Could someone please explain the mental issues that can happen with gluten intolerance? I have some severe mood swings, and I wonder if it is gluten. I am talking major mood swings, too the point of needing therapy.

BamBam

Hi Bambam,

I do believe mood swings. brain fog , and deression are a symptom of celiac/gluten intolerance. I know my son and I are not as moody, and bitchy with everyonce since going gluten-free. I've read alot on the subject, and there are even links to serious mental health issues.

Read "Dangerous grains," it has a lot of info on the subject.

Charlene

Have you kept a food diary to see if there is a correlation between what you ingest and mood swings? I know that my depression would just overwhelm me after I had been glutened, even though I'm on 50mg of zoloft daily. (the zoloft is for long term depression pre-celiac disease). But I do know what you are talking about. If I've been glutened I get such a rage that even my husband's breathing irritates the h**l out of me. I just isolate myself with a book or a needlework project until the gluten is out of my system.
Annette

Ever since being diagnosed 7 years ago, I have had to be on anti-depressants, such as Prozac and Wellbutrin. I was so incredibly depressed (and still am.....although not as severe as before where I would just have sad thoughts and outbursts of crying) and completely non-functional with certain things. I used to cry when I woke up in the AM to go to my teaching job. I was soooooo overwhelemed and had so much anxiety (combined with depression). I would ask myself everyday "How the hell am I going to get through the day???" Thats when I started taking Prozac/Wellb. combo, which saved my life.
Since celiac I have developed an eating disorder (one of extreme exercising off every calorie after major binges). It was almost like a chemical takeover of my body where I just ate and ate all the stuff I was allowed on the diet....such as chocolate, peanut butter, mixed nuts, gluten-free cookies, gluten-free brownies, rice pudding, etc. I no longer binge/exercise, thankfully.......But.......
There isnt a day that goes by where I dont think about eating/food/celiac/celiac effects. I am constatnly striving to stay thin, at 132 and 5"6', never had children before, love the fashionable styles in the city (NY that is), and just generally enjoy fitting into smaller sizes. I obsess over food, and also have very bad mood swings-----especially during that time of the month (hormonal I guess).
I definitely believe there's a distinct correlation between Celiac and mental health issues. You should speak to your doctor......if your consistently depressed and have severe mood swings then may need to see a therapist......As for me, I deal with it.......actually the pills arent that effective as they once were. My doctor says that depression is a chemical thing....well, arent we chemically "altering" our body chemistry on our strict (DO or DIE) celiac diet????? This is something to consider....
well, good luck to you!
happy holidays!!!!

I am just guessing here but this sounds like more than celiac to me. People with diseases tend to blame everything on the one culprit and in so doing miss other possible causes. Maybe you need to go back to the drawing board. Claire

Pre-gluten-free diet I was *extremely* depressed with all kinds of horrible mood swings. Now when I'm glutened I kind of go into a rage and don't want to be around anyone. I get VERY irritable and snappy. I sometimes lock myself in the bathroom just to be alone.
After the initial reaction I'm just sad and depressed for a few days.

I find myself less and less moody when I'm glutened nowadays. I do get irritable (it's one of my first symptoms) but if I think of taking a substantial dose of vitamin B complex right away, that seems to help prevent the depression and sadness.

I've also been taking care to eat a lot of salmon and leafy greens lately, and that also helps.

I don't think the gluten FREE diet should cause depression/moodiness, unless it's in some way unbalanced. There's 1. either something else going on, 2. you're not as gluten free as you thought, OR 3. you're not getting everything (vitamins and minerals and so on) that you need from your diet.

Just my opinion
Pauliina

For the 10 years prior to the correct celiac disease Diagnosis my husband's depression was deep enough to need medications but he could not tolerate the side effects. He had depression to the point of thinking of not living anymore. I'd go to work and worry about him all day.

After going gluten-free his depression is not as severe, but yes it does exist at different levels depending on the day, week, etc.
His body took a beating by being misdiagnosed for 26+ years and he's dealing with other health issues that are offshoots of celiac disease and that at times has him depressed.


Mandigirl: Don't worry about losing your jean size, concern yourself with staying healthy.
It appears that you did, in fact, develop an eating disorder as a result of realizing that you can only eat gluten-free.
I remember doing what you are doing when I was in my teens and early twenties (trying to expend calories for each calorie I ate) - and guess what -- I got over it! (I have had overweight issues since I was 12).

