More, Worse Symptoms,.... Depression Taking Hold.

[jeanzdyn]

A few nights ago I had a shocking episode of diarrhea,....  It was like passing gas, but I knew that it was more.  By the time I got to the toilet I had a small mess to dispose of....   that got me to think about all of the myriad symptoms I have had lately.  Symptoms that seem to be getting worse.  Is this more than Celiac disease?  what is happening..... It is sending me down that spiral to depression. 

All of the worst of my symptoms are returning,.... severe and extreme fatigue, acid stomach nausea, a shaky feeling, achy all over, headaches, flaking skin in specific areas (nose and eyebrows)..... I cannot tell if my stomach is asking for food or not.  I am on the verge of breaking down in tears. 

Top all of that off with new nonsense from my workplace.... I have been told that, during a specific week, our department is "forbidden" from making any kind of medical appointment, as that will be viewed as avoiding a specific job.  I am in the beginning stages of worsening symptoms, and have a doctor appointment next week which was to be the start of figuring out what my body is trying to tell me.

I am so upset, I don't know if I should eat something, or sleep, I don't know what to do..... 

My job involves a great deal of travel, and maintaining a gluten free diet is very difficult --- too often there is nothing I can eat that is nutritious and that tastes good to me.

I am really struggling to deal with everything.  I manage to do laundry and pay my bills, and somehow I work on the weekdays --I don't know how I do that, because I spend the weekends doing as little as possible due to exhaustion.  How I get through a work week is a mystery to me.... I must be on autopilot.  That can't be good.

Thank you for giving me a place to vent my frustration.

I wish that I could find a doctor who cared about figuring this out and actually helping me.

[ravenwoodglass]

It sounds like you are still getting glutened. You say you travel for your job what are you doing for food when you travel? Can you talk to HR and explain the situation or possibly take sick leave while you get this figured out?  If not can your doctors order a celiac panel for you and then get a blood draw done before or after work? That would at least give you a starting point for you and your doctor to start at. 

Sorry you are going through this. I am going through something similiar as far as the exhaustion on your days off is concerned. I call them 'lost days' and it can make things very difficult. Hope you get some answers soon. 

[obesiac]

Sounds like what I went through. To me nutrition was extremely important because of the malnutrition due to undiagnosed celiac. I used vitamins , lots of salads, fruit. It took years to get my strength back. I too had years of fatigue .

Towards the end of that fatigue I started to take Lexapro, an antidepressant. Depression will give you fatigue. I take the lowest dose possible . Its a 10 mg tablet. I cut that into quarters and take it only when I feel that sinking feeling. And then only every other day. 

Why do I take such a low dose ? Because it works for me. I am extremely sensitive to medication. You know if your sensitive if you can take a half an aspirin and it will relieve your headache or minor aches and pains. And all meds have side effects. Us celiacs don't need any more effects.

I hope you get some healing before hitting the crisis point.

[jeanzdyn]

I do not take meds for depression and I do not want to, or need to.  I have these downward spirals periodically, but not regularly enough to call for meds.  I know the reasons for the downward spiral, and there is not a whole lot I can do about it, except to let it come and this too shall pass.

I am all alone in the world.  No one cares about me.  My worst problem lately is the amount of travel for work and the huge difficulty of having a pleasing meal, that is warm food, and having that meal also be gluten free.  At home I have no problem, out on the road,... I am tired of eating flavorless crap,... it is very difficult to bring anything that requires refrigeration, because we check out of hotels and move every day,... there is no way to keep things cold enough all day long in a hot car.  I am not made of money.  Small towns don't have gluten free options.  I am over 50 and there are NO job options available to me --- no one wants to hire an old lady who they think will leave in a few years.  (I am going nowhere---I am flat broke, not a nickel to my name, where would I be going?)  

In a nutshell it is a fact that: life is a b%$@# and then you die. 

[ravenwoodglass]

Wish I could be more helpful for you.  You and I have a lot in common. I hope some other folks come on soon and have some advice for you. Meanwhile

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

[icelandgirl]

I'm so sorry. This situation sounds very difficult. ((((Hugs))))

I care about you. And everyone on here does too. I'm glad you are venting and really hope that it helps you. I wish I could do something else to help.

[obesiac]

Ravenwoodglass , you , and I have a lot in common. Im in my 50s too. Job security is an issue at our age. I had to quit my good paying job (nurse) in 2010 due to brain fog , fatigue, etc. two years ago I worked as a housekeeper 2 days a week . It was all I could handle. I did that for a year. Not working now due to selling house and moving plans.

The bright side is we are getting closer to 62 and could retire on soc sec. I have a very small 401 k type account. But I still want to work part time.

Anyway, stop getting glutened. You deserve to feel good.

