Gluten and panic attacks

[gem1030]

Anyone else go through a similar situation. I have eaten gluten and wheat my whole life I have also suffered from anxiety for almost my whole life. This year my anxiety got pretty bad so I was put on Zoloft. The Zoloft really changed my life I felt better then I ever I felt in years. I felt like myself and free from all my crazy worries and "what if" thoughts. After about a year on the Zoloft I felt great and ready to get my health in order so I could come off the Zoloft and feel great so I did the whole 30 diet. I felt super amazing then I reintroduced wheat and stupid me I didn't just eat a piece of toast I ate pizza, cookies etc etc. about 32 hours later full blown panic attack worse then ever. It's been about 5 days and still don't feel right. Anyone else have anxiety and found relief from going gluten free. And if so then how long before I fell like myself. I just wonder if it's gluten or did the Zoloft just crap out on me.

[gem1030]

Also I just ate a gyro last night with no pita and discovered that the meat is not gluten free. So  the anxiety has not stopped yet

[cyclinglady]

Yes, anxiety and Celiac Disease has been linked (along with 200 or more other symptoms).  So, perhaps consider getting tested for celiac disease.  Unfortunately, celiac disease testing requires you to be consuming gluten daily for 8 to 12 weeks.  Only you can decide if the meds or being gluten free was the culprit.  How long were you gluten free? 

I hope you feel better soon!  

For new members or viewers, if you suspect celiac disease or any gluten issues, please get tested first before going on a gluten free diet.  

[SLLRunner]

37 minutes ago, gem1030 said:

Also I just ate a gyro last night with no pita and discovered that the meat is not gluten free. So  the anxiety has not stopped yet

Meat does not have gluten in it. In prepared meats, it's the sauce or seasoning or breading that may have gluten in it.

[SLLRunner]

3 minutes ago, cyclinglady said:

For new members or viewers, if you suspect celiac disease or any gluten issues, please get tested first before going on a gluten free diet.  

 I cannot stress this enough. I am on week six of a gluten challenge because I thought it would be a good idea to try gluten free just to see how I feel. Well, I felt great, but now I don't feel very well at all.  Two more weeks and I go in for blood tests.

[gem1030]

34 minutes ago, SLLRunner said:

 I cannot stress this enough. I am on week six of a gluten challenge because I thought it would be a good idea to try gluten free just to see how I feel. Well, I felt great, but now I don't feel very well at all.  Two more weeks and I go in for blood tests.

have eaten gluten on accident? Why do you no longer feel well?

[Jays911]

Once I went gluten free, my anxiety level dropped almost 100%.  Brain fog also disappeared.  As to yros, you have to check.  Some of that meat has gluten in it--some does not.  I think they use it as a binding agent in some of the meat.  If in doubt, go the chicken route.  Healthier, anyway. 

[gem1030]

3 hours ago, Jays911 said:

Once I went gluten free, my anxiety level dropped almost 100%.  Brain fog also disappeared.  As to yros, you have to check.  Some of that meat has gluten in it--some does not.  I think they use it as a binding agent in some of the meat.  If in doubt, go the chicken route.  Healthier, anyway. 

How long did it take your body to feel better?

 

[Jays911]

About 3 days.  But everyone is different.

[SLLRunner]

12 hours ago, gem1030 said:

have eaten gluten on accident? Why do you no longer feel well?

No, I am eating gluten on purpose after being gluten free for about a months.  I am doing this because I need to to be tested for celiac. I either have non celiac gluten sensitivity or celiac. 

[gem1030]

It's almost too good to be true and I hope I'm not jumping the gun because it's only been about a week. But I'm feeling better. I hope I'm not jinxing myself and as soon as I hit send a panic attack will start. Could it be that years of severe anxiety could have been from wheat. I still feel a little fragile but I am hopeful for the future and I think I will stop eating dairy as well. I think dairy will be harder to give up because everything is better with cheese but if it means no more panic  it's worth it.

[gem1030]

9 hours ago, SLLRunner said:

No, I am eating gluten on purpose after being gluten free for about a months.  I am doing this because I need to to be tested for celiac. I either have non celiac gluten sensitivity or celiac. 

that makes sense.... I hope it goes by fast. Have you ever heard of ALCAT testing? I was going to try that.

[SLLRunner]

1 hour ago, gem1030 said:

that makes sense.... I hope it goes by fast. Have you ever heard of ALCAT testing? I was going to try that.

Gem, I had not heard of ALCAT, so I looked it up and see it has to do with allergy testing. I had allergy testing done through an allergist in my insurance network, and I am not allergic to any of the 20 common foods on their list.  I, however, am lactose intolerant and can't handle much soy. 

[gem1030]

56 minutes ago, SLLRunner said:

Gem, I had not heard of ALCAT, so I looked it up and see it has to do with allergy testing. I had allergy testing done through an allergist in my insurance network, and I am not allergic to any of the 20 common foods on their list.  I, however, am lactose intolerant and can't handle much soy. 

I'm curious to know how your results come out. good luck to you!

 

[SLLRunner]

10 hours ago, gem1030 said:

I'm curious to know how your results come out. good luck to you!

 

Thank you!  

