Dizziness/lightheadedness

[mbledtke]

I just started a new thread before I found this one - sounds like what I'm experiencing.  Any insights?

 

Oh boy, do I need help.  Hoping someone can give me some insight.....

 

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in March 2013.  I immediately went gluten free, and noticed incredible improvements in my overall well-being - most markedly mentally.

 

For most of my adult life I suffered with anxiety, depression, irritability, brain fog.  I took antidepressants (Zoloft) for a time, but have been off of them for approx 7 years.....I have taken Xanax on an as-needed basis (if my anxiety got intolerable - this usually only happened a few times a year for a day or two at most.  Another thing that I feel is related is that I have always lost a good amount of hair when I showered in the morning.  

 

My diagnosis came after a LONG bout of gut pain/GI issues.  I had NO idea that my mental difficulties were related to gluten.  Within about 10 days of stopping gluten my gut problems resolved completely, but to my delight, my anxiety and brain fog disappeared COMPLETELY!!!  It has been like a new life for me - I have felt great!!  The only time I get the anxiety/brain fog back is if I accidentally glutened.  I am VERY strict - CC only seems to happen when not eating at home.  The other thing we noticed is that within a few weeks of going gluten-free I no longer lost any hair in the shower.  

 

So, here's my problem.  My anxiety/irritability/brain fog is BACK.  It's bad.  Basically I have been living like I've been consistently glutened for the past 3 months or so.  I am NOT eating any gluten.  I am vigilant about that.  I cut oats approx 2 months ago to see if that would be a culprit (I only ingested certified gluten-free oats anyways) - no change.  I have terrible brain fog  - I feel so lightheaded that it sometimes feels like I'm about to faint.  I've had a few anxiety attacks, and am constantly irritable and anxious.  I am a professional, and find it hard to work with my patients - I sometimes feel so lightheaded that I'm not even sure I'm formulating sentences correctly.  I find it sometimes hard to find words.  I feel like I'm losing my mind.  I am also back to losing a lot of hair in the shower.  SOMETHING has changed, but I cannot figure it out.  

 

This all started around April/May of this year.  Around that time I had herniated a disc in my back, and was on muscle relaxants, pain killers, and steriods for that.  I assumed my foggy headedness was due to all the drugs I was on, but I have been off all meds since the first week of June, and these feelings have not subsided.  Around that time I started a relatively high dose of Vitamin D - around 7000 UI as I was vitamin D deficient.  I have heard anecdotal evidence that too much Vitamin D can throw off your magnesium, which can lead to brain fog and depression - stopped the Vitamin D about a week ago - no change yet.  

 

Have seen my primary care doc a few times.  Tested my celiac blood panel (best it has ever been), Thyroid (TSH - within normal limits), inflammatory markers (all within normal limits).  

 

My doc has recommended going back to Zoloft, but I hesitate.  I am DESPERATE to feel better, but I don't want to mask the problem - I want to find out WHY this is happening!

 

I sincerely thank you for reading my long-winded post, and will be grateful for ANY ideas/suggestions anyone might have.  

 

Thanks!!!!!!

 

Moni 

[Gab951]

There is the occasional Dizziness that I encounter, but on top of that, does anyone experience Tingling in their Hands and Feet?  I am taking Prilosec for Acid Reflux and also experiencing indigestion.  To the point where I have started taking Gas X to try and relieve the pressure. 

[cyclinglady]

There is the occasional Dizziness that I encounter, but on top of that, does anyone experience Tingling in their Hands and Feet?  I am taking Prilosec for Acid Reflux and also experiencing indigestion.  To the point where I have started taking Gas X to try and relieve the pressure.

Welcome!

Have you been diagnosed with celiac disease? Vitamin deficiencies are common in those newly diagnosed. I would try to get to the root cause of your indigestion and bloating instead of just medicating. Just my two cents!

[StClair]

There are different causes for dizziness. I have had several experiences of awful vertigo, one sending me to the emergency room, and in each case the cause could be traced to my ears. Blowing my nose heavily/repeatedly, a broken eardrum one time after plane flight. Tiny crystals floating in the inner ear fluid get disturbed and cause havoc with your equilibrium. But I can also have a milder form of dizziness/wooziness when my ears get congested from too much dairy. I find I can only have a serving of milk or cheese once every two or three days or I start to get weird and dizzy. This is all just me though, and not sure if it is Celiac related in any way.

[HannahZ]

The $100, 000 question is: why do we get dizzy AFTER going gluten-free? I never had anything like it before going gluten-free, even though I had a ton of stomach pain.

I also noticed the dizziness after I went gluten free, but in my case it started when I attempted a gluten challenge. After the challenge I apparently became extremely sensitive to even trace gluten contamination.  I am now on a super strict gluten-free diet and doing well (the cross contamination elimination diet I read about in a study by Dr. Fasano and others). I made one tiny mistake two or three weeks ago, while following this diet, and I quickly experienced neuro symptoms, including the dizziness. I think when the diet is sufficiently clean, the body gets a break.  But maybe then our defenses are down and accidental gluten ingestion is worse? I wonder.  Alternatively, it could be that when the diet is clean it makes it easy for the body to signal "avoid that food!" -- I did have that impression when I made my recent mistake. I appreciated the signal and I have made no mistakes since. 

 

All of that said, I would also check blood pressure and blood sugar. It would be smart to consult a doctor to make sure it isn't anything else going on. I know my BP and blood sugar are ok. Mine is just plain dizziness, but I do have some other neuro stuff going on as well (you are lucky not to have that). 

[CeliacBurger]

  I just wanted to comment here: anything that happens in your gut, can directly affect your brain. Both are connected to each other directly by the vagus nerve, and any adverse events going on in your gut, can absolutely result in brain symptoms. That can include dizziness as well as nausea at the same time. Intestines are called the second brain for a reason.