[kareng]

I don't know how you travel, but if you travel by car, you could bring a small cooler for fruit or yogurt. You could stop at groceries for fruit, carrots, microwaveable dinner, cheese, cold cuts, nuts, etc.

If your hotel doesn't give you a fridge, you can ask for one for " medical reasons". Sometimes you can get a microwave that way, too. Or they will let you use the breakfast room one at night.

Traveling with Celiac will take some advance planning. You will need to know what the hotel provides, where groceries are, etc. It can mean that you don't enjoy everything you eat - everyone else may be eating a cheeseburger and fries at Wendy's and you get a baked potatoe with butter and a frosty. Wait.... A Frosty? Bad example.....they might be at Kentucky Fried Chicken and you have to eat your Go Picnic and an apple. That might be a bit of a bummer. But you will not be sick and will have avoided 900 calories!

Sometimes, when I know I will be unhappy eating my protein bar and grapes, I will bring a gluten-free treat - Fritos, Candy, etc or get a full sugar soft drink. I rarely drink them because of calories and went to a concert and couldn't get wine, so I got a full strength Dr Pepper - Yum! Didn't feel too bad that my hub and others around me had beer.

[ravenwoodglass]

Ravenwoodglass , you , and I have a lot in common. Im in my 50s too. Job security is an issue at our age. I had to quit my good paying job (nurse) in 2010 due to brain fog , fatigue, etc. two years ago I worked as a housekeeper 2 days a week . It was all I could handle. I did that for a year. Not working now due to selling house and moving plans.

The bright side is we are getting closer to 62 and could retire on soc sec. I have a very small 401 k type account. But I still want to work part time.

Anyway, stop getting glutened. You deserve to feel good.

I think you may have confused me with the OP. I work as a housekeeper even though I am around crumbs all day with lots of handwashing and gloves it is rare that I get glutened. Thankfully as my reactions are very severe.

I do hope the OP can find a way to keep from being glutened so often. She seems to be suffering a great deal.  Sometimes we just have to live with boring same old same old meals and it is hard. I hope she can take some of Karen's advice as it very good advice. 

Good luck with the house sale.  I hope it goes smoothly for you and I hope to be able to do the same before too long. 

[kareng]

If you want some suggestions for things that require little or no refrigeration -

go Picnic boxes - you can check the contents on line for the gluten-free ones and use them as suggestions to make your own boxes Open Original Shared Link

Hummus and crackers - there are a couple of kinds in tubes that are shelf stable. Open Original Shared Link

Carrots and many fruits don't require much - a cooler with a Tupperware of ice and a towel over the cooler should be fine all day.

There are some individual serving cheeses that don't need refrigeration - I have found them at World Market.

Nuts

Nut & protein bars - can get Kind bars at .target in a 6 pack for a good price. Or Nature Valley has a gluten-free almond one and many many others

cereal like Chex - get milk off the breakfast buffet at the hotel or get a flavor like cinnamon and eat it dry ( yummy)

Homemade Chex mix with nuts, M & Ms, gluten-free pretzels, etc.

Jerky

PB or almond butter and crackers or some bread for the first day or two

Toast it bags so you can use the gluteny toaster Open Original Shared Link

Freeze some scrambled eggs in a muffin pan - cooler and the first breakfast could be those

Freeze a chunk of soup or chili to eat the first night, frozen food will keep the cooler colder

Freeze a sandwich & put in the cooler for the next day's lunch

Noodle cups ( with a microwave). Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

(And several other brands)

Potatoes- Open Original Shared Link

If you can get to a grocery -

Yogurt

Cheese

Fruit

Microwave bake a potato or sweet potato

Cold cuts

Freezer meals like Lean Cuisine ( assumes you have access to a microwave). https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/110740-lean-cuisine/

Other gluten-free freezer things like .annies, Evol, etc - more expensive but probably about the same or cheaper than a $6 meal at McDonalds

All kinds of things really with a microwave - soups ( Progresso is the cheapest), canned baked beans, Dinty Moore is gluten-free I think, retired beans and chips, instant mashed potato cups gluten-free?, microwave rice, etc

Open Original Shared Link

Edit to add links

[BoJonJovi]

Jeanzdyn you answered your own question

 

"My job involves a great deal of travel, and maintaining a gluten free diet is very difficult --- too often there is nothing I can eat that is nutritious and that tastes good to me." 

 

You have to get this part straightened out. Although you travel there are many items you can eat such as salads, yogurts, fruit, steaks with no seasoning from restaurants, home made granola, no oatmeal, MoJo Clif bars, Nature Made gluten-free nut bars, nuts,...you know the drill just follow it religiously. Truthfully with a gluten-free diet if you do not add a bunch of starch and sugar you will probably eat healthier than you ever have. Bite the bullet and do what you need to do to take care of yourself.