I'm going crazy

[1398-Days]

So, I'm 17 and I've been gluten free since August. I have not been tested for Celiac as I stopped eating gluten before we could go do that. I told my parents that I wanted to stop eating gluten AFTER I stopped eating it.. so that made it kind of difficult. But I was at the point where I felt awful every time I ate and figured I would try gluten free by myself for a few days to see if I felt better before announcing it to my parents. Anyway, it's been almost five months now and I feel much better.. except for my anxiety. I've always been a pretty anxious person. Really just social anxiety though.. However, since going gluten free it's turned into more of a generalized anxiety. I'm nervous about eating pretty much anything except fruit, I get close to an anxiety attack when I feel even a twinge of pain in my stomach or heartburn or something for fear that I've been glutened somehow.. I also get lots of anxiety when I'm going to sleep at night because often when I get glutened I wake up the next morning feeling really sick. So it's like I have this constant fear that I'm going to wake up sick. I also have an intense fear of throwing up.. so I think that's why I get so anxious about it. I do not throw up when i get glutened, but I do feel nauseous and it sends my anxiety through the roof.

I've also been quite anxious because I have an orthodontist consult on Tuesday and a dentist appointment on wednesday. Not too nervous about the ortho.. pretty excited to finally be on the way to get braces. The dentist I am pretty nervous about because I have no idea if any of the products they use contain gluten. The last time I went there was in July, shortly before going gluten free. I actually had to get lots of dental work done.. including a ridiculous amount of fillings and two extractions (wisdom teeth will be soon too )  So I spent my summer going to the dentist on a weekly basis and this was around the time that I was starting to get sick quite often but I don't believe it was from the dentist. So that makes me slightly less worried, but I've realized now how sensitive I actually am to gluten, so I'm still pretty freaked out. Also praying that I don't have any cavities. I've become slightly obsessive about brushing and flossing lol.

Anyway, I sometimes feel like I'm gonna go crazy because of the anxiety and constant worry. I worry practically every time I cook something because I don't know if I could get sick from CC. My parents still eat gluten, and we share all of the same pots, pans, PLASTIC serving spoons and spatulas, etc. The only thing we don't share is the toaster. I try not to use that stuff (well the plastic stuff, i don't know if the pots and pans are any harm), but my dad doesn't really think twice about it. Also.. this is pretty random but has anyone gotten sick from eating quest bars? I ate one last week and felt pretty sick for the rest of the day. I took probiotics a couple weeks ago and got really sick from them, and this reaction was similar but not as severe. The Quest bars have prebiotic fiber (soluble corn fiber) in them so maybe that was it? I've heard that sometimes people with celiac/gluten sensitivity can't handle corn or something?? I don't eat corn so I guess I wouldn't know otherwise.. Maybe my stomach is just too sensitive for stuff like that still. 

So how do I.. not go insane? It's so frustrating at times, like when I get sick and have no idea what it was from. And it's so tiring being scared all the time. I don't want to live in fear just because of stupid gluten!  Will I ever not be paranoid about everything I put in my mouth? Help!

[cyclinglady]

I think you need to consider asking your parents and/or doctor about getting properly tested for celiac disease.  Something to consider doing just at the start of summer so it will not impact your studies.  Honestly, my hubby went gluten-free 14 years ago per the poor advice of two medical doctors.  It worked.  He is well, but we will never know if he has celiac disease or NCGI.  He will tell you that I get way more support from family, friends and new doctors with my celiac disease diagnosis.  

Your anxiety could be glutened related or maybe not.  Please talk to your doctor!  

[etbtbfs]

Get thyroid testing.   At least TSH,FT3,FT4,TPO antibodies.  Gluten can trigger Hashimotos.  Hashis can cause hypothyroidism.   Hypothyroid triggers anxiety, and even panic attacks, in most thyroid patients.

[GFinDC]

On 1/18/2016 at 9:42 PM, etbtbfs said:

Get thyroid testing.   At least TSH,FT3,FT4,TPO antibodies.  Gluten can trigger Hashimotos.  Hashis can cause hypothyroidism.   Hypothyroid triggers anxiety, and even panic attacks, in most thyroid patients.

Good advice, but maybe you meant hyperthyroidism?  Too much thyroid hormone?

@1398days,

Anxiety could be a glutening symptom.  Or you could just be concerned about your health and not sure you can control the environment to avoid gluten.  Maybe it would help if your parents spent some time reading this forum.  The Newbie101 thread might be a good place to start.  People sometimes think celiac is like a stomach bug and a minor inconvenience.  But it can be a serious health issue if untreated or ignored.  Until people are educated about it they probably will assume it isn't a real problem.  But it's a life-time condition that can kill you or degrade your quality of life.  On the other hand if you keep gluten-free and eat a healthy diet of meats, veggies, nuts and fruits, you can be fine.  Your parents will need to help you though and that means they needs to learn about your condition.  Back to school for the parental units!

Getting tested is a good idea so you will "know" what is going on.  That may be important in the future because new treatments may become available.  The first test is usually a blood anti-bodies test, and then later an endoscopy to check biopsy samples for gut damage.

 

[Galixie]

Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause anxiety. If you go for more testing, you might want to ask them to check your B12 level.

[etbtbfs]

On 1/22/2016 at 3:17 AM, GFinDC said:

>>Good advice, but maybe you meant hyperthyroidism?  Too much thyroid hormone?

No, I meant hypothyroidism.   Hypothroidism can cause anxiety and panic attack (I know this because it happened to me).  And yes, hyperthyroidism can certainly cause anxiety, but I do not know to what extent it can cause panic.  The anxiety+panic thing is a symptom of hypothyroid which many psychiatrists don't even know about, consequently many patients get treated with dangerous drugs like anti-psychotics ... which do not resolve their symptoms.

On 1/22/2016 at 3:17 AM, GFinDC said:

 

 

 

 

[cristiana]

1 hour ago, Galixie said:

Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause anxiety. If you go for more testing, you might want to ask them to check your B12 level.

I would second this - please get tested for B12.  I found that supplementing this when I was borderline normal was tremendously helpful.

[Beccels]

Hey!

I think it would be a good idea to sit down and have a heart to heart with your parents.

Are they aware that you are experiencing this level of anxiety? I think that would be a good place to start.

Secondly, do you have a good family doctor? I would recommend you go and have a chat with him/her to discuss your concerns and work out a way to help with your anxiety.

I agree with GFinDC, it could be something as 'simple' (I use that term lightly!) as experiencing stress from trying to control your environment from Gluten. Or there could be another issue that your GP could help to address.