I Have Celiac and I'm So Tired All the Time

I've been coeliac for years, but for the last year or so I've felt very unwell. I'm constantly tired, lack drive and motivation, and recently found to have high potassium in the blood.


I've read about alsorts and don't know where to go next...

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Comments for I Have Celiac and I'm So Tired All the Time

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Be more specific
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

OK. For one thing, you didn't even leave your name! It's VERY hard for me to help someone out so extensively when I can't even call you by a name.

Next, you have given me almost no information about what you have done. You haven't even said whether you are maintaining a Gluten Free diet or not, what you eat, whether you are taking supplements and how much, whether you get exercise, how much sugar and processed foods that you eat, what your doctor says about your high potassium levels and whether you have kidney problems.

So, please be more detailed in letting me know what your lifestyle is like and/or Purchase a Health Consultation so that I can help you more individually...


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
Side Effects
Oops....!! Sorry Kerri.
by: Paul

Sorry for the lack of detail, was just a little excited at the prospect of some answers...
I've maintained a strict gluten free diet since being diagnosed about ten years ago, and I regularly take supplements for calcium and iron.

I've put on lots of weight in the last year (four stone) and regular headaches forced my GP to seek blood tests. Everything showed normal, including my kidney function, except for the potassium.
I've read about Addisons Disease (everything matches up) and didn't know what sort of health risks, eg. brittle bones, a coeliac is at a higher risk of encountering - and what to look for.

Thanks :-)
Could be a Lot of things...
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Paul,

I'm glad that you got back to me and I'm glad that you are still on a Gluten Intolerance Diet, that eliminates gluten as a possibility.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of possibilities to be ruled out. While Adrenal Gland Fatigue could definitely be part of the problem that is still just a symptom of another underlying problem. Among the possibilities are that you have one of several vitamin and or mineral deficiencies, adrenal gland fatigue, the H Pylori Bacteria, any number of intestinal parasites, vitamin B 12 deficiency or heavy metal toxicity just to name a few.

Among the first things that you can try are getting your vitamin D level checked and reading my page on Vitamin B12 Deficiency Treatment in order to rule out if you have vitamin B 12 deficiency or not.

I'm curious why you are taking calcium and iron specifically and whether you're taking any other supplements. Calcium is actually the last supplement that I would recommend for anyone and in less your doctor specifically told you to take iron, men usually don't iron. So check with your doctor to see if used the calcium and/or iron. I know that people with celiac generally don't absorb calcium and iron as well as other people do, however on a gluten-free diet that should not be as big a problem and if your iron level is high that can be as big a problem as low iron levels so make sure that your doctors following that closely to see if iron is still needed.

So, I encourage you to look at my pages on Vitamin D Deficiency and vitamin B 12 deficiency to see if either of those rings true for you, they are extremely common problems especially in those with celiac. Let me know if you have any other questions after you read some of my pages.


Kerri Knox RN

Kerri Knox, RN
Registered Nurse and Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
Side Effects
Celiac with high potassium levels
by: Amy

I was just reading your comments, my dad was diagnosed with Celiac about a year maybe a year and a half ago. Since then he has been diagnosed with osteoperosis and is right this minute in the DR. office having more test run b/c he has tested twice with high levels of potassium. He was born with a congenital heart defect and has a floating kidney.

To my knowledge, since the heart surgery when he was 16 (now 65) he has had no problems with his heart and the kidney if it gets into a bind will cause his BP to elevate, but not other problems. He has maintained a very strict gluten free diet so I know he is eating a lot more fresh fruit and veggies which could be the cause of the high potassium, but are there other correlations between potassium and Celiac disease that may not seem as obvious?
Celiac would cause LOW potassium
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

No, Celiac would cause LOW potassium because the potassium (and magnesium) is not absorbing well. Celiac never ever causes HIGH potassium. And almost nothing does except kidney problems and inaccurate lab testing. You've ruled out inaccurate lab testing since he's had a high level twice, so really- unless there is some unusual metabolic process going on in his body that I wouldn't even be able to give you an idea of what that would be- the 99% probability is that his kidneys are not eliminating the potassium.

It's NOT that he's eating 'too much' potassium, it's that something is 'broken' that is not eliminating the potassium. A person with normal kidney function could sit there and eat the highest potassium foods in the world all day every day and never ever get high potassium levels. It just doesn't happen that someone overdoses on potassium from food- never ever.



Kerri Knox RN

Kerri Knox, RN
Registered Nurse and Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
Side Effects
same here until...
by: pat

ok, aside from being 200% sure nothing with traces of gluten were in my diet--like cocoa powder etc. and lactose;
i had a hunch one day and searched "fructose lactic acid liver" the day i stopped fructose from my diet, even small amounts of sugar for example (sucrose is 50/50 glucose/fructose) is the day i stopped being perpetually fatigued and drowsy. so if i eat a piece of fruit or put sugar in my tea, i get drowsy immediately. a whole apple will make me very fatigued

however, i've not had a problem with the gross symptoms of fructose mal. just ones they don't mention. go figure! and good luck
I have enough to deal with.
by: m. rodwell

I to have celiac & have felt this way since last Oct, Nov.,I'am so discourged about this whole thing
it is difficulte to do housework and most everything.
Celiac
by: Judy

I just found out celiac disease, and fibromyalgia .i was just in the hospital for 2 days for my potassium was very low, and so was my minerals.i was about to black out and couldn't breath. So I was wondering, my doctor said I test for Helicobacter Pylori bacteria.but stool sample didn't show I had anything,and I'm anemia as well.

I was wondering why I'm tired all the time, have no reason to get up and do anything.And loss of appetite and why I have low vitamins in my system..

Thanks Judy
research celiac
by: Kerri Knox, RN

Judy,

You have an autoimmune disease and you have nutrient deficiencies including anemia. I don't think you understand what any of that means.

Anemia means that you do not have enough iron in your red blood cells to carry oxygen. Of course you feel tired if you cannot get oxygen to your cells.

Other nutrient deficiencies can also cause you to feel tired, and you probably have:

Vitamin B12 Malabsorption

Magnesium Deficiency

and

Vitamin D Deficiency

Having Celiac Disease means that every time you eat gluten, you are destroying the inner lining of your intestines, causing inflammation, and your immune system is attacking your body. Of course you feel horrible. You will continue to feel horrible until you stop eating gluten, heal your digestive tract, and resolve your nutrient deficiencies.

Please do some research on Celiac Disease. It would also be great if you found some sort of support or educational group for Celiac as well, so that you can have your questions answered and become educated on your lifelong disease and diet that you will need to abide by 100% for the rest of your life. Please find a support and educational group to help you. Getting a diagnosis of Celiac requires very specific education, and it can feel devastating. Having people with Celiac to help support you can make the transition much easier.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
Side Effects

PS: If you appreciate the free help that I give on my site, please consider making your next supplement purchase through my Health Store in order to help keep this site in operation.
Thank you
by: Ann

I've been on a strict no gluten diet for almost 2 years. Recently I've felt so tired and definitely lack energy especially later in the day. I am going to look into b12 vitamins. Thank you for the info.

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