Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • 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

Celiac And Depression [?]


Eugene

Recommended Posts

Eugene Newbie

Hi,

Can someone point me to the reputable research linking celiac with depression?

I have depression and, very likely, celiac as well and need to understand how much of the depression part can be attributed to gluten. My psychiatrist does not think much about it but she may be just ignorant in this particular area.

TIA, Eugene


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Deej Newbie

I recently read material on this site: Open Original Shared Link.

Eugene Newbie
I recently read material on this site: Open Original Shared Link.

Thank you very much for the reference.

trents Grand Master
Thank you very much for the reference.

Eugene,

Before jumping to conclusions, I think you need to get a firm yes or no on a Celiac diagnosis. I have read that irritability is one symptom experienced by some Celiacs and it wouldn't surprise me to find out that depression is more common in those with the disease as in both cases we are talking about mood issues.

Let me caution you on something else, as well. While it is true that Celiac disease has been linked to many other disorders, there is a human tendancy to see Celiac disease under every bush. It is not to blame for everything that goes wrong with us.

Steve

rsavage Newbie

:rolleyes:

Eugene,

Before jumping to conclusions, I think you need to get a firm yes or no on a Celiac diagnosis. I have read that irritability is one symptom experienced by some Celiacs and it wouldn't surprise me to find out that depression is more common in those with the disease as in both cases we are talking about mood issues.

Let me caution you on something else, as well. While it is true that Celiac disease has been linked to many other disorders, there is a human tendancy to see Celiac disease under every bush. It is not to blame for everything that goes wrong with us.

Steve

Steve is correct. However, I know from personal experience that I was very depressed when the doctor told me that my symptoms were in my mind and there was nothing more she could do for me. I was dying. I know how I felt and I was depressed. Sooooo, maybe in some cases it is related. Still I would check out the Celiac first. The depression improves on a gluten free diet.

tiffjake Enthusiast
Hi,

Can someone point me to the reputable research linking celiac with depression?

I have depression and, very likely, celiac as well and need to understand how much of the depression part can be attributed to gluten. My psychiatrist does not think much about it but she may be just ignorant in this particular area.

TIA, Eugene

There is a section in the book Dangerous Grains about depression. Maybe you could check it out at the bookstore and see if there is something you could use. It is only a couple of pages...but it is good info, and I am seriously thinking about making a photocopy of that info and giving it to my old psychiatrist.

plantime Contributor

In my case, celiac causes anemia, which causes depression. Treating just the anemia only helps temporarily. I have to treat the cause of the anemia (celiac) to really stop the depression.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



hexe Newbie
Hi,

Can someone point me to the reputable research linking celiac with depression?

I have depression and, very likely, celiac as well and need to understand how much of the depression part can be attributed to gluten. My psychiatrist does not think much about it but she may be just ignorant in this particular area.

TIA, Eugene

I can attest to the depressive effects of gluten/wheat.

This is my first post here, but I read this thread and had to reply. I've been gluten-free for 11 months now--after having no help from doctors to treat my weird symptoms and head stuff/anxiety, even when I told them it appeared to be food related. They ran many tests, except for allergies, and always sent me home w/ a prescription for anti-anxiety/depression meds. I knew that wasn't my problem, and never took the drugs. I went off wheat on my own, realizing that every time I ate bread or pasta I was a wreck (bloating, icky stomach, palor, purple extremities, exhaustion, total feeling of unreality, etc). Then I started searching the web, and learned about Celiac Disease, found I fit so many of the weird, nebulous symptoms...and things started getting better...

Any time I accidently ingest gluten now, I get slammed with a depression out of the blue...it seems to follow a pattern of irritation, aggitation and negative thoughts that then quickly swells into a full-blown, pointless, bleak depression. And for me, tears. The brink of tears at the slightest thing. It's like taking a drug. I feel the negative head come on, and it's amazing to watch. The brain fog always comes with it. Knowing now where it comes from, it's a little easier to detach, and not respond to. But that doesn't mean it goes away. I just have to ride it out. Depending on what and how much gluten I've eaten, it can last from one or two days to a week. I try to explain this to people around me, but they don't seem to really get it. I know it's real. It's such an extreme shift. Total Jeckell (sp?)and Hyde.

