at dinner to which I have a serious sensitivity and caused a big time immune system reaction.

Why did I get vertigo nausea and nystagmus?  Why not diarrhea or a headache?

Keep reading as I explain it.

This night scared me because...

when a person has one autoimmune disease, it's very easy to get ANOTHER autoimmune condition.

So, I got very worried that I had just experienced evidence that my immune system had successfully targeted my cerebellum. I already have ONE autoimmune condition.

I have Celiac disease. In Celiac disease your immune system is targeting your small intestine and trying to kill it.  Once it’s done that, then the immune system can attack anything else it wants because you have lost the normal tolerance to yourself.

Normally you shouldn’t attack and kill yourself.  Your immune system makes a few antibodies to tissues here and there-- but there shouldn’t be a lot of antibodies to a tissue. 

But when your immune system successfully targets and  attacks a tissue...

For example:

• the small intestine in Celiac disease
• cartilage in Rheumatoid Arthritiss
• the pancreas in Type 1 Diabetes
• the thyroid gland in Hashimoto's

...When you have one of those it’s like the levy holding back the river has broken. 

Your tolerance for yourself, as they call it, has been broken.  So, now you can start to attack other tissues and develop other types of symptoms....other types of problems.

Well, whenever I got this exposure (poisoning) to gluten--I assume that's what it was, and keep in mind, I haven't eaten gluten in a very long time--- I had a BIG immune system reaction to it: the Vertigo, nausea and nystagmus.

These symptoms point to the possibility that I could very well now have an autoimmune attack on my cerebellum (in the brain).

Or,  there is another mechanism that might be possible... and I’ll go ahead and tell you. 

When I did my own Cyrex testing I tested positive for high GAD65 antibodies.  GAD is a chemical that helps you convert glutamate--an excitatory "gas pedal" neurotransmitter ---into GABA, an inhibitory "brake pedal" kind of neurotransmitter.

If you have high GAD antibodies, that means your immune system is killing your GAD.  You'll have a lot of gas pedal but not a lot of brake pedal. 

The three places in the body with the most GAD activity are:

• the cerebellum
• the basal ganglia
• the pancreas.

Autoimmune attack against GAD can cause anxiety, blood sugar problems, or cerebellar symptoms such vertigo, nausea and nystagmus.

I don't have the anxiety or the blood sugar fluctuations...but I sure did suffer the vertigo, nausea and nystagmus. 

If you already know you have an autoimmune disease, and you've had a bad reaction to something you've eaten that caused symptoms similar to mine....room spinning, nystagmus, nausea...that might have been a signal that your autoimmune problem is expanding into other tissues.

What do you do about it?

You need to work with someone who is a good health detective. Somen one who can look for what's perpetuating your autoimmune problem---what's triggering it--what's making it worse. 

This goes way beyond just getting rid of gluten.

You have to look for things like hidden parasitic infections, viral infections, Vitamin D deficiencies, nitric oxide, glutathione...it gets complex. 

Today I wanted to share with you how truly awful it was to have vertigo, nausea, nystagmus for almost eight hours.

I sat in the bathroom in the state room of the cabin on the cruise ship for almost eight hours...propped up against the toilet with a towel wedged against the side of my head trying to keep my head still. 

I was unsteady and had some dysequilibrium for a couple of days. I was back to normal farily quickly because I know what kind of vestibular rehab to do on myself, and what kinds of nutritional amd metabolic measures to take to dampen this autoimmune flare-up.

I can identify with those of you that have had vertigo (and continue to have it). 

I don't ever want to feel that again. So, I'm going to make triple sure that my food is super clean -- at least as much as I can control-- and not contaminated with gluten, dairy or soy.

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Gluten-Poisoning

© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

THE PLACE FOR ANSWERS
Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist (FACFN)
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist (ACNB)
214-341-3737

URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Gluten-Free Diet Mistake #1

Dr. David Clark, DC - helps you avoid a common and frustrating mistake when you start a gluten-free diet.

DoctorDavidClark.com

Today I'm going to share with you the first big gluten-free diet mistake that everyone seems to make.  And that is, when they stop eating gluten they immediately start eating gluten-free grains like quinoa, millet, and other alternative grains.

The reason you shouldn't stop eating gluten then immediately start eating gluten-free grains like quinoa, millet, and other alternative grains is that...

