Is it anxiety or Gluten Intolerance?

[Cobra]

You may be gluten sensitive or have full blown celiac disease.

Gluten in a protein found in wheat and certain other grains in our diet. Unfortunately, some people, about 1 in 100, are severely allergic to it and most do not know it. Celiac disease causes damage to vili of the intestines, leading to malabsorption of nutrients and a whole host of other health issues, including fatigue, brain fog, depression, anxiety, skin rashes, eczema. Just more stuff than I care to list here. There are a few tests that you can have to see if you have celiac disease, but they are terribly unreliable, and often give a false negative. You can also be gluten sensitivity, which means you are intolerant of gluten, but do not have the stomach damage. All the symptoms are the same. The only thing you can really do is go on a gluten free diet for a few months and see if your symptoms get milder. If you are gluten sensitive, it can take months, even years, to fully reverse the damage.

The reason I post this is because there is a positive correlation between gluten sensitivity and neurological disorders, like brain fog, anxiety and depression. Many of the symptoms of gluten sensitivity are symptoms that I personally suffer. They are:

Neurological

anxiety
depression
brain fog
dizziness

Digestive

Heartburn
nausea
constipation
diarrhea
bloating
gas

Skin

acne on limbs (upper arms)
itchy rash
dandruff
numbness/pain in extremities
tingling hands and feet
hives

Bones

achey joints
arthritis-like symptoms

Eyes

dry, itchy, painful eyes

Heart

increased heart rate, BP after eating gluten (allergic reaction maybe?)

My wife has actually been diagnosed (through a biopsy) with Celiac Disease and she has long claimed that she believed I was Celiac intolerant, due to my symptoms. I never gave it much consideration because I've had a biopsy, too, that showed I was not Celiac, but now I have learned that the tests are very unreliable, and you can be gluten intolerant without actually having Celiac Sprue. Going back through my memory, I do seem to recall eating very wheat heavy meals before all of my most traumatic anxiety attacks. Pizza before going to the ER. Sandwiches before going to the ER. And my good days do seem to coincide with days that I have had healthy meat and veggie meals, like yesterday, porkchops with mushrooms and onion, collared greens and homemade potato wedges. No anxiety, even after going back for seconds. Tonight we had homemade burritos and it is all I can do to keep myself calm and will probably have to take an ativan here in a minute. (I keep checking my pulse, even though it is normal, only slightly elevated, thinking any minute now I'm going to croak). Tonight I am sick to my stomach, reflux is acting up, and I am anxious as hell. I had two bad spells today, one after eating lunch (sandwhich, chips) and the second after supper (burritos, tater tots). Can't stay out of the bathroom.Gas. Bloating. Nausea like you wouldn't believe.

So I am going to go gluten free for a while and see if it helps my anxiety and digestive issues. I'll keep you all apprised and let you know how it goes.

http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/gl...y-Symptoms.htm

[Cobra]

COPIED FROM A MEDICAL WEBSITE:


More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.

It is also estimated that as much as 15% of the US population is gluten intolerant. Could you be one of them?

If you have any of the following symptoms it could be a sign that you have gluten intolerance:

1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation. I see the constipation particularly in children after eating gluten.

2. Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as ‘chicken skin’ on the back of your arms). This tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut.

3. Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten.

4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.

5. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.

6. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility.

7. Migraine headaches.

8. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These diagnoses simply indicate your conventional doctor cannot pin point the cause of your fatigue or pain.

9. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips.

10. Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD.

How to test for gluten intolerance?

I have found the single best ways to determine if you have an issue with gluten is to do an elimination diet and take it out of your diet for at least 2 to 3 weeks and then reintroduce it. Please note that gluten is a very large protein and it can take months and even years to clear from your system so the longer you can eliminate it from your diet before reintroducing it, the better.

The best advice that I share with my patients is that if they feel significantly better off of gluten or feel worse when they reintroduce it, then gluten is likely a problem for them. In order to get accurate results from this testing method you must elimination 100% of the gluten from your diet.

How to treat gluten intolerance?

Eliminating gluten 100% from your diet means 100%. Even trace amounts of gluten from cross contamination or medications or supplements can be enough to cause an immune reaction in your body.

[Cobra]

Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, and any foods made with these grains.

