Does anybody have or had anxiety from being celiac or gluten sensitive

I just found out I am gluten sensitive. For the past 2 years I have been a sickly person. I went from feeling great to downhill. Anxiety has been one of the things I have dealt with. I am wondering if anyone else had this before they went on a strick gluten free diet? Just trying to decide what to eat now is overwhelming.

[Alyssum78]

Oh yeah, the full spectrum of neurological problems is possible with gluten sensitivity. If you think of food as your medicine rather than what will taste good etc, it becomes very easy to find something to eat. I personally keep it simple and don't even try to replace grains in my diet. I have now found many things I like so much better. When your body is truly nourished by your food, it starts to associate that feeling with that food and eating becomes pleasant and comfortable again. It is said to take 3 months for a person to adjust to any diet. In other words, even the worst tasting diet tastes good after 3 months because your brain adjusts to it. As for the new routine, it only takes a few weeks to establish one and feel comfortable with it if you recieve a few tips from people who have been eating gluten-free for awhile. Also, I have a tip for healing the anxiety that is caused by gluten related neurological damage. Try epsom salt footbaths every other day. Here is a site with instructions: http://www.enzymestuff.com/epsomsalts.htm

[Lynn_C]

Yes, I too, once a normal, calm, laid-back person, have become overwhelmed by anxiety which I now understand to be connected to Celiac. It has gotten slightly better since being on a GF diet (6 months) and I am hoping to be back to my old self soon. Does anyone else have experience with anxiety symptoms & could you tell me how much longer I can expect to have them? I think my mood problems have been the hardest part of being Celiac

[finepickle]

Hi tlcha,

It does take some time to learn what to eat.  It is much simpler to avoid processed foods completely at the beginning, and concentrate on making your food at home.  I ended up making a lot of rice dishes myself.  I usually make a big batch of rice and veggies and some meat and store it in freezer bags on the weekend.  If you do that for several weekends you can have a variety of different rice dishes ready to go all the time.  It is actually a simple way to have food ready quickly as you can zap it or let it thaw and then zap it.  You can find lots of info on gluten status of foods by searching google for the food name and gluten.  Food makers often have info on their websites about gluten in their products too.

Everyone heals at their own rate and it could take a short time for you to feel better or a longer time.  Celiacs often have vitamin deficiencies so it is good to take a multi-vitamin.  Vitmain D and B vitamins are some common ones to be low on.

[sicko649]

Hi! I'm not sure about anxiety, but as you mention it I recall a few episodes when I wanted medical information from my doctors, and because I have had some experience of medical misdiagnosis in the past I didn't want a repetition. So, that was the basis for my anxiety.
The thing about  the coeliac condition is that you just have to plan everything in advance, and let people know you have the problem. That way you avoid eating gluten. Some brands of gluten free flour agree with me and some don't. Rice is fine of course. With a bit of practice you will get the hang of it. All you have to do is avoid gluten and you will be fine. Check labels all the time and if in doubt leave it out. That's my motto. A little gluten causes a lot of trouble, so you have to stick to the diet. Get regular check ups and don't worry. Its not a problem.

[Lynn_C]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I am not actually anxious about switch to the new GF diet or even dealing with doctors, but I am referring to just daily anxiety disorder -- to the point where I always feel as though I am on the verge of a panic attack. It is awful & really affecting my life (marriage, friends, job). I have been on the GF diet for 6 months & had kind of hoped for quicker results, but I guess they will come with time. I think there may be some connection to vitamin deficiencies though -- I was just reading that celiacs are often low in magnesium & calcium since the sources for these come from grains and dairy (both of which I have eliminated -- at least the gluten grains). Both magnesium and calcium support the nervous system & are muscle relaxers, so I guess it is possible that a deficiency could lead to anxiety. I'm going to try extra supplementation & I'll report back in a month or so...  

[Rachel4]

You might want to get tested for a B12 deficiency. B12 is a cofactor for neurotransmitter development.  A deficiency can cause all sorts of neurological problems. I'm hoping that is what my stress and anxiety is coming from. I started B12 injections (pills don't absorb well) a month ago and it's really been helping.  But I also started iron, zinc, and vitamin d at the same time so it could be a combination.

[Lynn_C]

I just wanted to follow up on this old thread. About 5 months ago I was having problems with Celiac-related mood-swings, anxiety, etc. Now I am 11 months gluten-free & feeling *much, much* better -- incredible, in fact. I supplemented with calcium & magnesium & also drank Tusli tea (holy basil) which is good for anxiety. I ate lots of protein & good fats too. Mostly though, I think my body just needed time to heal & now I am beginning to feel normal again -- yea! My doctor kept telling me it could talk a year to begin to feel better, but it was really hard to push through the emotional part of the symptoms. My husband is thrilled too b/c he no longer has to live with a grumpy, crazy, depressed wife anymore!

