Could Your Migraines be Caused by Gluten?
There is a growing body of medical evidence that severe, chronic migraines can be triggered by gluten in sensitive individuals. Studies in England, Italy Turkey and America have identified migraine headaches as an often-unrecognized symptom of gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease. "Our results suggest that a significant proportion of patients with migraine may have celiac disease," Italian researcher Dr. Maurizio Gabrielli wrote in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, "and that a gluten-free diet may lead to improvement in migraine in these patients."
A British study published in the journal Neurology found that 7 of 9 migraine patients who tested sensitive to gluten and went on a gluten-free diet stopped having migraines completely, and the other two experienced significant relief. Turkish researchers found that 5.5% of 73 migraine sufferers in their study had celiac disease, compared to only .6% of 167 control group non-sufferers. A similar American study found 4% of migraine patients had celiac disease compared to 0.4% of the control group.
Dr. Peter Green, Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University and the author of Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic states that migraine headaches are a symptom of celiac disease, and that although nobody is entirely sure why gluten may trigger a migraine headache, a gluten-free diet has been found to help many people. He theorizes that known alterations in their blood flow of untreated celiac patients may be a factor, as migraines are caused by the constriction and dilation of arteries in the brain.
People with celiac disease can't tolerate gluten, a protein that is found in wheat, barley and rye. Gluten is the ingredient in grains that lets bread rise and holds it together. Gluten is also hidden in many other food products from soups and salad dressings through vitamins and medications to soy sauce and beer. It can even lurk in communion wafers, cosmetics and envelopes.
Gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, is estimated to affect about 1 in 133 Americans, 97% of whom are undiagnosed. Celiac disease was once thought to be due to an allergy to gluten, but is now known to be an autoimmune disorder with a genetic component. There is a difference between being gluten intolerant and being gluten sensitive. Gluten intolerance damages the intestine and interferes with nutrient absorption, causing a variety of physical and neurological problems. Gluten sensitivity is less severe, resulting in fewer symptoms, and affects about 5% of the population. Gluten sensitivity has also been associated with migraine. Celiac disease has been described as "end-stage gluten sensitivity".
There are blood tests to determine the existence of celiac disease, but they may not reveal gluten sensitivity. The most reliable method of determining whether or not gluten might be the cause of migraine is to try eliminating it from your diet.
Some 30 million Americans suffer from chronic migraines. Migraines are characterized by extreme throbbing pain and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Severe migraines do not respond to over-the-counter medications, and are best treated with powerful prescription migraine medications such as Imitrex. Cheaper generic Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate) is also now available.
Lynn Woods is a writer with an interest in health and wellness and a great deal of sympathy for migraine sufferers. She advises that migraine medications are much cheaper from a Canadian online pharmacy, and recommends Big Mountain Drugs as a reliable Canada pharmacy from which to order Imitrex and generic Imitrex.
