Accidental Glutening and Mental Health Symptoms?

[RiskAssessed]

Just wondering - does anyone else find that they get quite bad anxiety symptoms post-accidental glutening along with the usual gastro ones? Or is it just me. 🤒

[cristiana]

Good morning Risk Assessed and welcome to the forum.

I am sorry to hear you are experiencing this but rest assured that you are not alone.  Just one quick search of this forum has turned up this thread and others:

Anxiety can arise following a glutening purely of itself,  and/or perhaps, as in my case, another type can arise - a fear of what symptoms might follow,.  The two will 'feed' off each other.  

Hopefully you may find that if anxiety was one of your symptoms prior to diagnosis/around the time of your diagnosis, any generalised anxiety will improve the longer you are on a gluten-free diet. It may be worth making sure you aren't deficient in any vitamins or minerals through a blood test as deficiencies can exacerbate the condition. 

That aside, here are some tips, again from this forum, on how to recover from a glutening episode.  In the next few days drink lots of water and try to do things that will help your anxiety levels come down. I find walking helpful and focussing an interesting project or hobby rather than on the anxiety itself helps me in such situations.

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by cristiana

[Roberta RabbitMum]

  On 12/28/2023 at 9:02 AM, RiskAssessed said:

Just wondering - does anyone else find that they get quite bad anxiety symptoms post-accidental glutening along with the usual gastro ones? Or is it just me. 🤒

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Oh Yes... Just lapsed into another bout of driving anxiety, previously pegged it to menopause but after last bloods I'm sure its the gluten. Last one was 2009, got through it but I was also going through a shocking phase of glutening, including airborne (joys of living in the armpit of a large wheatbelt). Doctors don't listen, only had one that did and he's retired. I've had issues since childhood and went through years of testing for "ulcers" during the 70's and 80's. My last psychologist put it in a report, my brain is fine... is not psychological its physiological. They still give me the side eye when I say gluten makes me sick and anxious. So I'm underweight, bp's up and my sodium low. Well, hello, had diarrhoea for 6 months which you didn't want to know about. Aaaand I ate stupid stuff because there wasn't other options and I was hungry. My blood sodium is low, must be something else, really, yeah-no, I think its due to my constant loss of fluids. Anyway, fighting that battle, just needed a vent with fellow sufferer's.  

[RiskAssessed]

Thank you both. It's good to know i'm not alone at least. I'm peri also so that's probably not helping. When I get glutened it's like there's a void in my head and i can't think straight if that makes any sense. I wonder if it's inflammation related. 

[cristiana]

Vent away, @Roberta RabbitMum, and welcome to the forum!

It is always good to hear the experiences of others. but I'm sorry you've had another bout of anxiety.

The problem with coeliac disease is it seems to have so many manifestations, it is so easy for the medical community to misdiagnose.  It is one of those diseases that has been called, "the great imitator".  A friend of ours has mental health issues at the moment and I've tried to impress upon him the importance of having blood tests to make sure the original cause isn't physical.  My anxiety issues started several months before my gut symptoms.

  On 12/28/2023 at 12:23 PM, RiskAssessed said:

Thank you both. It's good to know i'm not alone at least. I'm peri also so that's probably not helping. When I get glutened it's like there's a void in my head and i can't think straight if that makes any sense. I wonder if it's inflammation related. 

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Sounds a bit like brain fog to me.  Another symptom.

[RiskAssessed]

  On 12/28/2023 at 12:23 PM, cristiana said:

 

Sounds a bit like brain fog to me.  Another symptom.

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That's exactly what it feels like. Can that be caused by gluten? I've been coeliac for over 20 years now, I never used to feel this bad with a glutening. Does sensitivity get worse over time?

 

[Roberta RabbitMum]

  On 12/28/2023 at 12:23 PM, RiskAssessed said:

Thank you both. It's good to know i'm not alone at least. I'm peri also so that's probably not helping. When I get glutened it's like there's a void in my head and i can't think straight if that makes any sense. I wonder if it's inflammation related. 

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Hi RiskAssessed,

Yes, Peri does have implications due to hormone drop outs. It can initiate and increase menopausal problems. I joined a great menopause support group post menopause,  mainly to find answers and see what others went through. I'm in Australia, not sure where you are.  

  On 12/28/2023 at 12:36 PM, RiskAssessed said:

That's exactly what it feels like. Can that be caused by gluten? I've been coeliac for over 20 years now, I never used to feel this bad with a glutening. Does sensitivity get worse over time?

 

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Yes... it certainly does.

[cristiana]

  On 12/28/2023 at 12:37 PM, Roberta RabbitMum said:

Hi RiskAssessed,

Yes, Peri does have implications due to hormone drop outs. It can initiate and increase menopausal problems. I joined a great menopause support group post menopause,  mainly to find answers and see what others went through. I'm in Australia, not sure where you are.  

Yes... it certainly does.

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I ought to point out that many people find sensitivity does worsen, this isn't always the case.  I have one acquaintance who never reacts and another whose brother was diagnosed with coeliac disease and for whatever reason now no longer reacts in an obvious way to gluten, so has gone back to eating it.  However, this is not a good idea.  Whether you can see the damage or not, it's being done.  You cannot outgrow coeliac disease. 

Although it is horrible being glutened, in some ways I'm glad I react as it keeps me motivated to stick with the diet! 

Edited December 28, 2023 by cristiana

[Raquel2021]

  On 12/28/2023 at 9:02 AM, RiskAssessed said:

Just wondering - does anyone else find that they get quite bad anxiety symptoms post-accidental glutening along with the usual gastro ones? Or is it just me. 🤒

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Yes definitely.  Gluten also makes me feel really sad. It is awful.  

[Solomon Wolf]

  On 12/28/2023 at 9:02 AM, RiskAssessed said:

Just wondering - does anyone else find that they get quite bad anxiety symptoms post-accidental glutening along with the usual gastro ones? Or is it just me. 🤒

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I feel the same. Every time I accidentally eat gluten I'm getting social anxiety for about 2 days. My head feels heavy and overwhelmed and I'm easily blushing and sweating. I do not have Celiac Disease, just NCGS 

[Scott Adams]

For me it led to full blown panic attacks triggered by severe vertigo. After years being gluten-free I no longer have these symptoms, even if I accidentally eat gluten--I assume this is because my gut has healed--but I never want those symptoms to come back, so I'm very careful with my diet.