Anxiety

[BamBam]

Does the anxiety ever go away? We are doing so much better but every now and then the anxiety hits and it is hard to get past some days. We've been gluten free for almost a whole year now, and dairy/casein free since February.

Mr BamBam

[jerseyangel]

I wish I knew. I've been gluten-free for a year now, too. My anxiety has improved quite a bit, but it is not gone completely. A gluten incident will bring it on, and it then takes a long time for it to subside. Does she have any other food intolerances--other than casein? I felt a difference since cutting out all of the foods that I am sensitive to. It's not fun--hope she is free of the anxiety once and for all soon.

[StrongerToday]

My anxiety was over the top around the holidays, I finally started on an anti-depressent. It's helped a lot, esp. since I'm in a very stressful time right now.

[CarlaB]

I have a husband and six kids, I fully expect to be healed of this anxiety in Heaven!

Seriously, I take St. John's Wort for depression. It helps tremendously. I also do cardio 40 minutes four times per week (skipped today 'cause I've lost 3 pounds in two days and feel too nauseaous to eat more to make up for the exercise like I normally do). I notice that over the holidays when I work out less, I feel more stressed. I'm addicted to the endorphins.

[DeeTee33]

ANXIETY...Gluten-free, teenagers and Menopausal...

I tried anti-depressants for anxiety and I felt it took my personality away. If it's anxiety you have I suggest you talk to your doctor about Klonopin Wafers (Clonazepam disintegrating tablets). It works in about 15 minutes and you don't even feel like you took anything. The anxiety is just gone. Amazing. The medicine doesn't last but a few hours which is great, because by then you are back to normal anyway. You also don't have to take them daily only when you feel an anxiety attack come on.

[Chako]

Just curious if anyone has noticed anxiety in their children who have celiac? I have three boys and the one suspected to have celiac suffers from it and for no apparent reason. It is really bad when he says his tummy hurts. If he is feeling well then there is no anxiety in sight. Is that common? Or am I looking at blaming a personality trait on this?

[BRUMI1968]

I've had anxiety my whole life, in varying degrees. When I was little I was very "nervous". This became nervous legs at night, uncontrollable shaking, etc. I often was so nervous I would end up vomiting. My grandmother made me so nervous that for 16 years every time I saw her I became physically ill with vomiting. When I was about 15, I had my first PANIC ATTACK. I was with my mother in Washington D.C. (I'm from Washington State) and suddenly didn't really even know who she was or anything. They got worse in ways, though more physical. I instantly had to poop, felt nasueus, had tingling, felt clammy in the hands, would get hot and freezing simultaneously - and then sometimes the mental stuff too - just indescribable bad feeling about everything yet unable to focus on any specific thing.

So, eventually I ended up being diagnosed with GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER and put on Diazapam (Xanax or Valium would be similar). I agreed to go on the drugs because I felt unable to cope with the anxiety of the potential anxiety attack. This, done for a short time, helped me learn to sleep (which I had previously never been good at). But once off it, anxiety again, and in fact, anxiety and nightmares is a side-effect of quitting the drugs.

Long story short, when I quit WHEAT two years ago, the anxiety attacks substantially diminished. I think I've had three in two years (and not so severe, either), when I used to have at least once a month, and probably more. I've only quit GLUTEN now for a little under a month, and haven't had any.

I will say that I have a severe phobia about vomiting. If my stomach starts to hurt in the least, I get very upset and think it might turn into vomiting. This makes me so anxious that my stomach feels worse. It is interesting now that I'm old enough to recognize it. I have to TALK myself out of being anxious about it. "You're not going to throw up, it's just mild indigestion"...whatever sounds good to calm myself down. Once my husband and I both ate halibut and right before he went to sleep he said, "I wonder if that halibut was bad?"...and I didn't sleep the whole night.

Oh yes, another thing - I almost always got my anxiety attacks after eating, and frequently it was pizza or spaghetti. Though the gluten was probably part of the culprit, I know for a fact that cooked tomatoes give me anxiety attacks as well, maybe even just from the association of getting sick on it so much as a kid.

Good luck. I just told my story because honestly, losing this anxiety is one of the most profound effects of going off wheat. I still have serious problems getting filled with anxiety over the smallest stomach ache, but I think that will start to get better for me too.

[DeeTee33]

I have been on a Gluten-Free diet for 2 1/2 years now. Before going on the Gluten-Free diet I rarely ever had an anxiety attack. I know i'm going through stressful times but I am having anxiety attacks quite often.

I have heard certain vitamins, such as B6 and B12 would help with anxiety. Does anyone know if that is true or not?

Before I start taking different vitamins I would love some input from others.

[BRUMI1968]

I just saw the nutritionist yesterday and he told me that anxiety can be caused by Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency...probably the other B vitamins as well as they work in tandem.

You need to get sublingual B12, which absorbs better. It's not that expensive; you just chew it up a bit and let it dissolve in your mouth. As to folate, I've not seen a sublingual variety that was gluten free, and I take it in pill form.

Mineral deficiencies can also cause anxiety.

[DeeTee33]

I just saw the nutritionist yesterday and he told me that anxiety can be caused by Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency...probably the other B vitamins as well as they work in tandem.

You need to get sublingual B12, which absorbs better. It's not that expensive; you just chew it up a bit and let it dissolve in your mouth. As to folate, I've not seen a sublingual variety that was gluten free, and I take it in pill form.

Mineral deficiencies can also cause anxiety.

Thanks so much, I will give it a try!

[jerseyangel]

Just curious if anyone has noticed anxiety in their children who have celiac? I have three boys and the one suspected to have celiac suffers from it and for no apparent reason. It is really bad when he says his tummy hurts. If he is feeling well then there is no anxiety in sight. Is that common? Or am I looking at blaming a personality trait on this?

Hi Leigh--This is from my own experience, but as a child and as an adult, I have always experienced anxiety--much in the same pattern as your son. Back before I knew what was really wrong, I would be anxious, and in my 20's, this progressed to panic attacks. Looking back, it would always correspond with stomach upset--something I had frequently. It wasn't until I was finally diagnosed with Celiac at age 49 that I learned that anxiety was a symptom. My guess with your son is that it's not a personality trait, as it looks to be connected to his stomach issues--has he been tested yet for Celiac? I would definately persue that