Anxiety And Depression

[tennisman]

I know Anxiety and Depression are quite common illnesses but I have read many article's etc about people with celiac disease having double the risk of getting these conditions . Do we get a different form of Anxiety and Depression ? I know vitamin deficiency especially vitamin D can cause depression , and lots of Celiac's have vitamin D deficiency .

 

I have had depression and anxiety since the end of 2008 , I think it's mainly due to my health problems , my sister's health problems and 1 or 2 other things . I really don't know how to fix my anxiety and depression I have been to family counselling and had counselling by myself which helps a bit . I also have taken many vitamin D supplements since 09 but my level just won't go up much .

 

I did wonder about self help workbooks for anxiety and depression anyone tried these ? I'm just worried the anxiety and depression is caused by celiac disease or the problems I mentioned above I just don't understand how I can fix these problems as I can't change what has happened with celiac disease or the other problems that I mentioned above if they are the cause of the anxiety and depression which i'm 99 % sure they are . It's very frustrating having physical pain due to complications of celiac disease and than these anxiety and depression problems on top are very difficult to deal with too.

 

If anyone has any on advice that would be great ?

 

Thanks

[powerofpositivethinking]

Hi tennisman,

 

when I went for my EGD, I was diagnosed with GERD and a hiatal hernia.  Still waiting on my biopsy results, but I had a positive DGP igG score.  I had kind of suspected I had some kind of acid reflux but had never been diagnosed with it.  thankfully, I am happy to report that in only about three weeks gluten free, it has improved substantially.  In another post someone suggested reading the book Why Stomach Acid is Good for You by Jonathan Wright.  I finished it last week, and it is an awesome book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

 

there was a table on why the author thinks depression occurs closer to the back of the book as follows:

 

Low stomach acid --> reduced absorption of essential amino acids--> neurotransmitter (serotonin, norepinephrine) deficiency--> depression

 

if you read it, the correct pH of your stomach acid is invaluable to how you assimilate nutrients.  if you are unable to absorb nutrients correctly, then it sets off a chain reaction.

 

Before my EGD, my GI doctor offered a prescription of Prilosec since I had thought I had some sort of acid reflux.  He said sometimes that can help get rid of symptoms.  I am of the mind set, I don't want to mask symptoms, I want to get to the root of the problem and get rid of it.  Gluten-free has gotten me off to a good start minus any harsh medications that limit my stomach acid, and after reading the book, the only way I will ever agree to take those meds would be a Heidelberg capsule test to really test how much stomach acid I am producing.  Most people with GERD under produce stomach acid rather than overproduce it, so why would I want to make even less??  Yes, I am assuming I under produce it 

 

maybe a simple HCL with pepsin tablet is your answer?  I bought Bluebonnet brand off of Amazon.

 

 

I know Anxiety and Depression are quite common illnesses but I have read many article's etc about people with celiac disease having double the risk of getting these conditions . Do we get a different form of Anxiety and Depression ? I know vitamin deficiency especially vitamin D can cause depression , and lots of Celiac's have vitamin D deficiency .

 

I have had depression and anxiety since the end of 2008 , I think it's mainly due to my health problems , my sister's health problems and 1 or 2 other things . I really don't know how to fix my anxiety and depression I have been to family counselling and had counselling by myself which helps a bit . I also have taken many vitamin D supplements since 09 but my level just won't go up much .

 

I did wonder about self help workbooks for anxiety and depression anyone tried these ? I'm just worried the anxiety and depression is caused by celiac disease or the problems I mentioned above I just don't understand how I can fix these problems as I can't change what has happened with celiac disease or the other problems that I mentioned above if they are the cause of the anxiety and depression which i'm 99 % sure they are . It's very frustrating having physical pain due to complications of celiac disease and than these anxiety and depression problems on top are very difficult to deal with too.

 

If anyone has any on advice that would be great ?

 

Thanks

[frieze]

are you presently gluten free? thoroughly gluten free?  The vitamin D, what supplement are you taking?  Remember, natures way of getting Vit D is through sunlight on skin.   Get outside between 10 and 2, with at least 20/30 % of your skin uncovered, for 20 minutes or so....not so long you start to turn pink.  good luck

I know Anxiety and Depression are quite common illnesses but I have read many article's etc about people with celiac disease having double the risk of getting these conditions . Do we get a different form of Anxiety and Depression ? I know vitamin deficiency especially vitamin D can cause depression , and lots of Celiac's have vitamin D deficiency .

 

I have had depression and anxiety since the end of 2008 , I think it's mainly due to my health problems , my sister's health problems and 1 or 2 other things . I really don't know how to fix my anxiety and depression I have been to family counselling and had counselling by myself which helps a bit . I also have taken many vitamin D supplements since 09 but my level just won't go up much .

 

I did wonder about self help workbooks for anxiety and depression anyone tried these ? I'm just worried the anxiety and depression is caused by celiac disease or the problems I mentioned above I just don't understand how I can fix these problems as I can't change what has happened with celiac disease or the other problems that I mentioned above if they are the cause of the anxiety and depression which i'm 99 % sure they are . It's very frustrating having physical pain due to complications of celiac disease and than these anxiety and depression problems on top are very difficult to deal with too.

