Depression struggles and anaemia, when does this end?

[currydmc]

I'm 38m I was diagnosed 27th of June after years of fatigue and bowel issues. Damage was clearly visible and rated Marsh 3b.

Been strictly avoiding gluten since just before endoscopy (~25th June). Have severe anaemia 82g/ml and couldn't absorb iron in the following 3 months. I had an iron infusion 3 weeks ago today, and often feel worse than I did before hand. Taking quality multivitamins, guzzling broccoli, spinach lentils, eggs, fruit and nuts daily to no effect.

The brain fog, anxiety, irritation and depression are unreal - STILL. Starting to get quite desperate. I was hopeful to see maybe a 10% increase in 2 weeks?! I simply can't function at work and barely contain anger and manage my interactions with others - all of this is quite uncharacteristic!

Took a flu shot the other day to make sure I'm not hit with that. Still waiting on bone scans.

Trying to cut down alcohol as I hear that interferes with iron. Already on SSRi antidepressants for decades due to anxiety and OCD, feel out of options.

 

Any recommendations more than welcome 😢

[currydmc]

Forgot to mention I've also upped my Vitamin D, really covering every base!

It's likely the mental issues and fatigue started about 20 years back (during what I assumed were "unexplained IBS symptoms") but the increase was so gradual that it masks the scale of the problem. Also it's hard to see a change in focus and mood when they actively muddy critical thinking and cognition. Also very incompetent/oversubscribed healthcare service made it an absolute test of patience to get referred to a specialist.

[Scott Adams]

Be sure your diet is 100% gluten-free. This is the very first step to recovery. 

This article has some detailed information on how to be 100% gluten-free, so it may be helpful (be sure to also read the comments section.):

I think it would make sense for you to take a good multivitamin/mineral supplement, and in the USA we have a brand called One A Day that seems like a good choice. It's gluten-free and they make a versions with or without iron.

Several nutrients can enhance the absorption of iron in the body. They include:

• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Vitamin C is one of the most potent enhancers of non-heme iron absorption (the type of iron found in plant-based foods and supplements). Consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, and bell peppers, alongside iron-rich foods can significantly boost iron absorption.
• Vitamin A: Vitamin A plays a role in iron metabolism and can help improve iron absorption when consumed in conjunction with iron-rich foods. Foods high in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, carrots, and leafy greens.
• Folic Acid (Vitamin B9): Folic acid is essential for healthy red blood cell production and can aid in iron absorption. You can find folic acid in foods like lentils, spinach, and fortified cereals.
• Copper: Copper is a trace mineral that supports iron absorption and utilization in the body. It's naturally present in many foods, including nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
• Meat and Fish: Animal-based sources of heme iron (iron found in meat, poultry, and fish) can enhance the absorption of non-heme iron from plant-based foods when consumed together in the same meal.
• Citric Acid: Citric acid, naturally found in citrus fruits and citrus juices, can also help improve non-heme iron absorption when combined with iron-rich foods.
• Protein: Consuming protein-rich foods alongside iron-rich foods may enhance iron absorption. Protein can be found in various animal and plant-based sources, including lean meats, beans, and tofu.
• Sugars (Fructose): Some studies suggest that certain sugars, particularly fructose, may improve iron absorption when consumed with iron-containing foods. However, this effect may not be as significant as that of vitamin C.

It's worth noting that some substances can inhibit iron absorption, such as calcium, tannins (found in tea and coffee), and high levels of dietary fiber. Therefore, it's essential to strike a balance in your diet and be mindful of combinations that can either enhance or inhibit iron absorption, especially if you have specific dietary requirements or are at risk of iron deficiency. If you have concerns about your iron intake or absorption, consider consulting with a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian for personalized guidance.

[trents]

Have you been checked for pernicious anemia? It's caused by the autoimmune death of the parietal cells in the stomach such that you can't assimilate B12, which in turn is necessary for the utilization of iron.

[Nick Cheruka]

13 hours ago, currydmc said:

I'm 38m I was diagnosed 27th of June after years of fatigue and bowel issues. Damage was clearly visible and rated Marsh 3b.

Been strictly avoiding gluten since just before endoscopy (~25th June). Have severe anaemia 82g/ml and couldn't absorb iron in the following 3 months. I had an iron infusion 3 weeks ago today, and often feel worse than I did before hand. Taking quality multivitamins, guzzling broccoli, spinach lentils, eggs, fruit and nuts daily to no effect.