I learned that while calories matter, sometimes it's the carbs that keep weight on and when I want to lose weight I decrease carbs (sugar, corn syrup, breads, too much fruits or juices, wine, etc. ) and watch fatty stuff (fried foods, too much mayo or butter) and I will lose weight.
However, I think your gluten-free diet has made you more aware of the foods you CAN have and you have snowballed it into a mania.

Please tell the doctor who is giving you Welbutrin about your eating issues. Welbutrin's side effect is to diminish appetite (I was on it once so I can talk about it first hand). Let the doctor decide if Welbutrin is contributing to your dining issues.

I'd like to add to Pauliina's observation: were you tested for Vitamin levels, such as B12? Sometimes deficiences cause cravings - perhaps a monthly shot of Vit B 12 could help?

Thank you for your good advice and concern. Yes, I have major issues with food and staying thin. Funny you should mention looking into vitamin deficiences....currently Im not taking anything (stupid, I know). Sometimes I get on a vitamin "kick" and am gung ho, making sure I have the essential ones.....vit.b, calcium, fish oil, etc. Then I just get lazy and stop them all together. I am more fulfilled when I take vitamins. I have an addiction to chocolate.....I eat a little every day!!!! Vitamins keep you satisfied. I find that when I get even hungrier than before....crazy, no????
ttys

Oddly enough, as sick as I was, I never suffered from depression before going gluten-free. Once I started gluten-free, the depression got bad. I'm not sure why but I now take anti-depressants and they help keep me functioning.
Something changed in my body for the worse after going gluten-free. My stomach aches got better, but I got depressed, dizzy, anxiety, etc. after going gluten-free. The anti-depressants have helped that. Maybe I changed over too quickly? I'm not sure but it's been a trial!
So I don't agree wtih those who say the gluten free diet shouldn't cause it. I personally think ANY major change to your body's systems can cause a bunch of problems to crop up.

Hello, I am new to this site today and think it is wonderfull. I am not new to Gluten Intolerance. The only symptom I have at all is a severe mood swing that lasts a full 8 to 24 hours. Depending on how much Gluten I ingested, the mental state ranges from mild restless agitation to a full blown mental change with ruminating thoughts, paranoid thoughts and just plain nastiness. I cant stand it. It is exactly like I took a drug or some mind altering agent.

The worst part is if I don't know I am ingesting it, it comes on very slow and insidiously and overcomes me until I get so bizarre that I am finally able to identify it.

If became aware of this problem about two years ago and I THANK GOD for coming to realization about how awful Wheat Gluten is my mental condition. MY LIFE HAS CHANGED IMMENSILY. Without Weat Gluten I am happy, able to concentrate, see the bright side of life, love life, etc. With Wheat Gluten it is the exact opposite.

I will be looking for similar stories and I am willing to share what I know. I do not have a medical diagnosis from an MD, I was just blessed to have married for 2nd time to a new wife three years ago who KNEW when I acted like I didn't love her during the Gluten episodes, knew there was something wrong and knew it was something I had eaten. If I ingest Wheat Gluten, the mental problems happen. If I don't ingest Wheat Gluten, I don't have the problems. If the mental problem arises, I look back and find I had unknowingly consumed Wheat Gluten or MFS. A 100% rule without deviation for over two years.

I only wish I can really relate what a blessing it is to have so much crap and mental anguish removed from my life by eliminating the Breakfast of Champions. I have been given a NEW LIFE.


Hope this helps. Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Gluten has a pronounced effect on the brain - as you already know.

If you are not aware of the opioid quality of gluten then you might want to read the article below.

ZOMBIE FOOD
http://www.13.waisays.com/zombie.htm


A search on gluten and opioid (together) will turn up some interesting material - some will be quite technical. Look up opioid separately and you will also find informative stuff that may further clarify some of what you have experienced. Claire

Thank You Claire. This forum is awesome. I came across it today while researching "modified food starch". If manufacturers start listing the source of their MFS on January 1st as indicated in these forums, it will take the gamble out of eating foods with MFS.

I look forward to learning as much as I can about these topics and contributing what I can.

Thanks again for the link to WAI - I am going reading.