I told an acupuncturist about this once, sort of sheepishly, thinking that she would just nod like others do and look at me strange, but her response was validating. She said that she sometimes prescribes Chinese herbs with a wheat base, that are supposed to be calming, and that she's seen them make some people "almost hysterical".

I realize this isn't the sort of science you were looking for, but I see that others have provided links to articles (I too have read many about depression and Celiac's, just on random searches), so I thought I'd offer this...

Good luck.

debmidge Rising Star

Prior to his celiac diagnosis in 2003 my husband was suicidally depressed. How much of this depression was due to feeling that getting his health back was hopeless and his situation being hopeless vs. the depression that naturally comes chemically with celiac, I do not know. All I do know is that when he went gluten free, from that point on, the depression lifted gradually. I no longer have to worry about him doing himself in. He was misdiagnosed for 27 years and had all classic symptoms of celiac - severe symptoms of celiac (extremely underweight, gas, bloating, weak, fatigued, etc.)

So for us, there is depression attached to celiac disease; perhaps not in all celiacs and probably not as severe as his.

Laura Apprentice

I've read a lot of things linking celiac and depression. Maybe quickest and easiest, Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic by Dr. Peter Green and Rory Jones has a checklist to help figure out if you should be tested. There are 3 categories, and one includes "psychiatric disorders or depression." So if you've had that plus any of the things in either of the other two checklists, they think you should be tested.

Anecdotally, I was always depressive until I went gluten-free. Nobody told me that depression was linked to celiac, so imagine my surprise when a few months later I realized that I was just bizarrely happy all the time.

ravenwoodglass Mentor

I can't point to any research but it my family it was one of the first symptoms for 2 of us. It is also the first indication that we have been glutened. It is overwhelming and accompanied by some irritalbility but of short duration. We are "normal" and easy to get along with gluten free though.

  • 1 year later...
sherrycht Newbie

Depression + Celiac's

I think one thing that has been over looked here, is that with Celiac's, it affects the body's ability to absorb nutrients from our food. So when gluten is ingested and we end with irratability and then depression, I think it results from a chemical imbalance due to the lack of nutrients.

  • 3 months later...
Nancy Lake Rookie

Well, I get a product from Youngevity.com that helps with everything. Cherry Flavored Plant Derived Minerals.

Also I take lots of B complex vitamins. It is great to be glutton free...but replacing all the minerals is so important.

I also love the enzymes in the probiotic formulas Daily Essence and Nightly Essence. They were developed to help with Candida..yeast infection...but they left me right out of a depressed funk too.

I started doing a lot of the right things by accident...but still would get cravings for bread sometimes. I would notice not feeling well and being down in the dumps the day after eating Pizza or bread.

Now all the puzzel pieces are fitting.

It also explains my need for caffein...I am so sluggish that it makes me feel normal.

But coffe can leach out minerals too. I am going to swich to something else.

Any suggestions for really good teas?

Nancy

fedora Enthusiast

hi,

before I gave up gluten this winter I was horribly depressed. I was about to go get drugs(I NEVER take drugs because I am so paranoid). I was thinking I did not want to live like that anymore. Went gluten free and I don't think like that at all.

I have those horrible crying depressed spells that I know will pass. Thankfully they are very very rare now that I am off gluten.

I hope you find your answers. take care

RiceGuy Collaborator

Yes, I also found going gluten-free to be a real plus for my mood. However, what really helped afterward was a sublingual methylcobalamin (B12) supplement, and also magnesium. I can't say enough positive things about these two nutrients.

I think it is obvious that the body and mind cannot function properly when it lacks the nutrients it needs.

jparsick84 Rookie

Feeling depressed is one of my symptoms. I can tell when I've been accidentally glutenated because I start to despair that my life will never get better, and then I can't stop crying. One day it was so bad I couldn't get off the couch the whole day - just laid there in a daze, trying to pull myself out of the funk but not being able to.

This is a big surprise to my friends because I'm usually extremely cheerful and friendly (the words "exuberant" and "too much" have been used here as well...) so even they can tell when I've got gluten.

Hopefully most of your feelings are from gluten!

