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Dear List:
After posting the original summary re the article in the June issue of
Scientific American:  Neurobiology of Depression by Charles Nemeroff
(www.sciam.com) I received a few more interesting comments.
1. Also on the chronic fatigue syndrome list wanted permission to  relay
our debate to them.
(Summarizer's comment: I see every reason for people with multiple
medical problems to impart information from a source such as our list.
As  a  person with congenital scoliosis I am deeply aware of the overlap
of concerns, and was stunned at how closed the scoliosis list owners are
to any hint of the interrelatedness of  medical conditions.)

2.  "I did indeed e-mail Dr. Nemeroff for any of his observations and
should he have time to respond (he's chief of Psychiatry at Emory)" I
would be more than happy to forward them to you."
(Summarizer's comment: If and when I receive them I will happily send
them on should you be interested.)

3. "What is meant by "active CD"--a phrase used by one of the original
respondents?  I think that means someone who has CD,  but isn't on a
100% gluten free diet."

4. Brought up the psychological issues related to dealing with CD:"
....  I really do think that a lot of our
depression is caused by our limited diet.  Also, when reading the posts,
I
find myself almost becoming a hypochrondriac- am I also going to develop
DH, diabetes, lymphoma, etc.  This aspect I also find very depressing.
I don't have the energy that I used to and I don't feel well a lot of the
time.  I'm sure that many of us feel the same way and this surely can
bring on depression. Also, this condition makes traveling almost impossible
for some of us.  ..."

5. seemed to agree with me that an article on Depression needs to
specify dietary as well as pharmacological ways of dealing with
symptoms.

6. Requested a copy of the 17 citations as backup for a pending MD
visit.
(Summarizer's comment: I have the file and will gladly e-mail it to
anyone who would like it.)

7.  A pharmacy major, she found the article "an  incredible step towards
validating depression as a legitimate, biological illness.  The author
not only addresses the genetics and biology, but the environmental
(psychological) factors that contribute... The fact that we can link our
CD to depression seems to make sense. ....I think that we need to
realize that we will feel awkward/sad/angry about some of the things
that we have to deal with.  But I don't want anyone to ever have to face
the regret of realizing that their struggles were biochemical, and
could've probably been easily alleviated long before. ... It is true
that some of our postings/discussions  can sound "paranoid."  But we
each seem to find our own answers, and find strength in each other."

8. Came from the husband of a celiac painter: "Karin is a Fine Art
student and normally is fairly "bullish" about her work.  The ONLY
times when she starts saying "My work's no good" is from  about 2 hours
after gluten ingenstion until about a week after.    So there is a
definite link which must presumably be biochemical."

9. Describes "treatment  for an episode of terrifying anxiety...in three
visits  a quite elderly woman psychiatrist spotted symptoms of a blood
disorder. Subsequent blood work revealed a severe drop in platelets.
...probably a manifestation of poor vitamin absorption, due to cd,
though not diagnosed or even suspected until 20 years later.
Incidentally, the psychiatrist was taught by Bonhoeffer in Berlin that
the first rule for responsible psychiatry was to determine whether the
patient's symptoms were physical.  How readily the field now assumes
psychological cause!"

The debate has helped clarify many issues for me.  Thanks, everyone!
Nancy in nyc