Depression

[Guest maybe I have celiac]

Did your depression get better or worse going Gluten Free?

[Rosebud710]

I'm not sure about my depression because I have other things going on in my life that are bringing me down. BUT, my panic attacks have pretty much stopped! I've heard that going gluten-free can relieve these symptoms and I'm hoping once things subside, my depressed feelings will also go away.

[missy'smom]

I still get down about things on occasion, mostly when I've been glutened-even just a little CC, but it's NOTHING like I used to experience and when I haven't been glutened in a long time I am balanced and focused and enjoy my life. These days, CC will bring out my neuro/psycho symptoms more than GI.

I see that you've been gluten-free a short time. Give your body plenty of time to heal. Fatigue can play into depression as well. I still really struggled with fatigue many months into gluten-free but it has gradually gotten better over time.

[blueeyedmanda]

I didn't quite have depression but my attitude, anxiety, and panic attacks all got much better and have almost disappeared since going gluten free. The panic attacks mainly stemmed around getting sick in public places, and having "D" attacks, and my attitude was on a downward spiral mainly because I was always sick and no one knew why, so I was scared and worried about missing work all the time.

Happy to report things are much much better.

[MNBeth]

Mine definitely got worse first - as did my gastro symptoms. But it's getting better, now. (It was worse for about three weeks. Then I actually went back on gluten for a couple of weeks for some tests. When I went off gluten the second time, I felt much better.) I'm still pretty new, though, too, and still a bit up and down. But the depression is definitely better than it was pre-gluten-free.

Did your depression get better or worse going Gluten Free?

[dandelionmom]

My anxiety is better. I don't have depression though.

[DingoGirl]

My god, it's been life-altering. Depression........I used to cry every single day......and now......I just cried the other day and realized that it had been months since I'd cried.

Removing gluten from my life and brain has been the single most impactful thing that has ever happened in my life! I'm a bit of a crusader, in fact......

what about you? Are you experiencing depression?

[ravenwoodglass]

The little red feet stopped dancing on my soul at about week three. I had suffered all my life and even attempted suicide at 11. The only time I have any depression issues now is for about 24 hours after I am glutened. Still a bit of anxiety but nothing not handleable but my depression is now gone, gone, gone. My DS saw the same effect also but for him there are still way to many rough days (Mom strongly believes he also has a casien intolerance but he is very reluctant to eliminate it). That said he came to be about 6 months after diagnosis and remarked that he was happy and that he had never known what that felt like before. He was 20. I cried.

[Carl's mom]

For me, it has gotten a thousand times better. I have been virtually gluten free for a year now (aside from the occasional regretted cheat!). Last year at this time, I was so fatigued, sad, and anxious. I had random panic attacks that came out of no where. I think I was depressed because I had no energy to do anything. Any change in routine or "extra" unplanned activity sent me over the edge. It made no sense to me because from the outside looking in my life was the calmest it has ever been.

Today, I have baked several batches of gluten-free Christmas cookies and I feel great. I was just reflecting that last year this time, just the 2 or 3 batches I made were a huge chore that too days. I'm rambling, but to sum it up....there is hope.

Laura

[MrMark]

Did your depression get better or worse going Gluten Free?

Depression and gluten go hand in hand for me. I have always suffered from an awful bipolar like nuisance and when I went gluten-free, the mood roller coaster settled out. As far as I can remember, these manic/depressive swings have been with me. I could go from manic to depressed in hours and this cycle would repeat at least several times a week . If I get glutened, the manic/depressive cycle returns for a couple of days.

Over the years, my psychiatrist has prescribed at different times: paxil, risperdal (BAD STUFF),Wellbutrin and neurontin. My psychiatrist was always perplexed as to why the meds never helped me. I slept almost the entire time I was on Paxil, Dr didn't expect that from this anti-depressant. Neurontin (Gabapentin) was the only one that helped my depression in any bit and it's an anti-seizure med. Yes, gluten free has helped my depression.

[Guest maybe I have celiac]

My god, it's been life-altering. Depression........I used to cry every single day......and now......I just cried the other day and realized that it had been months since I'd cried.

