Mind Fog, Anxiety

[ballard84]

Hello, I am new here to the gluten free community. I have not yet been diagnosed with gluten intolerance but im pretty sure I am intolerant. I was reading some of the previous posts in this section and I heard a lot of talk about hyperactive kids and adhd, asbergers. Im 24 now but when i was a kid I had most of those conditions. I was adhd, had anger issues, was anxious and bipolar. my parents put me on all kinds of meds and tried therapy but nothing worked. I have recently self diagnosed myself as allergic to nightshades and as having a gluten intolerance. My question is can any one describe to me what the mind fog was or is like for them? I think I have suffered from this as well because before I was even aware of gluten intolerance I had experienced episodes that lasted a day or two where Im really anxious, I cant focus, cant deal with people and sometimes i just wanted to sleep because i feel so fatigued. I haven't really had this happen recently though the anxiety seems to be there occasionally, but I also eat bread sometimes.

Phillip

[RiceGuy]

Your description of the brain fog sounds like what many others have related. I used to get such that it was impossible to think straight. Unable to focus and maintain coherent thoughts. And yes, the fatigue was also quite unmanageable. I just had to sleep, or at least try, though I was often unable to rest soundly. It was like my brain was in limbo - couldn't sleep but couldn't get fully awake and functional.

The only other thing in my experience which did that was a candida overgrowth, thought the symptoms were somewhat different.

[fedora]

hi.

my mind symptoms included gazing off into space, things appearing further then they really were...as if my eyes were sunk further into my head, things got fuzzy like I was stoned( which I don't drink, do drugs, etc..too sick for that), I would have to think so hard for the right word to say, my thoughts slowed WAY down..I could barely think, I got lightheaded and weak, nightmares, depression, anxiety, oversensitive to sound, oversensitive to movement, motion sickness from almost any movement. WHAT FUN.

The bright side is I am sooooooo much better. I have not had on brain spell since going off gluten. I might have a symptom here or there, but not multiple ones all at once.

I hope you feel better soon too.

[Maeve]

Hello, I am new here to the gluten free community. I have not yet been diagnosed with gluten intolerance but im pretty sure I am intolerant. I was reading some of the previous posts in this section and I heard a lot of talk about hyperactive kids and adhd, asbergers. Im 24 now but when i was a kid I had most of those conditions. I was adhd, had anger issues, was anxious and bipolar. my parents put me on all kinds of meds and tried therapy but nothing worked. I have recently self diagnosed myself as allergic to nightshades and as having a gluten intolerance. My question is can any one describe to me what the mind fog was or is like for them? I think I have suffered from this as well because before I was even aware of gluten intolerance I had experienced episodes that lasted a day or two where Im really anxious, I cant focus, cant deal with people and sometimes i just wanted to sleep because i feel so fatigued. I haven't really had this happen recently though the anxiety seems to be there occasionally, but I also eat bread sometimes.

Phillip

[Maeve]

I don't usually respond but you are so young, best to look into this for a better future. Celiac my not be your only problem but it may well be the underlying force to exacerbate or trigger your issues. I am much older than you with DX in my 50's. I see now how it was likely my problem for many years, including youth. Anxiety, depression, and many of the things you mentioned ruled my life. I am lucky I could make a life as it was debilitating at times.

I am gluten-free for over a year now. I have improved considerably, it is like a different world BUT I will say all the other things have not just disappeared. The difference is that I can manage it better, it doesn't get extreme. There are days when I feel great and days when I have to control the other stuff. That's life, and mine only gets better.

Collect all the information you can on celiac, food alleregens, specific carbohydrate diet info. Doctors are not going to have all your answers, but may be able to help if some of your problems persist to a degree you can't manage.

Good Luck

Maeve

[mosaicmom]

Hello, I am new here to the gluten free community. I have not yet been diagnosed with gluten intolerance but im pretty sure I am intolerant. I was reading some of the previous posts in this section and I heard a lot of talk about hyperactive kids and adhd, asbergers. Im 24 now but when i was a kid I had most of those conditions. I was adhd, had anger issues, was anxious and bipolar. my parents put me on all kinds of meds and tried therapy but nothing worked. I have recently self diagnosed myself as allergic to nightshades and as having a gluten intolerance. My question is can any one describe to me what the mind fog was or is like for them? I think I have suffered from this as well because before I was even aware of gluten intolerance I had experienced episodes that lasted a day or two where Im really anxious, I cant focus, cant deal with people and sometimes i just wanted to sleep because i feel so fatigued. I haven't really had this happen recently though the anxiety seems to be there occasionally, but I also eat bread sometimes.