The brain fog, anxiety, irritation and depression are unreal - STILL. Starting to get quite desperate. I was hopeful to see maybe a 10% increase in 2 weeks?! I simply can't function at work and barely contain anger and manage my interactions with others - all of this is quite uncharacteristic!

Took a flu shot the other day to make sure I'm not hit with that. Still waiting on bone scans.

Trying to cut down alcohol as I hear that interferes with iron. Already on SSRi antidepressants for decades due to anxiety and OCD, feel out of options.

 

Any recommendations more than welcome 😢

Hi Currydmc, I may not be speaking here at this moment on Celiacs or any Autoimmune topic. Although I am a Celiac diagnosed by bloodwork and biopsy! I as well have and and times still struggle with depression, ptsd, anxiety and even suicidal ideologies all from a very young age! I am now 53 and I personally have found God or I should say He found me and I can honestly say He has helped me through everything! I no longer drink alcohol, use cannabis or any ssri’s are anything for that matter but I trust in Him and give everything to Him to sort out for me! I’m not here to preach or teach nor tell someone else what to do but I can tell you He has guided me down a whole new road in life following Him and His Son My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ✝️with Him He has shown me I can do all things and although the mental issues I have stated are far from gone as some days are better than others God knows this in me to be true! I can say Honestly Gods Grace is sufficient for me to make it through anything life throws my way, good or bad! I hope this helps in some way? May God Bless🙏

[cristiana]

16 hours ago, trents said:

Have you been checked for pernicious anemia? It's caused by the autoimmune death of the parietal cells in the stomach such that you can't assimilate B12, which in turn is necessary for the utilization of iron.

Yes, I agree, B12 levels are so important.  Low levels of this will not do your anxiety any good.  When I was diagnosed my levels were just hovering around the low end of normal.  Reading about B12 on this forum I came to realise that here in UK what is construed as a normal B12 level in other countries is thought to be a deficiency.  I then started taking Solgar sublingual tablets which were a terrific help - worth looking into.  In the case of pernicious anemia, you would need B12 injections.

I too suffered from anxiety and depression at diagnosis which I think were probably caused by deficiencies, but I think in recovery it is quite a good idea to also look into behaviour/lifestyle patterns that might not be helpful and might be holding back your recovery. 

I found Paul David's website and book very helpful in dealing with racing, obtrusive thoughts that sometimes accompany anxiety.  

But for depression, Dr Steve Llardi's Six Step Programme book is worth getting from the library or buying on line, it has helped a lot of people I know, and one of my in-laws who is a doctor thinks it is fantastic.  This is the blurb from Amazon.

Based on extensive research with an amazing success rate, The Depression Cure outlines a step-by-step plan for recovery from depression, which focuses on six key lifestyle elements that have largely disappeared in healthy doses from modern life:

• - physical exercise
• - omega-3 fatty acids
• - natural sunlight exposure
• - restorative sleep
• - social connectedness
• - meaningful, engaging activity

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by cristiana

[cristiana]

Also, meant to say - recovery from anxiety and depression can sometimes take a while.  If you or I were to break a leg, no-one would expect us to be out running marathons the following week. 

Recovery takes time.  I read in a book on depression (I think it was by a chap called Tim Cantopher, Depression, Disease of the Strong) that If your recovery was plotted on a chart, rather than it being a smooth line it will look jagged - the overall trajectory going upwards, but ups and downs along the way. This was certainly how I felt, and I think it is helpful to bear that in mind.

 

[currydmc]

Thanks everyone that has commented. I called in work today to say I can't do this week and the foreseeable - it was very tough decision to make.

I have a new general practitioner this week (could never get appointments with the previous one!) so will be raising a lot of questions about vitamins B12 etc,  and a new blood test to assess.

I had moments of relief since diagnosis because it explains and gives a solution to many different problems I've had since teens.

I have spent many years and with some success grappling with job stress, family breakup, money issues, depression, and other mental issues.  It's only this year that the fatigue and low iron have broken my brain - never been this irritable, unsettled, and losing the thread of a thought before I finished thinking - THIS is what obscured my understanding of how ill I actually was - and delays in hospital actually treating me.

[currydmc]

6 hours ago, cristiana said:

Also, meant to say - recovery from anxiety and depression can sometimes take a while.  If you or I were to break a leg, no-one would expect us to be out running marathons the following week. 