 

If anyone has any on advice that would be great ?

 

Thanks

[dilettantesteph]

My anxiety and depression went away gluten free and return when glutened.  Perhaps you just need a little more time on the gluten-free diet, or learning about what not to eat.  I hope that you feel better soon.

[tennisman]

Hi tennisman,

 

when I went for my EGD, I was diagnosed with GERD and a hiatal hernia.  Still waiting on my biopsy results, but I had a positive DGP igG score.  I had kind of suspected I had some kind of acid reflux but had never been diagnosed with it.  thankfully, I am happy to report that in only about three weeks gluten free, it has improved substantially.  In another post someone suggested reading the book Why Stomach Acid is Good for You by Jonathan Wright.  I finished it last week, and it is an awesome book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

 

there was a table on why the author thinks depression occurs closer to the back of the book as follows:

 

Low stomach acid --> reduced absorption of essential amino acids--> neurotransmitter (serotonin, norepinephrine) deficiency--> depression

 

if you read it, the correct pH of your stomach acid is invaluable to how you assimilate nutrients.  if you are unable to absorb nutrients correctly, then it sets off a chain reaction.

 

Before my EGD, my GI doctor offered a prescription of Prilosec since I had thought I had some sort of acid reflux.  He said sometimes that can help get rid of symptoms.  I am of the mind set, I don't want to mask symptoms, I want to get to the root of the problem and get rid of it.  Gluten-free has gotten me off to a good start minus any harsh medications that limit my stomach acid, and after reading the book, the only way I will ever agree to take those meds would be a Heidelberg capsule test to really test how much stomach acid I am producing.  Most people with GERD under produce stomach acid rather than overproduce it, so why would I want to make even less??  Yes, I am assuming I under produce it 

 

maybe a simple HCL with pepsin tablet is your answer?  I bought Bluebonnet brand off of Amazon.

 

Hi powerofpositivethinking , glad gluten free diet has helped your acid reflux  , I will look into the book thanks .

 

That's interesting about the table , I have read similar things before . 

 

I agree it's best o get to the root of the problem and treat that . I don't usually take tablets as the side effects scare me ! It seems tablets are not good always they should make some that should overproduce it .

 

What are HCL pespin tablets ?

[tennisman]

are you presently gluten free? thoroughly gluten free?  The vitamin D, what supplement are you taking?  Remember, natures way of getting Vit D is through sunlight on skin.   Get outside between 10 and 2, with at least 20/30 % of your skin uncovered, for 20 minutes or so....not so long you start to turn pink.  good luck

 

I have been gluten free since May 2003 and have always stuck with diet 150 %. I have been taking Adcal vitamin D , I think it has 400 units of vitamin D taken twice a day . Unfortunately living in england we haven't got much sunshine lately , it rained most of last summer and now we have snow , we need some sun for a couple of months ! Thanks  

[tennisman]

My anxiety and depression went away gluten free and return when glutened.  Perhaps you just need a little more time on the gluten-free diet, or learning about what not to eat.  I hope that you feel better soon.

 

 That's good your anxiety and depression went away . I been on the gluten free diet for almost 10 years . I found slowly after been diagnosed depression and anxiety got worse I remember the 1st time I really felt depressed was a year and a half after I was diagnosed but than it started getting worse slowly year by year . Than in winter of 2008 it became a lot worse . It's difficult to know what causes it I blame celiac disease or the gluten free diet and I think other illness I have and stressful events make it worse . I have found when I have been somewhere sunny for a week or so I did feel less anxious and depressed so it could just be the vitamin D deficiency causing the problems . Thanks

[peeptoad]

tennisman, if you think your depression could be related to vit. D have you tried light therapy yet?

 

 

[GFinDC]

I have been gluten free since May 2003 and have always stuck with diet 150 %. I have been taking Adcal vitamin D , I think it has 400 units of vitamin D taken twice a day . Unfortunately living in england we haven't got much sunshine lately , it rained most of last summer and now we have snow , we need some sun for a couple of months ! Thanks

I was low on Vitamin D also. Doc had me taking 1000 units of D a day.  After a year I was still low so he switched me to 2000 units a day.

 

There was a news story about vitamin D pills not being marked correctly recently.  They said some of the vit D pills were very low on the actual D content vs the marking on the label.

[Lady Eowyn]

Hi tennisman

 

I take Lamberts Vit D 1000iu per day available through Amazon (or quality health food store). I think it is a good one and I definitely feel better with taking it. 

Like you, I am in the UK and struggling to remember what sunshine looks like!

 

Additional thought - have you had your thyroid function checked. I would say that low thyroid = feeling low/depression.

Might be worth checking just in case.

Hope you feel better soon (and hope we get a beautiful summer).

[Gemini]

Hi tennisman,

 

when I went for my EGD, I was diagnosed with GERD and a hiatal hernia.  Still waiting on my biopsy results, but I had a positive DGP igG score.  I had kind of suspected I had some kind of acid reflux but had never been diagnosed with it.  thankfully, I am happy to report that in only about three weeks gluten free, it has improved substantially.  In another post someone suggested reading the book Why Stomach Acid is Good for You by Jonathan Wright.  I finished it last week, and it is an awesome book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

 

there was a table on why the author thinks depression occurs closer to the back of the book as follows:

 

Low stomach acid --> reduced absorption of essential amino acids--> neurotransmitter (serotonin, norepinephrine) deficiency--> depression

 

if you read it, the correct pH of your stomach acid is invaluable to how you assimilate nutrients.  if you are unable to absorb nutrients correctly, then it sets off a chain reaction.

