SSRI stopped working after gluten free diet due to Celiac diag

[Redlima]

I am  70+ male, diagnosed with Celiac last year. Within 6 months of eating no gluten, my SSRI stopped working. Actually, unclear that the SSRI stopped working, but depression and anxiety symptoms returned. I was 15+ years without depression and anxiety prior to Celiac diagnosis and diet change.  Doctor changed my crazy meds to an NDRI and am somewhat back to normal, whatever that means.

I am new to this forum, and this may have been answered prior, but WHATS GOING ON!  Anyone have experience on needing to get some CBT to help deal with going Gluten Free! Does Cognitive Based Therapy help with Gluten Free diet psych effects?

Cheers

 

 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @Redlima!

Not sure if this could relate to your issue but it is well-known by the celiac community that gluten has an opiate-like effect that causes some people to experience withdrawal symptoms upon going gluten free. This usually manifests itself within the first few weeks. So, I'm not sure that fits with your time frame.

Also, I wonder if the healing of the villous lining of the small bowel since going gluten free and how that improves absorption of vitamins and minerals might have something to do with what you describe. It may have changed the way the SSRI was being metabolized or something.

When you ask about the impact of CBT on mental health after going gluten free are you referring to the direct effect of CBT on mood or to coping with the social impact and lifestyle changes that celiac disease and having to eat gluten free inevitably brings?

[Scott Adams]

Your experience highlights a fascinating and often overlooked connection between gut health, mental health, and medication efficacy—something many in the celiac community encounter. When you removed gluten, your body likely began healing, which can dramatically alter nutrient absorption, inflammation levels, and even neurotransmitter production (like serotonin, which SSRIs target). This shift might explain why your SSRI seemed to "stop working"—your gut wasn’t processing the medication (or nutrients critical for mood regulation) the same way it did pre-diagnosis. Switching to an NDRI (which works on dopamine/norepinephrine instead of serotonin) may have bypassed this issue, hence your improvement. As for CBT, it’s absolutely worth exploring! While therapy won’t fix the biochemical side of celiac, it can be invaluable for managing the psychological toll of a major diet overhaul—grief over food restrictions, anxiety about cross-contamination, or the stress of recalibrating your body’s responses. Many celiac patients benefit from CBT to reframe unhelpful thought patterns and build resilience. You might also ask your doctor about checking key nutrient levels (B12, folate, vitamin D, zinc, etc.), as deficiencies post-celiac diagnosis can mimic or worsen mood symptoms. You’re not alone in this; the gut-brain axis is powerful, and your insight into these changes is a huge step toward balancing both.

[cristiana]

Hi @Redlima

My anxiety hit before diagnosis, and in fact it was anxiety which led me to see a doctor who put me on the road of various blood tests which revealed iron deficiency, raised globulin levels and borderline B12.  At first my GP suspected a type of cancer, and didn't really know what else to make of it until about six months down the road when I started to get diarrhea and was losing weight.  That then led another GP to do more tests and coeliac disease was the culprit.

Clinical anxiety can be very scary indeed and I suffered with a horrible, irrational phobia at that time, too.  I could hardly think straight.  My GP put me onto citalopram but also, thankfully, I found a couple of books that helped me to get through this time and I always mention them on this forum, at the risk of repetition, because they were a huge help to me. Paul David's 'At Last a Life' book (and his forum), as well as Dr Steve Llardi's 'The Depression Cure' book which looks at things which we neglect in modern life, such as physical exercise, omega-3 fatty acids,  natural sunlight exposure,  restorative sleep,  social connectedness and  meaningful, engaging activity.  These things can really make a difference.  

At the same time, my vitamin and mineral deficiencies were addressed.  Have you had your levels checked, particularly B12 and iron?  These are particularly important as deficiencies can really affect people's mental health.  If they are low or low normal, get your doctor to prescribe some supplements, but at the same s/he needs to keep an eye on iron going forward, as too much in the blood is dangerous.  I found B12 incredibly helpful in feeling better in the early stages of my recovery - sometimes, it was almost like night and day just a few hours after taking it.  (Someone on this forum recommended Solgar sublingual tablets, they are great.)

My anxiety started to get a lot better after a few weeks but there were setbacks which made me at times think I'd not recovered, or perhaps ever would.  But like a jagged line on a chart, which has ups and downs but over all has an upward trajectory, I did get better in the end.  I hope that you will find the same, and that perhaps some of this story has helped.