Am I Doing The Right Thing?

[ColtonBarnes]

Ok so i am 19, and have had anxiet/depression pretty much all my life (seems to get worse with age). I have tried pretty much every drug for anxiety/depression on the market. But i have done a lot of research lately and i seem to have most physical symptoms of celiac disease, along with my mental ones. On top of that, about 10 min after i eat something with gluten in it, i get anxiety attacks and my heart feels weird, and i get these weird cramps in my side.

 

I got a blood test about 3 weeks ago and it said that i didnt have celiac disease, but i continued to feel terrible after eating gluten so i decided to just stop eating it anyway.

 

i have been gluten free for about 2 weeks and i am feeling better some days but somedays im feeling worse. im having really bad mood swings. The physical symptoms have not gone away, but i am more worried about the psycological symptoms.

 

so i got a bunch of gluten free foods but sometimes after i eat i still feel kind of a reaction (usually like half of the reaction i would get before going gluten free). some things ive had bad reactions to after eating: gluten free chips, gluten free waffles, pork chops, pop corn, and other things.

 

Is this just part of the gluten withdrawal? and if i am gluten intolerant, how long do i have to wait before i will see improvements in my anxiety and mood? do you guys think this could be the answer or am i just waisting my time?

[NoGlutenCooties]

Hi and Welcome!

 

I don't know if you have Celiac or not but if you're going to try going gluten-free I would suggest laying off the processed stuff for awhile.  It can be really hard to digest and if you do in fact have Celiac your body can't heal and deal with that stuff too.  Stick to whole, natural food.  Meat, veggies, fruits.  Also, you may have other food intolerances or allergies going on so it may be a good idea to keep a food journal so you can track what else might be triggering your symptoms.

(Also... 2 weeks isn't very long for symptoms to really go away.  Give it some time.)

 

Good luck!

[Cara in Boston]

Both my son (6 at the time) and I went gluten free together.  He transitioned fine, no problem.  I had terrible "withdrawal" symptoms . . . sometime they were as bad or worse than my gluten symptoms.  It lasted a little over a week and then gradually (very gradually) got better.  It was such a wonderful surprise when I had to actually stop and think about when I last felt weird.  My GI symptoms were the first to disappear.  Then the fatigue and brain fog, then, over time, the anxiety.  It was two or three months before I could confidently say I no longer felt anxious . . .

 

Just be patient.

 

I would also steer clear of the processed, gluten free foods while you are healing.  They are great as a treat, but not as a main part of your diet.  Stick with real, naturally gluten-free foods like meat, fresh vegetables, fruit and nuts.  It might even be helpful to read a few Paleo cookbooks . . . they are grain free, which I found to be even more helpful in the beginning.  I've never felt healthier or more energetic then when I was completely grain free.

[cap6]

Paleo is an excellent diet to follow.  My fav book is Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo.  I started out a no cook (a serious no-cook!) and her easy to follow, simple to use recipes are great.  Plus she has some simple easy to follow 30 meal plans. 

 

When you replace processed gluten  foods with processed gluten free foods you will probably have trouble because of all of the ingredients that are needed to create that food.  Eating simple foods is the best way to heal.  Roast some veggies and a piece of chicken and you are off! 

 

A note ~ pop corn is very very hard to digest especially if you are still healing.  It was a year before I could eat it.  In the beginning after eating a handful I felt like I had been glutened.  So keep in mind that it isn't just the gluten you have to watch for but all of those ingredients in processed foods.

 

Two weeks isn't very long and although you are young and your body will heal fairly quickly, it takes time. 

Sounds like you are on the right track.  I would give it time.  Watch your foods, maybe make a food diary so you can track what food you react to as you may have some other hidden intolerances as well.   As long as you keep feeling better overall, aside from some little glitches, I would say keep up the good work!

[ColtonBarnes]

Thanks for the replys guys! I will look into that Paleo diet. I think i am going to just cut out processed foods overall, and start getting only natural foods. But what about things like milk, peanut butter and salad dressing? i really like salad but dont think i could eat it without dressing.

[bartfull]

Vinegar and oil. You could use rice vinegar (it's really good) and olive oil.

 

Peanut butter? I don't know. Never touch the stuff because I have never (even as a kid) liked it. But if you do like it, try organic.

 

Milk? Well some folks have trouble with it and some don't. It sounds to me like your best bet would be an elimination diet. Start with whole foods like meat, veggies, and fruit. After about three weeks, and if you're feeling better, try adding something like milk and after three days if you're still feeling OK, put milk on the safe list and trial something else.

 

Elimination diets take a long time, but as far as I know they are the only way to really figure out what is safe for you and what isn't.

[Cara in Boston]

I always look for products with few ingredients (Teddy Peanut butter is great and readily available in most stores) or I make my own.  We usually just use olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt on a salad, but in the summer I will make a bottle of "dressing" early in the week and use it daily.  Check out pinterest for lots of good dressing recipes.  It takes a few more minutes, but in the long run it is better for you (even if you were not gluten free) and in most cases, tastes better.

 

I still use things like W-sauce, gluten-free Tamari (instead of soy sauce), mayo, mustard, etc.  Just check the labels to make sure.

 

Once you figure it all out, it becomes habit.  

[cap6]

I second the "take it easy with milk" and any dairy products.  It is quite common for a celiac to be lactose intolerant as well.  Many times after several months that will go away and you can then enjoy your dairy stuff again.  Took me about 8 months before I could handle yogurts, cheese or ice cream, but again... time is a healer!

[GFinDC]

Welcome Colton!

 

Two weeks is just the rough beginning of the gluten-free diet.  For some people withdrawal symptoms can go on for a couple weeks.  For many it seems like 6 months to get basically healed is about right, but it can take years for some.  It helps during healing to eat a simple diet, without lots of hot spicy stuff.  The less irritation of the gut the better.

 

Some starting the gluten-free diet tips for the first 6 months:

Get tested before starting the gluten-free diet.
Get your vitamin/mineral levels tested also.
Don't eat in restaurants
Eat only whole foods not processed foods.
Eat only food you cook yourself, think simple foods, not gourmet meals.
Take probiotics.
Take gluten-free vitamins.
Take digestive enzymes.
Avoid dairy if it causes symptoms.
Avoid sugars and starchy foods. They can cause bloating.
Avoid alcohol.
Watch out for cross contamination.

Helpful threads:

FAQ Celiac com
https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/forum-7/announcement-3-frequently-asked-questions-about-celiac-disease/

Newbie Info 101
https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/