 

Before my EGD, my GI doctor offered a prescription of Prilosec since I had thought I had some sort of acid reflux.  He said sometimes that can help get rid of symptoms.  I am of the mind set, I don't want to mask symptoms, I want to get to the root of the problem and get rid of it.  Gluten-free has gotten me off to a good start minus any harsh medications that limit my stomach acid, and after reading the book, the only way I will ever agree to take those meds would be a Heidelberg capsule test to really test how much stomach acid I am producing.  Most people with GERD under produce stomach acid rather than overproduce it, so why would I want to make even less??  Yes, I am assuming I under produce it 

 

maybe a simple HCL with pepsin tablet is your answer?  I bought Bluebonnet brand off of Amazon.

 

Your advice and knowledge of depression is top notch.  You have done your homework.  Doctors think everyone is depressed without ever doing any testing on some of the things you mention.  They put people on ppi's without testing to see if they really do have too much stomach acid, even though a large percentage of adults have low stomach acid by the time they hit 60 years old. 80% of the immune system starts in the gut so if your gut is compromised, then you will have problems with mood.  So taking a digestive enzyme or some Betain HCL may be all that is needed, along with a strict gluten-free diet if you have a gluten problem.

 

I would also recommend exercise because it really does wonders for brain chemicals.  Seratonin gets a boost with every work-out.  I can walk into the gym in a lousy mood and 1 hour later, leave feeling like a new person.

[powerofpositivethinking]

yeah I'm not big on putting extra things in my body if they aren't needed.  I had one bad expierence, so I don't like to take anything unless it is absolutely necessary    when I had vit/nutrient testing done this February, I was deficient in Vitamins D and K, and low in potassium.  For Vitamin D, my doctor told me to take 2000 iu a day, and I will be getting retested in May. 

 

HCL plus pepsin is not a pharmaceutical prodcut, but instead is the hydrochloric acid found in your stomach and pepsin is an enzyme, both of these things are essential to breaking down food, but most importantly protein.  If your body is having trouble digesting protein, it goes back to that other post I made about:

Low stomach acid --> reduced absorption of essential amino acids--> neurotransmitter (serotonin, norepinephrine) deficiency--> depression

 

if you can't adequately digest protein due to low stomach acid, then the way I see it is, the protein isn't being completely broken down into the needed amino acids, then neurotransmitters are thrown off and then depression sets in... 

 

i bought these tablets Open Original Shared Link

because the second review stated "This is a wonderful, 1 tablet dose for those with low stomach acid. Has dramactically increased my nutrition absorption, as based on blood work. Highly recommemded!"

 

it would be worth a try, if nothing else seems to be working and you want to avoid the pharmaceutical route

Hi powerofpositivethinking , glad gluten free diet has helped your acid reflux  , I will look into the book thanks .

 

That's interesting about the table , I have read similar things before . 

 

I agree it's best o get to the root of the problem and treat that . I don't usually take tablets as the side effects scare me ! It seems tablets are not good always they should make some that should overproduce it .

 

What are HCL pespin tablets ?

[tennisman]

tennisman, if you think your depression could be related to vit. D have you tried light therapy yet?

 

 

Thanks for the advice Peeptoad , I haven't tried light therapy before thanks for the suggestion

[tennisman]

I was low on Vitamin D also. Doc had me taking 1000 units of D a day.  After a year I was still low so he switched me to 2000 units a day.

 

There was a news story about vitamin D pills not being marked correctly recently.  They said some of the vit D pills were very low on the actual D content vs the marking on the label.

 

Hopefully I can get a tablet with a higher does from the doctor , my GP did mention the other day about some different supplements that I might absorb better . That story is interesting , the tablets I had are from the hospital and my doctor said there the top brand . I wondered also about just vitamin D tablets as mine are calcium and vitamin D , I wonder if it makes any difference .

[tennisman]

Hi tennisman

 

I take Lamberts Vit D 1000iu per day available through Amazon (or quality health food store). I think it is a good one and I definitely feel better with taking it. 

Like you, I am in the UK and struggling to remember what sunshine looks like!

 

Additional thought - have you had your thyroid function checked. I would say that low thyroid = feeling low/depression.

Might be worth checking just in case.

Hope you feel better soon (and hope we get a beautiful summer).

 

Hi Lady Eowyn . I will have a look for them tablets . That's good you feel better taking it

 

Don't think I have had my thyroid checked , I will ask my doctor to check . 

 

Thanks , and hopefully we will get plenty of sunshine over the next few months !

[tennisman]

yeah I'm not big on putting extra things in my body if they aren't needed.  I had one bad expierence, so I don't like to take anything unless it is absolutely necessary    when I had vit/nutrient testing done this February, I was deficient in Vitamins D and K, and low in potassium.  For Vitamin D, my doctor told me to take 2000 iu a day, and I will be getting retested in May. 

