Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

couple of questions regarding gluten challenge


Mat82

Recommended Posts

Mat82 Apprentice

Hi everyone

Just have a couple of questions i was hoping you could help me with

I have nearly completed my 3rd week of the gluten challenge, in my craziness (my symptoms mainly affect my brain) i went and applied for a few jobs and happened to get an interview which is next wednesday. Now there is no way ill have any chance of getting the job if i go in there all glutened up, as ill be like a zombie who wont be able to string a sentence together

Im thinking my options are

1. Get my blood test on monday and stop eating gluten straight after so i have a couple of days to recover a little, but i will only be starting my 4th week so it probably wont be very accurate and is probably a waste of time

2. eat all my gluten tuesday morning and then go gluten free until the interview (which will still be having my gluten intake every day), i just dont know if that will be enough time to do much for me though

3. can i miss a couple of days or does that mean i have to start the challenge again, or does it mean i might have to do an extra couple of days or weeks?

Also am i able to take gut healing supplements, probiotics and calming medicine while doing the gluten challenge? i stopped taking them because i thought they would interfere with the celiac test results

 

thanks 

mat


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Victoria1234 Experienced
25 minutes ago, Mat82 said:

am i able to take gut healing supplements, probiotics and calming medicine while doing the gluten challenge?

Yes, they won't affect the blood test at all.

sorry I can't answer your other questions with any accuracy, but others will. Good luck in your interview!

ravenwoodglass Mentor

I would go with option 2 but be aware that a day most likely won't make a lot of difference in your symptoms. The supplements are fine and I would add in a sublingual B12 if you are not taking it already. Your timing isn't ideal but if this is a job you really want then go for it.  You could try doing a couple practice interviews with a friend if that is something that might help you relax during the real thing.

Gluten-free-01 Enthusiast

If I were in your situation, I’d eat only the minimum amount of gluten. According to this source, it is ½ slice of bread each day for 12 weeks.

Open Original Shared Link

I think the more gluten you consume, the worse you feel. So, it wouldn’t be a good idea to eat more than necessary..

If you are already consuming only the min. amount but don’t feel well, then you can miss a couple of days (1-3), in my opinion. I think a gluten challenge as such – i.e. its length, the daily recommended amount of gluten etc. - is just an estimate. So, I personally would risk not eating gluten on Monday and Tuesday. Then, I’d eat it again on Wednesday after the interview. I’d probably double the amount of bread on Thu, Fri to ‘make up for’ Mon, Tue.

Of course, it would be better not to to skip any days, but I do understand that the interview is important to you and you want to feel ok and make a good impression.

Maybe you can take a benzodiazepine approx. 2 hours before the int.? (If you’re taking any other drugs please be wary of possible interactions. Also, benz. are addictive and not allowed for long-term use.) They can be helpful when used occasionally though.

I hope all goes well with your interview :)

 

  

ravenwoodglass Mentor
1 hour ago, Gluten_free_01 said:

.

Maybe you can take a benzodiazepine approx. 2 hours before the int.?

 

  

I would advise against taking this right before the interview since they could increase your brain fog and space you out even more than the gluten reaction does. If anxious they might help you get a good nights sleep if you take a minimal dose before bed the night before IF you can get a doctor to prescribe one. 

Gluten-free-01 Enthusiast
31 minutes ago, ravenwoodglass said:

I would advise against taking this right before the interview since they could increase your brain fog and space you out even more than the gluten reaction does. If anxious they might help you get a good nights sleep if you take a minimal dose before bed the night before IF you can get a doctor to prescribe one. 

Yes, I wouldn't recommend them for brain fog either - I should have said it, sorry. It really depends on what kind of issues Mat82 has. Also, we don't know if he has any positive/negative experience with benzodiazepines. So, it was only a suggestion.

They can help with anxiety, panic attacks, trembling, cold sweats, jitters etc. They can help with things like exam stress or job interview anxiety. 

However, everyone is different, can have a different reaction.. and there are various types of benz. and doses available. So, I gave advice based on what helped me in the past - e.g. during exam periods at uni. I was taking a min. dose 1-2 hours before an exam and it was extremely helpful. I was calm, wasn't trembling, was focused and could think clearly. And, I wasn't sleepy - just calm. But not everyone may react  in the same way, of course.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
24 minutes ago, Gluten_free_01 said:

Yes, I wouldn't recommend them for brain fog either - I should have said it, sorry. It really depends on what kind of issues Mat82 has. Also, we don't know if he has any positive/negative experience with benzodiazepines. So, it was only a suggestion.

They can help with anxiety, panic attacks, trembling, cold sweats, jitters etc. They can help with things like exam stress or job interview anxiety. 

However, everyone is different, can have a different reaction.. and there are various types of benz. and doses available. So, I gave advice based on what helped me in the past - e.g. during exam periods at uni. I was taking a min. dose 1-2 hours before an exam and it was extremely helpful. I was calm, wasn't trembling, was focused and could think clearly. And, I wasn't sleepy - just calm. But not everyone may react  in the same way, of course.

I agree they are extremely helpful for anxiety. I take them when needed for PTSD and never would have overcome agoraphobia without them.

I was simply worried that with brain fog being the big worry for the interview that they might make things worse.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Mat82 Apprentice

thanks for your replies

Yes brain fog is one of my main symptoms and ive never had benzodiazepine before so i probably not a good idea :) lack of sleep has never been a problem for me, its the opposite for me, i sleep for about 10hrs a night and am still tired all day

Im just going to have all my gluten tuesday morning and then back on it after my interview, also im taking my supplements again, so hopefully i can hold it together long enough to at least give it my best shot, i wont be upset if i dont get it as long as i try my best.

thanks for you help

 

 

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      125,875
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    ABP
    Newest Member
    ABP
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      I guess using "GF" instead of "PL" would have been too easy! 😉
    • trents
      I was wrong, however, about there being no particular health concerns associated with high total IGA: https://www.inspire.com/resources/chronic-disease/understanding-high-iga-levels-causes-impacts/ So maybe the physician's "borderline" remark is relevant to that.
    • trents
      Sometimes that is the case but what is curious to me is the remark by your physician about being "borderline". I assume he was referring to the total IGA score but it just seems like an irrelevant remark when it is on the high side rather than being deficient.
    • StrongerThanCeliac
      Hi,  I’ve noticed that it usually takes me about 5-6 days to recover from a glutening. I was just thinking and maybe I’m going crazy. Long story but I wasn’t able to brush my teeth for a couple days after being glutened. Is there a way the gluten could be like stuck in my teeth still and still causing some sort of reaction because I waited too long to brush? Or is that insane
    • cristiana
      @Gluten is bad Hi!  I just caught this post, and am writing on the off-chance that you might be based in the UK.  If so, I was told some years ago by a pharmacist that in the UK that if a medicine has a Product Licence printed on the packaging, which will appear as the letters PL plus a long number.... for example....  PL 4525908 (making that number up!) it will be gluten free.   I have just checked this on an NHS website, and indeed it appears to be true.  According to the same website, all medications prescribed by GPs in the UK are gluten free. https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/food-and-nutrition/special-diets/gluten-free-diet/#medicines The same NHS website also makes a very good point.  You might take a gluten-free medication prescribed by a GP that might set off symptoms very similar to a glutening.  Like some meds cause stomach pain or diarrhea, but that doesn't mean they contain gluten. Obviously, if you are purchasing medication from overseas, the above might not apply. Hope this is helpful, and that you can get your medication soon - I have an acquaintance who has had to wait some time. Cristiana
×
×
  • Create New...