Panic Attack From Gluten Poisoning?

[meldesigns]

I have been gluten free since April of this year. After several months of fatigue, anxiety, and various stomach issues my doctor did hormone testing and diagnosed me with adrenal fatigue. She suggested the gluten free diet as a way to alleviate some of my symptoms, along with lots of vitamins and stress reduction. Over the last several months of being on the diet I have felt so much better and have been doing a lot of research and feel that I could have celiac. My gluten reaction will come on from the tiniest bit, I even had to switch all of my personal care items. I suspected that my Mom may have it too, so she had the blood test but it was inconclusive (she had already gone gluten free but had accidentally had some at the time of the test) and they suggested she have a biopsy. She just decided to skip that though and go gluten free as well and she has felt better too.

I know usually within 20 minutes if I have been glutened...the foggy feeling, headache, and a wave will come over me that starts almost like a panic attack (I have had panic attacks occasionally for the last several years) and then my stomach issues start. Usually I will begin to feel better within a few hours, but I don't feel 100% for about a week after. Friday night I was glutened at O'Charley's, and it must have been worse than normal because I had a more severe reaction. I have felt a little better each day since, but tonight totally out of the blue I had a mild panic attack! Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else??

Thank you...I feel a bit crazy sometimes trying to deal with all of this.

Melissa

[Ahorsesoul]

Welcome to the wonderful world of going gluten free. Sounds about normal for getting some gluten. There are many reactions that people have so this isn't so unusual

[summerteeth]

Panic attacks are definitely common around these parts

For me, it is one of the longest lasting side effects of a glutening.

[hknowlto]

Panic attacks are definitely common around these parts

For me, it is one of the longest lasting side effects of a glutening.

Do you do anything to help deal with the panic attacks, or just live with it? They are so troubling.

[meldesigns]

Do you do anything to help deal with the panic attacks, or just live with it? They are so troubling.

When I started having them a few years ago I found the Linden Method online, it worked great for me. I use the techniques that Charles Linden teaches to stop the panic attack. The biggest thing that works for me is just telling myself that I am here and fine, and that actually stops it.

[miles2go]

Panic attacks are definitely common around these parts

For me, it is one of the longest lasting side effects of a glutening.

Yes, same here.

[mamies8]

While I would NEVER wish anxiety on even my worst enemy, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who has this problem! I have been gluten-free for over 2 years now and anxiety is a huge issue for me. There are times when I have a hard time figuring out if my stomache issues are from a gluten whoops or from my anxiety. I experiance the same pattern as you, usually the initial symptoms last for only a couple hours, but for the next couple of days eating for me is difficult due to my body being unable to properly digest anything, not to mention feeling so drained that just walking is exshausting. SOOOOO....you are not crazy! I find that drinking lots of water and doing something that keeps my mind on other things(like crosswords or playing a computer game) help during those first couple of hours after an anxiety attack/gluten whoops. Good luck!

[jkr]

This happened to me just last night & I when I saw this post, I thought to myself, "this is me exactly."

We went to a restaurant last night & I got glutened. All of a sudden when I got home I started with brain fog and was very sleepy. Then the anxiety came. I was having a panic attack for sure. I couldn't sleep well all night, my heart was racing, I had stomach issues. It's awful!

I took Xanax finally when I felt like a was crawling out of my skin. It did help.

I can definitely empathize with everyone who has had this.

[thleensd]

Yep...me too. It was one of the final pieces of my puzzle before I was diagnosed. Scary. But reading up on them helped. Also, understanding the science of it-being able to tell myself that it was "just" my body having an inappropriate adrenaline reaction helped.

Fall back? prescription anti-anxiety meds. Haven't taken them for months and months...but kinda nice to know they're there just in case!

I don't know for certain, but I sense that as all of my systems get back to normal, the anxiety will disappear. It's at least it has GREATLY lessened.

Good luck.