Panic and Gluten-free diet

Hi everyone!

A gluten free diet was recommended to me by a few different people when my anxiety became really severe. I didn't try it until recently, and found that I did feel really good for a few days, then it sort of leveled out again.

Anyway, after a month of this, I thought the diet really wasn't doing anything for me, and I ate some pizza which gave me awful, awful heartburn. A few days later, I tried some pasta and cheese and experienced the same thing, but I actually threw up what little bit I had eaten of the pasta. Now, I'm just not sure what's going on with me and I'm afraid to try eating "glutenous" things again.

Does anyone have experience with eliminating certain things from your diet and lowering your anxiety? Or anything like what I've mentioned here?

Thanks!

I was ordered to be a Vegan.
The food I was eating prior, caused increased anxiety, stress, and pain. (disease)
From the looks of your post, you have GER or GERD. Look it up. Simple fix..not a big deal.
Not real sure about the gluten issue, pizza, pasta, cheese, whatever was on the pizza,..GER....not gluten.
Yes, eating the right foods (healthy) will lower your anxiety. Fact!
Welcome friend!!

E-Man. :)

The GER/GERD issue is a huge issue for so many people. Loads of anxiety folk are suffering from symptoms when they needn't be, simply because that issue isn't in order. Eman is preaching the gospel on that. Worth looking into if you believe it could be affecting you. I think there's a big chance it could be.

Cutting food groups can help sometimes, sure. It's mainly because they help with with GERD issues, digestive issues, blood sugar issues, that are affecting the anxiety.

Diets that promote lesser inflammation and better digestion are always useful. They do usually forbid gluten too lol.

I'm just trying to puzzle this all out. I did look up GERD and it does sound like what I have, but the thing is I never had experience with heartburn until taking anti-anxiety meds (I learned really fast not to take those on an empty stomach) and I've never had it so severe as I did this week with re-introducing the gluten. I don't want to go to the doctor, because I'm sure she'll just prescribe another pill to take :/

Another great reply Jesse..

It (may) very well be the medication raising the acid levels in your stomach itself.

I also think that you may have went abit beyond the re-introduction of some gluten into your diet friend, I got GER just reading it...all of those things that you mentioned, are packed with bad fats, sodium, high carbs, dairy,..and basically not "good" foods although they taste really good!

I would try a medication designed to lower and block acid reflux, asap..you may be very surprised at the results.

Also, if you don't already have an (auto-immune system disorder) then generally speaking, people go "gluten" free because of digestive issues or difficulties and not so much for mental health reasons or because it may be linked to anxiety/panic but I am going to search that subject now because maybe I just learned something new too!!..

E-Man..:)

Although it didn't work dramatically for me, gluten-free can help mental health issues! It's been linked for years to schizophrenia, and more recently to autism, ADD and, yep, anxiety. lol I guess it's all about the chemistry of the body.

Thanks for all the help guys!

Thank you because I had no idea that there may be links to gluten/anxiety/depression...I just read some articles. Geeze can we eat anything!!!! :D

I think broccoli is okay. ;)

oh geee...yum :(

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Originally Posted by JLK

Hi everyone!

A gluten free diet was recommended to me by a few different people when my anxiety became really severe. I didn't try it until recently, and found that I did feel really good for a few days, then it sort of leveled out again.

Anyway, after a month of this, I thought the diet really wasn't doing anything for me, and I ate some pizza which gave me awful, awful heartburn. A few days later, I tried some pasta and cheese and experienced the same thing, but I actually threw up what little bit I had eaten of the pasta. Now, I'm just not sure what's going on with me and I'm afraid to try eating "glutenous" things again.

Does anyone have experience with eliminating certain things from your diet and lowering your anxiety? Or anything like what I've mentioned here?

Thanks!

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Unless you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or an actual allergy of intolerance to gluten there is absolutely NO benefit to be gained from a gluten-free diet. Giving up random foods on the off chance it might help really really isn't a sensible approach. Get yourself properly diagnosed! If you actually are a celiac you need to know!

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Originally Posted by Enduronman

Thank you because I had no idea that there may be links to gluten/anxiety/depression...I just read some articles. Geeze can we eat anything!!!! :D

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There aren't. UNLESS you have a diagnosable intolerance.

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Originally Posted by JLK

Although it didn't work dramatically for me, gluten-free can help mental health issues! It's been linked for years to schizophrenia, and more recently to autism, ADD and, yep, anxiety. lol I guess it's all about the chemistry of the body.

Thanks for all the help guys!