 

HCL plus pepsin is not a pharmaceutical prodcut, but instead is the hydrochloric acid found in your stomach and pepsin is an enzyme, both of these things are essential to breaking down food, but most importantly protein.  If your body is having trouble digesting protein, it goes back to that other post I made about:

Low stomach acid --> reduced absorption of essential amino acids--> neurotransmitter (serotonin, norepinephrine) deficiency--> depression

 

if you can't adequately digest protein due to low stomach acid, then the way I see it is, the protein isn't being completely broken down into the needed amino acids, then neurotransmitters are thrown off and then depression sets in... 

 

i bought these tablets Open Original Shared Link

because the second review stated "This is a wonderful, 1 tablet dose for those with low stomach acid. Has dramactically increased my nutrition absorption, as based on blood work. Highly recommemded!"

 

it would be worth a try, if nothing else seems to be working and you want to avoid the pharmaceutical route

 

Sorry you had a bad experience  I do have some tablets I am suppose to take but i'm frightened of the side effects , but i'm also worried about what could happen if the problem gets worse as it's kinda difficult knowing what's best to do . How did you get vitamin K tested ? As I have some symptoms of vitamin K deficiency but my doctor's don't know how to test it . Hope your vitamin D levels will be improved when you retest.

 

I will look at getting some HCL plus pepsin , my Mum got something for me recently I haven't tried it yet , it might be similar , it is something to help with digestion I think . Thanks for the link , I will try and get some .

 

Thanks again for the advice

[powerofpositivethinking]

this thread is what I've been updating in regards to my expierences with doctor's visits, symptoms and testing https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/99439-need-help-with-tests-results-please/

 

I had to take the anti-depressent generic of Wellbutrin back in 2011/early 2012 for a little because I felt depressed, and I just couldn't seem to shake it.  I only took it for about 4 1/2 months.  I wrote this long note detailing everything, and gave it to my GP who I've seen since I was two, and he said, "It sounds like you're a bit depressed."  He specifically precribed Wellbutrin because it was not associated with weight gain, and I had lost a good amount of weight through healthy diet and exercise, and I knew gaining it back wouldn't help my depression.

 

I remember telling my doctor I didn't want to stay on it forever if I could help it, but I would take it through the winter.  I took it through February, and I was feeling sooooo much better, so I called the doctors, asked about the proper procedure for discontinuing the use of the Wellbutrin and stopped it.  Yes, the side effects of any drug are scary, but I had to weigh the pros and cons, and I had tried everything else I could think of, though I didn't realize gluten was a problem for me at that time   When I started it, I had brain zaps for a week and had trouble sleeping because it felt like I was wired, but after that first week, those side effects went away.

 

In the end, you have to choose what's right for you, but maybe sharing my expierence will help you make a decision    At that time, I had exhausted my other options to try and feel normal, but nothing was working.  Thankfully, the Wellbutrin helped level me out!

 

As far as the vitamin K, I gave my ob/gyn a list of blood tests that I'd like run, based on what another poster said.  Luckily my doctor had no problem orderering the work-up, but because Vitamin K deficiency is rare, it is not rountinely tested for in a Complete Blood Count or Complete Metabolic Profile, and it has to be asked for seperately.  Not sure if this link came up in your vitamin K searches, but here's a good one  Open Original Shared Link

 

Unfortunately, since I haven't had my levels retested yet, I don't know how these are working, but for what it's worth, these are the D and K supplements I've been taking

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

For the vitamin K1 supplement, I e-mailed the maker, and they said the product was gluten free.  My GI doctor advised me to take 5mg a day of Vitamin K.  Since I didn't want to be taking five million tablets a day, I ordered these and then only have to take 5 a day since they are 1000mcg each.  each capsule provides 1250% of your daily Vitamin K, so I had a pretty low result in that test

 

i always start out with the intent to write a short post...

 

Hope this helps!

 

Sorry you had a bad experience  I do have some tablets I am suppose to take but i'm frightened of the side effects , but i'm also worried about what could happen if the problem gets worse as it's kinda difficult knowing what's best to do . How did you get vitamin K tested ? As I have some symptoms of vitamin K deficiency but my doctor's don't know how to test it . Hope your vitamin D levels will be improved when you retest.

 

I will look at getting some HCL plus pepsin , my Mum got something for me recently I haven't tried it yet , it might be similar , it is something to help with digestion I think . Thanks for the link , I will try and get some .

 

Thanks again for the advice

[cavernio]

you should be manufacturing a lot of vitamin K in your stomach, or at least changing it from K1 to K2 (or vice versa, I forget.) In any case, the important thing is that your gut should be doing that for you provided you're eating enough of the right foods. If it's not, then you could be lacking the proper bacteria necessary to do so. I know small intestine bacterial overgrowth is a thing. It's also possible you have some sort of intestinal parasite. I hear they're actually common, that most people have a few, however, they aren't supposed to cause issues unless there's too many or something. Being a celiac it's possible that things that wouldn't bother most people intestinally, will bother you a lot more.

