I sure am interested in this...

I am allergic to wheat and have one heck of a time staying off wheat foods. I notice that when I can eliminate wheat from my diet I have less mood swings.

Heard today that a woman that eliminated wheat from her diet was able to get off or reduce her mood stabilizing drugs.....I don't know wether to believe that....

To be eating only fish and vegetables? Can I do it? Ahhhhhhh
ruby of the water

Hi,
I have suffered from bi-polar doisorder for 59 years. Generally you are born with it. I was diagnosed with celiac disease about 6 years ago. Being allergic to wheat is different than having a specific enzyne that is missing in your intestines in order to breakdown the nutrients in wheat. Specifically gluten-gliadin. It is called the intrinsic factor. I think personally that they are linked, as having pernicious anemia is and other disorders. I also believe that there is a specific gene that causes this factor to be absent. Interesint subject, no doubt. I have been on the diet since being diagnosed and it is expensive and involves eating no processed food, rye, wheat, barley,flavorings, dyes, and lots of other stuff. Eliac disease has it's own web site. Try it.
take care, les(f-59)

I remember celiac's disease because my young daughter had a bout with that. I turned the whole house into a gluten free zone. If the family wanted to eat the grain foods they bought it and ate it away from home.

Yes I remember it was tough to learn to use the rice flour, to bake. Our society does not support non-traditional diets of any kind!

But I was the mother of patient and she had the diagnosis reversed 2 years later...Now at age 18...I am seeing signs of ....Well I am very concerned. I am bipolar type ii and have struggled for aboot, 30 years with this disorder.

My heart goes out to ye!

Ruby

there is a connection here. i am on a total gluten-free diet, in addition to soy and dairy. i notice that when i eat gluten, in about half a day for the next 2-3 days, my moods are unpredictable and extreme. soy brings out my irritability. as soy metaboizes, it mimcks estrogen, which messes up your whole hormone process. as lithium had killed my thyroid, soy was just the poison icing on the cake. dairy makes me sluggish.

i went from on meds for close to 6 years to not having a one by changing my diet. doesn't mean it will work for you. there is a connection. maybe not for everyone.

maybe, just MAYBE bipolar is a series of symptoms brought out be (1) genetic material leading to meurochemical imbalance (2) and extreme and socially-unaccepted allergic reaction or (3) a combination thereof.

i went from close to 10 antipsychotics, antidepressents, mood stabilizers a day to maintaing my mood with this diet modificiation. i have never been healthier. it's been about 2 years now. maybe the reason the drugs never worked for me was because the bipolar i had stemmed more from the diet side, and if i watch the diet, then all is well.

my GP wrote me off as complaining about too many side effects. after shopping aroud for a new MD who didn't subscribe to the, 'mental health patients need to suck it up and stop whining so much' school, i found out i was clinically anemic, B-vitamin deficient, D-vitamin deficient, poor liver function, and low in a few other minerals/vitamins as well. after letting my digestive tract heal with avoiding gluten, i have been able to absorb nutrients from food again, and the deficiences have cleared up. my lithium haze has lifted, the extrra antidepressant weight is slowing peeling off.

maybe, wihtout going off meds, trying gluten-free for 4-6 weeks might be an interesting option to consider. then, under supervision of a GOOD MD, weaning off meds may be an option.

best of luck. this stuff isn't easy.

I know this is an older topic, but don't think that GF/CF means you eat meat/fruit/veggies...boring food. My kids and I eat pizza/calzones, brownies, & other treats..you know- FUN foods! It takes time and lots of experimentation but there is so much more out there to eat. The way I feel is wonderful, I have celiac & milk protein allergy soy intolerance. My kids , well I was worried for one of them, her dad is bipolar and I saw some of the same behaviour. Well she is a different child, noticing now that all my kids have more energy and less anxiety and general frustration everyday. I want my kids to have a fun childhood without being deprived so I experiment everyday with food. We make it a family thing and its fun. We eat the good stuff and laugh and the flops. But I just wanted to inform any parent out there thats overwhelmed, it takes time but the diet is so worth it.