Recovery takes time.  I read in a book on depression (I think it was by a chap called Tim Cantopher, Depression, Disease of the Strong) that If your recovery was plotted on a chart, rather than it being a smooth line it will look jagged - the overall trajectory going upwards, but ups and downs along the way. This was certainly how I felt, and I think it is helpful to bear that in mind.

 

You are absolutely right there's days that feel like your back at zero, but really the progress is much greater on the chart. I have journals and a mind app that literally plots a mood chart 📉📈... it's kind of the only reference point that works right now.

[Wheatwacked]

On 10/5/2023 at 5:02 PM, currydmc said:

The brain fog, anxiety, irritation and depression are unreal

All of the above comments are true. In addition:

Raise your vitamin D blood levet to 80 ng/ml (200 nmol/L).  42% of US adults are less than 29 ng/ml (72 nmol/L).  Taking 10,000 IU a day it took me 8 years since 2015..  The antidepressive started (Wow, sunshine in a bottle!) after 4 days but my blood level in 2019 was still only 47 ng/ml.  It took till 2021 to get to 80 and it has stayed the same since then still taking 10,000 a day.  We evolved to get plenty of sun in the summer to store enough to avoid the winter doldrums.  Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Low D affects the immune system, bone health, mental health.

Zinc is an antiviral.  Zinc Gluconate tablets (Cold Eeze) has protected me from air borne viruses, colds and flu, since 2004.  Probably also Covid.

The brocolli and such are good for your Choline level. But you need to eat 10 cups of brocolli a day for the minimum Adequate Intake.  Or eat three eggs a day.  Or take a choline (>500 mg a day, or phosphatidyl choline (840 mg = 500 mg choline) supplement. Safe upper limit is 3500 mg. More will work faster.  Side effects usually not seen (fishy odor, low blood pressure) until 7000 mg a day.  Plenty of safety margin.  It will help with energy, brain fog, fatty liver and stinky poop. The brain fog, anxiety, irritation and depression.  Low dose Lithium Picolate 

Between the two, vitamin D and Choline,  you should notice improvement in a few weeks.

Low D can cause vitamin B12 deficiency.  Low B1 Thiamine will cause Beriberi and Wernicki's Encephalopathy.  Neurological, Psychiatric, and Biochemical Aspects of Thiamine Deficiency in Children and Adults.  B1 is essential for carbohydrate metabolism.  An easy test used by WHO is to supplement >300 mg a day.  Improvement indicates Thiamine Deficiency.

Thanks to the misguided avoidance of sun, the main reason for low vitamin D levels,  there are only 1 million people in the US with skin cancer, but there are 41 million people with Autoimmune diseases.🤸‍♂️

Odds are you are difficient in Iodine intake. It is the Hitman for the immune system, increasing your intake will improve your muscle tone.  I eat kelp everyday.  The scare was in 1948 the Wolff - Chaikoff Effect.  The dose used was equivalent to 49 mg a day, the FNB has set the Safe Upper Limit at 1 mg a day.  In Japan it is 3 mg a day.  There is half the breast cancer in Japan as the US.

5 mg Lithium Orotate. NOT THE 1000 mg DOSE USED INSTEAD OF ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY TO BURN OUT THE BRAINS OF BIPOLAR PATIENTS.  I found it lowered my impatience to "get her done, now".  If you are low in lithium it will help, if not it won't hurt.  Same with all the vitamins and minerals mentioned by all the previous posts.  Celiac Disease is a disease of malabsorption, which left untreated leads to malnutrition.  And the MAD diet (Modern American Diet) has built in deficiencies like D, Choline, Potassium.

  Is Lithium a Micronutrient? "For the first time, an inverse correlation between the concentration of Li in drinking water and suicide rates was recorded in the USA. Differences in the incidence of suicides, murders, and rapes were reported in the population of 27 counties in Texas which were divided according to Li concentration into three groups: high, 70–160 μg/L; medium, 13–60 μg/L; and low, 0–12 μg/L [7]. Research carried out in 226 counties of Texas and 34 Greek prefectures indicated the inverse correlation of lithium concentration in water and suicide rates; 

Vitamin D and Depression: Where is all the Sunshine?  "There has been research examining the relationship of vitamin D to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), schizophrenia, and depression... They reported that depression (assessed with the Hamilton Depression Scale) decreased in persons who received vitamin D."

[Wheatwacked]

The Wolff-Chaikoff Effect: Crying Wolf?

