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Day 5 Gluten Free And Anxiety/depression

kathleenp

By kathleenp
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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kathleenp Apprentice
kathleenp
Posted

Today is day 5 of going gluten free for me. The afternoon of the first day I had bad anxiety, but I took some meds and it stopped. The next several days I could tell a slight improvement in mood and thought things were going well. Then today has been a horrible, depressed/crying/anxious day. Is it normal to see improvement and then to have a really bad day?

I so want this to be the answer to my depression/anxiety/bipolar, but part of me thinks I am nuts to think it could be this simple. I haven't had any problems with the diet at all-have no desire to eat gluten, mostly becuase I am so sick to begin with. I really need to see some improvement.

How did it go for you when first going gluten free?

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kathleenp Apprentice
kathleenp
Posted
  • Author

Also, yesterday morning I woke up with a bad stomach ache-I thought maybe I had food poisening, but my sister ate the same food that I did and she wasn't sick at all. Tonight I feel a little bit of a stomach ache. Is this a symptom of Gluten withdrawal? I have also been having head aches. I will say that my sleep has been amazingly deep. I don't think I have ever slept this well and I am alert during the day. I am really loving that. :D

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

You are probably going through gluten withdrawal, which is really common. Gluten acts as an opioid on the brain and the withdrawal can last up to a couple of weeks, including migraine-like headaches, depression, anxiety. If you have a scrip for a mood elevator try that, but otherwise I am afraid you just have to stick it out, like withdrawing from nicotine or drugs. But it is well worth it when you get through to the other side :)

kathleenp Apprentice
kathleenp
Posted
  • Author

Thanks Mushroom. I am actually feeling much better today, although I am not at work and I'm sure not having that added stress is also helping. You mentioned that gluten acts as an opioid on the brain. Is that only for people with celiac and gluten intolerance, or is that for anyone? It's been a rough ride so far, but I have no desire to go back to gluten, thankfully.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. The first week I went off gluten, I had monster headaches. Not migraines. Not sinus. I found a little dark chocolate made them back down a bit. ( OK. Maybe a little more than a little. :ph34r:

kathleenp Apprentice
kathleenp
Posted
  • Author

Karen, my headaches are not migraine either. But they ARE persistent! :angry: I'll have to try the chocolate. ;) Did you have stomach pain or the anxiety/depression? I ahve been very weepy and spent a lot of time in the bathroom at work, trying to get a hold of myself and keep from crying in front of everyone. :o

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Karen, my headaches are not migraine either. But they ARE persistent! :angry: I'll have to try the chocolate. ;) Did you have stomach pain or the anxiety/depression? I ahve been very weepy and spent a lot of time in the bathroom at work, trying to get a hold of myself and keep from crying in front of everyone. :o

I was a bit weepy. I'm not generally a cryer. It is an emotional thing to be told you have a" chronic illness". Even a curable one. It's a lifestyle change. I felt bad that my kids might get it, etc. Getting healthy could effect your hormones, too. Try to find something funny, even Sponge Bob or Family Guy or a stupid joke website. Enjoy the chocolate.

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  • 1 month later...
vawksel Rookie
vawksel
Posted

Today is day 5 of going gluten free for me. The afternoon of the first day I had bad anxiety, but I took some meds and it stopped. The next several days I could tell a slight improvement in mood and thought things were going well. Then today has been a horrible, depressed/crying/anxious day. Is it normal to see improvement and then to have a really bad day?

I so want this to be the answer to my depression/anxiety/bipolar, but part of me thinks I am nuts to think it could be this simple. I haven't had any problems with the diet at all-have no desire to eat gluten, mostly becuase I am so sick to begin with. I really need to see some improvement.

How did it go for you when first going gluten free?

A couple things are probably happening, at the same time. One, is gluten withdrawl. You can get flu like symptoms for a few days after stopping eating it. This has something to do with the gluten binding to the opiate receptors in the brain (nasty stuff I think).

The second is if you are diagnosed bi-polar, you most likely have severe malnutrition issues. Do not be fooled if you are overweight or normal weight. If you are sensitive to gluten, your villa in your intestine are most likely destroyed.

You are most likely deficient in some or all of the following: magnesium, B6, B12, and more.

You need nutrition. You should probably take multi-vitamins, but make sure to check magnesium. Most multivitamins don't use enough, and magnesium is needed to process other vitamins, so just taking a multi-vitamin can cause some magnesium issues. I take a multi + separate magnesium supplement. Make sure to get vegan + gluten free supplements. I've seen so many that are made in factories processing wheat... bad stuff.

Look into things like this: http://www.(Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned)/Ultimate-Life-Meal-1200-powder/dp/B00013YYR6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307578401&sr=8-1

It's a super-foods meal in a fruit blend shake. Read the reviews, people are recovering from mental disorders using this stuff. I think because they are finally getting all the nutrients their bodies need. I personally love it.

Try to treat your body like it's very sick, because it is. Give it the best foods, drink water, go on some walks. But you gotta find out if you are deficient and take care of yourself.

I'm not a doctor, and if anything sounds like advise, please research for yourself and consult your own doctor :)

vawksel Rookie
vawksel
Posted

I was a bit weepy. I'm not generally a cryer. It is an emotional thing to be told you have a" chronic illness". Even a curable one. It's a lifestyle change. I felt bad that my kids might get it, etc. Getting healthy could effect your hormones, too. Try to find something funny, even Sponge Bob or Family Guy or a stupid joke website. Enjoy the chocolate.

Chocolate really makes sense if you are magnesium deficient. Dark chocolate is high in Magnesium. I read many reviews on Amazon about people treating their migranes with magnesium. Having celiacs would make you easily deficient in something like magnesium. Magnesium is one of the harder to get minerals. Vitamin manufactures don't put much in their pills because its a heavy bulky mineral.

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