Anxiety

[Macbre]

I've never had anxiety issues prior to being diagnosed with Celiac, but ever since going gluten-free I've had terrible anxiety. Is this normal? Does anyone else have anxiety issues even when they haven't been glutened?

I seem to deal with this on a daily basis and especially when I'm out of my "comfort zone." I don't want to go on any medication.

Is there anyone else dealing with this?

[bumblebee-carnival]

I am the opposite. My anxiety has actually improved since ditching gluten. Is it a general anxiety or about a specific issue?

[pondy]

Macabre, Yes I am dealing with this, although I had a pre-existing anxiety issue. I just figured that the increase was due to worrying about changing my life around.

Getting outside & going for walks helps me - they say exercise is good for anxiety. Some natural calming agents are Valerian root & Kava (like teas).

I hope you start feeling better!

[alex11602]

I had anxiety before going gluten free, it was fairly mild and mostly social anxiety. Now I barely ever leave my house because I am so anxious, I will occasionally go to my mother's who lives less then 2 miles away but that is pushing it. So I am definitely there with you dealing with it and I hope that everyone who is dealing with this can get through it because it is horrible.

[Kristinade]

I was born anxious....three docs thought I was bipolar and treated me as such. Mood swings,depression,anxiety. Listening to music, walking the dogs helps me. I kicked the meds and the docs to the curb...they made me feel like a wackadoodle. Too bad I can't sue them for not treating me properly.

I had anxiety before going gluten free, it was fairly mild and mostly social anxiety. Now I barely ever leave my house because I am so anxious, I will occasionally go to my mother's who lives less then 2 miles away but that is pushing it. So I am definitely there with you dealing with it and I hope that everyone who is dealing with this can get through it because it is horrible.

[MitziG]

How long have you been gluten-free? If you are newly gluten- free, your body can go through withdrawal that can cause all sorts of weird issues. Or it is possible that you became vitamin deficient from the celiac, and those deficiencies have only recently begun to cause symptoms, of which anxiety is a common one. You should request screening for micro-nutrient deficiencies when given a celaic diagnosis- that at least cna give you an idea of where to look next if that is not the problem!

[Macbre]

I'm 1 yr gluten-free this month. I do exercise and that does help. Im thinking its the time of year...so much to do, get togethers that I can't eat at & now we're on vacation and not being at home in my comfort zone I think is adding to it. I have recently started taking a multi-vitamin so maybe that will help. I go to the Dr. in Jan & will discuss it with her.

Thanks for the feed back.... I know now I'm not alone.

Merry Christmas!

[Korwyn]

MitziG read my mind on both things I was going to bring up. The withdrawal can be rough for some people in different ways, and it doesn't always seem to manifest immediately (at least from anecdotal evidence).

[Bubba's Mom]

I've always had a bit of social anxiety. Since being DXed I'm more anxious around food..especially when those around me are eating gluten.

More recently it got much worse. In my case a blood panel showed that I was anemic, which can cause anxiety, and a bit low on Magnesium, which is the "calming mineral".

Your anxiety can be from gluten withdrawl, holiday stress, the stress of dealing with Celiac and food issues, or from vitamin/mineral deficiencies, which are very common.

I can understand not wanting to go on meds..but at the very least you should take a calcium/magnesium supplement, and vitamin D3. This may help your anxiety ease up?

[Negasis]

Hi Korwyn,

As a newly diagnosed celiac (30 day mark last Weds), I was interetsed to read about the "gluten withdrawals." I consider myself a "smart" person yet never even considered this. Yet another something to tackle since I went gluten-free I guess. I will look up on the net symptoms of Gluten WD. I indeed lived on gluten prior to my diagnosis as I thought the "BRAT" diet might calm things down, yet now I know all I was eating was gluten, practically.

I am a walking "time-bomb" and even though I have always been "Type A," I am almost shaking with anxiety somedays, or I am hypoglycemic! Maybe a combo of the two as I have not been eating much at all since the diagnosis, which I know needs to change. Working on that....

