Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Record is Archived

    This article is now archived and is closed to further replies.

    Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Woman's Psychotic Delusions Caused by Gluten and Undiagnosed Celiac Disease

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Celiac.com 07/21/2016 - Celiac disease is a condition that can sometimes have vague symptoms, including mental and neurological symptoms, and that can make it hard to diagnose. Sometimes, individual cases can help to shed light on the serious nature of celiac disease, as well as the importance of a gluten-free diet in treatment. Consider the case of a 37-year-old Ph.D. candidate began to suffer from mysterious delusions, details of which appear in The New England Journal of Medicine.

    The doctors who treated her wrote that the woman, who was otherwise healthy and seemingly normal, had begun to believe that friends, family members and even strangers were conspiring to act out scenes for her in a what the woman thought was some kind of "game."

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    The delusions got so bad that the woman began making threats against her family, and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital and was diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, according to the report. The doctors prescribed anti-psychotic medications, which, they wrote, did not work very well. However, during her stay, they did notice that she had several vitamin and mineral deficiencies, had lost a lot of weight and also had thyroid problems, according to the report.

    Noting the symptoms, the doctors began to suspect celiac disease, said Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and one of the doctors who treated the woman. When the doctors confirmed celiac disease, the woman refused to go on a gluten-free diet, because she was still suffering delusions and believed the doctors to be actively deceiving her about having celiac disease.

    In this case, the woman lost her job, became homeless and even attempted suicide before she was finally re-hospitalized at a psychiatric facility, where she was successfully placed on a gluten-free diet, where she improved tremendously. She came to understand that a reaction to gluten had triggered her symptoms and caused her life to spin out of control, said Dr. Fasano, and she wanted people to understand that her strange behavior was due to the gluten reaction.

    The woman's case is not typical, to be sure, but it highlights the sometimes sneaky ways celiac disease can manifest, the serious health impacts celiac disease can have, and the importance of adopting a gluten-free diet.

    Source:

    • Open Original Shared Link.


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Guest Pippy

    Posted

    I had similar things happening to my brain, but it still went undiagnosed for many years to follow. I was put in the mental ward many times and never was I tested for celiac disease; my faith in the medical community is completely gone. This blog and others are what keep me going. Thank you for all your footwork.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Barbie

    Posted

    I believe undiagnosed celiac disease made me Bi-Polar, as it all happened at the time just before I was diagnosed. Yes, I need medication and the doctors cannot absolutely confirm it, but yes, celiac can mimic Bi-Polar, but you still need meds.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Physicist

    Posted

    The present case report shows that psychosis may be a manifestation of NCGS, and may also involve children; the diagnosis is difficult with many cases remaining undiagnosed. The pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric manifestations of NCGS is an intriguing and still poorly understood issue. Well designed prospective studies are needed to establish the real role of gluten as a triggering factor in these diseases.
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Guest
    This is now closed for further comments

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - CatherineWang replied to B1rdL0ver's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      40

      Dealing with constant nausea and just feeling awful.

    2. - cristiana replied to BunnyBrown's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      3

      Recently had my esophagus dilated

    3. - cristiana replied to twe0708's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      54

      How Long Do Celiac Patients Live?

    4. - Exchange Students replied to Exchange Students's topic in Parents, Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs
      2

      Exchange Students who are celiac in need of host

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Exchange Students's topic in Parents, Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs
      2

      Exchange Students who are celiac in need of host


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,154
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Ohwowitsgluten
    Newest Member
    Ohwowitsgluten
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • Sunflowers06
      6
    • Momkaren
      10
    • Elizabeth M Blair
      5
    • B1rdL0ver
    • twe0708
      54
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...