Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

Panic Attacks, Seizures And Celiac?

kaki-clam

By kaki-clam
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

kaki-clam Enthusiast
kaki-clam
Posted

Can Celiac cause panic attacks and seizures? For a 4 month period approximately 6 years ago i had panic attacks during a very stressful time in my life.....as soon as the stress ended, so did the attacks. Now they are back, and with a vengeance. They have been mildly coming back over the last year (I will have been gluten free and a diagnoised Celiac for 2 years in September)...today I had an attacks so bad i blacked out. Is this due to Celiac? Or are the attacks coming back? I cannot go through what I did 6 years ago with all the meds they tried to put me on.....

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

Yes, it can be the neurological symptoms of Celiac. Be sure you watch for any trace gluten. That may be the culprit. Also a B vitamin deficiency can cause anxiety and depression so be sure you are supplementing the vitamins Celiacs are usually deficient in. A, All the B's, Folic Acid, Calcium, magnesium, Iron, Zinc, and the vitamins D and C and E.

Start there. Possibly get your vitamin levels checked if you can afford it.

Eliminate all possible avenues of cross-contamination. Get enough protein....the brain needs protein to function normally. Anxiety and panic attacks are terrible to live with. Do see your Dr. if these things don't work, because some of the medications do work. It isn't all about therapy and cognitive-behavioral change or intervention. Nutritional deficiencies can cause mental illness. If any of the above are causing your anxiety...it should be solved in a number of weeks by supplementing, eating right, and watching for stray gluten molecules. Restaurants are dangerous places....so consider not using them until you get this figured out. Good luck. I used to suffer such anxiety too.

melikamaui Explorer
melikamaui
Posted

I have definitely suffered from panic attacks and had seizures quite a lot as a young adult. I didn't even think that it could be related to celiac disease until recently when I realized just how many things in my life are caused by undiagnosed celiac disease. When I went gluten-free I found that my panic attacks stopped. I hope you find relief soon. I know how debilitating it can be.

blueshabooMoon Apprentice
blueshabooMoon
Posted

Can Celiac cause panic attacks and seizures? For a 4 month period approximately 6 years ago i had panic attacks during a very stressful time in my life.....as soon as the stress ended, so did the attacks. Now they are back, and with a vengeance. They have been mildly coming back over the last year (I will have been gluten free and a diagnoised Celiac for 2 years in September)...today I had an attacks so bad i blacked out. Is this due to Celiac? Or are the attacks coming back? I cannot go through what I did 6 years ago with all the meds they tried to put me on.....

You are on the right site, learned more here than from all my doctors. google and check forums here especially about " celiac Ataxia" people suffer pre-syncope, fainting, balance coordination, anxiety,Terri

Takala Enthusiast
Takala
Posted

So how is your gluten free diet going, anyway ?

You said a few months ago you were having a lot of sugar and junk food cravings. This can be a classic sign of your diet being out of whack. Cravings can be caused by mineral imbalances, and eating too much sugar or high glycemic index easily digested grain carbohydrate mixed with sugar (think lots of "cookies" or "cake with frosting") to try to make it go away, can cause a temporary spike in blood sugar, followed by a bad crash afterwards. Meanwhile, the vitamin and mineral levels can remain screwed up. See the second post. You will need to eat more vegetables, protein, and good fats such as olive oil and coconut milk, besides the calcium/magnesium and B complex vitamins, to kill the sugary food cravings. Many women attempt to eat a high carb diet low in fat because of standard nutritional brainwashing, and it just does not work for us. You may have to change your shopping habits to keep lots of high protein, gluten free snacks around, and you may have to start eating a non traditional breakfast like eggs with a vegetable serving, instead of cereal and milk. You may have to limit white rice, and go for more complex, higher protein gluten free grains, or seeds and nuts. Yes, chomping down on something dinner like for breakfast may not sound appealing at first, but it beats not being able to function.

Have you ever had your thyroid checked for both levels, and for autoimmune thyroid disease?

kaki-clam Enthusiast
kaki-clam
Posted
  • Author

So how is your gluten free diet going, anyway ?

You said a few months ago you were having a lot of sugar and junk food cravings. This can be a classic sign of your diet being out of whack. Cravings can be caused by mineral imbalances, and eating too much sugar or high glycemic index easily digested grain carbohydrate mixed with sugar (think lots of "cookies" or "cake with frosting") to try to make it go away, can cause a temporary spike in blood sugar, followed by a bad crash afterwards. Meanwhile, the vitamin and mineral levels can remain screwed up. See the second post. You will need to eat more vegetables, protein, and good fats such as olive oil and coconut milk, besides the calcium/magnesium and B complex vitamins, to kill the sugary food cravings. Many women attempt to eat a high carb diet low in fat because of standard nutritional brainwashing, and it just does not work for us. You may have to change your shopping habits to keep lots of high protein, gluten free snacks around, and you may have to start eating a non traditional breakfast like eggs with a vegetable serving, instead of cereal and milk. You may have to limit white rice, and go for more complex, higher protein gluten free grains, or seeds and nuts. Yes, chomping down on something dinner like for breakfast may not sound appealing at first, but it beats not being able to function.

Have you ever had your thyroid checked for both levels, and for autoimmune thyroid disease?

