Week Three Gluten Free, Help?

[LilBetty]

I'm finishing week three being gluten free and it's been really tough emotionally. Physically I feel pretty great. No bloating or constipation. However, the emotional lows have been really discouraging and I just need some affirmation from someone with experience that this will get better.

[debmidge]

It does get better. My husband's depression lasted almost a whole year after he went gluten-free. but he was celiac for many years before that and did not know.

best wishes,

D.

[tarnalberry]

It definitely will get better. It's a big adjustment and a big learning curve. It takes a couple months, but it eventually does become something much closer to second nature. You had a lifetime 'adapting' to a wheat based diet - it'll take longer than three weeks to adapt to something different than what everyone around you does! You can do it! :-)

[CarlaB]

I take St. John's Wort. It helps tremendously!!!! I even had a friend mention to me (who did not know I was taking it or that I was depressed) that I seemed much more content and happy. All this happened before going gluten-free so I know it was the St. John's Wort and not the diet. I suggested to my husband after being gluten-free that maybe I should stop taking it now, he answered, "Definately NOT!!!"

[DingoGirl]

I am no stranger to depression, and back in December, I was begging God to let me die (before diagnosis). Went gluten-free in January, felt better right away, and then plummetted. Now, I can honesly say I have never felt better in my life. BUT - I did decide to go back on a very low dose of an antidepressant for as long as I needed to...you may need to look into this also. And, note that our bodies can react very differently to medications we've taken before, once removing gluten from our diets.

I promise you it gets better. Make sure you've checked all your products (cosmetics, etc.) for gluten...it is so overhwelming and bewildering at first, and then, it truly does become second nature. You will get better! And when you do, you will not trade your mental and physical well-being for all the gluten-y treats in the world.

Hang in there....come to this board for help as often as you need.

Blessings -

[May9]

I feel the same way. I'm so glad to hear that it is not just me. My doctor had suggested to me that chronic diseases sometimes cause depression. I know I've been depressed since I was diagnosed one year ago. I physically felt better after going gluten-free and wheat free but I emotionally hit rock bottom. I would literally start to cry just because I watched a Domino's Pizza commercial and told myself I will never be able to have that again in my life. It was so depressing. I am on a small dose of anti-depressant now and am hoping it works. I believe the depression has more to do with electrolyte imbalances due to malnutrition prevalent amoung celiacs.

I just feel a little better knowing other people have felt like this. I almost feel like I can't have fun anymore because I can't go out to eat with my family or order a pizza and watch a movie with my friends. Then I feel guilty because my family and friends always have to bend over backwards making sure I have something I can eat around meal times. It just makes me want to crawl in a hole and die.

I have to keep believing it will get better, right?

[DingoGirl]

I feel the same way. I'm so glad to hear that it is not just me. My doctor had suggested to me that chronic diseases sometimes cause depression. I know I've been depressed since I was diagnosed one year ago. I physically felt better after going gluten-free and wheat free but I emotionally hit rock bottom. I would literally start to cry just because I watched a Domino's Pizza commercial and told myself I will never be able to have that again in my life. It was so depressing. I am on a small dose of anti-depressant now and am hoping it works. I believe the depression has more to do with electrolyte imbalances due to malnutrition prevalent amoung celiacs.

I just feel a little better knowing other people have felt like this. I almost feel like I can't have fun anymore because I can't go out to eat with my family or order a pizza and watch a movie with my friends. Then I feel guilty because my family and friends always have to bend over backwards making sure I have something I can eat around meal times. It just makes me want to crawl in a hole and die.

I have to keep believing it will get better, right?

Yes, yes, it gets better. Don't miss out on events wtih family/friends. ALWAYS take your own food, or eat before. Don't let it steal your life!

[aikiducky]

It will get better!

It's been mentioned here before, but if you don't already, do take a vitamin B complex. If you have absorbtion problems due to a lot of damage, a sublingual works better though. Lots of celiacs have a vit. B deficiency and that will really affect your mood.

Pauliina

[gfp]

It will get better!

It's been mentioned here before, but if you don't already, do take a vitamin B complex. If you have absorbtion problems due to a lot of damage, a sublingual works better though. Lots of celiacs have a vit. B deficiency and that will really affect your mood.

Pauliina

Its been mentioned before but always worth repeating....

It is also quite normal to be depressed while breaking an addiction, especially one which is physical as well as psychological and there is a clear medical reason for this. Whether you choose to beleive it or not is up to you. You could also just try the remedy without having to believe in science.

{Gluten binds to the endorphin receptors which are necassary for the body to regulate its own mood. In the same way opiates like heroine work in the same way however they work somewhat more efficiently than gluten which fits badly and can damage the receptors.