  • 1 month later...
geokozmo Rookie

I also have this Jekyll-Hyde type of depression when I am glutenized. And it clears away if I pay attention to my diet. Strange. But doctors are not interested, probably because ifI am on a diet strictly their drugs are of no use. (And I dont use them anyway because they dont help me.)

frec Contributor

Oh dear. I'm not finding any of the articles I've read over the years, but they are out there. Celiacs have poor absorption and the lack of nutrients interferes with proper synthesis of neurotransmitters, which affects mood. Intestinal damage lowers levels of vitamins B and D which are important to mood and healthy brain function. My naturopath told me that serotonin, an important neurotransmitter, is mainly synthesized by your intestines so celiacs have that problem as well.

Those are the actual chemical reasons. Being mysteriously sick or incontinent or in pain for umpteen years doesn't do much for one's mood either! Celiacs are a perfect storm of causes of anxiety or depression.

Steve63 Newbie

I was on Paxil for 13yr's. I weaned myself off very slowly. Had alot of nero problems that led me to become gluten free. lo & behold my anxiety & depression completely disappeared. I swear by this. I'm sure there are many people suffering as i did. I really believe your diet is so important to your mental health as much as your physical health. People just refuse to believe that wheat can do this.

jaimek Enthusiast

I have been gluten free for over 5 years and still have bouts of anxiety, irritability. I just recently met with a Psychologist for the first time ever and she said she thinks I have some sort of chemical imbalance. She suggested I see a Psychiatrist. I would really hate to start taking any prescription drugs. I just feel so alienated a lot of the time even though I have been on a gluten free diet for so long. I never cheat and rarely ever get glutened so I really don't know what is causing this. It is so frustrating. I do take Viactiv which is a calcium and Vitamin D supplement but maybe I should try the B12?

Robynhood Newbie

i was treated for two years with all kinds of antidepressants, non of which worked. I finally switched GP and after ordering blood work she discovered my vitamin B levels were very low. After being loaded up with vitamin B shots my depression lifted. Now I have a b12 shot each month and it takes care of it. I am not a diagnosed celiac. I have had a biopsy and two blood tests which came back normal, however, my dad is celiac and I seem to have all the symptoms. I am about to embark on a gluten free diet to see what the effects on my body are.

wish me luck

:) Robyn

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,191
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    teresa1955
    Newest Member
    teresa1955
    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

