I'm very certain now. My mood swings are totally caused, or at least very strongly related to my gut status.

I can detect many things now. I can still be rational even though I'm feeling very blue and now this will pass, sooner or later.

I feel like crap. Funny thing is, yesterday I woke up with not such great mood, and took omega-3 pills, 2000mg epa, and 8 Pearl Probiotics, and 30 minutes later my mood began to improve, it got so good that I did many, many things, I was full of energy, with great mood. Later, after eating, I started to feel sort of bad. By night I wasn't feeling so great but after a day of doing a lot of stuff I was completely exhausted, and I think I had enough endorphins.

But today I woke up in an horrible mood, down. I took the same suplements today, hoping they would help, but no.

I can clearly feel the relation between my gut state and my mood. I just don't know what to do.

My joint pain is very little. It gets a bit strong depending on where in the gut the food is loitering.

I eat avocado, and coconut so it might not be due to lack of fiber. I don't want to go to a Doctor because I know he will try to convince to get in antidepressants for my mood..

I have no idea what to do really, I don't know if I should keep doing what I'm doing or change something.

I'd like to hear any suggestion you guys could give me.

Some anti-inflammatory supplements that can help AS are also known to have have antidepressant effects such as boswellia and circumin (turmeric extract). Magnesium has also been found to help boost mood.

Circumin as antidepressant - http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/ne...sant-drugs.aspx

Magnesium chill pill - http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evol...inal-chill-pill

I will definitely second the awesome anti-inflammatory and feel good properties of curcumin! Have to buy the really strong stuff though, as the regular turmeric powder is nowhere near as potent or effective. Best place to buy 500mg capsules of Curcumin-95% is here: http://www.turmeric-curcumin.com/

I also eat foods very rich in magnesium, and definitely feel health benefits and attitude benefits from them, like pure raw cacao has some of the highest levels of magnesium of any food. I also love sesame seeds, flax seeds, brazil nuts, medjool dates, seaweed, kale [chips], all foods high in magnesium. After my morning cacao, date, & brazil nut milk - milk shake, I feel awesome all over and have a great attitude to match. Plus, I get a totally energy boost from it.

I use a Vitamix to make my own "nut-milks" so I drink lots of homemade brazil nut milk, hazelnut milk, sesame milk, etc. And then I mix in pure raw cacao or strawberries, mangos, dates, etc. I don't trust boxed nut milks, as they always have perservatives, sugar cane, thicking agents, etc. I always feel just wonderful after drinking these shakes, must be do to the high levels of magnesium and other vital nutrients & vitamins in their purest form.

-Andrea

HOLA, chicharito:

Best to take constantly by the teaspoonful EVOliveOil. If You are able to find St. John's Wort there, take this daily also (3X daily). It is important for everyone with AS to take enough calcium and magnesium, so supplement with this at leas 1g daily and very inexpensive magnesium citrate solution found in every pharmacy (don't drink the whole bottle as before the 'procedure,' but just a couple of tablespoonfuls daily along with the calcium; best in evening before retiring). Another supplement is gensing, especially the "red panax" variety sold as a fluid.

Do eat some good yoghurt in small quantities: Brown Cow or Stonyfield Farms are best brands here in US; be sure there is no added starch or not so much inulin. The probiotics are good, too.

There is a connection between gut and mood--and especially in AS we can have "brain fog" affecting our thought processes and this is due to "crud in the blood," or increased IgA population and cellular bits that do not belong there--just best to keep the AS in total check to avoid mood swings.

HEALTH,
John

As John mentioned, a poor gut can alter your mood & give you "brain fog". If you haven't done so already, I suggest taking a food intolerance test. IMO removing "personal toxic" foods is just as important as adding beneficial foods. Check out food intolerance food forum topics like this one.

Thanks everyone for your input. I really appreciate it.

I feel better today, I had a bowel movement last night and right after that I started to feel better. I woke up feeling a bit better, and I just ate for the first time in the day. I hope it goes well.


jroc and Andrea, I've been reading a bit about curcumin, I bought a package of "Animal Flex" only because it had some turmeric. That's all I could find at GNC, and the other chain of vitamin's stores has only traditional Mexican herbs, so nada. I will try to order. About magnesium, I will get some.

John, I'm not so sure about the St. John Wort, I mean I don't think I need an antidepressant, I feel better today, I think it's completely related to my gut state, unless St. John Wort would help with that? I do have some EVOO, I got it last time you told me but I hadn't tried because I read someone here saying that it was disgusting lol, but I will have to.

About the brain fog, I feel a lot of times like that, with some sort of brain fog.. and I've been thinking about lately a lot, AS doesn't always gives us pain, it also makes impair our decision making, at least mine.. we have to be alert of that and do all our decision making when we are clear in the mind and don't question it later.

Brian, I did take a food intolerance test, one someone recommended here. Almost every food is ok for me. Not eating nothing that is even slightly bad for me.

I'm not even allergic to milk, but I don't drink milk anymore.


I appreciate your responses, and I would like to hear more of everyone. THanks.

Which food intolerance test did you take?

Brian,

This are the results of the test, it was the 96 Foods intolerancec test, from US Biotek

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/75552801/testresults.jpg

Hello chicharito,

Have you been diagnosed with AS or any other auto-immune condition?

Assuming you have, I have serious doubts about your results based on how others react to grains here in these forums. You may want to do another food intolerance test to make sure these are correct.

Anyone else here on these forums (who have an autoimmune disease) get these good of results?

I think magnesium is good for mood too, it seems to help me along with vitamin c. Hope you figure it out soon, take care.I read something on the interenet about vitamin c in high doses helping anxiety after a cortisone shot. Sometimes when people get cortisone injections they get anxiety and someone who suffered from it mentioned that a lot of vitamin c helped with the anxiety. Hope you feel better, take care.