When you break the cycle of gluten the receptors are no longer being fed this external endorphin (which is what gluten is classed as in the group exorphin with casein) but the body now needs to produce more and also the receptors are damaged and therefore the bodies own release of endorphins may not bind well. Exersize releases more endorphins, the classic example being Jane Fonda and her hooked on exersize and endorphin saga so more exersize will facilitiate more endorphins and a better mood... studies have shown vitamin B doses can help the recovery of the receptors although it seems both B6 and B12 are variously mentioned there is little harm in taking a full vitamin B suite suppliment. Vitamin 'D' also regulates moods and the way to get more is exposure to sunlight, direct or indirect }

So whether you choose to believe the above or not you can try and exersize, take vit B complex and get some sun and if it works then it works.

[Guinevere]

i was depressed too for a while, but like anything else i eventually accepted it. i think you have to grieve for a while, it is a big change that you had no choice in. you have a right to feel angry, sad, depressed, etc.

there is a bright side to it all. historically speaking, there has never been a better time for ANYONE to have celiac disease. i know this sounds crazy but think about it. we have access to a diagnosis so we don't have to sound like hypochondriac idiots and we have an incredible array of foods available just for celiacs that have never been around before. we have breads, pastas, cookies, cakes, pies, etc. everything that we had before with one exception, we don't have the same fast food satisfaction and even that (with a little planning) can be remedied.

don't worry, you will pull out of it and find your own groove. shop at a Gluten-Free Pantry locally or online, shop at Whole Foods where you'll find a whole slew of gluten-free foods and keep posting cause you're never alone.

take care,

guin

Its been mentioned before but always worth repeating....

It is also quite normal to be depressed while breaking an addiction, especially one which is physical as well as psychological and there is a clear medical reason for this. Whether you choose to beleive it or not is up to you. You could also just try the remedy without having to believe in science.

{Gluten binds to the endorphin receptors which are necassary for the body to regulate its own mood. In the same way opiates like heroine work in the same way however they work somewhat more efficiently than gluten which fits badly and can damage the receptors.

When you break the cycle of gluten the receptors are no longer being fed this external endorphin (which is what gluten is classed as in the group exorphin with casein) but the body now needs to produce more and also the receptors are damaged and therefore the bodies own release of endorphins may not bind well. Exersize releases more endorphins, the classic example being Jane Fonda and her hooked on exersize and endorphin saga so more exersize will facilitiate more endorphins and a better mood... studies have shown vitamin B doses can help the recovery of the receptors although it seems both B6 and B12 are variously mentioned there is little harm in taking a full vitamin B suite suppliment. Vitamin 'D' also regulates moods and the way to get more is exposure to sunlight, direct or indirect }

So whether you choose to believe the above or not you can try and exersize, take vit B complex and get some sun and if it works then it works.

=======================================

i agree with this post entirely and could not make it through a week without my B vitamins and my 2 mile walks!!! they keep me energized and smiling.

[happygirl]

It will get better, although it seems hard to see it right now. Once the diet becomes more of your normal rhythm and you get healthier and healthier, life will seem different than it does right now. I feel proud of myself for taking such care in my diet and ensuring that not only I can live my life day-to-day without the constant health problems, but that I will be around for a long time

I wish you luck and please feel free to ask any questions!!! Some days will be better than others, but we have all been there. Ah, the joys of the gluten-free diet!

[GFBetsy]

Though this may sound a little funny, you need to realize that a diagnosis of celiac tends to cause people to go through a grief cycle - almost as though a friend had died. First there is disbelief ("It was probably a mistake"), then anger ("Don't eat that in front of me! You know I can't have any!), then guilt (especially if it runs in your family and it is your child who is suffering from the disease) and depression take over. It can take quite a while before you get to the "acceptance" stage. Though I'm not sure that talking to a grief couselor will help, perhaps thinking about your depression as a natural "stage" will help.

Another thing that helps is finding a friend to cook with. Believe me, it's a lot funnier when your experimental cake explodes when you've got a friend in the kitchen with you. When you're making your own birthday cake and it doesn't work out, however, it feels like the end of the world. Buy some of Bette Hagman's cookbooks - most of her recipes are quite good. And hang out in the gluten-free section of your local health food store until you see a browser who looks friendly. Then say: Hey, could you give me some advice? People with celiac are generally very willing to share their expertise with new diagnosees. (Is that a word?) Another thing that will help is sitting down and making a list of the things that you CAN eat - when you think in the negatives (I can't eat that, I can't eat this, I can never eat licorice again . . .) your depression escalates rapidly. When you think in the positives (Hey! I always loved homemade tacos, and I can still eat them!(Just use corn tortillas)) things don't seem so dark. Also, you don't end up eating baked potatoes all day every day, just because they are gluten free. There is a cookbook called "Saving Dinner" that is FABULOUS. It isn't a gluten-free cookbook, but most of the recipes in the book ARE gluten-free, or are easily modified. It will help you realize that you can still eat well, even though Twinkies are on the no-no list from now on. And haven't we all been looking for an excuse to stay away from Twinkies anyway?

