Q. I have been diagnosed with celiac disease. One of the early symptoms was leg and foot cramps, often screamers, early in the morning. The tonic water was by my bed at all times, just in case, as it would provide quick relief. Mustard helps too, if nothing else is available.
I started taking extra calcium, magnesium and zinc to prevent the cramps. That helped, but it wasn’t until I went on the gluten-free diet that I found reliable relief.
I was diagnosed with celiac disease by finally becoming anemic due to improper absorption of iron. The person who wrote to you about terrible leg cramps should be checked for this possibility. Celiac disease reduces normal absorption of a lot of necessary minerals.
A. Thanks for sharing your story. Doctors are discovering that celiac disease is not nearly as rare as they once thought. It occurs in almost 1 percent of the population, which means millions of people are affected.
Celiac disease is an inability to digest gluten, a protein found in barley, rye and wheat. When people with celiac disease eat foods with gluten, their bodies react and cause damage to the lining of the small intestine. This can interfere with the absorption of many crucial nutrients.
To learn more about the subtle symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease, readers can purchase a digital download of our radio show on the topic. It is an hour-long interview with one of the country’s leading experts.
