Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Missed Periods, Anxiety, Milk Of Magnesia...

India

Recommended Posts

India Contributor
India
Posted

Oh, it all seems such a mess.

I've been gluten-free since January. I posted messages recently when I tried an elimination diet. After two weeks, I abandoned the diet as I was becoming very weak and losing too much weight. Since then, I've been excluding FODMAPs from my diet and keeping a very detailed food diary. However, a couple of new problems have arisen:

Anxiety: I've recently had three night-time anxiety attacks. I had terrible anxiety for four years until giving up gluten and soy and I don't want to go back there. The attacks make my nerve/muscle pain go crazy too. Two attacks happened on nights I'd taken Milk of Magnesia. I can't find any other clues in my food diary, though I only have two weeks of notes so far. Can anyone tell me if Milk of Magnesia causes them anxiety or suggest other foods that do? I have been taking sublingual B12 supplements by the way. Also, life is quite stressful at present, but the attacks when I took Milk of Magnesia didn't seem to have any real trigger.

Missed period: one of my few signs of improvement after going gluten-free was the immediate return of my periods, every single month - except this month. I'm worried the elimination diet or the weight loss has caused this and it's really bothering me the way I'm messing my body around. Any thoughts?

Allie

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Chakra2 Contributor
Chakra2
Posted

I don't have any real ideas but just wanted to send encouragement. I've been gluten-free since January too and my health is definitely still a work in progress. Anxiety is one of my gluten symptoms. I don't know much about Milk of Magnesia but gluten contamination could be affecting your mental state. Corn causes serious neuro problems for me too. Not sure if that's a possibility for you? I hope you find some peace on this issue soon!

India Contributor
India
Posted
  • Author

Hi and thank you for your reply. I've already given up corn too, plus dairy and some other things. I'll keep going with the food diary I guess. On the plus side, despite the sleepless night, yesterday was the most energetic I've felt in ages - not as good today, but hooray for the good days!

Good health to you :)

Marz Enthusiast
Marz
Posted

Two attacks happened on nights I'd taken Milk of Magnesia.

No idea if milk of magnesia contains gluten. Maybe as a thickener? But then it should state that... Googling "Milk of magnesia panic attack" didn't really bring anything up, one person had bad panic attacks after consuming "Maximun Strength Pepto-Bismol". I know certain medications do bring out bad panic attacks in me - namely Maxolon (Evil, evil stuff...)

Are you taking any other medication that's might be the problem, or the milk of magnesia is reacting with something else you're taking that's making side effects more potent?

Instead of milk of magnesia, try a gluten-free osmotic laxative like Fleet, or Miralax? Not sure if they're specifically gluten free, but they'll have the same effect as milk of magnesia.

Hmmm... Maybe you can post examples what foods you're eating ? Are you cooking whole foods you're preparing yourself - no commercial pre-packaged food? Is your kitchen completely gluten free, new gluten-untouched utensils? :P

Are you eating gluten-free flours like rice flour, tapioca, potato etc? Commercially produced gluten-free foods like pastas, crackers, biscuits made with gluten-free flours? I react to these for some reason, I suspect not as "gluten-free" as they claim, but I really don't know at this point. Maybe I'm intolerant to grains full stop.

Keep us posted on your progress :)

India Contributor
India
Posted
  • Author

Hi Marz,

Thanks for your reply. Milk Of Magnesia is apparently gluten-free and was um, highly effective - so maybe I'll give it one more go and see if it happens again. I'm in the UK and don't know the other brands you mention unfortunately. I'm not taking any other medications though; also, I'm very careful about gluten and my house is gluten-free. I'm eating almost entirely whole foods, with no corn, soy, gluten or FODMAPs. I definitely react to millet and teff and, somehow, pretty much any gluten-free cake mix. I've not had any kind of baked goods for months, sadly... though I think about them a lot! Rice seems ok but I think, like you, most grains disagree with me.

I realised in the last couple of days how stressed I'm getting lately for various reasons, so maybe old anxiety habits die hard even once the evil gluten and soy are gone. I'm keeping an eye on it with my super-neurotic food diary though :)

The good news is that I'm having fewer drained-of-energy days so maybe I've cut out something that's bad for me... I just have to figure out what it is!