Another possibility is that you are more sensitive to gluten than you realize. Most manufactured gluten-free grain products have trace amounts of gluten that, from a recent study posted here, indicates that refractory celiacs (celiacs who don't get better being 'regular' gluten free), can actually get better by avoiding everything except meat, veggies and fruits. When was the last time you had a biopsy? If you are a refractory celiac, you will still have intestinal damage. This would  explain low vit K and vit D and any other nutritional deficiency you may still have.

 

As for the vit D, go outside in the rain and cloudy weather in shorts and t-shirt in the summer anyways. I would also double your vit D intake, especially during winter. It's obviously an issue for you if you haven't been able to put your levels up.

 

I have suffered from depression for over a decade, and I wish I had good advice for you with dealing it. My best advice is to find a medical reason for it, which you're doing :-p. It might really be as simple as you say, a vit D problem. That said, current depression medication isn't just a mask, it essentially does increase levels of neurotransmitters, however in light of the low effectiveness of anti-depressants, depression clearly isn't just low serotonin and dopamine. Some people swear by it, others notice little change or don't like the change that does happen, can often lead to apathy, which, as far as I'm concerned, is just another form of depression.

 

General depression guidelines involve excersising regularly,  and making sure you are social.

Fun fact: wellbutrin started as a smoking cessation aid, I believe it's still used as that too. Another fun fact? Smokers are less likely to be depressed than non-smokers. Maybe nicotine is good for you on some level, or maybe we should all take 'smoke breaks' and socialize a little more.

 

I've actually not been so depressed lately, and I was actually happy when I found out I was a celiac, for a little while at least, because now I could do something about my physical and emotional health.

Personally though, befor the celiac disease, my husband (then bf) helped me a lot by changing my mentality and ideology. I always felt guilty because I wasn't accomplishing, or because I tried and inevitably failed because I'd simply stay in bed or at home due to lack of motivation. (I've always been pretty up and down, not bipolar, but not constantly depressed...was probably the gluten.) I was raised with expectations that I'll have a career that will make a difference in the world, and the idea that if I weren't changing the world somehow, or excelling in some niche, I was being selfish and wasteful and lazy. Well, my bf was never raised with those expectations. He lives for what he likes, and he is guilt free when all his free time he plays video games. He works to make money so he can be happy, and he quite frankly didn't understand my ingrained ideas of achievement. I know some people, (my parents included) think I'm morally a bad person now due to the laziness, but the reality check now is that I'm not a guilt-ridden, always failing, depressed person anymore, just a generally unenthusiastic person who knows her own threshold of responsibility well.

As I get better, pushing my limits in regards to my activity levels is something I'm going to probably do. But I know when I'll get there because I'll get that desire to do something. I'm prepared for never getting that back though, but knowing I have a medical problem that all this likely stems from, gives me something that being depressed has taken away: hope. So double or triple your vit D, don't miss doses, go outside, try light therapy, try an antidepressant, try taking hydrochloric acid with that digestive enzyme, get a biopsy done, look into a more restricitive diet, get tested for SIBO, get tested for general parasites, try a no-sugar diet...there are a lot of things you can still try!

[powerofpositivethinking]

thanks, Gemini

Your advice and knowledge of depression is top notch.  You have done your homework.  Doctors think everyone is depressed without ever doing any testing on some of the things you mention.  They put people on ppi's without testing to see if they really do have too much stomach acid, even though a large percentage of adults have low stomach acid by the time they hit 60 years old. 80% of the immune system starts in the gut so if your gut is compromised, then you will have problems with mood.  So taking a digestive enzyme or some Betain HCL may be all that is needed, along with a strict gluten-free diet if you have a gluten problem.

 

I would also recommend exercise because it really does wonders for brain chemicals.  Seratonin gets a boost with every work-out.  I can walk into the gym in a lousy mood and 1 hour later, leave feeling like a new person.

 

cavernio, I think some of your reply was meant for me, so I'll respond    I am currently awaiting my first biopsy results, and if nothing turns up with them, I will be pressing my GI for some sort of answer in regards to Vitamin K.  Even when I have my poor eating days, I eat lots of salad because it makes me feel good.  I should be getting plenty of Vitamin K from that plus there was already some in my multi, and the fact that my body is supposed to be making it, there is something going on in there.  I have been taking a probiotic in the hopes that that will help as well!

you should be manufacturing a lot of vitamin K in your stomach, or at least changing it from K1 to K2 (or vice versa, I forget.) In any case, the important thing is that your gut should be doing that for you provided you're eating enough of the right foods. If it's not, then you could be lacking the proper bacteria necessary to do so. I know small intestine bacterial overgrowth is a thing. It's also possible you have some sort of intestinal parasite. I hear they're actually common, that most people have a few, however, they aren't supposed to cause issues unless there's too many or something. Being a celiac it's possible that things that wouldn't bother most people intestinally, will bother you a lot more.

Another possibility is that you are more sensitive to gluten than you realize. Most manufactured gluten-free grain products have trace amounts of gluten that, from a recent study posted here, indicates that refractory celiacs (celiacs who don't get better being 'regular' gluten free), can actually get better by avoiding everything except meat, veggies and fruits. When was the last time you had a biopsy? If you are a refractory celiac, you will still have intestinal damage. This would  explain low vit K and vit D and any other nutritional deficiency you may still have.

