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Gluten Sensitivity and Vertigo/Meniere’s Disease

Gluten is a known neurotoxin, and for many patients with gluten sensitivity, nervous system diseases are the only symptoms that manifest. Some neurologists have studied the connection in depth. To date, gluten has been shown to cause lesions in the brain and central nervous system on MRI, gluten has been shown to cause the body to make antibodies against nerve tissue.

Nerve Damage Improves on a Gluten Free Diet

There are a number of neurological diseases that have been shown to improve with a gluten free diet. The following is a short list of related neurological manifestations of gluten damage:

Gluten and Balance

Meniere’s disease is a condition that manifests symptomatically as severe dizziness, ear pressure, ringing, and often times is associated with concomitant migraine headache. The symptoms can be debilitating and often lead to nausea, vomiting, and inability to stand or walk due to imbalance. Recent research has identified a connection between grain (specifically wheat) and Meniere’s disease. The study was published in the journal, Laryngoscope. The abstract is below:
Wheat is one of the most common food allergens found in patients with Meniere’s disease (MD). Gluten from wheat has been identified to have a etiopathogenetic role in celiac disease, IgE hypersensitivity to wheat disease, and recently to gluten sensitivity. The aim of this study was to verify the incidence of gliadin prick test response in patients affected by MD. There were 58 adult patients with definite MD, 25 healthy volunteers, and 25 patients with grass pollen rhinoconjunctivitis tested with skin prick test to gliadin. A total of 33 MD patients (56.9%) proved to be sensitive to gliadin, eight of whom were positive to prick test after 20 minutes, 13 after 6 hours, 11 after 12 hours, and one after 24 hours.

What to do if you have been diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease

It is important to let your doctor rule out any type of life threatening conditions first and foremost. Beyond that, ruling out gluten intolerance is a must. I would also recommend that you rule out other food and environmental allergies as well. I have personally seen cases of Meniere’s in my clinic that were caused by a variety of foods. I have also seen cases that were caused by severe mold toxicity. Rule out vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Often times, these nutritional deficits will lead to nerve damage. Most prominently we see the loss of myelin (the insulation surrounding the nerves). Vitamin B-12 deficiency is a common cause of myelin loss, as are copper and vitamin C deficiency. Often times the deficiencies are caused by gluten induced gastrointestinal damage. For more on the relationship between gluten and neurological inflammation and damage, watch the interview series with functional medicine psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Parker below. His research and clinical experience are enlightening and may help give you some answers to medical mysteries you are dealing with. for the rest of the interview go here <<< All the best, Dr. O P.S. Don’t be stingy, share this article with your friends and family 🙂

37 Responses

    1. You should not be taking Centrum Silver, it is a junk vitamin, and the the nutrients are not absorbed by the body but peed out. Instead, invest in a high quality multivitamin like Meta-Fem by Thorne, and take no less than the minimum daily dosage. Your body deserves the best!

  1. Is there a way to reverse the lesions in the brain? Is the scarring permanent? Any suggestions as to heal the brain with supplements?

  2. I have had BPV ( Benign Proxymal Vertigo) which they say is pretty common, but very disturbing. This has to do with the inner ear. Is this gluten related?

    1. My daughter had this for 9 months were advised to take wheat out of her diet totally for two weeks dramatic improvement! Five weeks later symptoms still decreasing and been advised to reduce mesds. Certainly seems the case with my daughter.

    2. Not necessarily. BPPV can be solved in one visit to a knowledgeable doctor, chiro, or other medical professional. I know thru my own personal experience. If you know you can trigger an episode (for me it was by tipping my head back and turning it to the right), then the solution is immediate. I actually had a neurologist take me thru several postures until the vertigo literally vanished. I wish I could tell you how, but it was long ago. None of the videos I have seen on YT get it right. It’s a matter of moving your head till the loose crystals (cilia) in your inner ear have floated to a non-sensitive portion of your inner ear. Best wishes. There is hope.

  3. CNS (Central Nervous System)tracts may have been impaired due to the likely chronic irritation (for years, maybe even decades) as well, causing virtually any type of symptoms related to the nervous system. I recommend any patients with gluten sensitivity & neurological symptoms seek out a chiropractic functional neurologist from the following website (which also provides testimonials of actual patients & their response to care): http://www.lifechangingcare.com

  4. I wanted to purchase something that can start me on a diet but I wanted to use paypal but it didn’t give me the option. I am 60 this year and am allergic to everything, can not keep Vit D in my system, allergic severly to smells and have all the syptoms of Gluten intolleance. What is the best thing for me to start and follow. I do better on a list and that is what you do. I hope this makes sense.

    1. I would try a detox diet. Literally meat, vegetables and fruit. No grain, no dairy, no legumes. Try doing some research on the Paleo diet. It really helped me with a lot of my food allergy issues.

