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Hi all,
Thank you everyone who responded to this question. Due to the variety of input, I have simply reproduced the responses. I apologize for the delay. I had some technical challenges over the weekend.
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I know of no documented relationship of bipolar disorder to celiac. Monopolar depression is associated with celiac, but may not be responsive to the diet.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?
cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11346203&dopt=Abstract
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I did a post a while back regarding a book I read - "The Brain Chemistry Plan" originally brain chemistry diet.
It's by Michael Lesser MD with Colleen Kapklein.
It says on the front - The Personalized Nutritional Prescription for
- Balancing Mood
- Relieving Stress
- Conquering Depression
A doctor who doesn't prescribe medication - how enlightning.
I don't post a lot to this list - I read and learn. But I felt compelled and I had wonderful feedback.
Celiacs have trouble absorbing major vitamins which are essential to good mental health. This book is not a celiac book - but it all makes sense. He treats people with Manic Depression with vitamins - larger doses - but we are limited with our absorption.
I have celiac disease - my father died from it at 66 - my brother and sister won't be tested (I've tried) - they are both on antidepressants. Why you ask?
The book was very good - I even bought a copy (and I don't often allow myself the extravagence of buying a book).
If you search the archives under "Brain Chemistry" perhaps you'll see some of the posts.
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Celiac causes depression and could also cause BiPolar disorder. I am
positive my sister has CD and BiPolar, but refuses to be tested. There
are very few studies since CD has been thought to be rare! HA! Good Luck,
BiPolar is a nasty problem.
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I can only give you anecdotal evidence but for what it's worth, my
son was diagnosed as manic depressive as a young teen, and put on lithium prior
to going GF. He was also diagnosed as having ADHD. However, then they
discovered that he had celiac disease, put him on a gluten free diet, and the
symptoms were largely resolved and he was removed from all medication. His
gastro, Dr. Ted Stathos (Denver) said that he'd seen other cases like this and was
going to write a paper, but to the best of my knowledge, has not done so yet and
that was six years ago.
I'd like to add that though going GF helped a great deal, my son
had learned behaviors that he needed to unlearn and still required (some)
counseling.The difference was that he was able to internalize the counseling after
going GF.'
It is absolutely amazing how much this disease can affect.
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A wealth of information exists on the internet to link untreated celiac disease (or the long-term damage thereof) with schizophrenia. So I would not be surprised to learn that CD links with manic depression/bipolar also. However, I am also not surprised that the internet may or may not mention this link. CD is so poorly understood and researched, in the grand scheme of things.
My son had severe CD damage at diagnosis. He also has a history of severe behavioral problems. The gastroenterologist has told us that the long-term malnutritional effects may well be causal for our son's issues. My son's behavior has improved significantly since going gluten-free, however it has been a slow, gradual improvement. Teachers and daycare personnel often got frustrated because once my son started eating gluten-free, they expected the changes to be immediate. They did/do not understand that gut damage and malnutrition takes time to heal.
Your friend may benefit from a full physical with assessment of vitamin/mineral deficiencies. This can shed light on the need for supplementation to aid in healing. It is worth a try.
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There are 2 posts from this subscriber, confirming that she was diagnosed for both bipolar and CD.
I was diagnosed with Sprue, now called Celiac Sprue (Celiac) way back in 1966. Ever since knowing what I was sensitive to, I'm fine. We can be sensitive to more than just Gluten... I can't have liquid milk either...
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I acquired several types of health books at once and looking through
them came across information that was available prior to my birth, this
should of saved me lots of grief but it was not mainstream information on food
additives and preservatives etc.., I was born in 1966.
Well one book I got information for a talk is 'Natural Healing' by Mark
Bricklin, Executive Editor PREVENTION Magazine. Copyright 1976 Rodale
Press, Inc.
ISBN 0-87857-136-1.
Under the heading 'Schizophrenia' he goes on ...One important
additional therapeutic dimension for schizophrenic is the elimination from the
diet of every trace of gluten-containing cereal --- which means primarily
wheat, but also rye, barley, and oats. Under the entry on CELIAC DISEASE, you
will read of the pioneering work of Dr. F. Curtis Dohan. Dr. Dohan told us
that he first suspected a connection between celiac disease and
schizophrenia when he observed that certain substances excreted in the urine of
schizophrenics were also in the urine of celiacs. In a series of
experiments, he put a number of schizophrenia patients on a diet which
completely excluded not only gluten, but milk and other dairy products
as well. Milk was excluded because some celiacs will not improve unless
gluten and milk are eliminated. The results of these experiments strongly
suggested that patients who were put on the gluten-free, milk-free diet
improved much more rapidly that those who where not.
Nevertheless, doctors in general did not act upon these findings,
probablybecause they had not been duplicated and - equally important - because
of the general reluctance of doctors to afford dietary factors an
important place in the treatment of mental disease. Just as we completed this
book, however, Dr. Dohan's work was confirmed, in a study carried out by Drs.