You will quickly and easily develop NEW food sensitivities to those gluten-free grains because you have a leaky gut that has not been healed.

So here's what you want to understand about this....

When you develop gluten sensitivity, almost 100% of the time you will develop a leaky gut.

Think of  the Great Wall of China lining your intestines, protecting them like a brick wall. Not much is supposed to get across the wall.  Some things can get across like small peptides, amino acids, fats, vitamins, minerals etc....but BIG things like proteins are not supposed to get across easily

Now, imagine a hole being punched in the wall or  some mortar falling out between the bricks....some things that are traveling through your GI tract now can easily pass through to the other side of the wall

Who's waiting on the other side of the wall?  Your immune system--your army, your SWAT team.  And they are not going to like these BIG things (proteins) coming through the wall. 

An alarm will go off. They're going to see whatever that big thing is that’s not supposed to come through normally--but is coming through now--as an invader and they're gonna try to attack it.

I'm describing a "leaky gut" or increased intestinal impermeability. A leaky gut is a huge source of inflammation. 

What causes a leaky gut?  Here's a partial list:

• Antibiotics
• Autoimmunity -- Hashimoto's, Celiac, Multiple Sclerosis, Vitligo, Rheumatoid Arthrtitis, Type 1 Diabetes, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Psoriasis etc.
• Hormone Deficiencies
• Alcohol
• Xenobiotics
• Low Glutathione Levels
• High blood sugar
• Low blood sugar
• Food sensitivity
• Stress
  

And simply having gluten sensitivity very often leads to leaky gut.  Now how do you know if you've got a gluten sensitivity problem?  You can NOT rely on the presence or lack of Gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, cramping, pain, diarrhea or

Gastrointestinal symptoms are the least common sign of gluten sensitivity. 

It doesn’t matter if you've been "tested for Celiac" or not because Celiac disease is only one kind of gluten sensitivity -- not the only kind. (Medical doctors seem to be over-focused on celiac disease).

The best way to get tested for gluten sensitivity is through Cyrex labs.

But beyond that....what I'm talking about is the mistake you make when you think,

"I'll just switch from eating gluten (bad) to eating gluten-free (good)." 

When you do that there's a really good chance you have this persisting leaky gut. 
And when you have a leaky gut....and you eat these gluten-free grains....and you've still got these holes in your wall, it’s easy to develop new sensitivities to quinoa or teff or millet or potato or rice.

So what do you do? 

When you go on a gluten-free diet, do NOT immediately start eating all these gluten-free alternatives.  What you should do is completely avoid those grains for 30 days.  And you should be working with someone that can help you make sure you've got a handle on the leaky gut.

You do not want to go from eating gluten... to now eating gluten-free pasta or gluten-free bread.  You don't want to do that because there's a very good chance that over the course of a month or two you'll develop  new inflammatory food sensitivities.

...and then you might think, "You know, I don't really feel that much different on a gluten-free diet.  I'm gonna go back to eating gluten." 

You don't feel better because you still had a leaky gut and you developed an inflammatory problem with these new things.

You traded one inflammation for another inflammation---and those two weren’t that much different. 

For those of you that have already gone on a gluten-free diet and it was a huge improvement....a totally new world....honestly, you probably got lucky and didn’t develop too many sensitivities.

But---there's a very good chance you did develop sensitivities and just don't know it. 

I come across people in my practice every day that have autoimmune diseases that have already eliminated gluten---but they're still eating dairy, or they're still eating some other inflammatory  foods.

Usually, when those people start back at zero they end up feeling much, much better. 

So, the first mistake that people make - and you’re not going make this mistake because I'm telling you now - when they go on a gluten-free diet is immediately start eating gluten-free grains.

That’s not a good idea.  You want to make sure you've got a leaky gut handled BEFORE eating alternative grains.

To make transition even smoother, work with someone who's trained in all this stuff I've been talking about, work with someone who understands leaky gut and gluten sensitivity.

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Gluten-Free-Diet-Mistake-1

© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist (FACFN)
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist (ACNB)
214-341-3737

URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Celiac Disease Is NOT the Same Thing as Gluten Sensitivity

Dr. David Clark, DC -Dallas, TX- helps you avoid the terrible mistake of thinking that Celiac disease is the same thing as gluten sensitivity.

I going to explain the difference between Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity.  Celiac Disease is one kind of gluten sensitivity.  It is not the only kind of gluten sensitivity. 

