Very Depressed, Suggestions....

[Lindsay630]

Hi Everyone....

I posted an intro last week after being diagnosed. I am really struggling today with feeling really depressed and like their is no chance of ever leading a normal life again. This diagnosis and new eating style is ruining my relationship with my brand new husband, I resent whenever he eats anything in front of me. I also get super angry when he touches any of my gluten free stuff ie: pots and pans, cooking area... I have one tiny spot in our house and he cannot even stay away from it. I just feel like crying all the time, actually I a crying right now. I don't know how to get over this feeling. I am constantly feeling light headed and weak, like how I use to feel when I didn't eat enough, but I don't know what else to eat so I feel full. I'm just really struggling.... DO any of you have any great words of wisdom for me, suggestions anything to make me feel better?

Thanks,

Lindsay

[Skylark]

Oh, gosh. Depression is the worst and you do sound clinically depressed. I've been depressed lately from low thyroid so I understand.

Grief can make you depressed, especially with a bunch of other major life changes. You've just married, are starting school, and now a medical diagnosis you weren't expecting. Remember that even wonderful changes like a new spouse can actually be a little stressful. It might just be too much all at once, especially since the celiac diagnosis hit you hard. If you've felt this way for a couple weeks and just can't seem to get back to normal, you might go to your doctor or a therapist. Sometimes you need a little cognitive therapy or an antidepressant to break a cycle of depression once it's set in full force.

As far as light-headed and not feeling full, what are you eating? Are you getting enough protein to even out your blood sugar? White rice and potatoes have a higher glycemic index than breads and I've found I need to eat brown rice and sweet potatoes instead to steady my blood sugar. Fats tend to be filling, so you can drizzle olive oil on your veggies or have some nuts with your meals. If you tolerate dairy, have a little cheese.

[ravenwoodglass]

You have had a lot of changes in a short time. You are also newly diagnosed and may be dealing with a bit of withdrawl. It is hard at first for everyone.

(((((((((((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))))))))))

There is a world of food that is naturally gluten free. Can you try to design your meals around those? Things like a roasted chicken with some potatoes, beef stew can be made by cutting some of the potatoes real small so they break up and thicken it instead of using flour, Thai Kitchen makes rice noodles that can replace regular ones in pasta dishes, steak and baked potatoes and much more are naturally gluten free. Since you are a student and likely have little time a crockpot and a rice cooker can make life easier. Soups, chili and stews can be made in large amounts so you have more than one meal made with the same effort.

Instead of having you have just a tiny spot in the kitchen give him a small dedicated spot to prepare his sandwiches and have him clean up after himself. He is your partner and this is a big change for him also. If you can get him to come here and read some posts and learn about the CC issues that might help.

If he likes his cakes and brownies get some of the Betty Crocker mixes and keep those on hand so you both have those to turn to when you want a treat instead of him bringing home doughnuts or cupcakes. Try some of the gluten-free breads, Grainless Baker is my currant favorite, Udi's get rave reviews but I can't find that where I am. Kinnickkinnick makes a good bread along with pizza crusts that you can keep on hand to have when he brings home a pizza slice. He might even like them if he trys them himself.

You'll get through this. You both have a lot to learn as this gluten-free lifestyle does take some getting used to. But you will get used to it. I don't know where you are but if you are near a Wegmans they label all their gluten-free food with a circle G and they make life so much easier.

Hang in there it will get better.

[GlutenFreeManna]

