Bipolar Disorder & Adhd

[nikelodeon79]

I was reading in Elisabeth Hasselbeck's book that it is thought that Celiac Disease can make the symptoms of bipolar disorder and ADHD worse. Well, I have both psychological conditions and had definitely felt an increase in symptoms over the past several months, coinciding with the increase in digestive issues that ultimately led to my diagnosis.

So, is there any truth to this? Or am I just imagining things?

[ravenwoodglass]

You may find you get some relief from both once you have been on the diet for a while. If you are on medications make sure you stay in touch with the prescribing doctor as with time your dose may need to be adjusted. Some of us have had great relief from these issues once we have been gluten free for a few months others will still struggle with them. It depends on the person.

Welcome to the board and ask any questions you need to. Read as much as you can and I hope you are feeling better soon.

[Skylark]

I was reading in Elisabeth Hasselbeck's book that it is thought that Celiac Disease can make the symptoms of bipolar disorder and ADHD worse. Well, I have both psychological conditions and had definitely felt an increase in symptoms over the past several months, coinciding with the increase in digestive issues that ultimately led to my diagnosis.

So, is there any truth to this? Or am I just imagining things?

Heck yes! You are not imagining anything.

[nikelodeon79]

Thanks. :-) The doctor who diagnosed me with Celiac is wonderful... he commented on the amount of medication I'm on and said I may want to think about decreasing it. I've bounced around from person to person as far as my psychiatric meds... the clinic I go to for counsling never can seem to keep anyone long. I'm on:

Trileptal: 600mg

Seroquel: 50mg

Wellbutrin: 250mg (I think... can't remember that one off hand)

It sure would be nice to not have to take so many medications... the side effects are no fun and sometimes I just feel drugged!

[starrytrekchic]

Celiac can definitely make bipolar worse. First, it can decrease your vitamin and mineral levels--if certain ones of these are too low, your brain is less able to regulate itself. If you haven't already, you should have all your vitamin and mineral levels screened to see if you're deficient in anything. It can also lead to depression--especially with the mind/gut connection--which would of course exacerbate bp symptoms.

For me, I very much leveled off mood-wise after going gluten free. Before, I would be up for three days to a week, then down for the same amount--almost constantly cycling up/down. Since going gluten-free, the intensity of these intermittent symptoms (which would occur outside the major episodes) has decreased in severity and number both. Mind you, it was a very gradual decrease in these intermittent symptoms (going on 9 months now), but it was a noticeably steady decline. It won't happen overnight.

It's not a cure for BP. You'll still be at risk of major episodes, and, if you're like me, you'll still be at risk of serious depression after being glutened, but it does make things better.

You might take the time to look at a comprehensive approach to dealing with BP. There are plenty of books out there that give techniques and pointers on how to stave off major episodes, how to deal with them when they start, etc. Taking Charge of Bipolar Disorder is very good and easy to get through--and there are plenty others. A comprehensive approach will help lower your dependency on medication. The more you have in your arsenal to combat BP (think diet, exercise, sleep regulation, family support, knowledge about how to stop an episode, knowledge of your triggers and first symptoms of episodes, supplementary medicines that actually work, like flax seed/fish oil etc.) the less you'll have to depend on massive amounts of medicine and the better (and more in charge of your own life) you'll feel.

[Skylark]

Gluten-free helps but after I went gluten-free I found that I also have to take a vitamin, mineral, and micronutrient called EMPowerPlus from Open Original Shared Link and some fish oil. EMPowerPlus is specifically designed to treat bipolar and I am among the many people who can use the supplements instead of meds. I did not have a minor case of bipolar disorder either. I was on lithium, lamictal, and trazodone and was diagnosed bipolar I, which was later changed to bipolar III from a different doctor who noted my manic episodes only started after years of SSRIs. (The SSRIs were mistakenly treating gluten-caused depression because nobody connected the dots to figure out I was celiac.) I had full-blown manic episodes with grandiosity and hyper-irritibility, regularly went days without sleep, and was awfully close to needing hospitalization once.

EMPowerPlus holds my mood more stable than the meds ever did and doesn't give me any brain fog. I kept up my psych visits while I was doing the tapering off meds and onto EMPowerPlus but after a while both therapist and psych decided they didn't need to see me any longer as I was "in remission". My so-called remission has lasted for almost four years now, with only subclinical symptoms from occasional glutening. EMPowerPlus is expensive, but it isn't much more than all my copays for drugs, therapist, and Dr. visits were costing.

I know some of the psych symptoms were directly caused by gluten as I get various random mixtures of depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, or even irritable hypomania if I get into gluten.