  5. I suffer from bilateral Meniere’s disease and am undergoing natural treatment called NAET to try and clear up my symptoms for good! NAET can help remove any gluten intolerances among many other allergies permanently! http://www.naet.com and read more about it. I also recommend getting this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Say-Good-Bye-Illness-3rd-Edition/dp/0970434480/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376629295&sr=8-1&keywords=nambudripad
    To learn more about NAET and how it works. It’s a way better alternative to conventional doctors and Rx’s!

    1. I have had tinnitus for years. I also have high frequency hearing loss. I use hearing aids specially programmed to play white noise, which teaches the brain to listen for that. Tinnitus is the brain replacing sounds that it can no longer hear. If you give it something to hear, the tinnitus gets quieter. Mine has been reduced significantly, it no longer is the first sound I hear. Try a good audiologist for a hearing test and assessment. Good luck!

  6. This was one if the most informational articles i have read about vertigo/Menieres. I have been ill for over 5 years dx w diabetes first but was always dizzy.I thought the dx was a final end to the dizzy n symptoms w it but it was just another trigger that made the dizziness worse. After several tests and MRI still no dx. Finally my ent sent me to a nuero specialist in vertigo dx my Menieres in seconds. I have several triggers B12 , Vitamin D , Anemic difficient along w the diabetes. I am on a low salt no caffeine low sugar diet a diuretic was provided for the Meniers and suppliments for the vitamin difficientcies its definitely helped. I will now get tested for the Gluten Sensitivity anything to help with this disease is a blessing

    1. I was diagnosed with Meneire’s about one year ago. Over the years I’d had these horrible episodes of severe vertigo and vomiting, etc. However, for about ten years the episodes were very seldom. Then about two years ago, the symptoms became more and more frequent and severe. I’ve had paramedics to the house, trips to hospital from home and work. It was really, reallly bad. My doctor told me to lessen the salt considerably, so I did. In truth, I never felt I really ate that much salt. Then, in one visit he stressed the importance of staying away from biscuits. For whatever reason, I ate just one not much later and rather quickly went into one of my terrible episodes. So I stopped with the biscuits altogether. A co-worker said “I think you have a gluten intolerence.” I shrugged it off right then, as I’ve been a big bread eater my entire life. But, I was desparate. So, I stopped eating all bread, pasta, etc. I noticed a marked improvement. I have not had bread in about four months and neither have I had any serious episodes. Incredible. Try it. Give up bread, pasta, and any thing with flour. It may help you too.

      1. Thanks for sharing. I had sick migraines and kneck issues and issues with the trigelsic nerve. So bad the begining of this year. Two to three sick migraines a week and balance issues and mind all over the place. In desperation stopped gluten and sugar (and I did not eat a lot) and focused on The Carnivore Diet within a couple of weeks much better. In the UK Sheffield Hallam University have proven you can have Cealiac in the brain as well as the gut but no one at hospital or my gp suggested Menieres ~Disease. I’m in shock to say the least. Tinnitus 8 years the only thing I don’t have is deafness but having said that others say I’m deaf! Thanks for sharing. I’m still spinning.

  7. This was how I became diagnosed as celiac. I was having issues with vertigo suddenly happening at work. I also had digestive problems at times which I mentioned as an unconnected issue to my doctor. She tested me for celiac- as soon as I went gluten free the vertigo stopped happening.

  8. I have had vertigo for 1 month I have been told I am gluten sensitive I don’t stay on the gluten free thing to a tee have this vertigo could this really be the reason

  9. I have gone to many doctors over the last 4 years. I have had very debilitating dizziness, lightheadedness, and sometimes, vertigo. The neurologists and otolaryngolist found nothing. Meanwhile, my dizziness and imbalance issues have continued to worsen. Finally I went to a holistic doctor and the blood tests indicated that I have a huge allergy to gluten. I have cut gluten from my diet for about a month. No change yet.

    1. It can take awhile depending on the damage to the vestibular nerves but I hope you perservered. I also hope your got tested and treated for nutritional deficiences which happens with gluten sensitivites affecting the gut absorbtions of B12, B6 and Zinc which are often deficient and can cause dizziness in there own right.

    2. I have these symptoms. Other triggers are soy, rice, coffee, beans, and basically qny type of seed (which is a lot of things!).

      Going all meat, eggs, and some veg and fruit is the way. But definitely stay away from anything that you could plant in the ground and grow. Seeds/beans are major triggers!

      Synthetic coloring/flavoring are also major triggers.

  10. I am now 72. About 3 yrs ago, I suffered several severe attacks of vertigo, one so bad I had to crawl to the toilet & then vomited. Before that, I had also suffered rapid hearing loss, especially in one ear. I stopped taking gluten, over a period of about a month my vertigo got less and now I’ve been at least 2 yrs without a single attack. Weird but I dare not take any food containing gluten I am so convinced by it. I really think this subject warrants more research

    1. Wow, sounds like me. I woke up one morning unable to walk due to severe dizziness, I vomited, had bad migraine and realized I couldn’t hear in 1 ear. Diagnosed with Labrynthitis.
      A year and a half later, I’m deaf in one ear, with positional vertigo and dizziness off and on. I think salt and gluten are to blame. Will try a GF diet.

