I Cant Deal With This Anymore, Please Help..

[adelaidez]

I just dont know if this is normal, i keep by accident eating gluten as im new to all of this and i start from day one all over again but its been a week since I even touched a grain and i wake up (been few days like this) and my stomach is fairly normal not bloated that much and then i eat anything like a carrot and it gets alittle bit bloated (or well alot) this is driving me crazy, i am getting even more scared to eat and think it will be easier to stop eating altogether, i dont know if to wait this out and to be patient or to goto the doctors, but my doctors truly do suck and havnt helped me out one bit.

I am getting very very depressed as im finding this very hard as you proberly all read onmy other post about being bloated an dhow it not helping me with my anorexia problems, and this is truly bringing back my problems, i cry every night, i even cried today in college:S i just cant deal with the bloating, i feel so stupid but it is so bad, i mean i know i havnt touched gluten you know, as i bloat like a balloon but even alittle bit is enough to get me into tears, im a quite small size and i use to like my body, my ass is smaller then my stomach now, my boobs are shrinking, and my legs are skinny... my chest near my boobs is getting bonier and you can tell in my arms but still my stomach is still being weird, what should i do? Is this normal, should i wait longer?

I plan to quit college as this has just become to much for me and months and months of depression has lead me to not keeping up with my college work and for me to get uninterested in my course.

I feel stupid for letting something like this affect me, but i dont get many symptoms except feeling very very ill, and bloating but bloating was the worse thing for me to get as i have an obsession over a flat stomach and atm i look 6 months pregnant, i plan to see a doctor tomorrow and explain my symptoms but im worried he wont listen and will say its ibs, which i know it isnt as im not on the toilet 24/7 i just get bloating you know?

[B R I A N A]

I don't know here, but it takes a while to get use to the diet, as it is complicating. I've been on it for a year and found out yesterday that the soy milk I drink has gluten in it. It's possible that you are getting cross contaminated or are eating gluten and you don't even know it.

Another possible reason may be another allergy. Me, I'm allergic to dairy and get the bloating.

Have you got tested for any allergies?

I'm really sorry.

I hate the bloating.

And hope you figure this all out.

[K-Dawg]

I am getting very very depressed as im finding this very hard

Try to hang in there...I"m very recently diagnosed and also having a very difficult time figuring this all out. I felt good, better than usual, the first few days of my gluten free diet but since then I have been feeling progressively worse. Not sure if I"m being unintentionally glutened. And I'm also feeling depressed (very much so), which is unusual for me.

But I know that we just have to do our best to avoid gluten so that we can achieve and maintain wellness. It will come. Just do one step at a time.

Instead of quitting college, would you consider seeing an on-campus counsellor. I am assuming that your college has some sort of counselling program for students. It sounds like you are way past overwhelmed and could use some support (beyond what is available via this board)

Be well

[adelaidez]

Well i went to the doctors about this, and asked and they said there is nothing they can do help, its just the slow process of me making sure i stick to my diet and to write a proper food diary.

I told him how i am getting depressed and he told me to come back again in 2weeks and to get weighed, so he can see if im doing okay and things but once again i am worried im such a worrier) yesterday i went for a bbq with my friends, i tried to be as careful as possible, and got these burgers which were okay and well something must of touched something else and boom, and so then i was very down already and binged alot, i mean i had:

a snicker bar,

a 200g bar of galaxy,

300g of crisps (gluten free ones)

Prawn crackers..

big bag of skittles (200g)

big bottle of pepsi and i was craving bread so much i ate 3 slices :S i feel so ashamed! oh and i had a whole tube of ice-cream in which was gluten free.

Plus the bbq! 3 burgers?

I normally only eat like 1000 calories a day.. fruit fruit.

But he weighed me and of course from the food from yesterday and from the big big belly (i get a stomach triple my size i swear) i weighed 49kg, 105 pounds? plus i hate how i weigh that much , im only 5'4 but how much do you think the bloating and the food actually put on me? not to sure, but as water weighs alot and things and as i ate so much i know i will lose a few pounds, and then he will worry, what should i do?