In 1948, there was already evidence that the W-C effect, if it was for real in rats (and it was not), did not occur in humans.

[Nick Cheruka]

4 hours ago, Wheatwacked said:

All of the above comments are true. In addition:

Raise your vitamin D blood levet to 80 ng/ml (200 nmol/L).  42% of US adults are less than 29 ng/ml (72 nmol/L).  Taking 10,000 IU a day it took me 8 years since 2015..  The antidepressive started (Wow, sunshine in a bottle!) after 4 days but my blood level in 2019 was still only 47 ng/ml.  It took till 2021 to get to 80 and it has stayed the same since then still taking 10,000 a day.  We evolved to get plenty of sun in the summer to store enough to avoid the winter doldrums.  Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Low D affects the immune system, bone health, mental health.

Zinc is an antiviral.  Zinc Gluconate tablets (Cold Eeze) has protected me from air borne viruses, colds and flu, since 2004.  Probably also Covid.

The brocolli and such are good for your Choline level. But you need to eat 10 cups of brocolli a day for the minimum Adequate Intake.  Or eat three eggs a day.  Or take a choline (>500 mg a day, or phosphatidyl choline (840 mg = 500 mg choline) supplement. Safe upper limit is 3500 mg. More will work faster.  Side effects usually not seen (fishy odor, low blood pressure) until 7000 mg a day.  Plenty of safety margin.  It will help with energy, brain fog, fatty liver and stinky poop. The brain fog, anxiety, irritation and depression.  Low dose Lithium Picolate 

Between the two, vitamin D and Choline,  you should notice improvement in a few weeks.

Low D can cause vitamin B12 deficiency.  Low B1 Thiamine will cause Beriberi and Wernicki's Encephalopathy.  Neurological, Psychiatric, and Biochemical Aspects of Thiamine Deficiency in Children and Adults.  B1 is essential for carbohydrate metabolism.  An easy test used by WHO is to supplement >300 mg a day.  Improvement indicates Thiamine Deficiency.

Thanks to the misguided avoidance of sun, the main reason for low vitamin D levels,  there are only 1 million people in the US with skin cancer, but there are 41 million people with Autoimmune diseases.🤸‍♂️

Odds are you are difficient in Iodine intake. It is the Hitman for the immune system, increasing your intake will improve your muscle tone.  I eat kelp everyday.  The scare was in 1948 the Wolff - Chaikoff Effect.  The dose used was equivalent to 49 mg a day, the FNB has set the Safe Upper Limit at 1 mg a day.  In Japan it is 3 mg a day.  There is half the breast cancer in Japan as the US.

5 mg Lithium Orotate. NOT THE 1000 mg DOSE USED INSTEAD OF ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY TO BURN OUT THE BRAINS OF BIPOLAR PATIENTS.  I found it lowered my impatience to "get her done, now".  If you are low in lithium it will help, if not it won't hurt.  Same with all the vitamins and minerals mentioned by all the previous posts.  Celiac Disease is a disease of malabsorption, which left untreated leads to malnutrition.  And the MAD diet (Modern American Diet) has built in deficiencies like D, Choline, Potassium.

  Is Lithium a Micronutrient? "For the first time, an inverse correlation between the concentration of Li in drinking water and suicide rates was recorded in the USA. Differences in the incidence of suicides, murders, and rapes were reported in the population of 27 counties in Texas which were divided according to Li concentration into three groups: high, 70–160 μg/L; medium, 13–60 μg/L; and low, 0–12 μg/L [7]. Research carried out in 226 counties of Texas and 34 Greek prefectures indicated the inverse correlation of lithium concentration in water and suicide rates; 

Vitamin D and Depression: Where is all the Sunshine?  "There has been research examining the relationship of vitamin D to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), schizophrenia, and depression... They reported that depression (assessed with the Hamilton Depression Scale) decreased in persons who received vitamin D."

I live in Sunny SW Florida on the Gulf of Mexico and we get more Sunshine than any state in the U.S. and I can tell you my vitamin D levels are above normal range and I am white ethnically but Tan all year out in the Sun🌞Depression does not discriminate! 

[Monette Bebow-Reinhard]

On 10/5/2023 at 4:02 PM, currydmc said:

I'm 38m I was diagnosed 27th of June after years of fatigue and bowel issues. Damage was clearly visible and rated Marsh 3b.

