Jump to content

  • 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:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Ocd/gad And Ncgi/celiac?

BlessedMommy

Recommended Posts

BlessedMommy Rising Star
BlessedMommy
Posted

My OCD has been really flaring up lately.

 

I've learned since I joined this board, that I've made some mistakes in being gluten-free and not always been as careful about CC as I should have been. I thought that I didn't get violent symptoms when getting trace amounts of gluten (usually got a flaming itchy red face or the start of a skin rash, my primary symptom before gluten-free was skin problems and I often got no visible symptoms at all from mistakes like washing out a wooden utensil and using it on gluten free food) but could worsening OCD be related to gluten?

 

I went on vacation recently. When I got home, I have been transitioning my kitchen over to being exclusively gluten-free, because it's just too much hassle to do otherwise.

 

Thoughts?

 

I think that some people think that "sensitivity" is limited to throwing up, hives, and other obvious problems, so I'm not sure how much sympathy I would get if I said that I thought that gluten made my OCD and GAD worse.

 

Edited to add that GAD stands for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I think that most people already know what OCD stands for. 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Before my diagnosis, I had anxiety and I was a little crazy. All this resolved when I went strictly gluten free. When my husband gets glutened even my daughter can tell as Dad gets grumpy. I get grumpy too when it happens to me. Gluten can do that to you!

Glad to hear that you are really addressing cross contamination issues.

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

Yes, OCD and GAD symptoms (and most of us know what this one is, unfortunately) are indeed related to gluten and celiac. Go to the bottom of the list.

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

Strict compliance to a G F diet makes those symptoms go away (in most people that report those symptoms pre-diagnosis)

 

I'm with Cycling lady--accidental CC and I am awake half the night with the "fidgets" and within a day or so, my usual calm and cheery demeanor...well, let's just say one of the 7 dwarves may show up.....grumpy, dopey, sleepy...or all 3. 

 

It's why whenever I notice someone is being particularly grouchy, short-tempered, or ridiculously anxious, worrisome, ruminating and "fussing over something" (and I know MANY peeps like this)  I think to myself .... "Yup,  there's another gluten head!"

NoGlutenCooties Contributor
NoGlutenCooties
Posted

Ditto what they said.  The one time I got glutened I was exhausted for about a week.  But I noticed my mood was off for quite a bit longer than that.  Impatient, quick to anger, even quick to get emotional over silly stuff.  My mother has finally figured out that she too has Celiac and I've noticed a change in her demeanor too.  She used to fret and worry and overthink EVERYTHING.  She's getting much more relaxed and go-with-the-flow now (she's about 4 months gluten free now I think).  My uncle was diagnosed with Celiac about 15 years ago and before that he was on depression meds - not sure how long after he went gluten free he was able to stop taking them but he's fine now.

 

I don't know if there is any scientific evidence of this, but I'm convinced that gluten impacts the chemical balance in the brain.  It's more than just malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies - you don't get that deficient immediately after ingesting a tiny bit of gluten after having been gluten free.  There's something more going on there - IMO.

CaliSparrow Collaborator
CaliSparrow
Posted

I lived with OCD since elementary school and had pretty much accepted it as a genetic, permanent reality. After going gluten-free, the symptoms began resolving. Talk about emancipation that was completely unexpected! Also, my GAD, anxiety attacks and mood swings went away. I thought I'd spend my LIFE with these monkeys on my back and it took a lot of energy to keep them undercover. Not anymore!

(I have the same thoughts Irish Heart does about seeing others ruminating and fussing. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way.)

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

(I have the same thoughts Irish Heart does about seeing others ruminating and fussing. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way.)

