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Serotonin Levels

Sugar

By Sugar
in Related Issues & Disorders

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Sugar Rookie
Sugar
Posted

Hello everyone. I was just wondering, does anyone know about the effect of celiac disease on seratonin levels? I know I've been addicted to wheat and sugar and also suffered from depression. I feel better since going gluten free, but I was just wondering because I know eating things your body rejects can give you a "high." Any thoughts?

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rock on Apprentice
rock on
Posted

I do think that having celiac or gluten sensitivities or even only leaky gut syndrome could potentially be a root cause of depression or low serotonin levels. I was actually just looking into how amino acids can help our bodies (because of someone here who mentioned taking l-glutamine to help heal a leaky gut) and came across this article. I thought it was very interesting...it talks about our brain needing certain chemicals & how we can turn to certain drugs, alcohol or even food if we are deficient in these chemicals. If your gut isn't healthy, you might not be getting all the nutrients you need from your food & therefore are lacking in essential amino & fatty acids.

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Sugar Rookie
Sugar
Posted
  • Author

Hey, thanks a lot for the info!

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
Hello everyone. I was just wondering, does anyone know about the effect of celiac disease on seratonin levels? I know I've been addicted to wheat and sugar and also suffered from depression. I feel better since going gluten free, but I was just wondering because I know eating things your body rejects can give you a "high." Any thoughts?

I know that celiac related depression and anxiety issues abound but I am not so sure about their relation to serotonin levels. I suspect that it is a different mechanism that is causing it because of the seriously bad effects many of us have when given drugs like SSRI's and other psychotropics. For some of us the drugs effects on the serotonin levels can make us much worse and lead to suicidal ideation and behaviors like cutting and even actual psychotic episodes. In my family the seizure meds were most effective with depressive and anxiety issues, leading me to be diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy. In other words it was the misfiring of electrical impulses that was causeing the problem not the serotonin levels. In myself this misfiring also lead to ataxia and progressive paralysis of my legs. All of those type of issues we had were gone when we had been gluten-free for a couple of months and only return when glutened.

Sugar Rookie
Sugar
Posted
  • Author

That is fascinating! I'm glad you were able to figure it out for yourself. Thank you.

celiacgirls Apprentice
celiacgirls
Posted

I think gluten was affecting my serotonin levels. I was taking an a/d and feeling better than I had ever felt in my whole life when I started the gluten-free diet. Within 2 days, I could tell the gluten-free diet was making me feel even better with mood/anxiety issues. But I also felt giddy and knew I needed to decrease my a/d. I think I had too much serotonin with the med and the diet. I tapered off the med as fast as I could and haven't needed it since. When I have been glutened, those problems come back.

The One Apprentice
The One
Posted

I am not sure how but I do agree that anxiety/depression IS linked to Celiac. After going gluten free my anxiety improved a little, though I've had it for too long as for it to completely go away, I have noticed that when I get glutened [which happened quite a few times at the beginning of the diet] I would have panic attacks much more often.

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  • 1 month later...
UK Cat Newbie
UK Cat
Posted

Hi,

saw this online, and thought you might be interested. I'm a psychology student, with suspected coeliac disease, and a history of mood disorders, and thought i'd have a look into any correlations between serotonin levels and coeliac disease/other GI disorders. There is a large amount of serotonin activity in the gastro-intestinal tract- I think the amount of serotonin receptors in the gut are second only to the brain within the human body- hence looking into it. Anyway, found this journal article which suggests a link between mood disorders and gluten intolerance/coeliac in children and young people, copy and paste into your browser.

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cheers

Cat

  • 1 year later...
Sugar Rookie
Sugar
Posted
  • Author

Wow! I did not know that. Thanx very much for posting!

one more mile Contributor
one more mile
Posted

battled depression my whole life. I tried shrinks and med and dark chocolate and they only worked so far.

It took a few weeks but I became uncomfortably happy when Gluten free. I even asked my doctor if I was getting manic.

He asked me a few questions and said you are not ill you are normal. Seems I had forgotten what normal is.

My whole emotional core has changed. I tend to wake up happy, and laugh at things rather then get mad.

one more mile

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted
..........

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...........

This link is very appropriate, "Psychosomatic".

best regards, lm

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