Phillip

I didn't look at the date of this post, but my daughter 17- needs to read this. All but asbergers.adhd is her.

[rio1in]

There are various prescription drugs to get over anxiety and depression, but these should only be used in accordance with the instruction of a physician. There is a lot of fake selling of such medicines on internet, so before you can order it online just make sure it is a real pharmacy. I am having it from Open Original Shared Link

[Roxanne17]

hi.

my mind symptoms included gazing off into space, things appearing further then they really were...as if my eyes were sunk further into my head, things got fuzzy like I was stoned( which I don't drink, do drugs, etc..too sick for that), I would have to think so hard for the right word to say, my thoughts slowed WAY down..I could barely think, I got lightheaded and weak, nightmares, depression, anxiety, oversensitive to sound, oversensitive to movement, motion sickness from almost any movement. WHAT FUN.

The bright side is I am sooooooo much better. I have not had on brain spell since going off gluten. I might have a symptom here or there, but not multiple ones all at once.

I hope you feel better soon too.

Hi!

I was wondering if you have more information about "mind fog"?? I have been gluten free for 2 years and I feel like my mind fog is only getting worse. To the point when I wake up until I eventually fall asleep. Any insight would be very helpful.

Roxanne

[Wonka]

Hi!

I was wondering if you have more information about "mind fog"?? I have been gluten free for 2 years and I feel like my mind fog is only getting worse. To the point when I wake up until I eventually fall asleep. Any insight would be very helpful.

Roxanne

I have no addition information to give you. I have been gluten free for 1 year and I am having severe brain fog (feel stoned, having trouble tracking conversations, trouble concentration, trouble with work retrieval, anxiety etc...). Mine seems to be associated with the new food intolerances that I have been trying to figure out (I'm going to a naturapath on the 20th because mainstream medicine has been useless at helping me with this). Just wanted you to know that you are not the only one suffering after going gluten free.

[Viola 1]

I have been gluten free for many years now, and although it took awhile to clear the mind, I now only get Brain Fog when I get cross contaminated.

You may think you are completely clear of gluten, but tiny bits can sneak up on you. For instance, I only meet a friend for coffee where we can pour our own coffee. That way I can check the inside of the cup before I pour. I have found bread residue in the bottom of coffee cups from the dishwasher. This would certainly trigger a Brain Fog session had I used them.

It's tiny problems like this that may be causing Fog without us realizing it.

[Cinnamon]

Soy can do it to you, too. Once I accidentally bought soy milk instead of rice milk, and wow. Two days of horrible brain fog for my son where he was almost non functional. You might want to try deleting it for awhile and see if things improve.

[Wonka]

I suspect that I am getting glutened, but in my own house. I have three 13 year olds in the house (one newly diagnosed) and a husband that claim they understand about being careful, but they don't. They are resistant to the house becoming totally gluten free but after seeing me this sick for soooo long and with the help of my new doctor, I think that we will be totally gluten free sooner than later.

[idahoengineer]

Hi!

I was wondering if you have more information about "mind fog"?? I have been gluten free for 2 years and I feel like my mind fog is only getting worse. To the point when I wake up until I eventually fall asleep. Any insight would be very helpful.

Roxanne

Have you had your thyroid checked? Hypothyroidism can also cause "brain fog" symptoms and celiacs have a higher incidence of thyroid issues. I also had horrible anxiety/ADD/brain fog troubles before my dx. But I still know when my thyroid meds need to be kicked up a notch because I can't remember the words for anything! Good luck!