Anyway, hang in there if you are having to same problems -- it does get better!

[blockwood10]

After going on a gluten-free diet my depression and anxiety improved noticeably.  My exercise capability also increased tremendously.

[FurballsMom]

Depression and anxiety seem to go with gluten sensitivity, whether or not it is actually Celiac Disease or not.  My brother has gluten sensitivity, but his son has tested positive for Celiac.  I'm more than certain I have Celiac, but I'm waiting for gastric biopsy results to come back.  I don't know what they'll say.  I had gone off the gluten free diet for a couple of months in anticipation of this test.  I'm so glad the test is over, too.  The side effects from the sedation medications did make me feel pretty lousy for the past couple of days.  Now that this test is over with, I'm happily going back on the gluten-free diet, whether or not I test positive for Celiac or not, because I definitely feel better when I'm off of gluten.  I know my eczema will start to heal now, too.  I definitely have worsening of eczema symptoms when I go off of my gluten free diet.

Maybe I'm a latent case of Celiac.  Who knows.  But, there is a definite link to depression and anxiety with gluten sensitivity.  Even my brother notices this when he eats too much gluten.  I think at home his family has learned to adjust to gluten free living, since it's easier than worrying about cross contamination, which would definitely cause my nephew problems.

[janejetson]

To Lynn,

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about 8 weeks ago and have found that I am extremely sensitive to corn and dairy, also.  In the book, Dangerous Grains, by James Braly, he states that people with gluten sensitivity ALWAYS have accompanying food allergies, most commonly dairy.  

If you are not feeling that great yet, you could possibly be overlooking other food allergies or sensitivities.  

Many over the counter and prescription drugs contain dairy, gluten, corn and soy which are used as binding agents.  I'm pretty sure you also know about all the hidden gluten and other possible allergens in processed foods.  Even cosmetics sometimes contain gluten, so read those labels, too.  Several veteran Celiacs have told me the learning curve is pretty steep at first but it gets easier with time.

I agree with other posts about the importance of plenty of protein and fresh veggies and not trying to replace gluten grains with other grains.  And supplements are a must... we have a lot of healing to do.  Unfortunately, most doctors simply diagnose and tell you not to eat gluten.  There is way more to it than that.  Keep reading and educating yourself! =~)

If I'm diligent and keep dairy, corn and gluten out of the diet and meds I have absolutely NO depression and anxiety and more energy I than ever.  It is miraculous.  If I have those "celiac symptoms" I can always trace it back to something I have swallowed!  Good luck with your new life!

Kim

[Suzanne4556]

I have had celiac for about 11 years.  I have been on a gluten free diet all that time.  My problem with anxiety started September of 09.  I had gone to a gastro doctor and had to have a colonoscopy. He mentioned that celiace can have a higher chance of cancer etc....so when I had polyps I was anxious until they can back ok.  The next day my mammogram came back with a dense place and had to go back for that and by the time that was all done I was having anxiety to the point that I couldn't sleep, I wasn't eating, I went to work, but I couldn't focus.  I was put on one antidepression and it made me worse, I finally got on another antidepressant and feel like myself again.  I wonder if all my years with undiagnosed celiac made me more succeptable to anxiety and when I had medical issues it set it off.  I was the most easy going person anyone knew and this was so unlike me!

[Jessymum]

Sometimes 'easy going' doesn't necessarily mean you aren't affected by things - but can mean that you are affected, don't like the affect and so supress those feelings ... which makes you (temporarily) an easy going,laid back, relaxed, likeable person ... until something tips you over the edge and you have to deal with a whole lot of supressed negative feelings (that you mightn't even be aware of) ... that's how it seems to have worked with me anyway.

[SillyFish]

Hi,

Not sure if anyone is watching this forum any more, but thought I'd post my experience and maybe ask some questions.

I've been tested in the past for food allergies, and the main two things I needed to watch out for were wheat and eggs. And a little bit for diary.  I kept these items out of my diet for a long time, but eventually I started eating them because I felt okay after eating them. Some times I might feel a little funny in the head, and maybe a bit tired the next day.  Well, as time went by, I continued to eat more and more wheat thinking it was okay. I didn't really experience any major issues at all.  So, I continued to eat it. But, I never ate any at home, my cereals are wheat free, didn't eat sandwiches, etc... Just when I ate out or at someone's house I'd end up eating wheat.

