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Depression and Celiac "Study"

SUMMARY Part #2
16)	  My son's only symptoms were neurological, fuzzy thinking, short
fuse, memory problems, had no diarrhea or other usual symptoms. We had the full panel done by Enterolab & he not only has the gene for celiac but on a scale of one to ten he was21 for casein intolerance! Now that he is on the GF diet he is much better.


17)	You are not over reacting.  That article is terrible.  Anyone dealing with a chronic illness is going to have some depression.  A lot of us with celiac have other autoimmune illnesses that we have to deal with on a daily basis.

18)	I agree with you! 100%! At least in the free version of the article, there is nothing to back up their very vague, generalized claims. What does  "substantial subset" really represent?  Or "clinically relevant symptoms of depression and disordered eating"? Yes, they give a few percentage numbers - but only 177 women were queried, apparently on the internet. BS is correct!

Four out of the five of us in this family are GF and NO ONE (not even me, the only female) is the least bit "depressed" over it! Personally, I am grateful that there are now so many wonderful food choices out there. And as far as "fitting in" these days so many people have food issues of one kind or another that it's almost more prevalent that those who eat "normal". Yes, you need to ask questions, read labels and plan more, but none of us will starve. What is there to be depressed about? Maybe I'm odd, but I just don't get it.


19)	I would just suggest they are depressed due to vitamin deficiencies from unhealed damage still:) There are a number of vitamin deficiencies that will cause mild to severe mental health issues. My 11 yr old and I (both celiac) developed Bipolar from having low zinc and B6. The condition is called pyroluria (its actually a blood disorder). Once we got the vits back to normal levels were totally fine. I would say the same for a celiac who still can't absorb stuff properly, levels drop and you get mental health issues.

20)	 Well said - I followed the link to doctors lounge and read the article and fully agree with you.
The only good thing about the article is that I have learnt a new word; I now know what "comorbidity" means :-) Greetings from Australia,

21)	Thanks for passing this along.  I read it differently than you did.  To me it validates the depression and disordered eating that can effect some women.  And, since MDs will respect the results of a study more than anything that their patients could tell them, I'd say this study has done us a favor.  Will they offer us antidepressants - sure.  That's how they were trained - to diagnose the illness and give a pill to disguise it.  But, we don't have to accept their drugs.  That's why I go to a naturopath for general wellness purposes. But, now when I'm in my MD's office and I tell him I'm feeling crappy, he'll take me seriously because my symptoms have been verified by the scientific method. LOL Seriously, though, what this study tells me is that even though the treatment for CD is easy - just a diet, this is a tough disease to live with, and I'm going to cut myself some slack. I'm looking forward to hearing other takes on this article as well.  Thanks again for passing it along.


22)	Thanks for posting the article.  There is not a lot of actual information in the article itself, like how they did the study.  The term eating disorders is very broad too, is it bing eating or anorexia or bulimia.  Until I can see an actual research article, I would not listen to anything said in that article at all.

23)	I don't think you are over reacting at all.  If it hadn't taken most of us years to get a diagnosis, we'd be a lot happier and healthier as the damage would have been stopped sooner.  For me personally, I am a happy and upbeat person.  I only get depressed, and it is a major, earth open and swallow me, depression, as w sie effect of being gluten contaminated.  It takes about 4 days to clear up and then I am fine emotionally and digestively, but it can take up to ten weeks before I am mentally as sharp as I was before being glutend.  All glutening is unintentional and due to cross contamination and happens rarely as our house is completely gluten free.  Dog food and treats included. I wouldn't take a pill for depression, as staying gluten free makes me depression free


24)	I am sure the medical establishment is usually looking for a money machine, but it is also possible that the malabsorption fouls up your nutrients and that may affect the brain.  We have all heard the stories about autistic children doing better on a gluten free diet; my daughter was hyper and calmed down quite a bit off gluten; she has an Asperger’s friend at college who is less twitchy and doesn't make spelling mistakes and typos when he is off gluten, but he hates to stick to the diet.  In the undiagnosed celiac or noncompliant celiac there may be some physiologic thing going on, but I guess to really know they would have to study fully compliant celiacs.

I share your skepticism about the medical establishment.  I am about to make a trip down the rabbit hole with an orthodox gastroenterologist because I am having bowel issues even though my TTG is almost nil.  I have asked about cultures, lactose intolerance, gallbladder problems but he insists on doing the scope and take biopsies.  Trying hard here not to get on the medical treadmill.

25)	I understand where you are coming from.  My sister suffered miserably from depression and I tried to get her to try a gluten-free diet and got nowhere - which I blamed on her very negative attitude towards everything and anything.  Knowing that I had psychiatric reactions to gluten, I kept trying, to no avail.  She is no longer living, but had the psychiatric professionals known about the connection in some people between gluten sensitivities and depression, she might have lived a happier life and so would her family and friends. 


26)	This was a limited study.  BUT I personally know celiacs, both women and men, who suffer from depression and other mental woes.  Perhaps it's just another aspect that needs to be treated, whatever the means.  And not necessarily because of celiac.

27)	Well, it does seem like they are reaching a little in their conclusions, doesn't it? 177 doesn't sound like a large sampling either. They used the words “increased psychosocial distress" and I wonder about that. I have had celiac all my 40 years, so my adjustment might be different than other more newly diagnosed people. I have an aunt and cousin who were diagnosed about two years ago. They seem to be trying to adhere to the diet, but they are still feeling sick a lot from gluten contamination and this seems to come primarily from eating out (by their own admission). They are married and in their pre-celiac life, they and their husbands found eating out a favorite pastime and a big part of their life. They don't want to disappoint their husbands by limiting their enjoyment/entertainment and I think they hate to miss the meals out--and their husbands may not fully understand the implications of this continual damage. It does seem to give them a certain amount of concern--probably not to the point of taking meds for depression about it, but I wonder if this "psychosocial distress" amounts to people trying to resume a lifestyle built around meals out or food that isn't strictly gf to fit within a world of spouses, friends, etc. so they don't feel socially left out or disappoint others (we women hate to do that). I think it has nothing to do with the celiac itself--but that's my opinion. Another thought is that sometimes we can lack Vitamin B in our diets and that has effect on nerves and emotions. Anyway, I'm with you--I don't think they need to scare people with celiac and make us think we have more problems than most. This study seems a little unclear to me.

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