Man Mohan Singh and Stanley R. Kay of the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit
of the Bronx Psychiatric Center, and published in 'Science' (January 30,
1976).
...The found that when wheat gluten was 'sneaked' into their diet, the
improvement in their condition was sharply halted or reversed. The
study was constructed in a scientifically elegant manner which excluded the
possibility that the results observed were due to chance, psychological
suggestions, or the bias of the doctors.
While it is not necessarily true that gluten is the cause of all
schizophrenia, or that all schizophrenics
will greatly improve when taken off gluten, the doctors conclude that
'how wheat gluten may contribute to the schizophrenic process is a matter of
speculation at this stage, but it does seem to be a important exogenous
{i.e., dietary} factor which when combined with genetic predisposition
to schizophrenia, promotes the development of this condition."
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I was once diagnosed with this malady. When Lithium alone didn't work, they would give me more of something else, when that didn't work, they added something else too it. I was taking so many different things, none of it really worked. I was so drugged. And I still had the problems!
Then my church sent me to see a nutritionist/phychologist --- Sugar and Eggs -- who would think that food could make such a change...Strong paint smells, and the smell they put in natural gas. Petro-carbons! I also divorced my now Ex-husband -- he gave me too much stress....
For the last 18 years, I've just taken Vitamins and Minerals -- and that's all!
I rarely take a Tylenol, or Naproxen if I hurt myself, or if I get a bad cold, I take Robitussin DM...
I have my own business, I am happier than I have ever been, life is generally good.
Please suggest to your friend that they get further tested for more allergies...
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Yes, there's a connection! In my newest book, I devoted an entire chapter to the connection between gluten and behavior, including a lot of information on depression/bipolar, and even schizophrenia. If you're interested, it's called, "Wheat-Free, Worry-Free: The Art of Happy, Healthy, Gluten-Free Living."
You may also want to check out www.glutenfreedom.net
Hope that helps!
Danna
Founder, Raising Our Celiac Kids (R.O.C.K.)
Author: "Wheat-Free, Worry-Free: The Art of Happy, Healthy, Gluten-Free Living"
Author: "Kids with Celiac Disease: A Family Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy, Gluten-Free Children"
www.celiackids.com
www.GlutenFreedom.net
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Take a look at www.truehope.com, and they will convince you that
bipolar is from malnutrition. Since celiac disease causes malnutrition, it follows
that some celiacs will be bipolar.
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I am a self diagnosed Celiac(40 yr. old woman), with classic symptoms
if I accidentally ingest gluten. I have been gluten free for over seven
years. I had the blood test and biopsy done at Kaiser last year, with a
negative result (whatever!)I have even noticed a slight depression in
myself if I ever have a gluten reaction. I have a sister who is also
Celiac, not diagnosed, but I know she is-has always had classic
symptoms, not gluten free. She is bipolar and has other depressive
disorders. She is also type 2 diabetic. Also, our father is undiagnosed
Celiac and also has bipolar disorders, etc. I also have a brother who
is type 1 diabetic. My younger brother is just learning that he can't
tolerate wheat anymore, has digestive problems, but so far, no
depression or bipolar.
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As a nurse in a gastroenterology center, who does "history & physicals" on all of our patients, I notice that MANY untreated celiacs that have depression/anxiety/panic disorders. I wouldn't be surprised at all that as more research is done - bipolar disorders are connected to celiac also.
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This is in my family. I suggest that, depending on the quality of answers you get, (hopefully, some better ones than mine) you might consider the area of gluten-free and casein-free, or possibly, just gluten-free and dairy-free. Casein is the milk protein, but a lot of people don't make distinction between casein and lactose, which is the milk sugar. I am sorry that I don't have some peer-reviewed article to refer you to.
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There have been several articles in newspapers (Washington Post - only
one I can recall, by name) about this. SOME cases do seem to be celiac
related. It is possible that untreated celiac shows up as bipolar & there is a
doctor in Raliegh that treats several of these patients. I don't know his
name because a nurse I know was telling me about it. You might try emailing Dr. Fasano's group to help locate info.
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There is a link between Schizophrenia and or depression and celiac.
Since both of these are prevalent I'm sure bipolar is also.
http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/#expert
Go to the readings of Dr. Kalle Reichelt. It has his posts from 1994
or 1995. Click on this dates and read some of his thoughts.
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I would suggest you to ask your questions at this other excellent site: http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/messages
There are very kind & knowledgeable people there, among them doctors, to answer your questions.
There also is a GF product list, updated regularly.
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You can go to this site and sign up for news alerts about anything. I
get an alert every day about CD and I see references to lots of other similar diseases such as T-1 diabetes, which I have.
Create another News Alert:
http://www.google.com/newsalerts?hl=en
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