Sertraline HCL - Gluten free? Experiences?

[Grant Laws]

Hi All,

I have been diagnosed with celiac for about 2 years and was recently prescribed Sertraline HCL and I have been experiencing some celiac-like symptoms. I know these symptoms are expected at first, so I’m keeping my cool. My prescription is manufactured by Lupin Pharmaceuticals. I reached out to them and wasn’t able to get information on one of the starch ingredients, but they told me it was gluten free. Does anyone have any experience with Setraline HCL from Lupin? What should my next step be? 
 

thanks 

[plumbago]

I would keep at it with the company - complemented by some research online, using terms like gluten free psychiatry, etc.

If you have to, write a letter to someone at quality control at Lupin.

[Wheatwacked]

I am not a doctor. If you don't eat gluten because of the effects, why is ok to take a medication that has the same effect on you as gluten, whether or not it has gluten is irrelevant  in my mind.

How low is your vitamin D plasma level? There is a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is winter depression due to low vitamin D (no UV rays). During the summer we store vitamin D for use during the winter. Trouble is nowaday we cover up and use sunscreen and we don't get nearly enough in diet. For a Celiac with malabsorption syndrome the vitamin absorbed through diet in the western diet is likely next to none.

 Vitamin D and Depression: Where is all the Sunshine?

Vitamin D and the Immune System

For that feeling that is has to be done now that you can't shake look at your Lithium intake. It should be about one gram a day. Traditionally we get it in drinking water. With everyone drinking bottle water.....

"However, a number of observations suggest that environmentally relevant lithium doses may also exert beneficial health effects, leading to a decrease in the rate of suicides and levels of violence." Is Lithium a Micronutrient? From Biological Activity and Epidemiological Observation to Food Fortification

 

[knitty kitty]

@Grant Laws,

Welcome to the forum!

I was prescribed Sertraline HCl under the name Zoloft.  I became very ill. 

Please remember that the gastrointestinal tract has a limited vocabulary.  Every tummy ache isn't necessarily caused by gluten.

Through research, I found that gluten free Celiac patients on PPIs, NSAIDs and SSRIs (like Zoloft) continue to have inflammation.   

Here's another article showing the same effect....

Combined use of SSRIs and NSAIDs increases the risk of gastrointestinal adverse effects

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1884264/

 

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), like Zoloft, prevent serotonin (a neurotransmitter in the brain) from being reabsorbed.  Too much serotonin in the brain can cause Serotonin Syndrome, a very unpleasant and serious condition which may go unrecognized by doctors.  Watch for serotonin syndrome when increasing dosages of SSRIs, when changing from one antidepressant to another, and when changing classes of antidepressants.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865832/

And...

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/serotonin-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354758

Serotonin Syndrome has a connection to Thiamine Deficiency.  Thiamine is needed for the uptake and release of serotonin in the brain.  Without sufficient thiamine, the serotonin may build up, resulting in Serotonin Syndrome.  

https://www.hormonesmatter.com/serotonin-syndrome-thiamine-connection/

 

Ironically, Sertraline HCl is a drug that has been found to CAUSE Thiamine deficiency by blocking the Thiamine Transporters that bring thiamine into cells.  Other drugs that cause Thiamine deficiency by blocking Thiamine Transporters are Metformin, ACE inhibitors, and thiazide diuretics.  

Even more ironic is the fact that supplementing Thiamine while taking antidepressants improves patient mood faster than antidepressants alone.  Thiamine improved mood before antidepressants kicked in weeks later.

Adjuvant thiamine improved standard treatment in patients with major depressive disorder: results from a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26984349/

 

Brain health is affected by nutritional deficiencies.  The brain cannot function properly if the required vitamins and minerals are not available.

Correcting nutritional deficiencies is part of proper follow up care for Celiac people.  

Understanding nutrition, depression and mental illnesses

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738337/

And...

The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Psychiatry

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3046018/

 

Discuss with your doctor and nutritionist the benefits of supplementing with a B Complex, Vitamin C and D, magnesium and extra Thiamine while your intestines are healing.

Edited September 2, 2022 by knitty kitty
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