Anyway, 9 months ago I was hit with what felt like a seizure, although I think it ended up being a panic attack.  I was ill for months, extreme anxiety, insomnia, etc..I had a real panic attack and was put on Xanax, which I now hear has gluten in it. Anyway, I was miserable for months, and months. I did cut out all wheat/gluten, but not sure it really helped much.  I ended up buying gluten free bread, but it has egg whites in it and I am allergic to eggs.  Not sure if that made things worse or not.  Anyway, a couple weeks off Xanax, I had mass anxiety, then panic attacks, and just never recovered.  I was still gluten free.  Then I tried a couple of SSRi's with bad results. I did test eating a hot dog once, but didn't feel anything bad.  

I had a celiac panel done, (blood test) two months after eating gluten, and it was negative. I heard that even though I hadn't eaten gluten in two months it should still show up on the test if i had celiac.  I talked to a GI doctor and he said I would need to eat gluten for 3 or 6 months before a endoscopy would show anything Well, I wasn't about to do that. I will just stay away from gluten.

I continue to suffer from anxiety and insomnia.  I went on a new SSRi, Lexapro, and started to feel a little better but went off because it numbed my emotions. I then went on Remeron, and started sleeping better and felt better.  But, then had a major relapse.  Not sure if it was Lexapro withdrawal or Remeron.  Then I starte to feel a little better, then had another wave of anxiety.  Where I just started to shake internally, sweaty, like I was poisoned. Ya, I have anxiety, stress and worry, but it seemed some thing else triggered it.

I did change meds, I did try some new supplements, so any one of those could have contribute. But one of the times I had eaten a gluten free pizza three days before the wave of anxiety, from a pizza place and I'm sure they made it right along side all the gluten pizzas.  The second wave of anxiet came one day after eating a gluten free pizza at a pizza joint where I definately saw them bake and cute it along with all the other pizzas.  So, there could definately be cross-contamination.  Is this what was going on? Or, maybe there was eggs in the crust?  Am I that senstive to Gluten, and/or eggs?  Was it the meds or supplements causing this?  I may never know.

The only way to tell, is go eat at that pizza place again, and see how I feel the next day. Not a good thing to do, but migth be woth testing out to make sure.  I do have a blood draw tomorrow for some things, I could see if they could do a celiac panel again. if I have celiac, I think something might show up.  I know I'm sensitive to wheat, but not sure it would cause all this anxiety.  I don't get stomach pain, or diahrea, although I do get soft stools.  So, it's hard to say what is causing what at this time.  

I'm starting up Lexapro.  So I hope to get relief from all this anxiety.  Then I may be able to do some testing of gluten where it might not effect me as bad.

I know that gluten sensitivity can mimic celiac as you can get the same side-effects, and I even heard it can damage the villi like celiac. Not sure if that is true or not.

I have a question...If you have celiac, how soon after eating gluten will you have a side-effect, same day, day after, 2 days after?  I guess it can vary?

Anyway, thank you for reading my post.

Soccer

[Celijules23]

Hi there,
Several things might help you here, I did have anxiety when I was still getting gluten in my diet.  The only time in my life I haven't felt anxiety is when i've been following a VERY strict gluten-free diet and rarely if ever get food at a restaurant where there is chance of contamination.  I have been celiac for 10 years now (www.celiacinthecity.net for information if you like) and i'm also training to be a holistic nutritionist.  There is a direct link to uncontrolled celiac and problems arising in the brain which "trickle-down" the nerves and cause a variety of symptoms.  Not many GP's are up on this and most of them just go by the bloated belly, abdominal problems when deciding to diagnose CD.  My symptoms have always varied and when alot of gluten was involved in a meal I would vomit and have sever crippling pain followed by weeks of other symptoms like skin problems, tongue problems, foggy brain and general discomfort.  The best solution is to know all the sources of gluten and stay away from them.  When I studied celiac in University I read a journal paper that said that only 1mg of gluten per day was enough to keep the mucosal recovery away.....meaning your small intestine would never heal and you would always have problems.  This fueled my fire to become completely gluten free.  Also more good information here: www.celiaccentral.org Good luck to you.
Jules

[celiacwoman]

I have had celiac disease for 53 years and have been gluten free for 27 years.  The reality for me is that sometimes my small intestine just hurts and I know I did not ingest any gluten.  It's often hard to impossible to pinpoint what went wrong.  It can be tough.