Removing gluten from my life and brain has been the single most impactful thing that has ever happened in my life! I'm a bit of a crusader, in fact......

what about you? Are you experiencing depression?

I have had life long depression, since teen years. i have tried everything, meds counseling etc. to try to cure myself. I would get angry for no reason or have panic attacks, which I attributed to job stress. a few months ago, i read an internet article about a man who removed gluten and dairy from his diet and his life long dpression disappeared, which led me to this site. i have been removing gluten and casein from my diet for the past few months and some days i feel like a new person, like that enthusiasm I had when i was a kid.

been going through a divorce and my depression has gotten worse. I dont know if the divorce was a biproduct of diet. some people say we just fell out of love. i occassionally cheat, i have breakdowns and I dont know if it is my diet or just the circumstances. could i be that sensitive to gluten? i have some food allergy tests coming back in a week or so, I am really hoping for a strong positive, if not, i will do enterolab. i just dont want to keep taking tests to have a self fulfilling prophecy.

how long did it take for you to notice the effects of removing gluten? how much does it take for you to get depressed again? I appreciate your feedback

[ravenwoodglass]

i occassionally cheat, i have breakdowns and I dont know if it is my diet or just the circumstances. could i be that sensitive to gluten? i have some food allergy tests coming back in a week or so, I am really hoping for a strong positive, if not, i will do enterolab. i just dont want to keep taking tests to have a self fulfilling prophecy.

how long did it take for you to notice the effects of removing gluten? how much does it take for you to get depressed again? I appreciate your feedback

If your depression is celiac related you can NOT cheat. It will keep that nasty cycle going. Yes you can be that sensitive, celiac is an autoimmune mediated disorder. What that means is that even the tiniest amount will start that autoimmune process going in full swing. It then will take a week or two for it to turn off again. There also is a withdrawl aspect to gluten for many and cheating keeps that withdrawl going, and going, and going.

The real key is in something that MR Mark said:

"Neurontin (Gabapentin) was the only one that helped my depression in any bit and it's an anti-seizure med"

This does not surprise me at all. For many the depression and anxiety that are present with celiac are a direct result of misfiring (seizures) in the area of the brain that controls emotions. Medicating with an antiseizure med stops the misfiring. Unfortunatlely it does not stop the damage that is still occuring in the brain that can lead to parathesias, nerve damage and partial paralysis. Like what happened to me. Also many of the antiseizure meds are extrememly toxic and we often need very high levels to acchieve a partial remission of depressive symptoms. Partner that with a poorly functioning gut mucosa and you perhaps understand why those of us with neuropredominent celiac reallly, really need to be strict and try to avoid those meds.

[Katydid]

I have a celiac husband who is a super high engergetic individual; and the kindest, gentlest and most loving and giving person you could ever meet.

So much so that our children often say their is surely an angel in heaven knitting his halo.

But when this wonderful man accidently gets glutened. WATCH OUT! You have never seen such a transformation. He becomes extremely depresssed, moody, argumentative, horribly fatigued, very achy, sleepy, has brain fog, chills; and actually acts old.

After a few days or so, he's back to his old self again. There is certainly no doubt in our mind about gluten causing depression. .

[Cath4k]

I have not been confirmed gluten intolerant yet, although I finally ordered the test and will be taking it soon.

Here's my crazy story:

I have never suffered from depression. I had some depressive type of episodes in my teens and very early twenties, but nothing for a long, long, long time.

By nature of all four of my dc going gluten free a few months ago, I did too. I have found that if I get even the tiniest amount of cross contamination, I am a raving lunatic. Seriously. I either have a fit of rage and/or mind numbing depression! Depression like I never knew existed! I have crying fits and feel like I can't cope and my life is too overwhelming. It is the weirdest and most horrible experience. Of course, because we all eat the same for the most part, when I get CCed, my dc and dh do too. So while my family is suffering side-effects (which includes major behavioral issues in my 4 yo and major sensory issues in my 2 yo), I am not of a rational mind-set to cope with it, so I end up crying myself to sleep the night I get glutened. It helps if I can recognize that I was glutened, because then I know it is just a reaction that will pass soon. It is the weirdest sensation - knowing rationally that I am being totally irrational, but not being able to control those irrational feelings (even if I don't act on them.)

