<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I've just read a posting that asks about how CD affects seratonin in the
brain and causes depression, and whether or not the medication for
depression, called Paxil, will need to be taken for life. That letter is
from Dawn Berinsky, 2/7/98.  I can't answer her question, but it made me
look back over something I recently read.

There is an article in the January 12 1998 issue of the New Yorker entitled
Anatomy of Melancholy, by Andrew Solomon.  Page 46 ff.

In this article, the author is talking about norepinephrine and not
seratonin, but perhaps they are related, in that they both are brain
chemicals that seem to be necessary to avoid depression.  Anyway, I
wondered if anyone can shed any light about the following quote and whether
or not it in any way relates to CD.  It might be helpful to keep in mind
that Dr. Fasano has said that there is no such thing as "irritable bowel
syndrome."  The statement is:

   "Because the locus coeruleus in the brain, which controls much of
   norepinephrine production, has a strong influence on lower bowel function,
   almost half of panic-disorder patients have irritable-bowel symptoms as
   well [as depression]."

In order to understand the above, it is necessary to know that the locus
coeruleus is evidently a particular part of the brain, and that
norepinephrine  production at a certain level is what is necessary to avoid
depression...and that panic disorder is a form of depression.

I realize that the list owners may think that this question is not directly
related to CD, but if you accept what Dr. Fasano has said about irritable
bowel syndrome, then it is conceivable that there is a connection between
CD and depression.  Depression keeps surfacing on the edges of this LIST
but is not the stated focus, so it then seems to slide away.  Perhaps we
are missing an important link between CD and depression, in the same way
that the link between diabetes and CD was missed for so long.

As symptoms of depression, anger, etc. go along with gluten ingestion in
our family, and as I have a sister who says she is not a celiac but who
suffers from clinical depression - and believe me, we all suffer with her -
I am interested in finding out more about any possible link between the two
diseases.

I'd like to hear from someone who knows a lot more than I do about this -
anybody out there?  Help, please.

Gayle Kennedy,  Ithaca, NY