Morning Anxiety Driving Me Crazy!!!

[m47kx]

Hey everyone!! Dealt with morning anxiety, complete lack of appetite in the AM/diarrhea if I tried to eat, fatigue, etc. for about two months. Saw doctor and they first prescribed me antidepressants while they ran bloodwork. Got bloodwork yesterday, positive result for celiac, going to get the endoscopy/biopsy soon.

Anyone else have morning anxiety like CRAZY before cutting out gluten? Afraid to leave the house because of feeling faint, dizzy, etc., like I'm going to pass out. I haven't actually passed out, but the feelings are all there. It's hard to overcome the anxiety some time!

 

Hoping someone else has had similar symptoms and that I can look forward to this being over soon!!

Thanks everyone xoxo

[Arasmas]

This was absolutely me before diagnosis.  The worst of all of my Celiac symptoms occurred in the morning.  The anxiety was terrible in the mornings, I had horrible nausea, no appetite, felt light headed, dizzy and shaky, diarrhea, stomach cramps... the works.  Honestly, I don't know if it was the symptoms causing the anxiety, the anxiety making my symptoms worse, or a combination.  I almost dropped out of school because I felt so terrible every morning I didn't want to leave the house to go to class.  The first few doctors I saw insisted all of my symptoms were psychological and tried to give me anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds, but I knew there was something else wrong with me.  I had always been a bit "high-strung," but for the year I was really sick before diagnosis, the anxiety got out of control.

I was diagnosed with celiac disease 6 months ago and have been gluten free ever since.  It took time, but everything is gradually improving.  The morning anxiety is much improved and some mornings, is completely gone.  I realized a month or two ago that I no longer spend the first hour after waking up gagging and dry-heaving, something I had done for so many years that I just thought it was normal for me.  I can brush my teeth and my tongue without feeling like I'm going to puke.  I eat breakfast now, which I have never done, because I was always too anxious and nauseous in the mornings to be hungry. 

I am not "all better."  I still have bad days and even bad weeks.  If I get glutened the anxiety comes back full force.  If I'm super-stressed out or letting my health slide (not eating well, not sleeping enough) the AM anxiety seems to return.  But, it has been slowly improving over the last 6 months and has become so much more manageable.  

Your anxiety could be a separate disorder from the celiac disease, but for me, it seems it was absolutely related and continues to get better.  Don't get discouraged if you don't see an immediate improvement or experience relapses after improving.  Often, I feel like it's a two-step-forward, one-step-back kind of thing, but it is getting better.

[squirmingitch]

Anxiety is quite a common symptom with undiagnosed celiacs. It should improve if not disappear when you go gluten free. Be sure to CONTINUE eating gluten until the endoscopy!

 

Welcome to the club!

[ravenwoodglass]

I don't know if this will help while you are waiting on the endoscopy but figured it might so here goes...

If your life permits you could try going to bed so you can get up a couple hours earlier. Then eat something shortly after you are up like Cream of Buckwheat or Cream of Rice, an egg or something else gluten-free. You don't have to have gluten at each meal while waiting for your testing to be finished and something gluten-free for breakfast may sit better. You can get your gluten at lunch or dinner. By getting up a couple hours earlier that may allow you system to 'clear' the D and relieve a bit of the anxiety.  Ask your doctor if you can take something like Immodium with the antidepressant. That may help your day be easier and lessen the D the next morning.

[ironictruth]

Mornings and early afternoon are usually the worst for me. I also get hit about 4pm. 

I am guessing, who knows, that this may be adrenal in nature since demands for cortisol are higher in the morning and drop off in the afternoon. I know my cortisol was a little low a few weeks back. 

I find if I can stand it, I find that eating a little protein or fruit every couple of hours from morning until early afternoon helps. I guess citrus is good as well. Not particularly helpful if the food does not stay in you though.