My dh has had a similar reaction. He is a very even-keeled sort of guy, but he gets very irritable and angry and somewhat depressed, too. My dc each also have the same sorts of reaction. It actually helps me understand them when they are reacting. I can understand that desperately sad, lonely, overwhelmed feeling that comes from NOWHERE related to circumstances (although the mind wants to find a circumstance to blame it on.) It helps me parent through reactions with a WHOLE lot of compassion.

Fortunately we all have other physical reactions, so it is pretty easy to tell that we have been glutened. We are still learning though so we don't always recognize it immediately. For us, we are not cheating...we are trying to eat very clean, but we are SUPER sensitive to CC.

Anyway, I hope that helps in some way. I agree that you need to NOT cheat and make sure you are not getting CCed.

Blessings,

Cathy

[DingoGirl]

how long did it take for you to notice the effects of removing gluten? how much does it take for you to get depressed again? I appreciate your feedback

oh dear........

you cannot cheat!!!!!!!!!!

I cheated this past summer......half a pizza one night and then...soemthing else....I can't even remember. Nothing happened intestinally, because my gut has healed.

However, within a day or two - I was DEEPLY depressed, and this lasted over two weeks.

Since my depression - and it sounds like yours too - is lifelong, I believe - and have read things to support this - that our brains and neuropathways are furrowed and rutted in very unhealthy ways.....unlike "normal" people, who become sad when real life issues would dictate such emotion. So.......even now, with quite good mental health, I can go from "zero to suicide" in about 60 seconds. And I have to STOP myself......and think calmly.......because these OLD gluten-brained patterns can sometimes still color my emotional response. Takes LOTS of retraining.

So at Thanksgiving, I became deeply disappointed - once again - with some family scenarios that always play out.......and I plummeted.....so went back on therapeutic dose of antidepressants, because my thinking became horribly toxic.

Just got through Christmas, and the same, wretched, apathetic things played themselves out again - I WANT A NEW FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - but, I had only one day of deep, wretched sadness.....I think medication helps.

A divorce can be, from what I've heard, worse than a death........so you have reason to be quite sad. Take quite good care of yourself......watch what you eat......and if your thinking becomes unreasonably toxic, consider medication.

BTW, I came out of my deep, horrible fog within six days of removing gluten, nearly two years ago. Fell into a few significant pits. Now, doing better than I ever thought possible.

you will get there. DON"T CHEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! gluten is EVIL for us!!!!!!!!!

[MrMark]

....

how long did it take for you to notice the effects of removing gluten? how much does it take for you to get depressed again?

It took about three days for my depression to begin to subside. It seems like the depression tapered off for a week or so, providing some kind of happy high for me.

All my life, I suffered from bad manic depression cycles and being gluten-free has completely stopped the cycling.

However, upon being glutened, I feel the cycle come back. The mania and depression are not as bad as before, but still suck! I get at least one manic cycle and then after about 3 days it is usually gone. I hate going through the manic-depressive cycles, the cycling is very destructive to both our minds and bodies.

If you learn that gluten is related to your depression, you must find a way to avoid it (do not cheat). You may find that being gluten-free is such a positive change that you won't even want to consume or use gluten containing products ever again. My hope is that you are successful in overcoming your depression!

[melrobsings]

I don't know if it's Gluten or stress but i have depression as well...actually I'm bipolar and I have found that Wellbutrin works GREAT for me!

I find it funny that none of us know each other but here we all are chatting about BM's, diseases, depression....tee hee hee what table talk!

[DingoGirl]

However, upon being glutened, I feel the cycle come back. The mania and depression are not as bad as before, but still suck! I get at least one manic cycle and then after about 3 days it is usually gone. I hate going through the manic-depressive cycles, the cycling is very destructive to both our minds and bodies.

Mark - are you taking any psychotropics? I still take a small dose of Seroquel - really helps with sleep. It's about 1/4 the dose I took before gluten removal. I really don't have mania any more.....but can still slip into depression. Just wondering if you might need a small dose of something for balance? Yet......three days of mania is probably just short enough that you can wait it out? But yes.....destructive.