He aswell has made an appointment for a nutritionist which im happy about, finally someone understands and can help me =D so maybe this will get easier, and i can get better, thanks for all the reply, im glad im not the only one having trouble and about college im just not happy, i will talk to my tutor about it first but i just can

[msmini14]

Your body is recovering from being malnourished, you are going to be hungry. When was the last time you actually felt full? How long did you have symptoms before they diagnosed you? If you consume dairy I suggest you kick that, let your intestines heal first.

Most of us on this site went through the same thing, we were starving. Your body will level out, you just need to make sure you eat the right things like fruit, veggies, nuts, meats, rice, etc. Expect to put on some weight, it is going to happen. Again your body is recovering from being starved.

You also need to work on loving yourself. Please go under the diet and weight issues and read posts there. Example there is one about binging on gluten, read that. They posted a site Open Original Shared Link I really do think you need to read on this. I looked at that site, I have a bad body image of myself, I have for years and it will never get better until I create positive thoughts about myself.

Goodluck to you. Please be easy on yourself.

[ranger]

My heart goes out to you!I can feel your pain pouring out of the computer!But please take heart. I am 5'4" and got down to 84 lbs. If I accidentally got a glimpse if myself in the mirror, I would start crying! Now after 4 mnths on the gluten-free diet, I am up to 97 lbs and loving every ounce, no matter where it appears. Why does it land on our belly so easy? I am very snsitive to gluten, and have to be diligent about my diet. Plus, I am diabetic, which complicates the matter. I do agree that some counseling might help you with your body image problems. I I hope you find some help. In the meantime, stay strict with your diet . Have you ruled out other medical conditions? Sometimes, it just takes time. I hope you start to get better. Thinking of you from Ohio!

[tarnalberry]

it looks like everything you're eating is processed/packaged. if you're getting even tiny amounts of contamination from each of them, it's going to add up. (not to mention the less than stellar nutrition to support healing.) I know it's a pain in the rear, but try to eat unprocessed foods (fruits/veggies/meats/rice(gluten-free grains)/nuts/dairy if you tolerate it) for a while to reduce your chances of contamination (from shared lines, from formulations changing on you, etc.) and to give your body a little better fuel for healing.

[GFinDC]

Hi,

Bloating and gas are part of digestion normally, so a little is to be expected. Remember the movie blazing saddles?

Well, that was a little extreme I guess. Anyhow, it seems to me that we go through an adjustment period when starting the gluten-free diet. Your foods are changing quite bit from what they were, and the change could cause your gut flora to adjust as well. The result can be more gas and bloating than usual as your gut heals and the flora balance changes and adjusts.

Since you are a student, it may be more difficult to control your diet, I don't know. Do you have the option of cooking your own foods? Maybe your school can get you a room with a kitchen? Cooking your own foods can go a long way towards teaching you how to eat gluten-free.

My thinking is it is better to adopt a very simple diet to start out on gluten-free, and slowly add foods one at a time to see how you react. But keep in mind that if your gut is damaged already, it may react differently to foods now, while healing, than it would later when healed. I guess what I am saying is that it may be harder at first than it will be later, once you have learned the ropes, gotten used to the new diet, and healed up some. The first couple months were toughest for me, but I slowly improved after that. Dairy is one problem that you may want to avoid for now. Do get yourself some calcium replacement foods in your diet or supplements if you eliminate dairy.

[adelaidez]

Thanks everyone for your help, i do agree that it is normal for your stomach to slightly grow but my grows alot, even my friends have noticed as they say my stomach normally looks like there stomach when there breathing in (doesnt sound as bad as it sounds lol) but maybe it is my body adjusting, or maybe it is me giving it gluten when it is saying i shouldn

[GottaSki]

Hang in there...maybe try to speak with a nutritionist..should be one on campus somewhere....may give you some easy ideas to bring balance to your gluten free eating???

Take care and don't beat yourself up...I can't imagine anyone on this site hasn't had extreme frustration during the healing process.

Take a bath, paint your toes, be good to yourself this weekend.

[TES]

Thanks everyone for your help, i do agree that it is normal for your stomach to slightly grow but my grows alot, even my friends have noticed as they say my stomach normally looks like there stomach when there breathing in (doesnt sound as bad as it sounds lol) but maybe it is my body adjusting, or maybe it is me giving it gluten when it is saying i shouldn

[Mtndog]

You sound so sad I am sorry you are having such a hard time. The gluten-free diet is challenging at first but once you get it down, you will feel so much better.

