Deep Depression With Pmt Three Months After Glutening

[CR5442]

Has anyone else been severely glutened and got over the GI, ataxia etc. to be left with a deep sort of depression, particularly at pre-period?  I am really suffering from about 5 days of being very very down, anxious, depressed and feeling even like I didn't want to go on.  This has only showed for the last three periods since I was badly glutened this summer.  It does feel like this month's was a little less severe than the last.  Could it be from the constant D?  Perhaps malabsorption of vitamins?  Any ideas what I can do to help myself?

 

Thanks!

[NoGlutenCooties]

Hi CarolineC -

 

Sorry to hear you're feeling so down... depression is terrible and something I think not very many people fully understand.  I know for me, taking a B-complex really helped with many premenstrual symptoms, including energy and depression.

[dilettantesteph]

Is it possible that you are still getting some low level glutening somewhere?  That would be my experience.

 

I hope that you feel better soon.  Depression is the worst.

[Gemini]

Caroline.....seratonin is made in the gut and many Celiacs will feel a little down for awhile until their gut heals and they can manufacture all these chemicals that stem from the gut that make us feel normal.  Are you sure you are very gluten free and not being cc'd somewhere?  Continual hits, no matter how small, will make anyone be off balance.  Can you have your seratonin levels checked to see where they are?  It's a simple urine test to check neurotransmitters.

 

We can also have hormonal imbalances due to gluten intolerance, due to disruption of hormone production from having a messed up gut and vitamin deficiencies. It can take quite awhile before you are back on track......which doesn't help in the short term, I know. I would concentrate on eating as healthy as possible and incorporate walking or exercise in your routine because that helps tremendously with mental well being.  Maybe ask for vitamin panels and hormone levels just to see where those are.  Let me tell ya.......unbalanced hormone levels are the worst.  It can totally mess a person up! 

[CR5442]

Thanks guys, yes I'm pretty sure that I'm not getting glutened anywhere as I'm the only adult in the household and do all the food prep.  My diet is elemental solids really.  I did think about the Vitamin B connection so I might up my supplements (i'm only taking one per day where I could take two) till things settle down. It hasn't helped that the D has taken so long to semi-stop.  It still happens probably about half of the month.

[NoGlutenCooties]

Also wanted to mention that Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to depression - have you had your D levels checked?  Keep in mind that you should ask your doctor for the actual number.  Often they will just tell you that it's fine, when it is actually low - just not low enough for it to be flagged on the test.

[CR5442]

I just had a thought, normally with PMT I get angry then I cry.  Now it's just depression.  Wierd how things shift huh?!  Will be taking extra vits tonight.

[NoGlutenCooties]

I had the anger thing too.  I'd wake up in the morning angry at the world and ready to kill.  For absolutely no reason at all.  Other days I'd wake up on cloud 9, for absolutely no reason at all.  I also had one bad crying fit that even scared my cat - again, for absolutely no reason at all.

 

I started taking Relacore (the variation that does not have any hormones added to it) - it is basically a Vitamin B complex along with a few other herbs that are believed to relieve stress and improve mood.  It has really helped me.  They market it as a "belly fat reducer" - which I think is ridiculous.  Yes, I suppose if you have belly fat that is directly caused by your reactions to stress and completely non-diet related, this could help... but... seriously???  Marketing gimics aside, I've been taking this every day for about a year now and haven't woke up wanting to kill someone since.

[IrishHeart]

Also, can  you add some Culturelle dairy-free probiotics to your daily regiment.?

The lactobacillus GG is specifically designed to help with

diarrhea. Just a suggestion.

 

I was very happy when the depressive thoughts and anxiety lifted in me 

once I treated the low D, low B-12, low, folate and my gut started absorbing again. I was not a depressive person at all, but

celiac can make us very ill and when the seratonin in your gut is impacted, depression occurs.

 

Hang in there, hon. It will get better as you heal.

[Tbolt47]

Try drinking Gatorade , chronic " D "  can create an electrolyte imbalance exacerbating depression, and/or lead to bouts of depression itself.

[iloathegluten]

This is so crazy. I just had the same exact thing happen to me. Got glutened three months ago and I have NOT felt the same since. It started with physical symptoms, but then it went into mental with panic attacks and depression. It's been more of a constant all the time thing and not confined to periods this time, but it's really crazy what gluten will do to your hormone levels.

 

I was DX with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) when I was in high school, and I always had the absolute worst PMS. I was treated with birth control, but honestly the only thing that every really knocked it out was not eating gluten. My PCOS all but disappeared after I stopped eating gluten, and I will get bad PMS and period symptoms if I've been glutened. I've read somewhere there is a high occurence of Celiac patients with PCOS. Maybe this is the culprit?

 

Also, following this latest gluten incident, I developed Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth, which is also linked to depression. If you're still getting physical symptoms, this seems like it could be a likely explanation.

 

Maybe either of these two conditions is causing it? I'm not a doctor by any means, but I thought i'd share my experience with it. Good luck to you! I know what it's like to go from feeling fine to competely derailing when your time of the month comes around. It's so overwhelming when it hits!

[CR5442]

Thanks Iloathegluten.  To be honest I am so relieved to find so many other people with similar issues post glutening and post major GI symptoms.  I had the extra vits last night and I have by some miracle dropped some water weight overnight.  I think when I get the hormone/vitamin imbalances I hold water like crazy.  Today I feel a lot more positive, even though I have a cold.  Crossing fingers that this is going to be the last month.  I have to say also that even though it has been really bad around period time I would agree with you about feeling depressed for a large amount of time through the month, just it gets worse around period.  The great thing is though that I don't seem to be having the rage/tempers that I used to get... very wierd but certainly very welcome.  I am intolerant to a bunch of other things including dairy, chocolate, brazil nuts, coconut oil, eggs, soya etc etc.  The list is endless!  So I know when I eat something I shouldn't because I get a temper.  At least I must be doing something right at the moment!