I find it funny that none of us know each other but here we all are chatting about BM's, diseases, depression....tee hee hee what table talk!

that's why we love this place!

[MrMark]

Living gluten-free keeps the bipolar away. I don't have any trouble staying off gluten just knowing that. I don't take any meds for the swings. I just have to deal with the symptoms for a few days after the glutening. I absolutely hate bipolar swings, not sure how I or anybody else can tolerate those cruel cycles.

In hindsight, I'm not sure how I've made it to 35 years old and never figured out what the gluten was doing to me all that time.

Question: I used to always wake up feeling like I had a hangover even though I didn't drink a drop. I think it was a gluten hangover, anybody experience a gluten hangover?

[melrobsings]

I GET GLUTEN HANGOVERS TOOOOOOO!!!!!! I HATE them! my entire life I wake up feeling like that and then when i was old enough to drink I thought....well what everyone calls a "hangover".. i feel that way EVERY DARN DAY! ugh! Now it's better and I just get "real" hangovers!

I'm still on my meds and will continue to do so, my moods have been way out of whack the past week cause I got sloppy about taking them every day and now I'm miserable. Learned that lesson there, note to self: take meds everyday!

[Guest maybe I have celiac]

Living gluten-free keeps the bipolar away. I don't have any trouble staying off gluten just knowing that. I don't take any meds for the swings. I just have to deal with the symptoms for a few days after the glutening. I absolutely hate bipolar swings, not sure how I or anybody else can tolerate those cruel cycles.

In hindsight, I'm not sure how I've made it to 35 years old and never figured out what the gluten was doing to me all that time.

Question: I used to always wake up feeling like I had a hangover even though I didn't drink a drop. I think it was a gluten hangover, anybody experience a gluten hangover?

Hey, reading your post, yes, I would feel hungover too, and I didnt drink the few days before, I think you are right.

Jim

[YoloGx]

Hi,

Yeah, until I changed my diet I felt like I had been run over by a truck every morning since I was too young too remember. I thought of the morning as being obscene. Am now starting to enjoy mornings though I still have those days.

I think I need to get my mother new cutting boards and frying pans etc. since even though now she too is now on a gluten free diet I get a hangover after eating with her. Plus my elbows and lower part of my neck etc. start aching really bad. Swimming helps thankfully however I'd rather not have to go through it.

I also used to see people or hear music that wasn't actually there sometimes. Fortunately I didn't freak, I just thought it was odd or curious. I found B vitamins really help against this... Plus eventually found diet really helped stop it.

I read recently that 80 percent of schizophrenics have celiac. So why do they give everyone drugs that harms their liver and kidneys??! when all they have to do is change their diet. That burns me.

I think too restless leg syndrome is caused by this too. Yeah get out and walk five miles every night and do yoga and still have burning legs and feet etc. !! When again a gluten free diet (without sugar!!) plus B vitamins, vitamin D, and the minerals (calcium, magnesium plus kelp etc.) is the real answer--not that exercise isn't key.

I was just reading in fact that celiacs probably need to exercise more than other people since we are closer to the old hunter gatherers--its part of our inheritance. Just didn't make the transition to grains very well. If we don't eat the grains our immune system is actually stronger than others since we are more resistant to infections. For me this seems to be true. Now I never even get a sniffle unless I eat something I shouldn't.

Yolo

[MrMark]

Hi Yolo -

I could never understand how people could wake up in the morning and be happy, energetic and ready to go. Darn gluten. It really causes a hangover of sorts. At least with the other one I got some benefit the evening before .

That music thing is bizarre, but I never visually hallucinated people. Before gluten free, as I would just be falling asleep and I would often hear or perceive complex classical music. Weird, but I don't know or listen to any classical music, how did it get in my memory ? At first I would check my radio power switch. Then I just accepted that it wasn't going away. Sometimes it was soft rock, and it happened no more than twice a month. That is gone now, along with an annoying, low intensity, constant buzzing in both of my ears. Funny - I sometimes would hear a song that was in my memory from years ago that I had completely forgot about and I suddenly remembered the words when I woke up the next day - FREAKY!

