eLaurie

From what you've written and how your intestinal issues are improving, I'd say there's a strong chance the removal of gluten will greatly improve your life! And yes, the psych improvements do take a while. my mental health gets better and better all the time, and without gluten clouding my brain, I've had the strength to make some significant changes, very much for the better. I am down to a low dose of Effexor (75 mg.) about every third or fourth day, and 100 mg. of Seroquel (used to be 300 a couple of years ago). I am truly astonished and thank God every day.

the elimination of gluten certainly isn't easy at first, but worth every minute of inconvenience (and now it's second nature) to alleviate our issues. Laurie, I'd stay on the meds a while longer, even a year or two if necessary. And if you need a maintenance dose forever, don't worry - - you want to be the best YOU you can be, and it that means some medicaton, then so be it.

Blessings and good health -

Thanks again for pointing me in the direction of this thread and for your encouragement. At this point, I'm so hopeful of a good outcome that the inconvenience of the diet isn't bothering me.

As far as getting off meds ...I haven't even begun to think that far ahead other than to consider making an appointment with a local gluten intolerant internist I recently learned of who can hopefully point me in the direction of a sympathetic pdoc when/if gluten-free starts making a difference.

Thanks so much, DingoGirl, for bringing this thread to my attention.

Very interesting info. Thank you!

For those of you worried about Xanax, taking it in an unusual way, along with talk therapy stopped my panic attacks over 15 years ago. My GP at the time my panic disorder was progressing to agoraphobia (even with therapy) attended a conference and learned that even .25 or half a .25 of Xanax placed under the tongue at the start of a panic attack will abort it. There is a rich supply of capillaries under the tongue, so the dose is absorbed sublingually, goes immediately into the bloodstream - and the dose is so small that it doesn't knock you out. After doing this successfully a few times, the "fear of the fear" vicious cycle of panic disorder that perpetuates it was broken. I hardly ever need it, but don't 'til this day not have some Xanax in my purse.