Marz Enthusiast
Marz
Posted

Sounds like you've got all your bases well covered. :) I'd say just keep it up, it sounds like you're still healing? Take it easy and keep the stress down. Even with being gluten intolerant we may have further issues like Chrons, "IBS" with a stress trigger etc.

By the way, if you're still struggling with anxiety/panic attacks, I highly recommend "The Linden Method", it really helped for my panic attacks. It's based on lowering your base anxiety level, distraction by immersing yourself in a new hobby (for coping with panic attacks/OCD) and has a lot of other good common sense techniques for coping. The focus is on getting back to living life normally, not focusing on symptoms and anxiety which ends up in a vicious circle. Just google it and you'll find the main site. A bit pricey but I found it worth it (Better than the psychologist I paid the same amount for).

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to Mark Conway's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      Have I got coeliac disease

      And I agree with Wheatwacked. When a physician tells you that you can't have celiac disease because you're not losing weight, you can be certain that doctor is operating on a dated understanding of celiac disease. I assume you are in the UK by the way you spelled "coeliac". So, I'm not sure what your options are when it comes to healthcare, but I might suggest...
    2. trents
      - trents replied to Mark Conway's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      Have I got coeliac disease

      @Mark Conway, here is an article outlining the various tests that can be used to diagnose celiac disease. By far, the most popular one ordered by physicians is the tTG-IGA. But almost all of these tests are known by different names so the terminology will vary from place to place and lab to lab. The article gives common variant names for each test. In...
    3. JudyLou
      - JudyLou replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      7

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty! My feet aren’t dry or ashy and I don’t have a rash that gets scaly. It’s like very itchy/burning vesicles that are symmetrical - on both arms, both legs, etc. They actually feel better in direct sunlight as long as it isn’t really hot or I’m not exercising outside, but gets worse if I sweat (especially if the area is covere...
    4. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      7

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      Welcome, @JudyLou, Your rash sounds very similar to the one I experienced. Mine was due to a deficiency in Niacin B3, although I had deficiencies in other nutrients as well. Celiac disease causes malabsorption of all the essential nutrients, but eating a poor diet, taking certain medications, or drinking alcohol can result in deficiency diseases outside...
    5. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to Mark Conway's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      Have I got coeliac disease

      This doctor is obviously under educated about Celiac Disease. Deficiencies that can cause oral thrush (Candidiasis) mouth ulcers: Thiamine B1 B12 Folate Zinc Vitamin C B2 B6 Iron Malabsorption Syndrome is often co-morbid with Celiac Disease causing multiple deficiencies of the essential vitamins...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,152
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    SinnamonToasty
    Newest Member
    SinnamonToasty
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Have I got coeliac disease

      By trents · Posted

      And I agree with Wheatwacked. When a physician tells you that you can't have celiac disease because you're not losing weight, you can be certain that doctor is operating on a dated understanding of celiac disease. I assume you are in the UK by the way you spelled "coeliac". So, I'm not sure what your options are when it comes to healthcare, but I might suggest you look for another physician who is more up to date in this area and is willing to work with you to get an accurate diagnosis. If, in fact, you do not have celiac disease but you know that gluten causes you problems, you might have NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). There is no test available yet for NCGS. Celiac must first be ruled out. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the lining of the small bowel. NCGS we is not autoimmune and we know less about it's true nature. But we do know it is considerably more common than celiac disease.
    • trents
      Have I got coeliac disease