 

I just call 'em as I see 'em, hon.  ;)

Googles Community Regular
Googles
Posted

My worst symptoms aren't the digestive ones (though those do suck) they are my ones related to depression and anxiety and insomnia that happen when I get glutened. As the others have said, they can make these symptoms worse.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


SkyBlue4 Apprentice
SkyBlue4
Posted

I have anxiety with OCD also and have been gluten-free since November (other than accidental glutenings early on). I had really hoped that going gluten-free would relieve my anxiety symptoms but I haven't noticed any improvement yet. Its a terrible cycle for me of stress= anxiety-> insomnia-> exhaustion-> anxiety -> etc. I want to get off this merry-go-round!  :wacko:

 

For those that have felt relief with going gluten-free, I'm wondering- was it immediately noticeable for you?  I'm not a patient person but I was so hoping that things would improve by now.

CaliSparrow Collaborator
CaliSparrow
Posted

I have anxiety with OCD also and have been gluten-free since November (other than accidental glutenings early on). I had really hoped that going gluten-free would relieve my anxiety symptoms but I haven't noticed any improvement yet. Its a terrible cycle for me of stress= anxiety-> insomnia-> exhaustion-> anxiety -> etc. I want to get off this merry-go-round!  :wacko:

 

For those that have felt relief with going gluten-free, I'm wondering- was it immediately noticeable for you?  I'm not a patient person but I was so hoping that things would improve by now.

I'm not sure how you made the emoticon but that is the look, right there.

It did not happen fast for me and this journey can add anxiety in the beginning. It really was a roller coaster ride the first year. I recently read an article where I was surprised to read, (paraphrasing here), "if you feel better immediately upon eliminating gluten, keep it to yourself. It frustrates the many others who must go through the long process of healing". (I heard that!). I've experienced a lot of change but not a tidal wave of change; it's been more of a slow drip. When I look back, I can see how far I've come.

Be sure to have your vitamin levels checked. Vitamin deficiencies are common and can add to depression and anxiety. When I was at the four month point, I drove myself to the emergency room frightened and full of anxiety. So, I can tell you, I wasn't "there" yet.

I am also impatient and expect to be superwoman. When I become frustrated at the slow progress, I shorten my outlook to the here and now and focus on making good choices NOW (rest, water, food). OR I read the stories of those who have been doing this for a long time and how far they've come. I've had to learn that I'm not in control of everything and my body will heal at IT's pace, not mine. Somedays, the best I can do is go easy on myself. I voice my frustrations here.

I hope you begin to feel better soon. Hang in there!!

BlessedMommy Rising Star
BlessedMommy
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for all the input. I'm committing to really working harder than ever at keeping accidental gluten away.

 

My mood is great right now and I'm not feeling with anxiety and worry. I hope that this is a sign of good things to come!

  • 3 months later...
BlessedMommy Rising Star
BlessedMommy
Posted
  • Author

Updating to say that I wonder if it's normal to feel this normal.  :D

 

Through the help of this board, I've learned how to be strict with my gluten-free diet and my chronic anxiety has improved by about 80%. I used to have literally days where I would go in circles worrying about the same issue over and over again. Now my mood is comparatively quite normal. I still have times where I worry about stuff, but it doesn't consume my life nearly the way that it used to.

 

The biggest change that I've made is that I've virtually eliminated glutening at home, since I've gotten rid of most gluten in my house and purged my kitchen from CC. If my husband wants to cook a gluteny prepackaged item he can do so on his own dedicated pan and with his own dedicated spatula. I've also tightened down my rules on when I will and will not eat food provided by other people. (Usually not, unless the foods are simple 1 ingredient foods or the person has been educated on celiac.)

 

Maybe being strictly gluten-free gives placebo help for my anxiety. If that's the case, give me more of this placebo.  :P

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Good for you! It will only continue to get better!

