Celiac And Psychological Effects

[mandigirl1]

first of all, thank you to everyone that responded to my message about eating the same food over and over.....its great to have a website like this so one celiac can help another celiac. Thanks for the great advice and general support.

I have another topic to mention and this concerns celiac and depression. Ever since diagnosed with celiac, I was never the same. My whole life changed. I went through the anger, the poor me phase, to binge eating. I have been obssessing about food and my weight since the day I started the gluten-free diet.

I started to get depressed right after being diagnosed. I felt at times so overwhelmed with anxiety. My doctor put me on Prozac and Wellbutrin. It saved my life! It allowed me to get through the day. I am a 4th grade teacher and as you can imagine have lots of stress. In the beginning (of being diagnosed) I used to cry in the morning on my way to work and ask myself, how am I going to get through the day???? The pills worked wonders. It helped me to deal with my lifestyle change and I was really happy!

I take Wellbutrin to counterreact the sexual side effects of the Prozac (loss of libido in particular). Its a great mix!!!! Ive been on it about 6 years......maxed out on doses.....dont get that"high" happy feeling anymore, or silly giddiness and hyperactive behavior. Now its just part of my daily routine/diet. It just helps me to "be" and relax more. Along with Celiac and depression came anxiety, binge eating, excessive exercising in the gym to "erase" consuming a ton of calories, and obsessing about food every single day:

Not a day goes by, where I do not ask myself: What am I going to eat today?

I lost alot of my desire to enjoy food. Now I basically eat because I HAVE to. Usually my mom or boyfriend....yes boyfriend!!!!! will prepare meals/cook for me or get me to eat healthy. If it were up to me I would just eat peanut M&Ms all day. I would just eat a non-filling/unhealthy/"quick fix food (popcorn, rice cakes with peanut butter was a serious addiction, rice pudding, almonds, sugar pops cereal, just to name a few). and a TON of it too!!!!!!!

I still get into "moods", and experience brain "fog" without eating gluten, and the feeling of being tired all the time. Yes I am a teacher (in a good NYC public school) and its normal to be tired. However, even not at work, on vacations or now, during summer without the responsibilities, I am TIRED ALL THE TIME. And usually have unrestful sleep at night.

Do other celiacs feel this way?

Is anyone else on anti-depressants?

Any advice or suggestions?

I really appreciate it!!!!!!!! (I just joined this site)

[celiac3270]

Hey, I live in NYC, also! I'm only 14, but I feel like I have a handle on this diet and I'd love to help you, as well. If you give me a slightly more specific location (neighborhood) I can help you a little more. There are some AMAZING gluten-free bakeries and restaurants downtown (most exclusively or nearly exclusively gluten-free) and there's a restaurant on the Upper West Side just started its gluten-free menu, including maybe ten pasta dishes, homemade bread, brownies, etc. I live on the Upper East Side, so I know most of the health food stores in the area (and the owners, lol ). There are numerous Whole Foods spread out and some have a gluten-free bakery inside. If you want help with any product replacements (i.e. a good gluten-free pizza or bagel, etc.) ask away here or e-mail me...

Oh, about those restaurants, lol...they're with the GFRAP ( Open Original Shared Link ) and are now catering to the celiacs as a result of the hard work of those people--the list constantly updates, so it's good to have. And here's a post I made on gluten-free in NYC:

Open Original Shared Link

and some more on it...

Open Original Shared Link

I'm not advocating that you eat out, every meal ...quite the opposite. But if you find that you're eating m&ms and rice cakes, but you just have no idea what to eat, there are options in NY and we should take advantage of them when necessary. Like I said, e-mail if you need anything--support, product recommendations, help specifically w/ gluten-free in nyc...

[Diosa]

It's hard *not* to be food obsessed when first diagnosed. I know I am to a certain degree (diagnosed a few weeks ago). I know that feeling of your world crashing around you, the whole how #$%@@#$ unfair it is, and the what do I do now and how do I eat. You are not alone.

I cope by making a meal plan for the week, and just making that. It's simple foods really, stuff that I found in my old WW and low carb cookbooks, and some stuff found online. I'm trying not to obsess so much with food, but try to enjoy what I make. I basically eat meats and veggies, but am trying to get some semblence of fruit back in my diet (even though I hate the stuff) just for the variety.

If you ever want to talk, PM me or any of the greeat people on here. They all understand. Also, check around here, because there are lots of gluten-free recipes posted on here. Down in the recipe section tarnelberry posted some amazing ones!! *hugs* (if you want them)

[watkinson]

Hi mandigirl1,

I would thouroughly, completely, absolutely encourage you to try taking daily omega 3 fatty acids. You can eat salmon or tuna several times a week and add flax meal to gluten-free breads, cereals, or yogurt (if you can eat dairy) Or you can take it in pill form. Whole foods sells a good gluten-free kind.