      By trents · Posted

      @Mark Conway, here is an article outlining the various tests that can be used to diagnose celiac disease. By far, the most popular one ordered by physicians is the tTG-IGA. But almost all of these tests are known by different names so the terminology will vary from place to place and lab to lab. The article gives common variant names for each test.  In addition to IGA tests there are IGG tests which are particularly useful in the case of IGA deficiency.  
    • JudyLou
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By JudyLou · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty! My feet aren’t dry or ashy and I don’t have a rash that gets scaly. It’s like very itchy/burning vesicles that are symmetrical - on both arms, both legs, etc. They actually feel better in direct sunlight as long as it isn’t really hot or I’m not exercising outside, but gets worse if I sweat (especially if the area is covered up). It’s not usually on the outside of my elbows and knees which seems more typical of dermatitis herpetiformis (unless it spreads there). It tends to first hit the inside of those areas. Interestingly, twice the rash broke out soon after eating an unhealthy meal and having an alcoholic drink (I only drink a few times a year, no more alcohol content than a glass of wine).  So I wonder if there is a connection. I’m halfway considering doing a gluten challenge for a few months to see what happens, knowing I can stop if I have any symptoms, and asking for a full celiac disease panel at the end. I really appreciate your thoughts! 
    • knitty kitty
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Welcome, @JudyLou, Your rash sounds very similar to the one I experienced.  Mine was due to a deficiency in Niacin B3, although I had deficiencies in other nutrients as well.  Celiac disease causes malabsorption of all the essential nutrients, but eating a poor diet, taking certain medications, or drinking alcohol can result in deficiency diseases outside of Celiac, too.  Symptoms can wax and wane depending on dietary intake.  I knew an alcoholic who had the "boots" of Pellagra, which would get worse when he was drinking more heavily, and improve when he was drinking less.   Niacin deficiency is called Pellagra.  Symptoms consist of dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death (the four D's).  A scaly rash on the feet and hands and arms are called the "boots" and "gloves" of Pellagra.  Darkened skin around the neck exposed to the sun is Casal's necklace.  Poor farmers with niacin deficient diets were called "red necks" because of this.    Does your rash get worse if you're in the sun?  Mine did.  Any skin exposed to the sun got blistered and scaly.  Arms, legs, neck, head.  Do you have dry, ashy skin on your feet?  The itchiness was not only from the rash, but neuropathy.   My doctors were clueless.  They didn't put all my symptoms together into the three D's.  But I did.  I'd learned about Pellagra at university.  But there weren't supposed to be deficiency diseases anymore in the developed world.  Doubtful it could be that simple, I started supplementing with Niacin and other essential nutrients.  I got better.   One of Niacinamide functions is to help stop mast cells from releasing histamine.  Your allergist gave you doxepin, an antihistamine which stops mast cells from releasing histamine.   Since you do have a Celiac gene, staying on the gluten free diet can prevent Celiac disease from being triggered again.   Interesting Reading: These case studies have pictures... Pellgra revisited.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4228662/ Steroid-Resistant Rash With Neuropsychiatric Deterioration and Weight Loss: A Modern-Day Case of Pellagra https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12532421/#:~:text=Figure 2.,(right panel) upper limbs.&text=The distribution of the rash,patient's substantial response to treatment.   Cutaneous signs of nutritional disorders https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8721081/#:~:text=Additional causes of yellow skin,the clinical features of Kwashiorkor.   Hello, @Staticgypsy, I would not recommend cutting so many nutritious foods out of ones diet.  Oxalates can cause problems like kidney stones, but our bodies can process oxalates out of our systems with certain vitamins like Vitamins A and D and Pyridoxine B 6.   People with Celiac disease are often low in fat soluble vitamins A and D, as well as the water soluble B vitamins like Pyridoxine B 6.  Focus on serving your granddaughter nutrient dense meals to ensure she gets essential vitamins and minerals that will help her grow. Micronutrient inadequacy and urinary stone disease: an analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36976348/ Multivitamins co-intake can reduce the prevalence of kidney stones: a large-scale cross-sectional study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38564076/
    • Wheatwacked
      Have I got coeliac disease

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      This doctor is obviously under educated about Celiac Disease. Deficiencies that can cause oral thrush (Candidiasis) mouth ulcers: Thiamine B1 B12 Folate Zinc Vitamin C B2 B6 Iron Malabsorption Syndrome is often co-morbid with Celiac Disease causing multiple deficiencies of the essential vitamins and minerals.  Low or deficient  Vitamin D is almost always found in undiagnosed Celiac Disease. "Over 900 genes have been reported as regulated by vitamin D"  Possible Role of Vitamin D in Celiac Disease Onset  "The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 41.6%, with the highest rate seen in blacks (82.1%), followed by Hispanics (69.2%)."    Prevalence and correlates of vitamin D deficiency in US adults
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.