 

As for the vit D, go outside in the rain and cloudy weather in shorts and t-shirt in the summer anyways. I would also double your vit D intake, especially during winter. It's obviously an issue for you if you haven't been able to put your levels up.

 

I have suffered from depression for over a decade, and I wish I had good advice for you with dealing it. My best advice is to find a medical reason for it, which you're doing :-p. It might really be as simple as you say, a vit D problem. That said, current depression medication isn't just a mask, it essentially does increase levels of neurotransmitters, however in light of the low effectiveness of anti-depressants, depression clearly isn't just low serotonin and dopamine. Some people swear by it, others notice little change or don't like the change that does happen, can often lead to apathy, which, as far as I'm concerned, is just another form of depression.

 

General depression guidelines involve excersising regularly,  and making sure you are social.

Fun fact: wellbutrin started as a smoking cessation aid, I believe it's still used as that too. Another fun fact? Smokers are less likely to be depressed than non-smokers. Maybe nicotine is good for you on some level, or maybe we should all take 'smoke breaks' and socialize a little more.

 

I've actually not been so depressed lately, and I was actually happy when I found out I was a celiac, for a little while at least, because now I could do something about my physical and emotional health.

Personally though, befor the celiac disease, my husband (then bf) helped me a lot by changing my mentality and ideology. I always felt guilty because I wasn't accomplishing, or because I tried and inevitably failed because I'd simply stay in bed or at home due to lack of motivation. (I've always been pretty up and down, not bipolar, but not constantly depressed...was probably the gluten.) I was raised with expectations that I'll have a career that will make a difference in the world, and the idea that if I weren't changing the world somehow, or excelling in some niche, I was being selfish and wasteful and lazy. Well, my bf was never raised with those expectations. He lives for what he likes, and he is guilt free when all his free time he plays video games. He works to make money so he can be happy, and he quite frankly didn't understand my ingrained ideas of achievement. I know some people, (my parents included) think I'm morally a bad person now due to the laziness, but the reality check now is that I'm not a guilt-ridden, always failing, depressed person anymore, just a generally unenthusiastic person who knows her own threshold of responsibility well.

As I get better, pushing my limits in regards to my activity levels is something I'm going to probably do. But I know when I'll get there because I'll get that desire to do something. I'm prepared for never getting that back though, but knowing I have a medical problem that all this likely stems from, gives me something that being depressed has taken away: hope. So double or triple your vit D, don't miss doses, go outside, try light therapy, try an antidepressant, try taking hydrochloric acid with that digestive enzyme, get a biopsy done, look into a more restricitive diet, get tested for SIBO, get tested for general parasites, try a no-sugar diet...there are a lot of things you can still try!

[tennisman]

this thread is what I've been updating in regards to my expierences with doctor's visits, symptoms and testing https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/99439-need-help-with-tests-results-please/

 

I had to take the anti-depressent generic of Wellbutrin back in 2011/early 2012 for a little because I felt depressed, and I just couldn't seem to shake it.  I only took it for about 4 1/2 months.  I wrote this long note detailing everything, and gave it to my GP who I've seen since I was two, and he said, "It sounds like you're a bit depressed."  He specifically precribed Wellbutrin because it was not associated with weight gain, and I had lost a good amount of weight through healthy diet and exercise, and I knew gaining it back wouldn't help my depression.

 

I remember telling my doctor I didn't want to stay on it forever if I could help it, but I would take it through the winter.  I took it through February, and I was feeling sooooo much better, so I called the doctors, asked about the proper procedure for discontinuing the use of the Wellbutrin and stopped it.  Yes, the side effects of any drug are scary, but I had to weigh the pros and cons, and I had tried everything else I could think of, though I didn't realize gluten was a problem for me at that time   When I started it, I had brain zaps for a week and had trouble sleeping because it felt like I was wired, but after that first week, those side effects went away.

 

In the end, you have to choose what's right for you, but maybe sharing my expierence will help you make a decision    At that time, I had exhausted my other options to try and feel normal, but nothing was working.  Thankfully, the Wellbutrin helped level me out!

 

As far as the vitamin K, I gave my ob/gyn a list of blood tests that I'd like run, based on what another poster said.  Luckily my doctor had no problem orderering the work-up, but because Vitamin K deficiency is rare, it is not rountinely tested for in a Complete Blood Count or Complete Metabolic Profile, and it has to be asked for seperately.  Not sure if this link came up in your vitamin K searches, but here's a good one  Open Original Shared Link

 

Unfortunately, since I haven't had my levels retested yet, I don't know how these are working, but for what it's worth, these are the D and K supplements I've been taking

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

For the vitamin K1 supplement, I e-mailed the maker, and they said the product was gluten free.  My GI doctor advised me to take 5mg a day of Vitamin K.  Since I didn't want to be taking five million tablets a day, I ordered these and then only have to take 5 a day since they are 1000mcg each.  each capsule provides 1250% of your daily Vitamin K, so I had a pretty low result in that test

 

i always start out with the intent to write a short post...

 

Hope this helps!