It sounds like gluten free is very new to you. It's okay to feel angry and depressed at first. Everyone deals with it in their own way. IF the depression continues for several months I would suggest a counselor and not just for you, ask your husband to go with you to a couples counselor so that you are both on the same page. In the mean time, have you told your husband how you feel? Try to do it at a time when he's not eating and you are not angry or about to cry. Approach him when you are calm and explain you are struggling with this diagnosis and you need him to not eat certain things in front of you right now. If you can, designate a gluten-eating room or zone. I've seen people in mixed households post here that their spouses eat their gluten outside or in a basement or office or some room where they don't go very often. Do you cook the meals and buy most of the food? Perhaps you need to take your household more towards gluten free. If your husband doesn't want to be gluten free at home that's understandable and you can't force it. But you CAN start buying mostly naturally gluten free food for meals you prepare for both of you. It doesn't need to be the expensive gluten free substitutes. Use rice, potatoes, or corn instead of bread or pasta. Eat plenty of lean meat and cooked vegetables. Then try to find some gluten free snacks you like so that when your husband is eating his gluten snacks you have something you can eat. Through all of this, be honest and open with your husband. You may be surprised and he may suggest you make the entire household gluten free. My husband did this for me (without me asking him to) and it made it so much easier to adjust. My husband still eats gluten at restaurants or parties we go to, but there is no gluten in my home.

[sb2178]

The first couple of weeks are really rough, and it sounds like you have lots else going on. I was a mess for the first two weeks and then a bit more... uh... irritable/*itchy... for a couple of weeks after that. Adjusting is hard. You'll make it, especially if you reach out to everyone who could possibly help you.

Have you been to a support group? Met with a knowlegable RD (and take hub if you can)? Sometimes taking a few concrete actions can help give you small steps to achieve that are more realistic and less scary than the whole picture. Even something like going and buying a new snazzy lunch box to make packing lunches more fun for school might be nice. I just splurged and bought a new thermos for soup since i'm starting a new full time job and want to be able to take soup often. Oh, and avoid traveling if you can. I did far too much traveling shortly after diagnosis and kept ending up sick.

To eat: spoonfuls of peanut butter, almond butter, cashews, olives, tuna salad. Try more beans and lentils for your carbs instead of things like white rice or corn tortillas. Some days I swear I eat a 1/4 c of peanut butter and I'm still a bit lighter than I think of as normal. Hunger is also pretty common in recently diagnosed. It usually calms down once people are absorbing more nutrients and their weight is close to normal. Were you tested for nutrient deficiencies?

I second everything else above! I made the betty crocker chocolate cake into cupcakes and they worked quite nicely.

[Looking for answers]

It's quite possible you have a vitamin/mineral deficiency. I take a liquid vitamin (Isotonix) that's helped me so much with my emotions because I'm getting all the minerals I need from it (I wasn't absorbing enough through food intake).

I also supplement with 5 HTP and SAME, both are available at any health food store. I take both in low doses, which helps keep my mood even despite my sluggish thyroid.

[MelindaLee]

Lindsay,

I was just diagnosed 2 weeks ago as well. I know what you mean that it seems like nothing will be normal again. But, I have noticed that many of the restaurants that my dh and I like to visit also have gluten-free options. I was amazed. As I drove home from my doctor, two restaurants I passed had on their display that they have gluten free menus! Did they have it before and I didn't notice??? I have found people in my community that also have celiac. It has been helpful to learn from each other. I have always been a big baker/cook, so I was excited to find cookbooks and try new recipies. Even the Food Network has recipies that are gluten free. I made the best chocolate cupcakes the other day from a cook book called "Baby Cakes" by Erin McKenna. While I was recovering from my surgery to remove my gallbladder (test for the gallbladder revealed my celiac), she was on the Food Network and won "Cupcake Wars". Sometimes we need to focus on what we can do, instead of what we can't anymore. By embracing all the great things we can eat, it won't feel so bad when ther are things we can't. (I just finished a slice of my cheesecake pie...it was yummy! Made with gluten free grahmcracker crumbs, and my same old recipe) Life can still be good! We will all get through this! :-) Hang in there!!

[lucia]

Lindsay,

Hang in there! And you can always talk to us here on the board. We do understand!

Going gluten-free is a huge change for your body and your lifestyle. It takes time to adjust. People experience physical withdrawal from gluten too. You can expect to be out of sorts the first couple of months. But try to remember that you're doing the right thing for yourself!

As people have said, untreated celiac can lead to nutritional deficiencies and other issues. Talk to your doctor, and make sure you are tested for nutritional deficiencies right away, especially B12 deficiency since that will often cause depression. If you can find one who knows anything about celiac, it'd be good for you to see a nutritionist too. But first go see a doctor.

