7 replies to this topic

[Serenity28]

For some reason I get severely depressed a day or two after eating peanuts. It is so bad that I even think about suicide, I would like to know what the cause is but so far I have not been able to find an explanation. My best guess is that it might somehow create extra brain inflammation, which I probably already have a lot of due to autism, but I would really like to know what specifically in peanuts might cause this reaction. Does anyone here have any idea why this reaction might happen from peanuts?

[Daniel Cooper]

Maybe some sort of histamine mediated response?  Just guessing here.  

 

If you wanted to try an antihistamine you'd have to use one of the first generation drugs like diphenhydramine as they cross the BBB. But, their anti-cholinergic activity might confound your results to some extent.

[Advocatus Diaboli]

Suppose you only eat peanuts with "x". And, you also never eat "x" without eating peanuts. If that's the case, then try eating "x" without eating peanuts as well as eating peanuts without eating "x". And, see what happens. 

 

There are various cultivars of peanuts. Have you tried several varieties (not a comprehensive list in link) of peanuts to see if they have similar effects?  Have you had problems with other legumes?

 

Do you only eat peanuts in times of stress, as a "comfort" food?

 

Think about stopping eating peanuts. (A last and painful resort if you love peanuts as much as I love Antep pistachios)

[Advocatus Diaboli]

Rhetorical questions for you, Serenity28:

 

How long have you been eating peanuts?

Have you always had the bad reaction after eating them, or is it a recent development?

Shelled or unshelled?

Same brand and seller?

Packaged or unpackaged?

Have you noticed black areas on the shells?

Do you eat shells?

 

Peanuts are susceptible to ergot and to molds that generate aflatoxins.

 

--you get the idea as to those types of questions you should be asking yourself.

 

In addition--have there been any changes in medications you are taking (discontinuation, dosage changes, new meds, etc,).

Environmental changes, including new housing, changes in your work environment or the people you associate with.

 

There is the possibility that after your first bad experience you concluded that the depression you suffered was a result of eating the peanuts. If you fixated on that explanation then it could be the case that you subconsciously engendered a self-fulfilling prophecy

 

"A self-fulfilling prophecy is the sociopsychological phenomenon of someone "predicting" or expecting something, and this "prediction" or expectation coming true simply because the person believes it will^[1] and the person's resulting behaviors align to fulfill the belief." Would this be consistent with autism? (a possibility to consider?)

 

Although you already have a preliminary theory of causation, Thinking outside the box is always appropriate.

 

And finally, does your nick have any connection to the TV series "Firefly"?  Great shows with too short a run.

 

 

 

 

[Serenity28]

Maybe some sort of histamine mediated response?  Just guessing here.  

 

If you wanted to try an antihistamine you'd have to use one of the first generation drugs like diphenhydramine as they cross the BBB. But, their anti-cholinergic activity might confound your results to some extent.

 

I tried some kind of antihistamine a few years ago. It helped with some kind of allergy(congested nose in the summer) but suddenly I was laying on the floor and screaming without knowing why.

[Serenity28]

Rhetorical questions for you, Serenity28:

 

How long have you been eating peanuts?

Have you always had the bad reaction after eating them, or is it a recent development?

Shelled or unshelled?

Same brand and seller?

Packaged or unpackaged?

Have you noticed black areas on the shells?

Do you eat shells?

 

Peanuts are susceptible to ergot and to molds that generate aflatoxins.

 

--you get the idea as to those types of questions you should be asking yourself.

 

In addition--have there been any changes in medications you are taking (discontinuation, dosage changes, new meds, etc,).

Environmental changes, including new housing, changes in your work environment or the people you associate with.

 

There is the possibility that after your first bad experience you concluded that the depression you suffered was a result of eating the peanuts. If you fixated on that explanation then it could be the case that you subconsciously engendered a self-fulfilling prophecy

 

"A self-fulfilling prophecy is the sociopsychological phenomenon of someone "predicting" or expecting something, and this "prediction" or expectation coming true simply because the person believes it will^[1] and the person's resulting behaviors align to fulfill the belief." Would this be consistent with autism? (a possibility to consider?)

 

Although you already have a preliminary theory of causation, Thinking outside the box is always appropriate.

 

And finally, does your nick have any connection to the TV series "Firefly"?  Great shows with too short a run.

 

I have been eating peanuts for several years. When I was still living at home with my parents I don't think that I got depressed from eating them. Now I get depressed from eating any kind of peanuts. Salted peanuts, coated peanuts and peanut chips. All kinds make me depressed. I think it took a few years before I figured out what the cause was, and I have tested it both consciously where I paid attention to how a was feeling after having eaten peanuts, and also other times where I had forgotten all about what I had consumed and then suddenly being extremely depressed and thinking about suicide, and then realized that I ate peanuts the day before. It has happened so often that there is now zero doubt. Like probably 100-200 times. Now I have stopped eating them, except for a few times where I just don't care about the consequences. Peanuts is the common denominator. The absolute worst kind is probably the coated peanuts with MSG, and I also think that Pringles chips with MSG makes me depressed. But just plain roasted and salted peanuts without any MSG also cause depression. Or at least what I call depression. A doctor said that I was not depressed, supposedly because I was able to smile, and according to him you can have thoughts about suicide without being depressed. I am not on any medications. I don't remember why I chose this nick, but I probably watched firefly some years ago.

 

Edited by Serenity28, 13 March 2021 - 06:17 PM.

[Advocatus Diaboli]

Re: post #6

 

Serenity28, from your responses, it sounds like peanuts should be moved up on the list of probable cause(s) for your intermittent depression. When I mentioned meds in a previous post I was also thinking of supplements that you might have started, or stopped, around the time of the onset of your intermittent depression.

 

Your issue seems to be extremely complex. Changes in your body. Possible changes in the way your local-sold peanuts are processed from the time when eating them didn't affect you. There may have been changes in the types of pesticides peanut farmers use on their crops coincident with the onset of your problem.

 

My suggestions at this point is for you to research the properties of the chemical constituents of peanuts, the properties of the oils used in roasting, additives like the MSG you mentioned, and the properties of the pesticides used on peanuts as well as the soil characteristics of the area from which your locally-sold peanuts are imported.

 

Even though there seems to be a high eating-depression correlation don't rule out other factors and remember :"post hoc, ergo propter hoc" may be operant.

 

Good luck

[Serenity28]

I am so confused now. I have eaten peanuts for like 3 or 4 days with just increased motivation as a result. Not much depression. More this I feel bad if I don't get things done feeling, so I will get things done. Super weird when for several years I have become extremely depressed after eating it. Not sure why that would suddenly stop. It has been several different types that I ate in the past few days. Peanut chips, just salted peanuts and coated peanuts. I see no logic in this.