 

I will take a look at your thread after writing this post

 

It's good the Wellbutrin made you feel better

 

I never use to be worried about the side effects , but my sister had some tablets and maybe it made her illness start up , it's difficult to prove but it makes me worry more about side effects now . My doctor once said if someone takes a tablet for stomach pains and complains of stomach pains after taking the tablet stomach pain will be listed as a side effect even though the stomach pains started before they had taken the tablets ! Just so the medicine company can cover themselves . I was prescribed some tablets for depression and anxiety last year but didn't pick them up because I read the side effects online and was put off , and I had just started to go to counselling again so was hoping that would help . Some other tablets my doctor gave me 2 different tablets one to help pain and help with sleeping problems and the other to help with pain and anxiety and depression but I didn't take either , but I have different types of treatment to try for the pain which are not tablets Than I have some other tablets for a urology problem , my doctor who prescribed them said there was a slight chance they work but I should try them , the person at the chemist said it's very rare for someone my age to be given these tablets and they will cause a bunch of problems so I would rather not risk it . I have tried many times to start taking them but just get a bad vibe whenever I go near them . But for depression I still have lots of things to try and even more now with the suggestions you and cavernio have made  For anxiety I don't really as many things to try . But also I had some problems with my back and stomach Celiac related for the last 8 years ( back 8 years and stomach 5 ) maybe these problems are the real cause of both the anxiety and depression ?

 

Thanks for the link on Vitamin K , I will have to ask my doctor next time . I don't know if I have a problem with Vitamin K but when looking there were a few problems that it can cause , which I have been having and the doctor's don't know the cause of the problem .

 

Hopefully your Vitamin levels will have improved when you get retested That would have been a lot of Vitamin K tablets to take !

 

I usually try to write longer posts , this time I think my post is a bit longer

 

Thanks Again

[tennisman]

you should be manufacturing a lot of vitamin K in your stomach, or at least changing it from K1 to K2 (or vice versa, I forget.) In any case, the important thing is that your gut should be doing that for you provided you're eating enough of the right foods. If it's not, then you could be lacking the proper bacteria necessary to do so. I know small intestine bacterial overgrowth is a thing. It's also possible you have some sort of intestinal parasite. I hear they're actually common, that most people have a few, however, they aren't supposed to cause issues unless there's too many or something. Being a celiac it's possible that things that wouldn't bother most people intestinally, will bother you a lot more.

Another possibility is that you are more sensitive to gluten than you realize. Most manufactured gluten-free grain products have trace amounts of gluten that, from a recent study posted here, indicates that refractory celiacs (celiacs who don't get better being 'regular' gluten free), can actually get better by avoiding everything except meat, veggies and fruits. When was the last time you had a biopsy? If you are a refractory celiac, you will still have intestinal damage. This would  explain low vit K and vit D and any other nutritional deficiency you may still have.

 

As for the vit D, go outside in the rain and cloudy weather in shorts and t-shirt in the summer anyways. I would also double your vit D intake, especially during winter. It's obviously an issue for you if you haven't been able to put your levels up.

 

I have suffered from depression for over a decade, and I wish I had good advice for you with dealing it. My best advice is to find a medical reason for it, which you're doing :-p. It might really be as simple as you say, a vit D problem. That said, current depression medication isn't just a mask, it essentially does increase levels of neurotransmitters, however in light of the low effectiveness of anti-depressants, depression clearly isn't just low serotonin and dopamine. Some people swear by it, others notice little change or don't like the change that does happen, can often lead to apathy, which, as far as I'm concerned, is just another form of depression.

 

General depression guidelines involve excersising regularly,  and making sure you are social.

Fun fact: wellbutrin started as a smoking cessation aid, I believe it's still used as that too. Another fun fact? Smokers are less likely to be depressed than non-smokers. Maybe nicotine is good for you on some level, or maybe we should all take 'smoke breaks' and socialize a little more.

 

I've actually not been so depressed lately, and I was actually happy when I found out I was a celiac, for a little while at least, because now I could do something about my physical and emotional health.

Personally though, befor the celiac disease, my husband (then bf) helped me a lot by changing my mentality and ideology. I always felt guilty because I wasn't accomplishing, or because I tried and inevitably failed because I'd simply stay in bed or at home due to lack of motivation. (I've always been pretty up and down, not bipolar, but not constantly depressed...was probably the gluten.) I was raised with expectations that I'll have a career that will make a difference in the world, and the idea that if I weren't changing the world somehow, or excelling in some niche, I was being selfish and wasteful and lazy. Well, my bf was never raised with those expectations. He lives for what he likes, and he is guilt free when all his free time he plays video games. He works to make money so he can be happy, and he quite frankly didn't understand my ingrained ideas of achievement. I know some people, (my parents included) think I'm morally a bad person now due to the laziness, but the reality check now is that I'm not a guilt-ridden, always failing, depressed person anymore, just a generally unenthusiastic person who knows her own threshold of responsibility well.

As I get better, pushing my limits in regards to my activity levels is something I'm going to probably do. But I know when I'll get there because I'll get that desire to do something. I'm prepared for never getting that back though, but knowing I have a medical problem that all this likely stems from, gives me something that being depressed has taken away: hope. So double or triple your vit D, don't miss doses, go outside, try light therapy, try an antidepressant, try taking hydrochloric acid with that digestive enzyme, get a biopsy done, look into a more restricitive diet, get tested for SIBO, get tested for general parasites, try a no-sugar diet...there are a lot of things you can still try!

