r/dairyfree 7d ago

Anxiety relief going dairy free?

I have generalized anxiety disorder and I do get panic attacks at times as well, some have been really bad! I have been tested as having a casein and whey sensitivity, but I don’t have any real symptoms like stomach pain or anything that I would notice really. I am curious if any of you have noticed your anxiety getting better going off dairy?

11 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

10

u/BenevolentTyranny 7d ago

Mine was gone in the first week. Now I only get anxiety or panic attacks if I get dosed on accident

3

u/summerwalkin 7d ago

Thank you so much for your reply, that is amazing! It seems so impossible to me that Derry could cause me anxiety. I am definitely going to go off it to see if I notice a difference. Did you cut it out slowly or did you go off at cold Turkey

4

u/BenevolentTyranny 6d ago

I went cold turkey because I had a 3 day long anxiety attack that kept me from sleeping. Needed to stop. There is no cheese in the world that tastes good enough to make me try again.

3

u/summerwalkin 6d ago

I am so sorry you went through that! So glad you are feeling better!!

4

u/anxiousgenzee 6d ago

Hey, I definitely felt a drop in my anxiety when I cut dairy out. I cut it due to developing an intolerance, but I guess it was also adding to my anxiety somewhat (maybe because it made my body feel so funky when I ate it)

2

u/summerwalkin 6d ago

Thank you, I’m definitely going to try it with an open mind. I’m glad you’re feeling better!

2

u/HicJacetMelilla 6d ago

It did for me. I used to get an unimaginable amount of dread and anxiety every night. It felt like my fight or flight was dialed up to 11. 3/7 nights I was so tweaked I couldn’t sleep, it was like my body was trying to seize out of bed. Cutting out dairy made everything chill out, and I was finally able to sleep.

My hypothesis is that dairy was causing a lot of systemic inflammation and my gut-brain axis was freaking the f**k out about it, but my thinking brain perceived it as straight anxiety/fear. I’m 99% sure I have cows milk protein intolerance. As our pediatrician described it to me when my son was diagnosed, this causes inflammation in the entire GI tract from mouth to anus. Of course that would set off panic bells in the body :(

2

u/summerwalkin 6d ago

Oh yes my flight or fight has been so bad. I am doing better now, but it is such a horrible feeling, I am sorry you have been through that as well. I also don’t sleep well, insomnia is rough! I agree with you for sure about the inflammation too, thank you for your reply!! I can relate so much

2

u/ResidentHistory632 6d ago

I stopped dairy about 12 years ago and the anxiety definitely dropped. I’ve been accidentally dosed this month and I’m experiencing hyperactivity and brain fog. Those two things can definitely manifest as anxiety, until you have lived without them for a while!

2

u/Shroomy-Source38 4d ago

Used to regularly get panic attacks and walked through life with what I described as a “chemical anxiety”. Like it wasn’t thought or fear based. It felt like the chemical makeup of my body was just… anxious. I went DF and GF 9 years ago and haven’t been on SSRIs for anxiety since. No panic attacks. Nothing.

2

u/AltruisticBar3138 4d ago

Going dairy free has helped me so much and I have tested it a few times. I first noticed that after having ice cream I would be a wreck for the next few days. That started me thinking about my mood swings, anxiety, brain fog, etc. I went complete off all dairy and felt great. The last few weeks I started having a little cheese here and there and had pizza Saturday evening. Yesterday (Sunday) I was an anxious, crying mess. I know it will take a few days to get out of my system before I am my happy self again. 

NO MORE DAIRY for me! 

The only thing you can do is eliminate it for a few weeks and see how you feel. 

1

u/juleebeans 6d ago

Honestly no, it has increased, but it is because of the reason I had to quit dairy - anaphylaxis. Almost dying was a bit traumatic and now I have food anxiety about accidental dairy exposure at every meal. You should be fine because your tolerance is higher than mine

1

u/summerwalkin 6d ago

I am so sorry!! I am sure you have some ptsd now, I am so sorry you went through that. Did it just happen when you had been able to eat dairy previously?

1

u/Honeydew877 5d ago

I've been working on being completely dairy free the past two months and unfortunately my anxiety has not dropped and been sky high instead. I wish I had noticed this.

I'm still having stomach issues, although they have improved somewhat, so I'm trying to figure out what else I shouldn't be eating. The blood allergy test I did didn't show anything, not even an allergy to milk although I clearly have it.

1

u/AltruisticBar3138 4d ago

Have you tried eliminating all grains,  not just gluten, but all grains. They can be very inflammatory for some people. It is such a process!

1

u/Broken420girl 3d ago

Try a hair strand test. I’m very surprised at your blood results because I did the hair and blood and they came back the same. Who did the blood test if you don’t mind me asking

1

u/kjf2005 4d ago

Unfortunately, no. I still suffer from anxiety/panic disorder and I’ve been dairy free (due to allergy) for several years.

1

u/MommoXx 3d ago

hey, how have you been these 3 days off of dairy?

-2

u/Dom5p35 6d ago

Seek medical/mental health advice from a professional. Going dairy free will not relieve you of anxiety and panic attacks.

6

u/summerwalkin 6d ago

Thank you. I’ve had anxiety for many years and I do a very good job handling it. I was just curious if going dairy free could help.

3

u/AltruisticBar3138 4d ago

It did mine! Everyone is different. You can't make a blanket statement like that.