In the meantime, supplements may help you feel better. A good multi-vitamin from Freeda Vitamins is highly recommended. Also, fish oil or flax oil is recommended for low mood.

This is not easy, so try not to be hard on yourself. Keep preservering, and you'll get to a better place!

Lucia

[India]

Hi Lindsay,

Other people have already made very good comments but I have one further thing to add, which I hope won't sound insensitive. I decided when I started eating gluten free diet that I was not going to let it bother me that other people can eat things I can't, since gluten-free is forever and forever is a really long time to be upset about something In addition, I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable about their food, especially since I often need them to be sympathetic towards my needs. I hope that in time you can accept that they have their food and you have yours - by now, I don't want to eat that stuff anyway, because it I know it makes me feel wretched.

Regarding cross-contamination (ok, two things to add) I guess I'm lucky that my house is gluten free, except for beer (his, not mine!) - my husband suggested this himself when he realised how much this would help me and make both our lives easier. However, before that, we had decided gluten was the special exception - so all food containing gluten was labelled with florescent stickers and anything else was good for me to eat. I'd also second the suggestion that the gluten-eater is the person with one small area to prepare food. Hope you can get your husband to work with you on this - but do take it easy on him as it's a big adjustment for him too.

Hope you feel better soon x

[Lindsay630]

Thanks Guys....

Today has been a better day... I spoke with my husband and let him read your comments. He has really made an effort this weekend to not make a big deal of eating around me. I also explored a few new options at the grocery store, so hopefully I will start to be able to eat a little more.

I figured out that I am not getting very much protein, especially because I am a vegetarian and have been my whole life. I am going to make a follow up appointment with my doctor to check on the deficiencies many of you mentioned.

Thanks for giving me hope, I intend to become an active part of this community... I hope you will continue to include me.

Thanks Again....

Lindsay

[dilettantesteph]

You might want to look into iodine supplementation. Do you eat iodized salt? Sea salt doesn't have enough iodine. I had terrible problems with depression when glutened. It had already got better before I started iodine supplementation, but when I did, the rest went away too. Now I don't get any depression when glutened, and a lot less irritability too.

[nora-n]

Hi, I think there are several vegetarian gluten free food blogs out there. Just that I do not remember where.

Anyone have any links?

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[GlutenFreeManna]

You might want to look into iodine supplementation. Do you eat iodized salt? Sea salt doesn't have enough iodine. I had terrible problems with depression when glutened. It had already got better before I started iodine supplementation, but when I did, the rest went away too. Now I don't get any depression when glutened, and a lot less irritability too.

I have not read about this connection between iodine and depression, but I avoid iodized salt because I read that it can irritate DH.

[dilettantesteph]

I have not read about this connection between iodine and depression, but I avoid iodized salt because I read that it can irritate DH.

I haven't read about it either. I just experienced it. I just googled iodine and depression and came up with a bunch of stuff, though. My son (age 13) has DH, and we were worried about supplementing him with iodine. Then again, if there is no gluten in his diet, the iodine shouldn't affect the DH right? So we tried it. He found that the iodine made him feel more happy and energetic. It didn't seem to affect his DH.

[ravenwoodglass]

I have not read about this connection between iodine and depression, but I avoid iodized salt because I read that it can irritate DH.

Iodine only cause flares while the antibodies are still present in the skin layers. Once you have been breakout free for a time it can and should be added back in as iodine is an important nutrient.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Iodine only cause flares while the antibodies are still present in the skin layers. Once you have been breakout free for a time it can and should be added back in as iodine is an important nutrient.

Thanks Raven. I have gotten used to using Sea Salt and Kosher salt, maybe I will have to pick up some plain table salt with iodine again though. I still have scars from a rash I suspect was DH. I have been worried about it flaring again as I had it for two years and the dermatologist didn't know what it was, just gave me steroid creams to put on it. I have been gluten free for 8 months except for a few accidental glutenings so hopefully that means my antibodies are gone.