[gem1030]

Just want to update incase anyone can find this helpful. I have stopped eating grains and dairy and everyday I'm feeling more and more like myself. It's amazing and I don't really care that I won't eat a regular pizza again. I mean 4 months ago I would have said I would die without gluteny soft pizza, now I am happy to never eat it again if it means I will never have to suffer a panic attack.

[Jays911]

There are great gluten-free pizza crusts out there, as well as good dairy free cheese. I find the key is to add good toppings, e.g. meats, carmelized onions, other veggies, white anchovies. Life goes on. Congrats. Hope the good feelings keep up. 

[Gemini]

On 4/30/2016 at 10:01 PM, gem1030 said:

Just want to update incase anyone can find this helpful. I have stopped eating grains and dairy and everyday I'm feeling more and more like myself. It's amazing and I don't really care that I won't eat a regular pizza again. I mean 4 months ago I would have said I would die without gluteny soft pizza, now I am happy to never eat it again if it means I will never have to suffer a panic attack.

Now if everyone out there who probably has a gluten problem adopted your attitude, they would be having a much better life.  After over 10 years gluten-free myself, who really cares about gluten pizza? I go months without gluten free pizza, which is very good by the way, and I am not an emotional wreck.  Imagine! 

Glad you feel better and yes, it was the wheat!

[gem1030]

On ‎5‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 2:02 PM, Gemini said:

Now if everyone out there who probably has a gluten problem adopted your attitude, they would be having a much better life.  After over 10 years gluten-free myself, who really cares about gluten pizza? I go months without gluten free pizza, which is very good by the way, and I am not an emotional wreck.  Imagine! 

Glad you feel better and yes, it was the wheat!

Thank You

[ch88]

Gluten can cause anxiety and other types of mental problems.  I don't know if the problem is the medication or gluten. If you decide to go gluten free it is a good idea read up about cross contamination. Oats and other processed foods often cause problems for some people with celiac disease. Lots of people with celiac disease have vitamin b deficiency.  Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is important. I take a vitamin b multivitamin as well as a extra vitamin b12 which seemed to help me. It can take months or even years to fully recover on a gluten free diet. I haven't recovered all the way yet, but I feel much much better. 

[kenneth88]

I've suffered from anxiety and panic disorder for the last 6 years. I decided to cut back on bread etc. a couple of weeks ago. I felt some improvement until Sunday I decided to eat a bit of bread again, along with coffee and chocolate. That same night I fell asleep having panic attacks. Monday was even worse! 

And guess what. I'm type O. I'm never eating gluten again. If I had known I certainly could have eased my suffering a long time ago. 

The food industry is literally making us sick. Get your blood type checked. If you're O, do away with all sorts of grains. Us O types used to be hunters. We are genetically engineered to eat meat and protein. Our digestive tract does not tolerate wheat, bread, etc. It even makes us fat, because our bodies are good at converting carbs into fat. Away with gluten, good riddance! I can do without bread. After a while of not eating bread and then eating it again, the soft structure and tastelessness disgust me anyway. 

Best of luck. 

[gem1030]

6 hours ago, kenneth88 said:

I've suffered from anxiety and panic disorder for the last 6 years. I decided to cut back on bread etc. a couple of weeks ago. I felt some improvement until Sunday I decided to eat a bit of bread again, along with coffee and chocolate. That same night I fell asleep having panic attacks. Monday was even worse! 

And guess what. I'm type O. I'm never eating gluten again. If I had known I certainly could have eased my suffering a long time ago. 

The food industry is literally making us sick. Get your blood type checked. If you're O, do away with all sorts of grains. Us O types used to be hunters. We are genetically engineered to eat meat and protein. Our digestive tract does not tolerate wheat, bread, etc. It even makes us fat, because our bodies are good at converting carbs into fat. Away with gluten, good riddance! I can do without bread. After a while of not eating bread and then eating it again, the soft structure and tastelessness disgust me anyway. 

Best of luck. 

Thanks I never looked into the blood type thing. I'll have to check that out!!

[kenneth88]

9 hours ago, gem1030 said:

Thanks I never looked into the blood type thing. I'll have to check that out!!

No problem! How are you doing? Feeling improvement after going gluten free? For me after about 3 days without bread I can feel the tension headache go away but I'm still having anxiety and panic attacks, but already less severe. I hope some day I'll be in control again. 
I finally understand the bloating and the weight gain. 

If you're type O you are gluten-intolerant by nature. I never knew. Definitely look that up. 

I hope a gluten-free diet will reverse the symptoms. Are you still taking the zoloft? Do you think it helps with the neurological symptoms? I can imagine the gluten-free diet not being that easy on zoloft because of the cravings that come with the pills. I'm planning on going back on them for a little while too, but I'll have to make sure I can resist everything with gluten and refined sugar. 

Best of luck

[kareng]

There is no real science behind the blood type diet.  It really makes no sense.  But you can do it for fun, if you want.

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

[SLLRunner]

46 minutes ago, kareng said:

There is no real science behind the blood type diet.  It really makes no sense.  But you can do it for fun, if you want.

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

This is almost verbatim of what I was going to say, except for the doing it for fun part.