Good luck!

The Grief Process (according to the University at Buffalo, SUNY)

1. Denial and Shock

2. Anger

3. Bargaining

4. Guilt

5. Depression

6. Loneliness

7. Acceptance

8. Hope

[gfp]

Another thing that helps is finding a friend to cook with. Believe me, it's a lot funnier when your experimental cake explodes when you've got a friend in the kitchen with you. When you're making your own birthday cake and it doesn't work out, however, it feels like the end of the world.

I think its good to have a friend for everything from shopping to cooking and most importantly for motivation.

However, I have found and others on forums etc. have also remarked that not all friends are equal in this respect.

The first thing to realise is many dear friends and relatives just don't get it. As GFBetsy just pointed out the process is a bit like grieving but in this case many people just don't know what to say or do. It doesn't mean they are not still your friends it just means they can't imagine being in your position.

I have seen a number of threads on boards like this with "My parter can't cope" or "my best friend is being a real problem" and have lost track of how many people seem to have fallings out over this ... please just realise, everyone has to cope with mortaility and loved ones dying and its easy to put yourself in that position but don't ruin a friendship/relationship over this. Look at it like this most doctors don't get it, why would your friend realise straight away.

It seems common for people to say things like "a bit won't hurt" please just try and gently correct them ...

The biggest problem many face is depression and exhaustion and the two go hand in hand to make a trap.

While you don't have the energy to do the shopping, made all the harder by the new limitations you don't have anything to cook. It can be a vicious cycle.

What I think is best is try out different friends helping out, don't be embarassed to ask and don't be offended if some can't cope because you will find someone who can.

Enlist in a local support group if you can and plan shopping trips with someone else, its much harder to cop out when you have arranged it with someone.

The ame goes for exersize, not only will it release endorphins but it will stimulate your appetite and take your mind off things. My mum walks 10 miles a day but it took her 6 months of gluten free to even start going further than the end ofg the field with her dog...

Eventually those who couldn't cope will and do come round and the depression lifts.

The problem with all this advice is its easy to say and harder to do.... but the greatest journey in the world start with a single step ...

The good thing is that even though it seems everything is conspiring to make life difficult (and in a way it is) its like a carefully constructed house of cards .. once you break one of the things binding you the whole thing comes tumbling down .. not instantly but its not linear... you will have setbacks and wonder what the heck but then you will look back and see how far you have come. Remember the gluten built up over years so you won't feel better immediately but then you didn't feel ill immediately ... its easy not to notice the constant progression, its like getitng older and you don't notice like meeting a friend who you haven't seen for 5 yrs... but when you do stop and look back you suddenly realise how far you progress.

edits...

Found these, knew they were about somewhere

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

J Psychopharmacol. 2005 Jan;19(1):59-65.

Treatment of depression: time to consider folic acid and vitamin B12.

Coppen A, Bolander-Gouaille C.

MRC Neuropsychiatric Research Laboratory, Epsom, Surrey, UK. acoppen@globalnet.co.uk

We review the findings in major depression of a low plasma and particularly red cell folate, but also of low vitamin B12 status. Both low folate and low vitamin B12 status have been found in studies of depressive patients, and an association between depression and low levels of the two vitamins is found in studies of the general population. Low plasma or serum folate has also been found in patients with recurrent mood disorders treated by lithium. A link between depression and low folate has similarly been found in patients with alcoholism. It is interesting to note that Hong Kong and Taiwan populations with traditional Chinese diets (rich in folate), including patients with major depression, have high serum folate concentrations. However, these countries have very low life time rates of major depression. Low folate levels are furthermore linked to a poor response to antidepressants, and treatment with folic acid is shown to improve response to antidepressants. A recent study also suggests that high vitamin B12 status may be associated with better treatment outcome. Folate and vitamin B12 are major determinants of one-carbon metabolism, in which S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is formed. SAM donates methyl groups that are crucial for neurological function. Increased plasma homocysteine is a functional marker of both folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. Increased homocysteine levels are found in depressive patients. In a large population study from Norway increased plasma homocysteine was associated with increased risk of depression but not anxiety. There is now substantial evidence of a common decrease in serum/red blood cell folate, serum vitamin B12 and an increase in plasma homocysteine in depression. Furthermore, the MTHFR C677T polymorphism that impairs the homocysteine metabolism is shown to be overrepresented among depressive patients, which strengthens the association. On the basis of current data, we suggest that oral doses of both folic acid (800 microg daily) and vitamin B12 (1 mg daily) should be tried to improve treatment outcome in depression.