[dilettantesteph]

Hello, I am new here to the gluten free community. I have not yet been diagnosed with gluten intolerance but im pretty sure I am intolerant. I was reading some of the previous posts in this section and I heard a lot of talk about hyperactive kids and adhd, asbergers. Im 24 now but when i was a kid I had most of those conditions. I was adhd, had anger issues, was anxious and bipolar. my parents put me on all kinds of meds and tried therapy but nothing worked. I have recently self diagnosed myself as allergic to nightshades and as having a gluten intolerance. My question is can any one describe to me what the mind fog was or is like for them? I think I have suffered from this as well because before I was even aware of gluten intolerance I had experienced episodes that lasted a day or two where Im really anxious, I cant focus, cant deal with people and sometimes i just wanted to sleep because i feel so fatigued. I haven't really had this happen recently though the anxiety seems to be there occasionally, but I also eat bread sometimes.

Phillip

I had bad anger issues. Yelling at my poor husband and kids. Only I didn't recognize that I was being irrational. Now I see how irrational I was. I started realizing that after being gluten free 4 months or so. It was such a mood roller coaster for the first 8 months or so. It is really easy to get accidental gluten. Lots of gluten free items are processed in facilities where wheat is also processes and I find myself reacting to them. Brain fog I can't describe. It doesn't feel out of the ordinary. It is just that you can't manage anything. You can't multitask. You go to do something and by the time you get there you forget why you went. Every action takes forever. I just want to watch TV or weed the garden. I see the contrast now when I get accidental contamination. I can't even read the newspaper. A puzzle that I could normally solve in 10 minutes takes me an hour and several full erasures. I hope you get better.

[mr. moore]

I had bad anger issues. Yelling at my poor husband and kids. Only I didn't recognize that I was being irrational. Now I see how irrational I was. I started realizing that after being gluten free 4 months or so. It was such a mood roller coaster for the first 8 months or so. It is really easy to get accidental gluten. Lots of gluten free items are processed in facilities where wheat is also processes and I find myself reacting to them. Brain fog I can't describe. It doesn't feel out of the ordinary. It is just that you can't manage anything. You can't multitask. You go to do something and by the time you get there you forget why you went. Every action takes forever. I just want to watch TV or weed the garden. I see the contrast now when I get accidental contamination. I can't even read the newspaper. A puzzle that I could normally solve in 10 minutes takes me an hour and several full erasures. I hope you get better.

um what you guys mean by "brain fog" matches this psychological thing called "derealization". which is what i feel alot. im gonna keep an eye out for gluten!

[DeeCee]

Cinnamon, I hear you about soy. But, it is almost impossible to be gluten free and soy free. But, I wish I could find a way. Soy milk made me violently ill the two times I tried it, but it doesn't have that effect when it is added to a product that isn't liquid. But, I wonder if it contributes to mind fog.

Speaking of Asperger's Syndrome and Autism, when I was working with kids with those disabilities, it scared me to recognize some of their characteristics in myself. Neither was on a gluten free diet.

[AliB]

For anyone not getting better on gluten-free, please check out the Specific Carb Diet (SCD). It has a fantastic track record for benefitting those who have intolerance to other foods and who are still suffering with various health issues, whether physical or mental.

There is a thread on the 'Other Food Intolerances' section and also 2 great websites - 'breaking the vicious cycle' and 'Pecanbread'.

It is a lifeline for those who don't know where else to turn...........

[Jaimepsalm63]

For anyone not getting better with the gluten free diet....TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR!

The SCD is NOT for everyone. It is some people's opinion on this site and just that....their experiences and opinions. It is not healthy for every person on here. It may do for some, but not others.

See your doctor and talk to him/her about the Specific Carb Diet BEFORE you put yourself on it. My doctor was horrified I was considering it. It wasn't right for me and he said I would've really caused a lot of pain and damage to my system if I had gone on it.

I really wish people would put in their posts that it is 100% their opinion about certain things and always say TO SEE THE DOCTOR. If you aren't happy with your doctor....get one you're happy with.

Telling people to get tested for certain things is one thing....telling them to do a specific diet change without discussing it with a medical professional is another. When you post on here you need to remember that certain people will take your posting as gospel and can hurt themselves with it.

Sorry for the rant....I'm just sick of seeing this one post in almost every discussion!

[Wonka]

Well I don't subscribe to the diet so this post isn't about that.

