Celiac And Bi-Polar Disorder (Or Serotonin Syndrome)

[Lincoln]

Hey all,

I felt like I should post this somewhere just in case it helps even one person to not have to figure it out the way I did. Please read if you have the two.

People with bipolar disorder have a chemical imbalance with the neurotransmitter "Serotonin", Serotonin is responsible in the brain for controlling many things such as mood, sleep and sexual desire, it is widely recognised as your 'mood stabilising chemical". Celiac disease (as you should know) is an autoimmune disease in which the body temporarily destroys it's own ability to absorb nutrients.

Because Celiac disease destroys the Villi which take up nutrients to our body and brain it destroys our ability to absorb 'L-tryptophan' which our body uses to make serotonin and keep us stabilised. This would not be that great a problem for most people but people with a chemical imbalance already may become very temperamental due to greater lack of serotonin that normal.

Also when the body attacks itself it is stressing itself and therefore produces 'epinephrine' (adrenaline) and norpinephrine (noradrenaline) which also diminishes our ability to produce serotonin and puts major stress on the body if done regularly. Bipolar disorder also normally puts increased stress on the adrenal gland and receptors.

A typical treatment for this event is to try taking pure L-tryptophan (which is bio-synthesized into serotonin) as a supplement to help replace diminished serotonin, but too much serotonin is not a good thing either so if you do choose to try this do your research and start low. Also people without bipolar who feel that they get depressed or angry a lot more after eating gluten can try this method too.

Sorry if it's a bit 'all over the place' my ADD makes it very hard to process or write my thoughts in any rational way or even stay concentrated for too long, but I really hope this helps someone

Peace out!

[Skylark]

I'm glad l-tryptophan helps you but making it as a general recommendation to bipolars is dangerous. L-trypophan and 5-HTP often trigger manic episodes, just like anything that interacts with the serotonin system. Perhaps you're not really bipolar if you find l-tryptophan so helpful. Bipolar illness is somewhat overdiagnosed.

You also seem to be confused about the relationship between epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin synthesis. They happen in different places in your body and overproduction of one neurotransmitter does not imply deficiency of another. The adrenals do play a role in depression but not the one you are suggesting; there is a feedback loop with cortisol.

Stating that the effect of celiac malabsorption is to interfere with l-tryptophan uptake is also overly simplistic. Vitamins, trace elements, and essential fatty acids are all malabsorbed and all have effects on the CNS. In addition, inflammation has been shown to directly cause depression so you can't even assume the depression from eating gluten has anything to do with nutritional status. I think it is much more likely an inflammation reaction because the speed with which we become depressed is much faster than the speed of a response to nutrient deficiency.

[ElizFost]

Since the topic of bipolar and celiac has been brought up, I would like to add that I wads diagnosed and treated for bipolar two for 16 years. It was the wrong diagnosis. Once I discovered I was celiac and stopped eating gluten, the bipolar symptoms mostly disappeared. Now I am diagnosed with hypoglycemia and anemia. I am learning how to eat for the hypoglycemia and now all symptoms of bipolar two are gone. Once I got off gluten I no longer needed meds for bipolar two. I wonder how many poor souls with bipolar two diagnosis are really bipolar two. It's a hard road to always be relying on medication that barely helps and may even be hurting you and never really be addressing the true issues.

[Skylark]

I was there too. Bipolar misdiagnosis and useless meds. All I needed was a gluten-free diet, omega-3 fatty acids, and decent multivitamin/mineral/trace element supplemens.

[livelifelarge24]

Since the topic of bipolar and celiac has been brought up, I would like to add that I wads diagnosed and treated for bipolar two for 16 years. It was the wrong diagnosis. Once I discovered I was celiac and stopped eating gluten, the bipolar symptoms mostly disappeared. Now I am diagnosed with hypoglycemia and anemia. I am learning how to eat for the hypoglycemia and now all symptoms of bipolar two are gone. Once I got off gluten I no longer needed meds for bipolar two. I wonder how many poor souls with bipolar two diagnosis are really bipolar two. It's a hard road to always be relying on medication that barely helps and may even be hurting you and never really be addressing the true issues.

That was my exact story a well. Misdiagnosed and treated with meds for bipolar that gave me awful side effects. Once I went gluten free I was completely leveled and I couldn't even explain the clarity I felt for the first time in my life. When I get accidentally glutened I feel that brain dog and moodiness come bag immediately and it makes me wonder how many Celiaca out there have been misdiagnosed and sent home never ro know that changing their diet would change their lives.

[BarryC]

You sound a lot like me. I came across the same info doing my research. I found 5-htp helps-its a purer form of tryptophan. I am just now getting back to a more normal emotional state after a month of gluten free.

[cap6]

My story as well! I was on drugs for years but after being gluten-free for about a year I slowly started weaning off the drugs. It has been 8 months now of weaning and I am almost off of all the drugs and I feel good! How do you explain to someone that one day you wake up and the world just seems a little clearer, a little brighter, happier.