Does gluten have an effect on your Lupus flare up ? - LUPUS UK

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Does gluten have an effect on your Lupus flare up ?

Penelope-Pipin profile image
11 Replies

Ive been gluten intolerant for about 8 years now and in this last week and on the weekend I was exposed to gluten. I had the most horrendous migraine last night (Sunday) and have noticed my malar and rashes on my arms worsen. I know this isn’t a gluten rash as I usually get little red, raised bumps with my “gluten rash”

The rash on my arms however is the same rash I have on my face and today I’ve noticed it starting to flare up again.

Could there be a link to the gluten?

At one point the suspected I had coeliac disease but, the testing was ruled as inconclusive.

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Penelope-Pipin profile image
Penelope-Pipin
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11 Replies
Melirm profile image
Melirm

Hi, I have mixed connective tissue disease (lupus/ra/scerderma overlap) and am also a coeliac. I always find that if I get accidentally glutened, once the gluten affects have subsided, the aches and pains in my joints do flare. I usually find that it will last about 5-7 days and then start to settle. I’m sure that as my MCTD and coeliac are both caused because of overactive immune system, they are therefore are connected.

Bebe76 profile image
Bebe76

I have SLE, Sjogren's and Coeliac. My blood test was low positive, but my initial small bowel biopsy was inconclusive. It turns out I wasn't eatiing enough gluten at the time. After 2 weeks of a gluten challenge the biopsy was repeated and it was positive. Were you eating enough gluten when you were tested?

Penelope-Pipin profile image
Penelope-Pipin in reply to Bebe76

No I wasn’t eating any at the time and hadn’t eaten any for a few years prior and that’s why the testing was ruled inconclusive

Bebe76 profile image
Bebe76 in reply to Penelope-Pipin

It might be worth getting re-tested after a gluten challenge. Undiagnosed coeliac disease can lead to malabsorption issues and nutrient deficiencies.

Penelope-Pipin profile image
Penelope-Pipin in reply to Bebe76

I did have very low ferritin levels but I take iron tablets for that now. I definitely think I need to get a retest done I wasn’t happy with the dr I went to see that did my testing he just tested me like I was a number

Bebe76 profile image
Bebe76 in reply to Penelope-Pipin

Good idea. You can try asking for a referral to a different gastroenterologist.

Choccy8 profile image
Choccy8

Hi Penelope. I've avoided gluten for a few years now, though I'm not coeliac. I did notice in the run-up to being diagnosed with lupus that if I ate a large amount of wheat, eg pasta, that I would have carpal tunnel syndrome in the night, caused by swollen joints, and more rheumatic pain on waking. So I imagine it was affecting the lupus. I found once I was on treatment that these symptoms were masked to a large extent, but I figured it was probably best for me to avoid gluten! I've gradually gone further and cut out most grains - found that rice was causing a lot of muscle pain for me. Apparantly there can be a cross-reaction between gluten and the proteins in rice. I do currently eat oats, but I am suspicious as I seem to have more pain in the mornings after eating them... We'll see! Hope you feel better soon from being glutenized. x

Penelope-Pipin profile image
Penelope-Pipin in reply to Choccy8

Sorry to hear how you feel it’s strange I can always tell when it’s my “gluten cramps” but I’ve been so sick this week. The migraine I had on Sunday really knocked me out one of the worst ! And I’ve noticed that my malar rash is definitely flaring !

Cann profile image
Cann

I can take no gluten - yes, it certainly does have an effect on my flaring.

Lions-lake profile image
Lions-lake

Hello I have had to cut out gluten entirely as i get an awful whole body rash like dermatitis hepatiformis if I eat it. It is unbelievably itchy and I have to have IV steroids and antihistamines for it. My other lupus symptoms also get worse. I used to be able to tolerate gluten I'm not sure why it got worse. My coeliac tests were negative despite going back onto gluten first. There is a lot of research going on into the impact of gluten intolerance so hopefully we will get some answers in time.

Penelope-Pipin profile image
Penelope-Pipin in reply to Lions-lake

Thank you so much for this, I feel like I’m not crazy ! And that my symptoms aren’t necessarily in my head been battling with gluten for 7 years now and now the lupus symptoms are a new occurrence just hope I can get to the rheumatologist soon

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