Been strictly avoiding gluten since just before endoscopy (~25th June). Have severe anaemia 82g/ml and couldn't absorb iron in the following 3 months. I had an iron infusion 3 weeks ago today, and often feel worse than I did before hand. Taking quality multivitamins, guzzling broccoli, spinach lentils, eggs, fruit and nuts daily to no effect.

The brain fog, anxiety, irritation and depression are unreal - STILL. Starting to get quite desperate. I was hopeful to see maybe a 10% increase in 2 weeks?! I simply can't function at work and barely contain anger and manage my interactions with others - all of this is quite uncharacteristic!

Took a flu shot the other day to make sure I'm not hit with that. Still waiting on bone scans.

Trying to cut down alcohol as I hear that interferes with iron. Already on SSRi antidepressants for decades due to anxiety and OCD, feel out of options.

 

Any recommendations more than welcome 😢

I had two iron infusions a week apart, was told you don't get just one. The problem is in how long you went before diagnosis. I know I was misdiagnosed by one doctor but changed clinics, where I found relief. I think COVID did this to me. I don't know what that rating means, but all of this needs to be discussed with your doctor. I hear you about alcohol, I had my first Schnapps the other night, about as much as I used to and all night long thought I was going to die. Very unusual. So yes, cutting down is imperative. But you need to get another blood test and ask for more help than you're getting.

[Wheatwacked]

Thanks for your post. People don't believe me when I say it. 30 years an alcoholic, three days after starting gluten free the addiction ended and I stopped drinking.  Up until then I would take a sip of vodka in the morning, throw up then have a few more gulps.  Throwing up felt good. Calmed my stomach.  With GFD the addiction was broken and I stopped drinking.  Gluten is addictive and it has something that numbs the pain it causes.  I can drink socially and walk away from an unfinished drink, Like normal people.  But don't alcohol.  Never drank in high school. Rarely drank until I was 34; to self medicate the generalized pain and fatigue.  Started GDF in 2014 at 63.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Wheatwacked

[Wheatwacked]

On 10/7/2023 at 3:27 PM, Nick Cheruka said:

I can tell you my vitamin D levels are above normal range

What above normal?  

[currydmc]

2 hours ago, Wheatwacked said:

Thanks for your post. People don't believe me when I say it. 30 years an alcoholic, three days after starting gluten free the addiction ended and I stopped drinking.  Up until then I would take a sip of vodka in the morning, throw up then have a few more gulps.  Throwing up felt good. Calmed my stomach.  With GFD the addiction was broken and I stopped drinking.  Gluten is addictive and it has something that numbs the pain it causes.  I can drink socially and walk away from an unfinished drink, Like normal people.  But don't alcohol.  Never drank in high school. Rarely drank until I was 34; to self medicate the generalized pain and fatigue.  Started GDF in 2014 at 63.

Interesting, most weeks I can drink below the govt recommendation limit 14 units, with approx 2 days off between drinking (only evening after food). Once my health returns I ideally want to cut down more . I'm bringing it up with the nutritionist on Tuesday.

The only thing that didn't give me grief since diagnosis is that I have no craving for gluten, I honestly don't miss it. Was super hungry for first two weeks but assumed that was a good sign!

Started on iron+B12 slow release caplets today, they give me gas and IBS but just a fraction of my GP prescribed ferrous fumarate pill trouble (those bad boys HURT!)... eventually my gut has to be repaired enough to  actually absorb stuff....

[Wheatwacked]

As an alternative to iron supplements, Kelp is moderately rich in iron.  It also contains iodine which enhances the immune system and muscle tone.

Health Benefits of Kelp

12 hours ago, currydmc said:

they give me gas and IBS

that has to be the iron supplements.  The B12 deficiency could be the cause of iron deficiency and vitamin D deficiency could be the cause of the vitamin B12 deficiency.  Celiac Disease is a disease of malabsorption.  In addition the Western Diet is notoriously low in vitamin D, choline, iodine, potassium.  B12 deficiency can cause gas.  So, possibly you are removing the B12 gas source, but adding in Iron supplement gas.

As a general rule if it makes me feel worse, it is not the right solution.  It's in my "That doesn't make sense" catagory.

[trents]

1 hour ago, Wheatwacked said:

As an alternative to iron supplements, Kelp is moderately rich in iron.  It also contains iodine which enhances the immune system and muscle tone.