 

That's interesting about the intestinal parasite I have sometimes wondered if had something like that , but I haven't really looked into it much , I went to the Caribbean 5 years ago and some problems started after that , it's probably not connected but I have lately thought about if I did pick something up . My doctor ruled out refractory celiac disease in 2011 , I last had a endoscopy and biopsy at the end of 2010 , my villi was okay all the test showed was mild gastritis . Also my serology levels or test have always been normally , my gastro doctor did check again recently and said the tests were fine as usual indicating good control of the disease  It's odd why I don't absorb Vitamin D very well , I need to go to a sunny country for a few months !

 

Can you still get Vitamin D when the sun is not out on cloudy and rainy days ?

 

Sorry to hear you have suffered from depression for a over a decade   I agree it's best to find the reason , I want the problems to improve but not just by themselves just in case the problem starts up again in the future than I would know what to do to fix it . I think it could be too do with Vitamin D but I'm not 100 % sure there are also many other reasons that I think could be the cause of my depression. It's very difficult to understand all the neurotransmitters and serotonin and dopamine . I have read a little bit but don't really understand.

 

I would like to do exercise again , but with stomach and back problems I can't really do much , and walking is difficult for me because of my anxiety problems I really don't like going out . I was thinking of getting an exercise bike as I think that might be okay for me I'm not sure really . I don't smoke but that's interesting I also heard smoking lowers your chance of getting celiac disease too late now though ! I'm not very social mainly because of my stomach hurting , but this year I have tried to go out more , but I don't really like to socialise that much

 

Glad you haven't been as depressed lately , that's a good way to look at it That must be difficult to have expectations like that , it's difficult for anyone to make a difference to the world . I play video games   I think it's ridiculous people could think that about you , a bad person would not come on Celiac message boards and give helpful advice ! But it's good you changed your mentality good luck in the future ! Thanks for the advice I will get the doctor's to do some of the tests , and try some of the other things . I have tried some things with the diet and did exclusion diets etc but nothing really helped , if anything I need to make my diet less restrictive 

[powerofpositivethinking]

one of the first books I read was the gluten-free Diet by Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who is a tv personality in the US.  take a look at this link where she talks about getting sick after visiting Belize.  it's possible you picked something up in the Caribbean...

 

Open Original Shared Link

That's interesting about the intestinal parasite I have sometimes wondered if had something like that , but I haven't really looked into it much , I went to the Caribbean 5 years ago and some problems started after that , it's probably not connected but I have lately thought about if I did pick something up . My doctor ruled out refractory celiac disease in 2011 , I last had a endoscopy and biopsy at the end of 2010 , my villi was okay all the test showed was mild gastritis . Also my serology levels or test have always been normally , my gastro doctor did check again recently and said the tests were fine as usual indicating good control of the disease  It's odd why I don't absorb Vitamin D very well , I need to go to a sunny country for a few months !

[Gemini]

General depression guidelines involve excersising regularly,  and making sure you are social.

Fun fact: wellbutrin started as a smoking cessation aid, I believe it's still used as that too. Another fun fact? Smokers are less likely to be depressed than non-smokers. Maybe nicotine is good for you on some level, or maybe we should all take 'smoke breaks' and socialize a little more.

It's funny you should say this.  I think some of the reason people are more down today is because everyone is tapped into their phones, Ipods and whatever and do not interact with people as much.  It has been proven a million times over that the more you have a social life, which means physically interacting with others on a social level, the happier you are as you age.  The elderly who are isolated are in much rougher shape than those who remain engaged in life. 

 

Smoking is an extremely social activity.  You go have a smoke and converse and laugh with your friends.  You meet new friends today when traveling when you step outside to have a smoke.  And now with all the anti-smoking stuff going on, there is more bonding with smokers.  Not to mention how relaxing it is to tank down some nicotene. I can totally see why smokers would be less depressed than non's. Ahhhhhh...for the good old days when everyone had a cigarette and a drink in their hands on the week-ends.        How politically incorrect of me....

[cavernio]

"a bad person would not come on Celiac message boards and give helpful advice"

:-p that's funny but good tennisman! More often than not I'm incredibly argumentative. It's not fighting until there's a fist involved, right?

 

I'm pretty sure that being in the tropics on a cloudy day would still have enough sunlight. Being as far north as england, I can't be sure. Where I live, an couple hours away from the atlantic ocean in Canada, they say we should always be supplementing vit D, even in summer, just because of the angle of the sun.

I dunno, that sun angle thing doesn't make much sense to me. I can get burned in 10min in summer, and it's plenty bright outside, that's for sure, and winter, well, if you go out with exposed skin you're asking to lose it! I really don't know the specifics about how vit D is made in our skin.

 

I remembered last night about us needing a good balance of D to vit A I think it was, that one can't work without the other. I'd read up on the balance of vit D to other fat soluble vitamins as well.

[powerofpositivethinking]

i read an article called Food Matters in this month's Gluten-Free Living Magazine: Inside Autism supplement that states, "Approximately 90 percent of the brain chemical serotonin is found in the gut."  

 

If your digestion is impeded because of gluten and other intolerances, and that messes with your serotonin levels, yet another reason for why depression and anxiety are linked to gluten...