Gluten Sensitivity and Depression

I thought I was gluten-free and that it was the answer, but I had some serious depression and anxiety lately. Could dairy also contribute? Anytime I fast I feel great. I just don't know what specific allergies I do have. I don't have any money right now, so please don't tell me to go see a functional wellness practitioner. I will when I am back on my feet . The problem is that the mood swings ruin your life and when you are picking up the pieces, you can't afford the help that you need. I went through one of the top 3 hospital programs in the country and guess what...I spent most of my days eating graham crackers, cookies and coke of which they had an ample supply. They HAVE NO CLUE! They medicated me and sent me home. It was the Ultra Simple diet that saved my life. I am off track again. I was almost ready to take the pills they wanted me to take...all at once, when I decided to try going back to that plan...remove all junk food, sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, eggs and see if I can get on track. I can't count how many times I have picked myself back up. I am so sick of it.

So if I go clean...how long does it take? Can anyone give me 2 decades of my life back? Please? Maybe the hospital should. They are supposed to help. For me, their program would be free. Ironic, huh? I have a job now and if I stay clean (Sound like an alcoholic here...bread is like that for me) then I hope to have the money to get a functional doctor or naturopath to help me. Last time, I did the diet for 2 months and started feeling strange. I needed help and couldn't afford it. Ok. Enough rambling. Thanks so much for this article and all these helpful posts!!!!

As a Family Nurse Practitioner for 13 years with quite a bit of psychiatric experience, I agree that depression may in some cases be related to celiac disease. But it is important to remember that there are usually a significant combination of causes that lead to mood disorders, such a nutritional deficiencies, as well as life events and stressors, and genetics. Not all depressed/anxious patients have celiac disease as you suggest in you article. I would not be too quick to write off the role of genetic pre-disposition as a contributing factor to mood disorders- you also suggest this is "false data". Where is the data?

Your statement..."Where is the data?" It's all over this page. Even without research, individuals are proving good results. It's sad to learn that hard work and invested time in your particular studies will most definitely be affected by this newfound knowledge.

This article is a bit frightening, as one may assume their depression will disappear if they eliminate gluten from their diet. I am and have been on a gluten-free diet since 2005. It changed my life. Our food choices most definitely make a difference in how we feel. My asthma disappeared, my body aches, and my allergies. In 2010, still eating gluten free, I found myself in the hospital for planning my suicide. I still eat gluten-free, and I "pop" a pill that helps alleviate depression. What comes first, mental illness or celiac disease? The chicken or the egg?

I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance through genetic testing and a stool test for gliadin. I have improved by following a gluten-free diet. I have a 45 year history of major depression/anxiety. Following a gluten free diet did not completely free me of depression/anxiety, but I also have candidiasis which has affected my entire gastrointestinal tract and crossed the blood brain barrier. This condition was caused by the many antibiotics I received since childhood, steroids for inflammation and eating too much sugar. Candidiasis causes malabsorption issues/dysbiosis and the proper neurotransmitters don't reach the synapses of the brain, hence, depression/anxiety/fatigue/insomnia, etc. I have to take large doses of amino acids. So if going gluten free does not alleviate your "neurotransmitter deficiency disorder", please consider an overgrowth of yeast/fungi. Most physicians don't recognize this condition, but as a Reg. Nurse and Naturopath, I know it's real.

Even if the cause is gluten, it is still a "chemical imbalance." Additionally, if you are so "imbalanced" that one single thing, gluten, can throw you off that much then you still have a problem. Most disorders, including depression, can be largely managed with lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) for those who are willing to make the change. Often some medications are still necessary, but at much lower doses and therefore fewer side effects. Claiming gluten free will fix all that ails you is just as bad a claiming medication is the only answer. Few physicians actually claim that, it is the patient who wants the "magic pill" to fix everything rather than changing their diet and going to the gym.