You have to be careful. I have read that many cases of schizophrenia are not affected by diet, but I am sure that some of them may benefit from the diet. One thing for sure, gluten can certainly trash our bodies and minds.

[YoloGx]

Hi Yolo -

I could never understand how people could wake up in the morning and be happy, energetic and ready to go. Darn gluten. It really causes a hangover of sorts. At least with the other one I got some benefit the evening before .

That music thing is bizarre, but I never visually hallucinated people. Before gluten free, as I would just be falling asleep and I would often hear or perceive complex classical music. Weird, but I don't know or listen to any classical music, how did it get in my memory ? At first I would check my radio power switch. Then I just accepted that it wasn't going away. Sometimes it was soft rock, and it happened no more than twice a month. That is gone now, along with an annoying, low intensity, constant buzzing in both of my ears. Funny - I sometimes would hear a song that was in my memory from years ago that I had completely forgot about and I suddenly remembered the words when I woke up the next day - FREAKY!

You have to be careful. I have read that many cases of schizophrenia are not affected by diet, but I am sure that some of them may benefit from the diet. One thing for sure, gluten can certainly trash our bodies and minds.

Hi Mark,

The music thing was infrequent for me. But one time it did sound like angels singing! It was after seeing an inspiring movie however. Later when I helped a friend with writing words to music it started happening again. I also would easily replay conversations and try them out different ways. The people thing was a little more shocking though I generally just thought it slightly amusing. It never was particularly significant except for a very few times.

I was aware of ancient people having these experiences since my parents had been archaeologists and my father was trained as an ethnologist. He used to discuss the various ritual practices and beliefs of a variety of peoples at the dinner table.

However given all this it was only natural I became an artist. I have a well developed need to express my imagination and all that. I have always known the difference between states of mind i.e., what is real and what is not. However I was at least somewhat concerned as a young adult and read a book called The Schizophrenias, Yours and Mine which helped since it suggested B vitamins. I tried them and it helped though it wasn't sufficient in itself. Going off gluten and a number of other allergens was. And later taking better absorbed co-enzyme B vitamins which has helped me sleep better and have less aching joints, and no longer heart palpitations etc.

About the schizo thing however there was a study by an American doctor (Mendell? in the late 80-'s I think) of a psychiatric hospital back East wherein they removed all the common allergens. They found that 80 percent of the schizophrenics went into remission. This kind of thing apparently is well known in Europe. Why not here?? And why not more studies?? Fortunately it is gradually becoming more known but I think its important to get the word out.

A good friend of mine died in effect from taking lithium for 15 years for his schizophrenia. He had to go off it since it was ruining his kidneys. Afterwards they put him on something else but it was ruining his ability to write--and with nothing to live for he ended up killing himself. His nervous system was so degraded he shook all the time -- much like what started to happen to me before I discovered I had sprue. If he had known about diet he might still be here.

I may have been one of the ones that got away by standard measures. However by discovering what I needed to do through investigation of my diet (due to rapidly losing my right kidney as a young adult) it helped turn this around for me. Basically I was really toxified by my condition of gluten intolerance although I didn't know it. Fortunately my grandmother suggested diet might help as it had her. She and her brothers were allergic to almost everything. I didn't think I was since it didn't affect my stomach. However I had horrible skin and farts plus a bloated belly and was fequently ill usally for longer periods of time than anyone else with the standard flues and bronchitis. Gradually I found a lot of my allergies affected my thinking as well as my joints, belly, skin and kidneys. I kept journals and did the Coca pulse test, elimination diet and everything. Unfortunately however I still ate barley and had wheat and oats now and again.

My doctor of course just wanted me on antibiotics forever which I knew was wrong since they made my ears ring and my head fog. Fortunately I got into diet and herbs instead--which really saved my life.

I think now the herbs have the potential to be a very useful addition to the average celiac's diet by helping heal the gut a lot faster than just plain avoidance of gluten alone.

I still do my art and writing etc. of course. This experience made it so my creative mind is a way of life. However I am also a very practical person, in charge of a crew who renovates houses etc.

Yolo