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to catsrlife's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      Welcome to the forum, @catsrlife! Celiac disease can be diagnosed without committing to a full-blown "gluten challenge" if you get a skin biopsy done during an active outbreak of dermatitis herpetiformis, assuming that is what is causing the rash. There is no other known cause for dermatitis herpetiformis so it is definitive for celiac disease. You would...
    2. trents
      - trents replied to Leeloff's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      75

      How Come Gluten Didnt Bother Me In Italy

      You state in an earlier post that you don't have celiac disease. Here in this post you state you will "be doing another test". What will this test be looking for? What kind of celiac disease testing have you had done? If you have used a Entero Labs it sounds like you have had stool testing done for celiac disease which is not widely accepted as a valid celiac...
    3. Gigi2025
      - Gigi2025 replied to Leeloff's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      75

      How Come Gluten Didnt Bother Me In Italy

      No, I've not been diagnosed as celiac. Despite Entero Labs being relocated to Switzerland/Greece, I'll be doing another test. After eating wheat products in Greece for 4 weeks, there wasn't any reaction. However, avoiding it here in the states. Thanks everyone for your responses.
    4. Rejoicephd
      - Rejoicephd replied to JulieRe's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      7

      Oral thrush question

      Thank you @JulieRe so much for sharing this extra information. I'm so glad to hear you're feeling better and I hope it keeps moving in that direction. I feel I'm having so many lightbulb moments on this forum just interacting with others who have this condition. I also was diagnosed with gastric reflux maybe about 10 years ago. I was prescribed...
    5. catsrlife
      - catsrlife posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      Back at the end of July I got this rash on both of my forearms. It started on my right and continued to the left. It was on the top and side. The rash has bumps that would pop with clear liquid if scratched. They would almost crystalize and scab up. They reminded me of chicken pox. They would scab for weeks and not heal much at all except for the blood clotting...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,897
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Sgp
    Newest Member
    Sgp
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @catsrlife! Celiac disease can be diagnosed without committing to a full-blown "gluten challenge" if you get a skin biopsy done during an active outbreak of dermatitis herpetiformis, assuming that is what is causing the rash. There is no other known cause for dermatitis herpetiformis so it is definitive for celiac disease. You would need to find a dermatologist who is familiar with doing the biopsy correctly, however. The samples need to be taken next to the pustules, not on them . . . a mistake many dermatologists make when biopsying for dermatitis herpetiformis. 
    • trents
      How Come Gluten Didnt Bother Me In Italy

      By trents · Posted

      You state in an earlier post that you don't have celiac disease. Here in this post you state you will "be doing another test". What will this test be looking for? What kind of celiac disease testing have you had done? If you have used a Entero Labs it sounds like you have had stool testing done for celiac disease which is not widely accepted as a valid celiac disease diagnostic testing method. Have you had blood antibody testing for celiac disease done and do you realize that for antibody testing to be valid you must have been eating generous amounts of gluten for a period of weeks/months? 
    • Gigi2025
      How Come Gluten Didnt Bother Me In Italy

      By Gigi2025 · Posted

      No, I've not been diagnosed as celiac.  Despite Entero Labs being relocated to Switzerland/Greece, I'll be doing another test. After eating wheat products in Greece for 4 weeks, there wasn't any reaction.  However, avoiding it here in the states.   Thanks everyone for your responses.  
    • Rejoicephd
      Oral thrush question