In your and anyone else's experience, if you were thinking about seeing a doc post-op, to discuss pain management and overall healing, would you go to a GI person or would you try and strike up a relationship with a psychiatrist? I had a GI Internist tell me last Friday that "Celiac does not cause pain once you have gone gluten-free." The appointment worked me up so badly, I walked out and I have never done that. (There was more to it in that he had seen me back in May and although he tried to refer me to someone to look into a sphincter of oddi issue, he also knew my history and had not even reviewed my chart and spent about 3 minutes on the 39 pages I brought to him from the 11/16 surgery/biopsy results.) He was starting to propose "We need to find the reason for the pain" lecture when I ended the visit. The pain is EXACTLY as it has been for the last 3.5 years and after all the diagnostics I have been through, I wanted to scream when he went back to that arena of "Let's test you until we have made something go wrong with you!"

Anyhow, any advice you have is greatly appreciated. Have you been on, or are able to tolerate any meds during the healing process? Do they help or cause more side effect than benefit?

Thanks,

Negasis in Colorado

MitziG read my mind on both things I was going to bring up. The withdrawal can be rough for some people in different ways, and it doesn't always seem to manifest immediately (at least from anecdotal evidence).

[Katrala]

I have anxiety that hasn't gone away on a gluten-free diet.

It's not debilitating, but it's definitely frustrating. I noticed it beginning more when my 2nd child was born (8+ years ago) and I've never tried any anti-anxiety meds.

Personally, I think mine has nothing to do with gluten (although I wish it did!) and is just a part of who I am and is something I have to put effort into learning how to cope with.

[Korwyn]

In your and anyone else's experience, if you were thinking about seeing a doc post-op, to discuss pain management and overall healing, would you go to a GI person or would you try and strike up a relationship with a psychiatrist?

I'm not really sure how to answer that. I personally wouldn't have thought to involve a psychiatrist for pain management, so I honestly don't know.

Anyhow, any advice you have is greatly appreciated. Have you been on, or are able to tolerate any meds during the healing process? Do they help or cause more side effect than benefit?

In the last couple of years I've had to go in pain meds a couple times due to injury. So yes, I've taking meds that have helped deal with specific pain issues, and I have been fortunate in that I haven't had any celiac disease related side effects. However I did work with my pharmacist and did have to contact a couple of manufacturers on my own to determine the gluten status of the drugs.

I have anxiety that hasn't gone away on a gluten-free diet.

It's not debilitating, but it's definitely frustrating. I noticed it beginning more when my 2nd child was born (8+ years ago) and I've never tried any anti-anxiety meds.

Personally, I think mine has nothing to do with gluten (although I wish it did!) and is just a part of who I am and is something I have to put effort into learning how to cope with.

Katrala,

Have you looked at soy? For me, soy (of any kind, not just protein) in very tiny amounts (like in a couple chocolate chips or M&Ms) triggers anxiety and insomnia that takes me up to two weeks to fully recover from. In larger amounts (say a glutino pretzel for example) will trigger a panic attack, followed by a couple weeks of anxiety and insomnia. It took me several months after going gluten free to figure this out.

[rgarton]

I have crippling anxiety and agoraphobia since being diagnosed as a celiac, i don't see it improving personally but hope you will have a breakthrough soon as i know how horrible and hard it is.

[Katrala]

Katrala,

Have you looked at soy? For me, soy (of any kind, not just protein) in very tiny amounts (like in a couple chocolate chips or M&Ms) triggers anxiety and insomnia that takes me up to two weeks to fully recover from. In larger amounts (say a glutino pretzel for example) will trigger a panic attack, followed by a couple weeks of anxiety and insomnia. It took me several months after going gluten free to figure this out.

Several years ago I was told I had an allergy to Soy.

While I thought about trying to avoid it, I never thought about it causing a problem so I've never tried to eliminate it.

How long after going off soy did it take for you to notice a difference?