Avoiding wheat can be especially hard because this means you should avoid all wheat-based flours and ingredients. These include:

White Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Durum Wheat
Graham Flour
Triticale
Kamut
Semolina
Spelt
Wheat Germ
Wheat Bran
Foods that are usually made with wheat include:

Pasta
Couscous
Bread
Flour Tortillas
Cookies
Cakes
Muffins
Pastries
Cereal
Crackers
Beer
Oats (see the section on oats below)
Gravy
Dressings
Sauces
This may seem like a long list, but there are gluten-free versions of these foods available in most grocery stores. You just have to look for them!

Gluten Surprises
You may not expect it, but the following foods can also contain gluten:

broth in soups and bouillon cubes
breadcrumbs and croutons
fried foods
imitation fish
lunch meats and hot dogs
matzo
most chips and candy
salad dressings
self-basting turkey
soy sauce
rice and pasta mixes
Always be sure to check nutrition labels for gluten-containing ingredients and additives.

A Few Other Points:
Don’t forget that ingredients in food products change frequently, so always check before you buy something. There are many additives and ingredients that are wheat, rye or barley-based.
If something is labeled “wheat-free” it is not always “gluten-free." While the product may not contain wheat, it may still contain rye or barley.
If you have any question about whether or not something contains gluten, call the manufacturer and ask directly.

[Cobra]

Well, today is my first day gluten free. I had cooked cabbage with sausage and some spicy cajun rice. Also, some grapes and a couple gluten free cookies for desert. No breads or junk food of any kind (the cookies don't count because they were gluten free!!! :) ). I actually feel much more mentally stable. My anxiety was at a really low level until I ate-- I have a severe food phobia-- and then it jumped up to maybe a 4 for a little while. Unfortunately, I think the spicy cajun rice was a little much for my already iffy stomach. I have been in the bathroom all night. UGH! However, although this normally would be cause for me to completely lose my shit, literally and well as figuratively, I have endured the stomach discomfort and bathroom runs with relative calm. No, I am not miraculously all better, but I definitely notice a difference, especially mentally, having gone without eating any gluten today.

[Cobra]

Well, got up this morning and wife wanted to have lunch at the Chinese restaurant. I can never say no to my baby, so I went. I avoided anything noodlie or breaded, but of course there is going to be gluten in the sauces, and cross contamination. Within 15 minutes of finishing my meal, my heart began to race, and this kept up for nearly two hours. Diarrhea. Extreme fatigue. All the signs of gluten intolerance. BUT my anxiety did not get as bad as it normally does when eating, and it is already starting to drop back down to a manageable level, so I'm glad I didn't have the noodles or egg rolls. I'll try to be better and not eat anything bad again today. Also, I have noticed that I am not as dizzy as I have been. Skin is not as itchy. Joints are not as painful.

[Cobra]

I've noticed that my overall body pains seem to be lightening up. I had attributed the constant aches and sudden stabbing pain to anxiety, but maybe it was not. Or not entirely anxiety-based. Sore achy tingly feet are feeling much better. Back spasms easing up. Even my stomach seems less bloated and gassy. Haven't had to take an ativan yet today. Usually, I take half an ativan once or twice a day, depending on the severity of my anxiety. Today, my anxiety has only gotten up to what I would call severe nervousness, not actual full blown "oh no I'm going to die" levels.

[Cobra]

Got some low level anxiety going on. Not because anything is hurting but because nothing is hurting. My body feels different on this gluten free diet, and so my brain is on alert, but not, thankfully, triggering too much adrenaline release. The main thing I notice so far is really clear thinking. That, and my 6+ trips to the bathroom a day is tapering off. TMI, I know, but I'm trying to write a good journal so that anyone else who might be suffering from gluten induced symptoms can benefit from this. Dizziness is tapering off, too. I was really getting a lot of dizziness recently that I was trying to ignore.

I was perusing the celiac and gluten intolerant forums this morning and was struck by how many of them report anxiety as one of their symptoms. Seems gluten intolerance can have severe neurological effects. I am also struck by how closely the symptoms of panic disorder go along with the symptoms of gluten intolerance. I will know soon enough if my anxiety issues are partly or fully caused by gluten intolerance. Seems, from my research, that it takes about three weeks for the gluten to get out of your system once you go on the elimination diet.