Gluten and Meniere’s Disease

Can gluten cause the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease?

Updated September 2020

Could Gluten be a cause Meniere’s symptoms? Tests in the past have shown links to Meniere’s and problems with the digestive system . The health of the gut is essential for overall health, Gut issues such as IBS have been linked to neurological diseases, autoimmune diseases and Meniere’s disease. 

In this article it suggests a connection between gluten and Meniere’s symptoms.

Extract:

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.

Gluten and Meniere’s disease – studies

Gluten sensitivity in Meniere’s disease. A cited clinical study paper on NIH

Extract:

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.

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.

Also on the NIH:

Meniere’s disease and gluten sensitivity: recovery after a gluten-free diet

Extract:

We report the case of a 63-year-old female with definite unilateral Meniere’s disease, osteoarthritis of the distal finger joints with mucous cysts and Heberden’s nodes, and constipation with recurrent abdominal pain whose symptoms remitted after 6months of a restrictive gluten-free diet.

The question is, is it the gluten itself; the modification of gluten or the chemicals used in modern farming processes that find their way into the wheat or grains?

We do know that we have received messages from sufferers who have symptom free after changing their diet and in some cases that meant going gluten free.

Gluten in the form we know today is a neurotoxin and of course the central nervous system has been linked to Meniere’s. Over the past 50 years, hybridization wheat grains has taken place to supposedly increase crop yield ( the results of that are highly debatable)  and lengthen ‘shelf life’.

A protein called gliadin was added to grain. It is thought that higher concentrations of this protein has made wheat less digestible, which causes an allergy or reaction. Increased antibodies to gliadin, may have a negative impact on the neural system.

Almost 50% say gluten is an issue with Meniere’s

In September 2020, the question was asked in a Meniere’s social media group, “Has anyone linked their triggers to dairy or gluten instead of the sodium?”

Of the 37 respondents, 17 suggested gluten may be an issue:

Responses:

1. Yes all three and stress
2. And processed foods with MSG
3. Yes! Dairy is a HUGE trigger for me. Moderate gluten is okay but I get super fatigued and just off with lots of it. Sodium is no issue unless in ridiculous high amounts. As long as I salt to taste and cook mostly from scratch I stay in the moderate sodium range (2500mg give or take) and that works well for me
4. I went gluten and dairy free around March this year and noticed a massive improvement, more so than just watching my salt. But like everything with this disease it’s not the final answer as I’m currently in a three week spiral having changed nothing about my routine.
5. Gluten yes! Add sugar, salt, caffeine to that and its disaster. And dehydration
6. I removed gluten and dairy and I have done better! They are definitely triggers for me
7. Yes 100%
8. Yeah I got diagnosed with celiac disease
9. Yes.
10. Carbs/starches/natural sugars/regular sugar. Anything that breaks down as sugar. Although, I can’t tolerate much dairy, but that’s been for the last 23 years since I had my first pregnancy.
11. Gluten and diary set me off. I’m on a high sodium diet and it doesn’t bother me
12. Gluten, diary, sodium all r triggers
13. Same, I don’t eat any of those, haven’t for years
14. I tried to stay gluten and dairy free as much as possible only because I believe Menerie’s is a autoimmune disorder and with any autoimmune you need to stay away from that stuff
15. Sure. You can also get allergy tested through a blood test and do allergy drops which help with food related symptoms like mucus, fluid retention, and dizziness which has helped my daughter. She also eats a low sodium and low sugar diet to help reduce dizziness.
16. Gluten is my number 1 trigger, and what I am figuring out is that it takes a LONG time to get back to normal after I’ve had an interaction, so sodium becomes a constant trigger until everything really settles down again. Once I get everything balanced out again I can eat and drink as I please, just no gluten
17. Yea gluten really bugs me. I have tried my best to eat a gluten free diet and it helps but not enough to cure md.

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Help other Meniere’s sufferers. Do you have experience of Meniere’s and gluten? Tell us all about it in the comments box below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

References/Further reading:

Gluten Sensitivity and Vertigo/Meniere’s Disease

Gluten sensitivity in Meniere’s disease