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      Thank you @JulieRe so much for sharing this extra information. I'm so glad to hear you're feeling better and I hope it keeps moving in that direction. I feel I'm having so many lightbulb moments on this forum just interacting with others who have this condition. I also was diagnosed with gastric reflux maybe about 10 years ago. I was prescribed ranitidine for it several years back, which was working to reduce my gastric reflux symptoms but then the FDA took ranitidine off the shelves so I stopped taking it. I had a lot of ups and downs healthwise in and around that time (I suddenly gained 20 pounds, blood pressure went up, depression got worse, and I was diagnosed with OSA). At the time I attributed my change in symptoms to me taking on a new stressful job and didn't think much else about it. They did give me a replacement gastric reflux drug since ranitidine was off the shelves, but when I went on the CPAP for my OSA, the CPAP seemed to correct the gastric reflux problem so I haven't been on any gastric reflux drug treatment for years although I still do have to use a CPAP for my OSA. Anyway that's a long story but just to say… I always feel like I've had a sensitive stomach and had migraines my whole life (which I'm now attributing to having celiac and not knowing it) but I feel my health took a turn for much worse around 2019-2020 (and this decline started before I caught covid for the first time). So I am now wondering based on what you said, if that ranitidine i took could have contributed to the yeast overgrowth, and that the problem has just been worsening ever since. I have distinctly felt that I am dealing with something more than just stress and battling a more fundamental disease process here. I've basically been in and out of different doctor specialties for the past 5 years trying to figure out what's wrong with me. Finally being diagnosed with celiac one year ago, I thought I finally had THE answer but now as I'm still sick, I think it's one of a few answers and that maybe yeast overgrowth is another answer. For me as well, my vitamin deficiencies have persisted even after I went gluten-free (and my TTG antibody levels came down to measurably below the detectable limit on my last blood test). So this issue of not absorbing vitamins well is also something our cases have in common. I'm now working with a nutritionist and taking lots of vitamins and supplements to try and remedy that issue. I hope that you continue to see improvements in working with your naturopath on this. Keep us posted!
    • catsrlife
      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      By catsrlife · Posted

      Back at the end of July I got this rash on both of my forearms. It started on my right and continued to the left. It was on the top and side. The rash has bumps that would pop with clear liquid if scratched. They would almost crystalize and scab up. They reminded me of chicken pox. They would scab for weeks and not heal much at all except for the blood clotting. If the scab was scratched off, it would bleed and bleed until it scabbed up again. The skin has lost its pigment where the scabs are. I figured it was probably either the plant I had trimmed around the 15th or some reaction to the magnesium complex I was taking or an allergic reaction to the asthma meds I was on. I stopped the asthma meds and the magnesium. The rash seemed to get better but when I took the asthma meds it flared up again so I went to the urgent care as my doctor was unavailable. The UC doctor said it probably wasn't the meds and asked about my diet. I said I was strict keto. I usually am, but there is a story around this. I feel amazing on keto. When I eat sugar, wheat, and starchy veggies I feel horrible. Blood sugar goes up, IBS type symptoms, brain fog, etc. But I have a horrible addiction to carbs so I blow it sometimes and after Mom died in 2023, I fell off the wagon. No rashes, just weight gain. I finally went back on keto and then around that time had a piece of pizza (or so, it's hard to stop the carb rush.) So I was strict keto, off and on. She ignored that and prescribed some allergy meds. It didn't go away.  What was happening by then was that the rash was now on my upper elbows, both of them, on the back of my arms. It starts with a very itchy bump, spreads around it and sometimes just burns like crazy and other times just itches. Then it started on the sides of my knees on the oustide, a little bit down the sides of the calves. It's not as bad there as it is on my arms even though it comes and goes (and so does wheat in my diet.) I then got three tiny blisters on each hand, 3 on the insdie of my index finger on the right hand and 3 on the inside of middle finger of my left hand. There is still a little scab there even though it was two weeks ago. No more have appeared on the fingers. But right now the back of the arms above my elbows are starting to itch. At some point I started to think mites from the possum that was sneaking into our house but it's been 3 months and they would be dead already. It wouldn't be from humans because I don't go near any humans although I did take an Uber to the doctor and the bus back. Plus, it's symmetrical. It starts on one side and is almost identical on the other.  I did my DNA with Ancestry and MyHeritage. I don't have the HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8. I do have HLA-DQ2.2. I took the blood test but it was negative. Then again, I don't eat wheat every day. I rarely eat it except for lately when I've been preparing for the blood test if I have to take it again. I don't like to. It makes my joints hurt, gives me brain fog, stomach problems, I sleep in the middle of the day, etc. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow. I hope that she will be more serious about this than the UC doctor was.  So I have no idea. With my luck they'll magically disappear before the doctor appointment. That's what happens with everything.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.