Health Benefits of Kelp

that has to be the iron supplements.  The B12 deficiency could be the cause of iron deficiency and vitamin D deficiency could be the cause of the vitamin B12 deficiency.  Celiac Disease is a disease of malabsorption.  In addition the Western Diet is notoriously low in vitamin D, choline, iodine, potassium.  B12 deficiency can cause gas.  So, possibly you are removing the B12 gas source, but adding in Iron supplement gas.

As a general rule if it makes me feel worse, it is not the right solution.  It's in my "That doesn't make sense" catagory.

Plant-based iron is not absorbed nearly as well as animal (heme) iron in food products.

[Wheatwacked]

Could it be the B12 in animal vs no B12 in vegatables?

"Nonheme iron absorption was improved by 180% and 100%, respectively, when freeze-dried beef and chicken muscle were compared to egg albumin." 

Even on a meat diet:

• Vitamin D deficiency may damage the stomach's mucosal (inner lining) layer. This may cause generic nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Vitamin D deficiency may prevent the reabsorption of B12 and folate.   

vitamin B12 is only synthesized by microorganisms and thus essentially devoid in foods of plant origin.

 Iron supplements are generally not given to people who do not have iron-deficiency anemia because too much iron can damage your organs.

[trents]

Wheatwacked, this sentence makes no sense: "Nonheme iron absorption was improved by 180% and 100%, respectively, when freeze-dried beef and chicken muscle were compared to egg albumin." I think something was left out of it.

[knitty kitty]

Nonheme iron absorption from freeze-dried beef was 180% more than the amount of nonheme iron absorbed from egg albumin.

Nonheme iron absorption with chicken muscle was 100% more than the amount of nonheme iron absorbed from egg albumin.

[trents]

4 minutes ago, knitty kitty said:

Nonheme iron absorption from freeze-dried beef was 180% more than the amount of nonheme iron absorbed from egg albumin.

Nonheme iron absorption with chicken muscle was 100% more than the amount of nonheme iron absorbed from egg albumin.

But animal flesh and eggs would be a source of heme iron, not nonheme iron. That's why I don't understand what these statements are trying to say.

[knitty kitty]

When nonheme foods (plants) are eaten with meat, more iron is absorbed from the nonheme foods than when the nonheme foods are eaten with egg albumin.  

Egg albumin interferes with iron absorption.

Sorry, should be with, not from.

Nonheme iron absorption with freeze dried beef was 180% more than the amount of nonheme iron absorbed with egg albumin.

Nonheme iron absorption with chicken muscle was 100% more than the amount of nonheme iron absorbed with egg albumin.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9219084/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28395818/

Edited October 10, 2023 by knitty kitty
Add link

[trents]

Ah! The key logical ingredient was finally supplied. That is, the iron in nonheme food becomes more assimilable when consumed along with heme food. Actually, I suspected that was was the point Wheatwacked was trying to make but I wasn't sure.

Edited October 10, 2023 by trents

[knitty kitty]

On 10/8/2023 at 8:36 PM, currydmc said:

Interesting, most weeks I can drink below the govt recommendation limit 14 units, with approx 2 days off between drinking (only evening after food). Once my health returns I ideally want to cut down more . I'm bringing it up with the nutritionist on Tuesday.

The only thing that didn't give me grief since diagnosis is that I have no craving for gluten, I honestly don't miss it. Was super hungry for first two weeks but assumed that was a good sign!

Started on iron+B12 slow release caplets today, they give me gas and IBS but just a fraction of my GP prescribed ferrous fumarate pill trouble (those bad boys HURT!)... eventually my gut has to be repaired enough to  actually absorb stuff....

How are things going? 

What did your nutritionist say?  

I'm concerned about your drinking and malabsorption of CeD might be causing a subclinical deficiency in Thiamine Vitamin B 1.  

Early symptoms of insufficient Thiamine include depression, anxiety, irritability and brain fog.  Getting easily agitated and stressed with others are more symptoms.  I had these symptoms while I was deficient in Thiamine.  My doctors missed it completely.  They gave me SSRIs which causes further loss of Thiamine.  I relied on what I had learned in university in nutrition and microbiology.  I started supplementing with High dose Thiamine, B Complex vitamins and magnesium.  (Pyridoxine Vitamin B 6 helps tremendously with OCD.)  I had improvement within an hour.  

Vaccines, including flu shots, also can cause a subclinical Thiamine insufficiency.

Thiamine deficiency disorders: a clinical perspective

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8451766/

And...

Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8533683/