    • Ginger38
      So I recently had allergy testing for IGE antibodies in response to foods. My test results came back positive to corn, white potatoes, egg whites. Tomatoes, almonds and peanuts to name a few.  I have had obvious reactions to a few of these - particularly tomatoes and corn- both GI issues. I don’t really understand all this allergy versus celiac stuff. If the food allergies are mild do I have to avoid these foods entirely? I don’t know what I will eat if I can’t  have corn based gluten free products 
    • Kris2093u4
      Geography makes a difference.  I'm in the West and Trader Joe's gluten-free bread tastes great and is a better price than most gluten-free breads sold elsewhere in my area.  
    • JForman
      We have four children (7-14 yo), and our 7 year old was diagnosed with NCGS (though all Celiac labs were positive, her scope at 4 years old was negative so docs in the US won't call it celiac). We have started her on a Gluten Free diet after 3 years of major digestive issues and ruling out just about everything under the sun. Our home and kitchen and myself are all gluten-free. But I have not asked my husband/her dad or her other siblings to go completely gluten-free with us. They are at home, but not out of the home. This has led to situations when we are eating out where she has to consistently see others eating things she can't have and she has begun to say "Well, I can't have <fill in the blank>...stupid gluten."  How have you supported your gluten-free kiddos in the mental health space of this journey, especially young ones like her. I know it's hard for me as an adult sometimes to miss out, so I can't imagine being 7 and dealing with it! Any tips or ideas to help with this? 
    • Jane878
      By the time I was 5 I had my first auto0immune disorder, Migraine headaches, with auras to blind me, and vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound. I was 5 years old, and my stepfather would have pizza night, milling his own flour, making thick cheesy gluten pizza, that I would eat and the next day, I would have serious migraines, and my mother & stepfather did nothing about my medical problems. When I was 17 in my first year at college, I was diagnosed with my 2nd known auto-immune disorder, Meniere's disease. I was a elite athlete, a swimmer, and soccer player. And once again my parents didn't think anything of understanding why I had a disorder only older people get. Now after my mother passed from Alzheimer's disease she also suffered with living with gluten. She had a rash for 30 years that nobody could diagnose. She was itchy for 45 years total. My brother had a encapsulated virus explodes in his spleen and when this happened his entire intestines were covered with adhesions, scar tissue and he almost lost his life. He has 5 daughters, and when I finally was diagnosed after being pregnant and my body went into a cytokine storm, I lost my chance to have children, I ended up having Hashimoto's disease, Degenerative Disc disease, and my body started to shut down during my first trimester. I am 6ft tall and got down to 119lbs. My husband and I went to a special immunologist in Terrace, California. They took 17 vials of blood as we flew there for a day and returned home that evening. In 3 weeks, we had the answer, I have Celiac disease. Once this was known, only my father and husband made efforts to change their way of feeding me. At the family cabin, my stepfather & mother were more worried that I would ruin Thanksgiving Dinner. It wasn't until one of my cousins was diagnosed with Celiac disease. They finally looked into getting Gluten Free flour and taking measures to limit "gluten" in meals. He did nothing but ask for me to pay for my own food and wi-fi when I came to the cabin to stay after our house burned down. When he informed my mother, they proceeding to get into a physical fight and she ended up with a black eye. The is just more trauma for me. Sam had no interest in telling the truth about what he wanted. He lied to my mother that he had asked my husband if I could pay for "food" when he asked Geoffrey if I had money to pay for my wi-fi. My mother hates when he spends so much time on the computer so he lied and said I could pay for my own food. I will remind you I weighed 119lbs at this time. (At 6ft) that is a very sick looking person. Neither parent was worried about my weight, they just fought about how cheap my stepfather was. As my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014. He had her sign over the will to a trust and added his children. He had no testimonial capacity at the time, so she signed without proper papers. Making this Trust null and void. When I gave my brother my childhood home, my mother stated I would be getting an equal part of inheritance to the house on Race. It currently worth 2.0 million $. I got nothing, and my stepfather has since disowned me b/c of my claim and he knows that my mother would never have left it uneven between my biological brother and myself. She sat me and my husband down, as we lived at the Race Street house and treated and took care of it as our own. My brother took over b/c he was going through a horrific divorce and needed a home so he could get a better custody deal with his soon to be ex-wife who was a Assist DA for Denver. She used the girls against him, and he & I were the primary caregivers. We, Judd and I spent the most time with them pre the divorce. Once Judd moved into the house, he threw all of my mother, grandmother and my family heirlooms out to the Goodwill. Nobody told my mother about this as she was going through cancer treatment and had Alzheimer's disease in her mother and her sister. My stepfather and biological brother took advantage of this matter, as I called a "family council" that my brother just never could make it to at the last moment. All of the furnishing, kitchen ware, everything was in the house my brother just moved into. He had had 2 weddings, I chose to elope b/c my stepfather ruined my brother's first wedding by talking about his relationship with my brother in front of my dad and his entire family, insulting him and having my grandfather leave the ceremony. It was a disaster. My stepfather just plays dumb and blames my father for the slight. I was the only child not to have a wedding. So, my mother and stepfather never had to pay for a thing. My mother had had an agreement with my father he'd pay for college and all medical issues with their kids, myself and Judd. So truly my mother never had to pay for anything big for me in her entire life. I am looking for anyone that has had a similar story, where they grew up in a household that had a baker that regularly milled flour and ate gluten. What happened to you? DId you suffer from different auto-immune diseases b/c of living with a baker using "gluten" Please let me know. I have been looking into legal ways to get my stepfather to give me what my mother had promised, and he erased. Thank you for listening to my story. Jane Donnelly  
    • trents
      Possibly gluten withdrawal. Lot's of info on the internet about it. Somewhat controversial but apparently gluten plugs into the same neuro sensors as opiates do and some people get a similar type withdrawal as they do when quitting opiates. Another issue is that gluten-free facsimile flours are not fortified with vitamins and minerals as is wheat flour (in the U.S. at least) so when the switch is made to gluten-free facsimile foods, especially if a lot of processed gluten-free foods are being used as substitutes, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can result. There is also the possibility that she has picked up a virus or some but that is totally unrelated to going gluten-free.
×
×
  • Create New...