Panic Attacks, Seizures And Celiac?

[kaki-clam]

Can Celiac cause panic attacks and seizures? For a 4 month period approximately 6 years ago i had panic attacks during a very stressful time in my life.....as soon as the stress ended, so did the attacks. Now they are back, and with a vengeance. They have been mildly coming back over the last year (I will have been gluten free and a diagnoised Celiac for 2 years in September)...today I had an attacks so bad i blacked out. Is this due to Celiac? Or are the attacks coming back? I cannot go through what I did 6 years ago with all the meds they tried to put me on.....

[eatmeat4good]

Yes, it can be the neurological symptoms of Celiac. Be sure you watch for any trace gluten. That may be the culprit. Also a B vitamin deficiency can cause anxiety and depression so be sure you are supplementing the vitamins Celiacs are usually deficient in. A, All the B's, Folic Acid, Calcium, magnesium, Iron, Zinc, and the vitamins D and C and E.

Start there. Possibly get your vitamin levels checked if you can afford it.

Eliminate all possible avenues of cross-contamination. Get enough protein....the brain needs protein to function normally. Anxiety and panic attacks are terrible to live with. Do see your Dr. if these things don't work, because some of the medications do work. It isn't all about therapy and cognitive-behavioral change or intervention. Nutritional deficiencies can cause mental illness. If any of the above are causing your anxiety...it should be solved in a number of weeks by supplementing, eating right, and watching for stray gluten molecules. Restaurants are dangerous places....so consider not using them until you get this figured out. Good luck. I used to suffer such anxiety too.

[melikamaui]

I have definitely suffered from panic attacks and had seizures quite a lot as a young adult. I didn't even think that it could be related to celiac disease until recently when I realized just how many things in my life are caused by undiagnosed celiac disease. When I went gluten-free I found that my panic attacks stopped. I hope you find relief soon. I know how debilitating it can be.

[blueshabooMoon]

Can Celiac cause panic attacks and seizures? For a 4 month period approximately 6 years ago i had panic attacks during a very stressful time in my life.....as soon as the stress ended, so did the attacks. Now they are back, and with a vengeance. They have been mildly coming back over the last year (I will have been gluten free and a diagnoised Celiac for 2 years in September)...today I had an attacks so bad i blacked out. Is this due to Celiac? Or are the attacks coming back? I cannot go through what I did 6 years ago with all the meds they tried to put me on.....

You are on the right site, learned more here than from all my doctors. google and check forums here especially about " celiac Ataxia" people suffer pre-syncope, fainting, balance coordination, anxiety,Terri

[Takala]

So how is your gluten free diet going, anyway ?

You said a few months ago you were having a lot of sugar and junk food cravings. This can be a classic sign of your diet being out of whack. Cravings can be caused by mineral imbalances, and eating too much sugar or high glycemic index easily digested grain carbohydrate mixed with sugar (think lots of "cookies" or "cake with frosting") to try to make it go away, can cause a temporary spike in blood sugar, followed by a bad crash afterwards. Meanwhile, the vitamin and mineral levels can remain screwed up. See the second post. You will need to eat more vegetables, protein, and good fats such as olive oil and coconut milk, besides the calcium/magnesium and B complex vitamins, to kill the sugary food cravings. Many women attempt to eat a high carb diet low in fat because of standard nutritional brainwashing, and it just does not work for us. You may have to change your shopping habits to keep lots of high protein, gluten free snacks around, and you may have to start eating a non traditional breakfast like eggs with a vegetable serving, instead of cereal and milk. You may have to limit white rice, and go for more complex, higher protein gluten free grains, or seeds and nuts. Yes, chomping down on something dinner like for breakfast may not sound appealing at first, but it beats not being able to function.

Have you ever had your thyroid checked for both levels, and for autoimmune thyroid disease?

[kaki-clam]

So how is your gluten free diet going, anyway ?

You said a few months ago you were having a lot of sugar and junk food cravings. This can be a classic sign of your diet being out of whack. Cravings can be caused by mineral imbalances, and eating too much sugar or high glycemic index easily digested grain carbohydrate mixed with sugar (think lots of "cookies" or "cake with frosting") to try to make it go away, can cause a temporary spike in blood sugar, followed by a bad crash afterwards. Meanwhile, the vitamin and mineral levels can remain screwed up. See the second post. You will need to eat more vegetables, protein, and good fats such as olive oil and coconut milk, besides the calcium/magnesium and B complex vitamins, to kill the sugary food cravings. Many women attempt to eat a high carb diet low in fat because of standard nutritional brainwashing, and it just does not work for us. You may have to change your shopping habits to keep lots of high protein, gluten free snacks around, and you may have to start eating a non traditional breakfast like eggs with a vegetable serving, instead of cereal and milk. You may have to limit white rice, and go for more complex, higher protein gluten free grains, or seeds and nuts. Yes, chomping down on something dinner like for breakfast may not sound appealing at first, but it beats not being able to function.

Have you ever had your thyroid checked for both levels, and for autoimmune thyroid disease?

The sugar cravings are terrible after a gluten attack..otherwise, i am able to control them much better. My doc has me drinking coconut water and taking magnesium. I do eat a ton of veggies and can now tell when i need to eat them....even my boyfriend has to have them now I also often eat dinner for breakfast, i never liked cereal prior to Celiac....so I dont' miss it. the panic attacks are terrible, and possibly brought on by stress......i hope they stop soon, its making me crazy

[RacerX35]

I don't have panic attacks, but do have seizures due to gluten. I am not celiac, but was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. I know now that when I have ingested gluten there will be a series of seizures to come. This is one big way to insure that I stay gluten free, I wouldn't want to have a seizure while driving . My whole issue in due to a condition called Hypocampal sclerosis which is caused by the gluten sensitivity and builds up over time. Now when I eat any gluten product, no matter how minimal, my reaction is to have seizures, sometimes recurring for a whole day, then I'm messed up fpr at least one day as well. So seizures,,,,,, a big yes.

Later,

Ray