I discovered that my problems had everything to do with cross-contamination in my house (my daughter was diagnosed in December, we went totally gluten free then and amazingly I started to get better). This was the cause of my leaky gut which caused the other food intolerances, iron deficiency anemia and all my other symptoms. Just wanted to put this out there. Even when you think you are being really careful, for some people (and I am obviously one of them) this is not enough. Going completely gluten free is giving me my health back. The other thing that I found out, by going to my naturopath, is that I had adrenal fatigue, caused by all the stress to my body over the years. I am now being treated for it and everyday I feel a wee bit better. Health is on the way.

[Jaimepsalm63]

Wonka,

Glad to hear you're better. I hope my post wasn't taken in such a manner that you thought I was talking to you....I wasn't :-)

I found that some people have a convection oven (has a fan) and they don't understand that the fan in the convection oven is spreading the gluten from the past onto the food of the present. My husband was sweet enough to get me a new oven (double oven) so I wouldn't have this problem.

I know most people only think of the toaster, which of course is a must buy new one to live, but they forget the other areas of cross contamination. Cutting boards if they are wood or plastic, strainers (all those little holes are impossible to fully clean), silpats (you aren't supposed to "clean" them), and then pet food (yes even pet food has gluten in it if you aren't getting the gluten free kind).

Lets not forget stuff like lotions, shampoos, conditioners, makeup...every thing that you put on your body. I was having a discussion with a friend of mine who knew of a family where the daughter just got diagnosed, but wasn't getting better. They didn't even think about the above mentioned items. (I'm thankful to say that they have worked on all of those things and the daughter is much better...yea!)

It makes a huge difference when you aren't getting the cross contamination...at least it did for me. Take care.

[Wonka]

Wonka,

Glad to hear you're better. I hope my post wasn't taken in such a manner that you thought I was talking to you....I wasn't :-)

I didn't think that you were talking to me. I actually agree with you. I also understand how some people, when they find a solution to their problems, want to share that with others. So I can see both sides. I did read that book but in the end didn't feel that it was a solution for me.

[LadyCyclist87]

Hello, I am new here to the gluten free community. I have not yet been diagnosed with gluten intolerance but im pretty sure I am intolerant. I was reading some of the previous posts in this section and I heard a lot of talk about hyperactive kids and adhd, asbergers. Im 24 now but when i was a kid I had most of those conditions. I was adhd, had anger issues, was anxious and bipolar. my parents put me on all kinds of meds and tried therapy but nothing worked. I have recently self diagnosed myself as allergic to nightshades and as having a gluten intolerance. My question is can any one describe to me what the mind fog was or is like for them? I think I have suffered from this as well because before I was even aware of gluten intolerance I had experienced episodes that lasted a day or two where Im really anxious, I cant focus, cant deal with people and sometimes i just wanted to sleep because i feel so fatigued. I haven't really had this happen recently though the anxiety seems to be there occasionally, but I also eat bread sometimes.

Phillip

My mind fog effects my ability to concentrate on reading, listening, and even talking to people. I can't form coherent sentences, my mind and words are slow, and I just feel DRAINED. Overall, I feel disassociated and alone. It's not like it's a very different physical feeling for me...just very different cognitively. I feel your frustration, b/c it's so easy to get glutened with hidden ingredients or CC. Going gluten-free may drastically reduce these symptoms. I know that when I'm gluten-free I'm a different person, and it's for the better...

[SusanBurroughs]

I use Yogi's St John's Wort tea. It boosts my happy when I need a little help. I'd make sure you research this herb before using it. Valerian root was very bad for me.

S

[Lady Donna]

WOW, my daughter and I are gluten-free and we both get the foggy brain when we accidently ingest gluten but didn't know it was SO prevalent!!

I ate at a bad place the other day and OMG....my belly aches, foggy head, depression, body feels like it has been hit by a truck!! My poor partner is SO careful making sure I don't get sick and then I go and do this....DAMN!!!

[QueenTechnoGeek]

I ate at a bad place the other day and OMG....my belly aches, foggy head, depression, body feels like it has been hit by a truck!!

I wonder if this is what has been happening to me. Diagnosed ~10 months ago and trying to be gluten-free, but going through the learning stages. Today I'm a lot more gluten-free than 4 months ago, having learned more and cut out more. Every now and then I have an episode just as you describe here. This is just so incredibly hard. And frustrating.