Bloating can occur for a lot of reasons- normal digestion, healing, intolerances. Your body is probably really, really tired right now from lack of nutrition (I lost 30 pounds before going gluten-free and was a walking skeleton). It could be produced chemicals like cortisol because of all the stress, and that could cause you to bloat.

It will take awhile, but the most important thing you can do right now is eat well- get some protein, vegetables, fruit in your body. You mentioned anorexia. I don't know if you are anorexic (and thus get really depressed about the bloating) but could you talk to a counselor at school? You sound depressed and stressed and talking to someone could help you get even healthier and happier.

Drink lots of water, get rest and keep us posted on how you're doing. Be gentle with yourself- treat yourself like you'd treat a friend who is healing.

[ang1e0251]

I'm glad you're feeling a litttle better. I would add that you mentioned you eat a lot of fruits. I had a problem with those in the beginning. They would make me bloat. Now I can handle them. You need further healing before you can handle everything.

Do you judge your friends by the size of their stomach? I'll bet you don't. Don't cut yourself down because a disease is messing with you. You sound like you have many great qualities and have a lot to offer.

Also I don't think 105 pounds is a bad weight for someone your height. Make sure you are eating enough dietary fat to feed your muscles and your heart. Your goal is to be healthy and strong. keep us updated on your progress.

[mattathayde]

i totally understand this, i tried to go gluten-free with about a month left to go in my freshmen year and it sucked, i still felt bad. it was honestly more so gluten light than free but over the summer i started to see so much improvement that i tired to push my self farther and farther to doing it right.

im not sure how the school you are at does its year (semester, trimester, etc) but if you have a long summer break, use that time to cool off. get it figured out over the summer and do your best to keep the issues under control at school. i would use it as an excuse to skip classes i didnt like which wasnt good and had to leave classes some times because i was sick, it sucked

as to the not eating feeling, i understand that, even with no hint of eating disorders in my history, and i can imagine how bad it is with a history of it from watching friends when i was in highschool and seeing my best friend's sister almost die from it, maybe it will help control those feelings to think about how much worse you will be if you go that route.

i understand breaking down, even with being gluten free (well i thought i was but i had some stuff i thought was gluten-free that wasnt but not much) my stomach was bothering me so much over winter break that i broke down with my parents

you might be having other sensitivities/allergies that are causing the issues so it will just take time to work through it.

its really weird for me to talk to people who have really bad weight loss from celiac disease because i had weight gain, picked up about 30 pounds senior year of highschool and once i went gluten-free i dropped 25 of it in a few months back to a normal weight

i wish you luck

-matt

[AlexMartin]

I know it can be frustrating. I've had Celiacs for 9 years and I still get sick from time to time. Its discouraging but you also have to remember that Celiacs can have a major affect on moods so keep that in mind. Don't make any life changing decisions like quitting college until your mind is a little more clear. I'm not sure if anyone suggested this but why don't you keep a journal detailing what you ate and where. That could pin point where the contamination is happening. In fact, you should post a few days on here and see if anyone sees anything that might contain gluten that you didn't know about.

[teemaree]

a snicker bar,

a 200g bar of galaxy,

300g of crisps (gluten free ones)

Prawn crackers..

big bag of skittles (200g)

big bottle of pepsi and i was craving bread so much i ate 3 slices :S i feel so ashamed! oh and i had a whole tube of ice-cream in which was gluten free.

Plus the bbq! 3 burgers?

Many here also have problems with soy and dairy and even Tapioca, especially in the begining of going gluten-free

I was also lead to believe that you can drink coke, but can't drink Pepsi, due to ingredients

I know Prawn Crackers has tapioca flour,Skittles has soy , then the ice cream which has milk in it.

As for the burgers, I personnally know I can't eat anything that has been sprayed or the cooking area has been sprayed with canola spray...and can't eat off grills or Bar B Q's where other things have been cooked on it...

It truly is a matter of examining everything.... and eliminating a lot...seems I am eliminating everything , except for fresh veges, fruit, and meat...Because I have learnt that there isn't a whole lot of other items out there I can trust!

