Overreactive Nervous System/hypersensitivity

[revenant]

Hey guys.

Might I just say that I love that I've found this forum. =] Ok, Onto the topic.

I have social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder. More importantly, I feel shame, embarrassment, and guilt in extreme measures, leading to very extreme self hatred. I have strong memories of feeling extreme guilt as a child also. Just as an example:

When I was 7 or 8, I ate a piece of pie that was meant for my sister's class event. My sister got very mad at me, of course. I covered 2 sheets of paper, front and back, with "I hate myself" and felt the most extreme guilt and shame I have ever felt in my life. It's an indescribable, consuming feeling. I don't let myself even think back to that moment, because the feeling that followed me from such a small incident still scares me. It is the worst moment of my life and my strongest memory. I carry all of the guilt from these kinds of tiny moments in my childhood around, and have been diagnosed with Social anxiety, and avoidant personality disorder (fear of closeness with others mixed with chronic low self esteem and other stuff)

I was also extremely sound sensitive. The sound of my friends laughter often scarred me, they all learned not to laugh or speak too loud around me. (This is completely unrelated isn't it??? If so, just ignore this part)

I've heard that my anxiety and fear of criticism/rejection may be caused by an 'over-reactive nervous system', which is said to be genetic. This makes me wonder whether this might be a part of the genetic predisposition to gluten sensitivity/celiacs rather.

I ask because lately I find myself becoming less sensitive to mistakes that I make, only now that I've gone off of gluten do I feel shame and guilt-free.

Does or did anybody experience this kind of thing?

[SGWhiskers]

While I wouldn't describe my emotions or sensory sensitivities as extreme as yours, I will say that since going gluten free, my anxiety and depression has lifted and I can chuckle about some things that used to cause me a lot of anxiety. Prior to diagnosis (and with accidental glutenings), I was extremely sound/light/touch/smell sensitive. That has all decreased gluten free except the smell sensitivity. I swear that one is worse.

I stayed on my antidepressants for 2 years post diagnosis and only went off them because I got pregnant. I would encourage you to keep working with your doctors, but it does not surprise me that some of your neuropsych issues are abating now that you are getting healthier.

Oh, I never told my doctors this one, but in the 3 years before my diagnosis, I started occassionally hearing and seeing fleeting sounds and shapes that I knew were not there. Shadows, twinkles, flashes of light and pops and vowels. They completely went away within the first few months of gluten-free eating. The brain and body are very much connected.

Best wishes on your recovery.

[cassP]

Oh, I never told my doctors this one, but in the 3 years before my diagnosis, I started occassionally hearing and seeing fleeting sounds and shapes that I knew were not there. Shadows, twinkles, flashes of light and pops and vowels. They completely went away within the first few months of gluten-free eating.

this description right here sounds like some of the symptoms people with schizophrenia have! im not saying u have that of course.... BUT i have read that (i cant remember if it was TTG or Antigliadin)- but in those who had Autism, or Schizophrenia-> there was a larger percentage with one of these antibodies than there are in the general population! i dont know if, for some, gluten actually causes Autism or Schizophrenia... or if some of these patients are misdiagnosed and actually just displaying similar symptoms...??? but it's fascincating- just how much gluten can affect different people.

[rosetapper23]

At the annual conference of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America in Minnesota (last June), two doctors emphasized how gluten is now considered a neurotoxin that can cause ADHD, depression, learning difficulties, schizophrenia, etc., in people with celiac. They also explained that celiacs can feel clingy, nervous, and anxious. It's a good thing that you've decided to go gluten free--perhaps your symptoms will lessen over time and completely disappear.

[txplowgirl]

I can definetly relate. I was dx'd with social anxiety disorder in elementary school, jumped at all loud noises. Constantly telling every one "i'm sorry" because I was constantly worrying that I had made somebody mad. Dx'd with clinical depression when I was 8. It wasn't until 6 months after going gluten free at the age of 45 that I am no longer depressed, no more anxiety, no longer feel guilty over the least little thing, no more jumping out of my skin at a loud sound.

Keep going hon, you can do it. we're all here to help.

[Dixiebell]

I truly believe that there is a connection of gluten and anxiety problems. I probably never would have believed it pre gluten-free. I decided to try the diet with my son ,in hopes to get him better and I got better too. I think it took me about three months to notice the change.

[revenant]

Wonderful! Well, not wonderful that you all had to suffer from such anxiety/nervous problems. I am grateful for the connection. I thought that was who I was

Plowgirl, I too was diagnosed with depression at a very young age, and as I said, yeah, social anxiety.

Glad to hear that you are a believer dixie.

I almost can't believe it... Anxiety and depression I've had since birth, anxiety and depression my mom has had since birth... Anxiety and depression that I see in so many of my support groups! And, it could be gluten related. Diet. I'm going to be in shock for a long time over this. It's such a revelation!

[lbstudymom]

This is my first post so I may go off topic. Please bear with me. I am the mother of 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. My 19 yo son is dx with ADHD, but I know its more than that and the doctors have never agreed. My 16yo son is dx with Autism, but his symptoms are not completely typical. He also is very thin and just recently seems to have stopped wetting the bed. My 15 yo daughter is the one trying the gluten free diet and hence got me interested in the subject. She has been having bowel movement accidents every once in a while for the past few years. I thought she was just being lazy or waiting too long to get to the restroom. I talked to the doctor about it, who said it was probably nothing and said she just needed to plan ahead better. I recently found out that the accidents are more frequent than I knew and now she is telling me that these accident would be preceded by severe stomach cramps. Tonight she said that her BMs are always diarrhea. She started on the gluten free diet a week ago and says that already her stomach feels better. She started the diet after my sister found out that she has Celiacs. My sister subsequently heard about my daughters issues and begged me to have her tested. That test came back today as negative. My daughter says she is staying gluten free anyway. Finally, my youngest daughter is constantly saying her stomach and head hurt, pretty much on a daily basis. My family says she is faking it to get out of going to school. She is also sensitive to sound and light. Finally, she has a very vivid imagination to where people think she is strange.

So, here are my questions:

1. Can my daughter be feeling better after only one week of the diet? She has been very strict about it.

2. Could all of these other issues be summed up to gluten intolerance?

3. Is it common for pediatricians to be uninformed about the Celiac test and false negatives? Ours had never heard that it could be false negative, and now that my daughter is gluten free is it worth testing again anyway?

These are the questions I could think of but any information is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[mushroom]

Unfortunately, the short answer to all your questions is, yes. Despite the advances of modern medicine, the state of celiac testing is less than ideal and the knowledge of doctors even worse. When most doctors hear that the celiac test is negative they say, well, that's it, she's not intolerant of gluten. SO NOT TRUE. But that is what they have been taught, to rely on the test for the answer. The real answer is, does your daughter feel better off gluten? Or even, do the rest of the family feel better of gluten? Gluten has also been linked with ADHD and with autism spectrum disorders. Celiac/gluten intolerance is a genetically based disorder so it tends to run in families. It would not be at all surprising if your other children have a gluten intolerance too. And since it is genetic, the inheritance came from either you or your husband, of possibly a double set of genes, one from each. But if your sister has celiac than it is almost assured that it came through your genetic line.

That is the short answer.

[dilettantesteph]

My mental health issues weren't as severe as yours, but, they went away gluten free. I didn't realize that I had them until they went away. Now I notice them coming back if I get badly glutened. It took a few months for them to go away initially. I hope that yours go away too.

[T.H.]

My daughter and I are both sensitive to sounds, big time. Both feel guilt and shame easily.

All of these have dissipated on the gluten free diet to a great extent. Not completely, but it is SO much less now.