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I received 25 responses to my post.
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Might be related to thyroid. Have you had that looked at? People on the
thyroid list talk a lot about being sensitive to medications and having to
take children's versions...especially in antihistamines.
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Did you go off of it cold turkey? My understanding is that you don't do that
with most drugs, as I know that you can have violent reactions.
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People with chronic fatigue/fybromyalgia tend to need smaller doses of meds
than normal. They also tend to be overweight. They also tend to have lower
reserves of some adrenal hormones (cortisol being one), but possibly also
adrenalin (a.k.a. epinephrine). They tend to be depressed. Oh, and here is
the final connection - the only reliable way I have seen any of them get
better is by following one or another version of carb restricting diets that
specifically restricts grains. Thus, even the Zone diet (which is 40% carbs)
still appears to help quite a bit, but if memory serves right, Sears (diets
author) strongly recommends that people cut out all the grains.
You are already on a GF diet, so you might want to try something like a
Paleolithic diet. That's basically eating only those foods that our
ancestors ate for long periods of time and have adapted to eating. This
removes all the foods that became edible with recent technology, or entered
the food supply with the agricultural revolution.
This way you will eliminate not only gluten, but many other things you might
be sensitive to. If you do try it, be careful whom you listen to for advice,
as there are lots of well meaning people out there who try to fit history to
their view of what nutrition should be (e.g. insisting that earlier humans
were vegetarians or fruitarians, which in many cases is an ethical viewpoint,
not a nutritional one). I subscribe to a PALEOFOOD list right here on this
server, which is a support list for people (roughly) following a way of
eating described in NEANDERTHIN book by Ray Audette. This is also a diet
that tends to be low carb, while not specifically requiring one to restrict
the carbs. Many of the people who are eating that way now, though, came from
the low carb camp and tend to limit their carbs themselves.
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I try to avoid medication at all costs. Have tried anti depression
medication with horrible results, dizziness, nausea, cramps, heart
palpitations etc. I found that vitamins cure both my heart
irregularities and my depression. Whenever I start to get anxious or
depressed (something I experienced most of my life since early
childhood) I check the balance regularity of my vitamins. B vitamins
are especially a problem
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I've always been over-reactive to meds of most types, and I also cannot
handle epinephrine or its relatives. But I've always been this way (when I
was a child and there was no choice except epinephrine for dental work, I had
14 fillings with no anesthetic at all. Abnormally sensible dentist!) I've
been gf for about 8 months and am beginning to need less and less
antihistamines and decongestants. Haven't noticed anything else.
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I believe that eating foods to which one is allergic or sensitive can cause
symptoms for which some doctors prescribe Prozac, etc. Coming off the
offending foods may well obliterate the need for such medication.
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I have always needed less than others and one of my primary symptoms before
going gf was that I fell deeply asleep after eating. I believe this was a
result of leaky gut where the Opioids in the gluten go directly to the
bloodstream and the brain. Since going gf I do not have this symptom. At
one time my allergist/ immunologist told me I needed 1/10th the medication
others need. At that time I did not know I was gluten intolerant or celiac.
No matter how much stimulus was in the environment I could not stay awake
after eating. I could be driving or at the movies or talking to you and I'd
be out. And I could not come out of it. I would slap myself in the face to
stay awake when driving. It was awful! The only time I felt well was if I
didn't eat. I assume the leaky gut was sending all medication directly into
the blood stream rather than going through the normal digestive process.
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I can understand your frustration and concern. I have been gluten free for
around 15 years and have progressively gotten more sensitive and/or allergic
to medications and foods. I am also sensitive to a few chemicals such as
those in perfumes and newspaper print. I also am hypersensitive to medicine
and when I was able to take Benadryl I took a child's dose. I am currently
able to use small doses of homeopathic remedies for acute illnesses.
Anytime that I was taking a drug for any period of time I would become
allergic or sensitive to it and my experience has been the same with all
foods.
I believe that we have autoimmune problems that go along with gluten
intolerance that are not yet understood.
What I would recommend is that you rotate your foods every four days and
perhaps that will keep you from becoming intolerant to those as well as
chemicals. I wish that I had paid attention to this advice and then I might
not be in the situation that I am in today.
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Since most medications are absorbed in the small intestines, it makes sense
that as your gut heals, you would become more sensitive to the medications.
I find now that extra strength Tylenol wipes me out, whereas before, I could
take 3 of them with little to no effect. Maybe you don't need the Prozac
anymore - perhaps the gluten was causing the symptoms. I don't suggest going
off of it cold turkey because you are addicted to it, but maybe in cutting
down the dose, you and your doctor might discuss cutting down the number of
doses? I watched my mother go off of Prozac several times and this method is
the least problematic. Isn't it wonderful to be feeling better!
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Consider that "depression" could actually be a result of poor health due to
lack of vitamins, minerals, etc., when you were still eating gluten and had
poor absorption from the intestine. Then think about what would happen if
you got well, began absorbing all the nutrients you needed, and were not
tired and sad all the time from being sick. Wouldn't Prozac then cause you
to fell hyper? Maybe you just don't need it anymore?
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Jeanne Barkemeijer de Wit
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