I could so relate to what you said about the fact that it gets to the point where you just couldn't be bothered to eat any more...it does become all too hard...I am down to 36kg

I continue to loose 2kg per two weeks , and I have been gluten-free for 6 months now, but really what is the alternative?

To eat gluten and suffer pain and sickness and mind altering depression, tiredness anger , etc etc...

or just depression because you are bloating and depressed about what you can eat...?

I thought the idea of seeing a counsellor at school was a great idea, they may have ways to help you cope at college. But please don't drop out... don't let having Celiac have that kind of power over your future..

A trick that I use, when I get down about things, is tell myself, it's only food... don't let it control your life, do as you should.... you have many other important things in life to be grateful for... people that love and care about you... you have all your limbs, so you can function....and get around .

I know that sometimes it's easier for us to dwell on what we can and can't do, all because of food....and the way it effects us. And we are in that mind set, because of the way it effects our brains and body. But sometimes we need to look outside the square and try and appreciate the things that are important . Like the little things that do make us smile when we are low and depressed and angry and in pain.

[Hallie Davis]

I am 61 but occasionally I take college courses, and I can tell you that our local community college cafeteria has gluten in just about EVERYTHING! I have written gluten-free suggestions to them numerous times, but they don't make any changes. About the only thing I can safely eat there is a piece of fresh fruit, one of the salads that has no croutons, and a couple of the salad dressing packets, and a cup of milk. I get so tired of the same thing over and over. But that's truly all they have that is safe! They have sandwiches, and pasta, and pizza and chips that have gluten in them, etc. etc. There is absolutely no source of protein there, aside from milk, that they have not contaminated in some fashion with gluten!

So I REALLY sympathise with your plight as a college student. My suggestion is to start brown-bagging your lunches. I think that's the only way you're going to make it through college. It's very sad that college cafeterias are so unresponsive to the needs of their celiac students, who may actually in many cases be living on campus.

[DownWithGluten]

Good luck. I find the whole gluten-intolerance thing depressing too and in general, am not the happiest person. Like others said, counseling of some sort may help just for some support/comfort etc.

Also, I lost some weight when I started the diet as well. And although I'm thin, my stomach has always had a little bit of a roundness to it. It bothered me when I was younger. Especially when I'd eat stuff, it'd get worse of course! My sister even commented on me looking "pregnant" in a picture! Anyway, people are their own worse critics so like others on here have said...try to be easy and nice to yourself.

And as far as accidentally getting glutened...unfortunately, the mindset I have is that I don't eat anything unless I know for sure it's safe. In two years, I've gotten glutened twice, maybe twice and a half. Most recently, I don't know why. The other time, I took a gamble on movie popcorn...the two theaters at home I knew were safe. But out of state, I didn't know for sure and risked it, but then got my awful/painful gluten attack that night. Grr. So yeah. Basically, if in doubt, don't. I err on the more paranoid side but the digestive attacks of gluten are bad enough that I really, really can't stand it.

So...hang in there. Be careful, and know you are not alone!!

[PhillyCeliacTriathlete]

I know it can be frustrating. I've had Celiacs for 9 years and I still get sick from time to time. Its discouraging but you also have to remember that Celiacs can have a major affect on moods so keep that in mind. Don't make any life changing decisions like quitting college until your mind is a little more clear. I'm not sure if anyone suggested this but why don't you keep a journal detailing what you ate and where. That could pin point where the contamination is happening. In fact, you should post a few days on here and see if anyone sees anything that might contain gluten that you didn't know about.

Hello there adeladiez. I've had Celiac for nearly 6 years and have been happy pretty much 50% of the time. HA. (Joke). I recommend a paleo diet to you. U won't suffer any pains on it. It is the healthiest cleanest diet. If you can't grow it or kill it, don't eat it. This eliminates candies and anything artificial (pringles, cakes, doughnuts, pastries). I found a website last year that has helped me. It's tough to go day by day, but also imagine completing triathlons on this diet. Well, some guy from New Jersey does. Impressive! I wish I could finish a day never mind a season of running every darn day.

Hidden gluten can be found anywhere: stamps, envelopes, even ALL gum (wheat is dusted onto the gum so it doesn't stick to the wrapper). Eclipse is a safe gum though since it is individually wrapped in the plastic slots to pop out.

Check out this dude's site: GlutenFreeTriathlete.com