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Not by actual scientists it hasn't been! Get your medical and dietary advice from real medical professionals, NOT from the internet. There are absolutely no dietary links to schizophrenia or autism - absolutely zero. Its not just a myth, its a lie.

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Originally Posted by Chiddler

Not by actual scientists it hasn't been! Get your medical and dietary advice from real medical professionals, NOT from the internet. There are absolutely no dietary links to schizophrenia or autism - absolutely zero. Its not just a myth, its a lie.

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Sorry Chiddler, my information isn't just from the internet, but also from personal experience. I work with people that have allergies, intolerances, and food sensitivities everyday. Their experiences aren't validated by scientists or even medical doctors, but by the way that they feel. Please don't discount this as being 'a myth.'

I just want to put this out here because if anyone reads this that suspects they have an issue with food and this could help them, I wouldn't want them to be discouraged.

You are what you eat!!

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Originally Posted by JLK

Sorry Chiddler, my information isn't just from the internet, but also from personal experience. I work with people that have allergies, intolerances, and food sensitivities everyday. Their experiences aren't validated by scientists or even medical doctors, but by the way that they feel. Please don't discount this as being 'a myth.'

I just want to put this out here because if anyone reads this that suspects they have an issue with food and this could help them, I wouldn't want them to be discouraged.

You are what you eat!!

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Science isn't optional and anecdote is a terrible thing to base healthcare decisions on.

"Someone I met says they felt better when they did thing X"

That's not a reason to start doing thing X, that's a reason to do some research into whether or not thing X is actually a proven and effective treatment. If not then its almost certain that what made them better what something else they did at the same time but forgot to mention.

Humans are awful at pattern recognition and linking cause an effect. that's why we developed science, to enable us to do those things properly.

If removing a single substance from a diet creates a measurable improvement, that's scientific evidence and all scientists will accept it - just as long as the experiment is done scientifically. Since NO scientific experiment has ever linked diet to autism or schizophrenia I am confident in saying no such link is believed to exist.

Ditto with gluten. Unless you have a scientfically detectable negative reaction to it, its harmless. It cannot make healthy people sick. those who claim their personal experience shows otherwise are misinterpreting their experience, or haven't have the right tests.

I will repeat. science is not optional. Its a method that discovers facts from evidence, not believes from anecdotes.

Look, I didn't come here to be 'beaten down' with 'facts.' I came here to get and share advice.

We struggle so much with anxiety, if someone alters their diet in a drastic or not-so-drastic way and experiences some improvement, what exactly is the harm in that just because 'science' doesn't support it?

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Originally Posted by JLK

Look, I didn't come here to be 'beaten down' with 'facts.' I came here to get and share advice.

We struggle so much with anxiety, if someone alters their diet in a drastic or not-so-drastic way and experiences some improvement, what exactly is the harm in that just because 'science' doesn't support it?

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Surely the best advice is that that can be backed up by facts? There are no 'facts' (in inverted commas), just facts.

If someone got better and gives the credit to entirely the wrong thing, then that's bad advice to take. Instead find stuff that is scientifically proven to work, and do that

Quackery is NOT harmless. Quackery kills people

As noted by others, eating a healthier diet does decrease anxiety. I'm not sure if this is proven by science or not.

I'm pretty sure eating healthier (be that a vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, ketogenic, gluten-free, dairy-free or whatever diet) has never killed anyone.

My point was, I came to this forum to get advice and hear the experiences of others with anxiety, regarding to the diet issue.

I did not come here to be told I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

So, if you have something helpful to contribute, go ahead. If not, please move on.

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Originally Posted by JLK

As noted by others, eating a healthier diet does decrease anxiety. I'm not sure if this is proven by science or not.

I'm pretty sure eating healthier (be that a vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, ketogenic, gluten-free, dairy-free or whatever diet) has never killed anyone.

My point was, I came to this forum to get advice and hear the experiences of others with anxiety, regarding to the diet issue.

I did not come here to be told I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

So, if you have something helpful to contribute, go ahead. If not, please move on.

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My original point was that a gluten-free diet ISN'T healthier, unless there's a medical reason for it. Gluten is harmless to most people. Reality matters. If people want to change their diets to help their health it matters that they do this in a way that ACTUALLY helps.

Its not that 'you' are wrong, its that you've been given false information. True information is always better than false information.

Science isn't a matter of opinion, things are either supported by evidence, or not.

The wrong diet has killed people - diabetics who instead of going to a doctor get some crank diet off a website. Live a reality-based life, that's all I am suggesting. Anecdote is not good evidence.