The reason I'm bringing this point up is, I see 30 to 50 people a month that tell me,

"Oh, I've been tested for gluten, my doctor said I don't have Celiac, so I’m fine." 

And what that tells me is the doctor does not understand Celiac disease.  So let me give you an explanation.

Gluten is a protein that's found in wheat and barley and rye---but that's just the beginning.

Gluten is not the only part of wheat that can cause an immune system reaction. G

There's wheat germ agglutinin...it's associated with severe joint pains. 

There's glutenin.

You could have a reaction to gliadin.  You could even have a reaction to the different isomers of gliadin (Alpha, Gamma, Omega--something we can get into another time.)

Gluten sensitivity is when you have an immune system reaction to ANY part of wheat:

• Wheat germ agglutinin
• gliadin and it's subunites
• Glutenin

When this sensitivity leads to an autoimmune attack on your small intestine, now we're getting into this thing called Celiac Disease.

The supposed "Gold Standard" for diagnosis of Celiac Disease is small intestine biopsy---but even this has major flaws. Basically you must have villous atrophy and lymphoycte infiltration. 

But--just so you know, there's research to show, very convincingly, that a lot of people with  positive "celiac" antibody tests (anti-endomysial antibodies, anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies) DO NOT have a positive small intestine biopsy.

So the biopsy is not useful in my opinion.  However, when you go to see your medical doctor or the gastroenterologist  they'll order an anti-endomysial antibodies or tissue transglutaminase antibodies.

You could have a variety of symptoms, maybe even some GI symptoms like:

• constipation
• diarrhea
• weight loss
• blood in the stool

Or, you could be seeing a doctor because you have infertility problems or you've got joint pain, seizures, migraines....or any other symtpoms that could be related to gluten sensitivity, and the doctor will typically order anti-endomysial antibodies or tissue transglutaminase antibodies to determine if you have Celiac disease.

And if these two tests are negative, the doctor tells you don't have Celiac disease and so you don't have a gluten problem. 

WRONG!

That's one test; it's not the only test.  The results of that anti-endomysial antibody test,  if it's negative, DOES NOT mean that you don't have a problem with gluten.

Because --remember the glutenin, the gliadin isomers, the wheat germ agglutinnin-- you could have a problem with any of those things--be GLUTEN SENSITIVE and not have Celiac Disease.

I hope that's making sense. I see a lot of people that were tested for Celiac disease five years ago, two years ago...and been told they don't have a problem with gluten and so they keep on eating it.  And it destroys their health.

These are people with a variety of autoimmune conditions that have led to infertility, Hashimoto's, Multiple Sclerosis....and they've been tested in the past and told that they don't have a problem, and that is just absolutely not accurate. 

Now, the best way to get tested for gluten sensitivity is from a lab called Cyrex Labs, it's currently the best way to find out. 

However, I'm  goint to save you some time and money....

Go 100% gluten-free. And not just for a couple weeks and see if you feel better. Do it forever and ever, amen.

Many people have an opiate peptide problem with gluten...which means when they eat gluten it turns into an opiate like heroin (gluteomorphin, to be exact) and so they become addicted to it...they crave it...it makes them feel "good."

These people tend to have a little harder time of getting off of gluten. They go through literal withdrawals like a junkie....maybe 5 to 10 days of headaches, irritability, constipation, diarrhea. 

Save your money on testing, just go gluten-free.  There's no biological reason for you to eat gluten anyway. 

Please don't think, that if you've been tested and your doctor has told you, "Well, you don't have Celiac Disease" that you don't have a gluten problem.  That could be a terrible mistake. 

As far as testin, the best thing to do is to get comprehensive testing for all the different components of wheat (wheat germ agglutinnin, glutenin, gliadin isomers).  Of course, you've got to find a doctor who understands that, someone who'll be able to do it for you, or you could just go gluten-free forever anyway. I would be surprised if you didn't feel somewhat better.

Going gluten-free may not be the thing that totally turns your life around but you'd be surprised.  I get emails every month with people saying, "I went gluten-free and my life has totally changed.  I feel so much better." That's greal.

The takeaway is: 

Celiac is one type of gluten sensitivity, not the only type. 

So you've got to make sure you get correctly tested and find a doctor who understands that.

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© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

THE PLACE FOR ANSWERS™
Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Functional Endocrinology
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist
214-341-3737

URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182