Why do this? There is tremendous data available on why our bodies deperalty need it. You can google it or check out different books. (the omega 3 connection is brilliant) Studies show that our bodies are meant to have a balance between the good fats and bad fats. about a 6 to 6 ratio. But that our society is raging with so many bad fats and almost no good fats that we now have a ratio of about 22 to 1.

Studies also show that getting these fats back on line can improve all the workings of our bodies including the brain. Making problems like bi-polar disease, ADHD, and depression improve so drastically that some people are cured.

My daughter is bi-polar. She started taking high levels of omega 3 about a month ago through her docotr. She (and the rest of the family) have already seen improvement! She says she can tell she feels better.

Let us know if it works, it may take a few months,

Wendy

[celiachap]

Hi mandigirl1,

I would thouroughly, completely, absolutely encourage you to try taking daily omega 3 fatty acids......

Very informative posting, Wendy.

Since I rarely eat fish, I take Nordic Naturals Omega 3 - their "Ultimate Omega" capsules. I only take one a day, rather than the recommeded two, becuase they are very potent. They are available in Vitaminshoppe's stores and website.

Open Original Shared Link

Studies of how Omega 3 can benefit children with various difficulties:

Open Original Shared Link

I also eat a lot of Mary's Gone Crackers (original) which contain organic flax seeds that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.

[skbird]

Oh, I love Mary's Gone Crackers originals!!! Those are DELICIOUS! I got a non-gluten-free friend hooked on them this past weekend...

Omega 3s is a great idea. Helps me a lot. I take fish oil, flax oil, and flax meal on a daily basis. I also eat salmon at least weekly and usually wild caught Pacific salmon. I have noticed a lot of improvements in my mood and how I"m feeling.

Stephanie

[beelzebubble]

it always makes me sad when i see these kinds of posts. i DO have issues with food obsession. you can't help it when you have to scrutinize everything you eat. but, i have no problem with food choices or variety. food can be fun-even gluten free food . you just have to open your mind about what you eat. AND...most importantly...you have to learn to cook. i can tell you that being diagnosed with celiac changed my life in a really positive way, if only because i now make cooking a priority. my advice is eat easy and yummy things for breakfast and lunch (i eat lots of salads, fruits, veggies, nut thins and cheese) and wander into the land of ethnic foods for dinner. it's really hard to feel deprived when you are eating dishes that blow other peoples' out of the water.

here are some things i've eaten over the last few days:

cold avocado gazpacho

black bean and corn salad over fried cotija cheese

jambalaya with rice and a side salad

yogurt marinated lamb with a greek salad

shrimp, orange roughy, and langostine ceviche with tortilla chips

garlic shrimp with coconut curried rice and sauteed peppers

barbecued chicken legs marinated in a mix of wheat free soy sauce (tamari, actually), sweet chili sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar

with a side salad

you get the idea. be adventurous. food can be fun, even when you can't eat gluten. i just plan my meals and make almost all the components from scratch, even my salad dressings. i would be happy to share my recipes with you, if you like.

[Merika]

Hi,

I go to www.savingdinner.com - an inexpensive subscription site - recommended by www.flylady.net . Saving Dinner sends weekly menus and grocery lists, and you have a choice of menu (reg, veggie, low-carb, frugal, etc.). They are easily convertible to gluten-free, and most are tasty.

The nice thing about it is you don't have to think or plan much for the week. It comes every Wednesday to your email and off you go on Thurs to shop. Cooking directions are simple.

From your email it sounds like you've been gluten-free for 6 years? I can't give you great advice, I've only been gluten-free for 1 1/2 yrs. It IS hard at first. Family support was a lifesaver for me too.

I'm not on medication. I admit I'm generally scared of all western medication, as I've had some really bad reactions to it.

It sounds strange, but the flylady link above may help your depression. Check it out

Merika

[2old4]

Mandigirl1-

Hi, I am a 34 year old, wife, mother of a 3 year old, manage a busy retail store and I also take an anti-depressant. I've only been gluten-free for 6 weeks and I think my body is still recovering. But I have also noticed that I feel much better when I am eating whole meals instead of my "quick fix" of Lays & Reeses. I tend to be really tired alot if I don't eat properly. I also have started taking gluten-free vitamins (Pioneer) and am noticing a difference in my energy levels. Treat yourself well-

Patty

[watkinson]

Hi mandigirl,

Another thing you may want to investigate is, are the meds your on gluten-free. Ask your pharmasist. If they don't know ask who is the manufacturer and give that company a call. If they ar not gluten-free that may be the reason for the depression.

Wendy