    2. I totally agree I suffered vertigo where I could not get out of bed . I suffered for years , found out I have celiac since then never had vertigo it must be connected

  11. Regular, traditional doctors are not trained to understand the connection between our GI system and the CNS system. In my case, I suffered unexpected bouts of vertigo without any logical explanation. I was healthy, fit, etc. I began noticing that everytime I consumed anything with gluten I would immediately get bloated, I had so much gas, the brain fog got so bad I couldn’t speak correctly and the dizziness began.

    Sure enough, later I got diagnosed with a gluten allergy. When I cut the gluten my life improved so so much. No more gas, bloating, diarrhea, vertigo, dizziness, joint pain, etc.

    Thank you for bringing so much awareness to this issue!

    1. Did you get tested by a Holistic doctor ? I was tested by my general practitioner and the gluten test came back normal. I was wondering if there’s a special test Holistic do. Thanks!

  12. After many decades of long periods of being gluten free and dairy free due to being very unwell for years with chronic fatigue and finding out i was hypothyroid and my new holistic thinking doctor testing me by muscle testing for gluten problems etc and changing my diet with an elimination diet I became well again. Because of Dr Osbornes education i also became grain free too but with some lapses I have had 2.5months of dizziness with unbalanced problems involving cognitive involvements causing great disruption to my daily life. At first, having had a head cold when it started, I put it down to a viral problem and a wax buildup which Im prone too but after clearing that and seeing 2 doctors and an audiologist with nothing to define it it was time for a rethink. I found out through Dr Osbornes gene testing last year I have 2 copies of the celiac gene and 2 of the celiac sensitivity gene which along with my hypothyrodism mostly keeps me on the gluten free tract as going off it even just a bit causes all sorts of havoc for me. So Im back to recheck what Dr Osborne says on this subject and am now going back to total gluten, grain and dairy free along with zinc, b6 and b12 supplements which I am deficient in. I so look forward to improving and thank Dr Osborne for his good work and education as its a life saver.

  13. Three years ago, almost suddenly, I developed acne, as my dermatologist told me then. I had never had something like that, maybe a few pimples per year. But my face looked partially sore, a lot of sebum appeared, itchy face too. Later it burst on my back, a lot of big pimples, the skin was itchy. The dermatologist couldn’t solve the problem (antibiotics, a lot of skin lotions) , finally she said the cause was the fact that I had polycystic ovaries.
    Two years ago, one morning, I had a severe attack of vertigo, along with vomiting, crawling to the bathroom. Went to the neurologist, to the ENT (ear, nose, throat) and the conclusion was that the otoliths from the inner year were displaced and the ENT doctor performed some procedures to rearrange the otoliths. I felt somewhat better, but still a lot of dizziness. Besides, my long lasting digestive problems worsened. At the beginning of this year, probably after reading something on the internet, it came to me the idea that I could be gluten (and lactose) intolerant.
    I stopped eating gluten and dairies and after 3-4 weeks I noticed an improvement in my skin condition. Also, my digestive problems also almost disappeared. As I couldn’t all the time keep myself from goodies, I sometimes ate cakes with gluten and lactose and I immediately noticed the effect on my skin and in my stomach.
    Anyway, finally, I bought a few days ago an intolerance test and I read somewhere that you must reintroduce in your diet gluten and lactose products, 7 days prior to taking the test, so I did. Last evening, I even ate 3 big chocolate cakes. Since March this year, I haven’t felt like dizzy or anything. This morning, I felt dizzy when turning on my pillow and when I tried to get up, I felt almost like three years ago, a vertigo episode, but no so serious like back then. Still feeling dizzy right now, I was afraid to drive my car this morning. I must say that the first vertigo episode, 3 years ago, happened after a party where I drank a lot of beer (full of gluten, of course). And this morning I searched on the internet and found out that vertigo can be related to gluten intolerance. And I’m pretty sure that it is. It amazes me that so many diseases and various debilitating symptoms can be caused by gluten (I even read an article that polycystic ovaries can be gluten intolerance related). I will take the test this week an will know for sure if I’m gluten intolerant. But, from what I’ve experienced these last months and today, I think I am. Thanks for your article. It would be great if doctors inquired patients and asked them about various symptoms related to gluten intolerance and performed tests to know if acne, vertigo or a lot of other diseases are caused by gluten intolerance.

    1. I totally agree. I’ve just read this and had the best day in 4 months. I was on a gluten free diet for a year, to look at tummy issues. I reintroduced it before Christmas and I never connected the dots because I had convinced myself it was just lactose. Im miffed I have to go back to a gluten free diet but its a small price to pay when you can’t leave the house alone because of drop attacks hitting you sideways day after day. Im feeling excited that I may just get my life back from this day forward

  14. I don’t know if I have Meneire’s disease. I have had Epilepsy since I was born an now 60 yrs old but no seizures for the last 9 yrs you have been 24 yrs if it hadn’t been for my ins co. Anyway I also have complete Nerve Damage in both legs wear 2 braces an use a walker among many other health problems. Can gluten free help these 2 major problems

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