Anxiety And Panic, When Does It Subside?

[AliB]

It is interesting that some find that their anxiety attacks are worse when they have been glutened. If that is one of your genetic 'vulnerabilities' then that would make sense. The intolerance would highlight that weakness.

Any malabsorption, even low-level, will impact on the body somewhere. It just depends on an individuals' vulnerability as to where deficiencies show up. Have you been tested for hypothyroidism? Even Sub-clinical deficiency can cause things like panic and anxiety.

Those are not things that I have ever suffered from, although my daughter has, but a few weeks ago, just after I started gluten-free/DF, I awoke in the night with a terrible attack that I can only imagine was panic, with my heart fit to burst through my chest, which was very frightening.

At the time I had also noticed that my hands were going numb and my feet/legs were prickling. My initial suspicion was anemia, probably B12 or folate as my Hg levels were ok. The doc sent off a test but that came back normal (what ever that is! How can they tell what normal is when half the people that are used as controls are also probably underlyingly gluten intolerant!). I then did some more investigation and found that those symptoms can be indicative of low thyroid function.

The next day I got some kelp tablets and haven't looked back since. I have also made sure that I take a good broad range of vitamins, minerals and trace elements including calcium and magnesium. Magnesium is apparently one of the first minerals to become deplete and a deficiency of that can also be behind anxiety and panic. It is very limited in our modern diet. The soil is deplete and rarely replenished, the plants are deplete due to the overuse of fertilizers and chemicals, stress will deplete magnesium levels as will medications and other factors. The following is an interesting page about Magnesium - www.krispin.com/magnes.html

I tend to take all my main vitamin and mineral supplements at the same time with a meal as so many of them seem to act with one another in order to metabolize effectively. I am currently taking a good multi vit, mineral and trace element capsule plus calcium, magnesium, B-complex and vitamin C along with the kelp and other herbal remedies.

In any case, due to long-term malabsorption due to damage to the gut from foods like gluten and dairy, it seems advisable to supplement at least for a while until the gut has had a chance to recover and health issues have subsided.

[AliB]

Another very interesting reference to magnesium deficiency - www.worldwidehealthcenter.net/articles-360.html

Ironically, grains, especially wholemeal carry a fairly high level of magnesium. When that group is dropped from the diet, then part of the supplementation is lost, which may explain why some, although they initially feel better, actually start to regress after a while as the nutrient level falls further.

Again, another article reinforcing the fact that supplementation is very important and why.

[Blondie]

Anyone have more information with regards to serotonin and if serotonin-levels are affected by the autoimmune-damage caused by celiac disease?

[flourgirl]

Check out Dr. Rodney Ford site. He has a lot of info. on the gut-brain-body connections.

I took multivitamins for most of my adult life. I also took B supplements on top of that for years because of muscle cramps and nerve twitches (it helped a lot). I also have been taking Calcium with D for at least 10 years. Even with all of that I had anemia that would not go away, when I got so sick last summer I developed severe muscle cramping (the ones in my back actually took my breath away), my arms, hands and feet would often "fall asleep", but different than falling asleep. When I had my blood work done after I finally got diagnosed, my nutrient levels were all low. Your body just can't absorb them, depending on the damage you've sustained. I can't imagine how sick I could have gotten without all of these supplements. I think even with a decent diet, you aren't able to get everything you need to be healthy and that supplement are necessary.

[Wonka]

I take a multivitamin, Vit D and magnesium. I have not found a calcium supplement that my gut can tolerate (and it's expensive trying all that is available). I have recently been able to add dairy back and I eat alot of vegies and fruit, brown rice, quinoa, protein etc.. My gut has been feeling terrific. I also have fibromyalgia and that has been acting up lately (I'm hoping with time that that will improve as alot of my symptoms are similar to celiac symptoms). I'm staying optimistic, time will tell.

[AliB]

Wonka, how long have you been gluten-free? It's good to see someone who is really beginning to feel better. I have only been going for a month so it's early days and I have improved in some ways but not others. On top, I have caught a virus and am feeling pretty weak and tired from that so it's knocked me back - mind you, I have a lot of catarrgh with it and I keep thinking that maybe my body is using the opportunity to off-load a heap of toxins which can only be a good thing! I've had it about me now though for nearly a week and have had enough - can I get better now please?

Flourgirl, I noticed you mentioned muscle cramps - going back to magnesium, that is known to help cramping and nerve problems. I do feel that half the time we are just chucking the supplements down the drain because our bodies can't absorb them properly, but what do you do? If the medical profession was on the ball with it all and were able to test and pinpoint deficiencies, then vitamins and minerals, etc, could be targeted and administered in a way that was absorbable.

Sorry - I went into 'ideal world' mode then, silly me. What was I thinking of?