The sugar cravings are terrible after a gluten attack..otherwise, i am able to control them much better. My doc has me drinking coconut water and taking magnesium. I do eat a ton of veggies and can now tell when i need to eat them....even my boyfriend has to have them now :) I also often eat dinner for breakfast, i never liked cereal prior to Celiac....so I dont' miss it. the panic attacks are terrible, and possibly brought on by stress......i hope they stop soon, its making me crazy :(

RacerX35 Rookie
RacerX35
Posted

I don't have panic attacks, but do have seizures due to gluten. I am not celiac, but was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. I know now that when I have ingested gluten there will be a series of seizures to come. This is one big way to insure that I stay gluten free, I wouldn't want to have a seizure while driving :rolleyes: . My whole issue in due to a condition called Hypocampal sclerosis which is caused by the gluten sensitivity and builds up over time. Now when I eat any gluten product, no matter how minimal, my reaction is to have seizures, sometimes recurring for a whole day, then I'm messed up fpr at least one day as well. So seizures,,,,,, a big yes.

Later,

Ray :)

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,571
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Catherine OBrien
    Newest Member
    Catherine OBrien
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Weakly positive DGP IgA

      By trents · Posted

      If your total IGA is low then the values for the other IGA tests cannot be trusted. They will be depressed. Celiacs who have the DQ2 gene typically are on the more sensitive side as opposed to those who only have the DQ8. But keep in mind that having either or both of those genes does not equate to having celiac disease as 40% of the general population have one or the other and only about 1% of the general population develops active celiac disease. Genetic typing can be used for ruling it out, however. Because of the low total IGA, symptoms and the possession of the DQ2 gene, my suggestion would be for you to go seriously gluten free for a few months and see if your symptoms improve. It may be the only way you can ascertain if you are gluten intolerant because of the low total IGA.
    • Cat M
      Weakly positive DGP IgA

      By Cat M · Posted

      Ah ok, I just saw didn’t even post the DGP IgA at all. 😫 I started with itching and hives Jan 2024, been taking a ton of meds and on Xolair and even that is not providing total relief. The other primary symptoms: intermittent but worsening abdominal pain, diarrhea and bloating. This summer I am just exhausted. I uploaded my 23andMe data to genetic lifehacks and discovered quite a few variations, including DQ2, MTHFR, VDR and I have always had very low ferritin, vitamin D and B12. I still think that mast cell disease makes the most sense, but latest labs show I am barely in range for thiamine, zinc and vitamin A, so the GI stuff feels more important to figure out than the hives right now. I did SIBO testing this morning. TTG IGA <2   0-3 is negative TTG IGG  3   0-5 is neg DGP IGA 21    20-30 is weak positive DGP IGG 4    0-19 is negative Although total IGA is not resulted, there is a footnote stating it was low and the reason they ran IGG.  
    • Scott Adams
      Positive TTG antibody and negative EMA antibody

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is an interesting case. A positive tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibody with a negative endomysial antibody (EMA) and normal duodenal histology can present a diagnostic challenge, especially in an asymptomatic patient. While the absence of villous atrophy and negative EMA suggest that the likelihood of active celiac disease is low at this time, such serological discordance may still warrant monitoring. Some individuals may be in the early stages of celiac disease, often referred to as potential celiac disease, particularly if they carry the HLA-DQ2 or DQ8 haplotypes. HLA typing can be quite helpful in this situation; a negative result would virtually rule out celiac disease, whereas a positive result may justify periodic follow-up to monitor for evolving disease. The risk of progression to overt celiac disease is not well defined but appears to be higher in children, those with a family history, or those with autoimmune conditions. In this case, routine follow-up including repeat serology and consideration of symptoms or new risk factors over time would be a reasonable and cautious approach. For people with celiac disease hidden gluten in their diets is the main cause of elevated Tissue Transglutaminase IgA Antibodies (tTG-IgA), but there are other conditions, including cow's milk/casein intolerance, that can also cause this, and here is an article about the other possible causes:      
    • Scott Adams
      Old to diagnosis

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Have you tried to start a gluten-free diet since your diagnosis in 2019?
    • trents
      Positive TTG antibody and negative EMA antibody

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to celiac.com, @Wamedh Taj-Aldeen! Just curious, what is your relationship to the patient? Are you the attending physician? A medical student? A consulted physician? Was a total IGA test ordered? Some physicians are under the dated and mistaken impression that such is only necessary in young children. If total IGA is low, other IGA antibody numbers will be artificially depressed. By the way, it is not unusual to have a positive TTG-IGA and a negative EMA. Are the TTG-IGA numbers borderline high or unequivocally high? There are other diseases and medical conditions that can cause elevated TTG-IGA numbers besides celiac disease but when this is the case, the numbers are usually not dramatically elevated. It can also be the case that villous damage was patchy and affected areas were missed during the biopsy. Or, onset of celiac disease was very recent and villous atrophy has not yet progressed to the point of detectability.  We also have occasional anecdotal reports in this online community of positive antibody testing with negative histology, as you report. But we also know that gluten intolerance can manifest itself apart from enteropathy. It can damage other organ systems. Many celiacs are of the "silent" type, meaning there is an absence or a relative absence of symptoms until the disease has become advanced and there is significant damage to the villous lining or other organ systems. But to answer your questions: 1. I would definitely pursue a routine follow-up and recheck of the antibodies. And, I would order a complete celiac panel including total IGA and IGG stuff in say, six months. Sooner if symptoms manifest. 2. It is impossible to say what is the risk of the future development of over celiac disease. I refer you back to my #1 above concerning rechecking.  3. I would definitely pursue HLA DQ2/DQ8 typing as it can be used as a rule out for celiac disease, though not quite with 100% dependability. I hope my thoughts prove helpful to you.
×
×
  • Create New...