couple of questions regarding gluten challenge

[Mat82]

Hi everyone

Just have a couple of questions i was hoping you could help me with

I have nearly completed my 3rd week of the gluten challenge, in my craziness (my symptoms mainly affect my brain) i went and applied for a few jobs and happened to get an interview which is next wednesday. Now there is no way ill have any chance of getting the job if i go in there all glutened up, as ill be like a zombie who wont be able to string a sentence together

Im thinking my options are

1. Get my blood test on monday and stop eating gluten straight after so i have a couple of days to recover a little, but i will only be starting my 4th week so it probably wont be very accurate and is probably a waste of time

2. eat all my gluten tuesday morning and then go gluten free until the interview (which will still be having my gluten intake every day), i just dont know if that will be enough time to do much for me though

3. can i miss a couple of days or does that mean i have to start the challenge again, or does it mean i might have to do an extra couple of days or weeks?

Also am i able to take gut healing supplements, probiotics and calming medicine while doing the gluten challenge? i stopped taking them because i thought they would interfere with the celiac test results

 

thanks 

mat

[Victoria1234]

25 minutes ago, Mat82 said:

am i able to take gut healing supplements, probiotics and calming medicine while doing the gluten challenge?

Yes, they won't affect the blood test at all.

sorry I can't answer your other questions with any accuracy, but others will. Good luck in your interview!

[ravenwoodglass]

I would go with option 2 but be aware that a day most likely won't make a lot of difference in your symptoms. The supplements are fine and I would add in a sublingual B12 if you are not taking it already. Your timing isn't ideal but if this is a job you really want then go for it.  You could try doing a couple practice interviews with a friend if that is something that might help you relax during the real thing.

[Gluten-free-01]

If I were in your situation, I’d eat only the minimum amount of gluten. According to this source, it is ½ slice of bread each day for 12 weeks.

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I think the more gluten you consume, the worse you feel. So, it wouldn’t be a good idea to eat more than necessary..

If you are already consuming only the min. amount but don’t feel well, then you can miss a couple of days (1-3), in my opinion. I think a gluten challenge as such – i.e. its length, the daily recommended amount of gluten etc. - is just an estimate. So, I personally would risk not eating gluten on Monday and Tuesday. Then, I’d eat it again on Wednesday after the interview. I’d probably double the amount of bread on Thu, Fri to ‘make up for’ Mon, Tue.

Of course, it would be better not to to skip any days, but I do understand that the interview is important to you and you want to feel ok and make a good impression.

Maybe you can take a benzodiazepine approx. 2 hours before the int.? (If you’re taking any other drugs please be wary of possible interactions. Also, benz. are addictive and not allowed for long-term use.) They can be helpful when used occasionally though.

I hope all goes well with your interview

 

  

[ravenwoodglass]

1 hour ago, Gluten_free_01 said:

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Maybe you can take a benzodiazepine approx. 2 hours before the int.?

 

  

I would advise against taking this right before the interview since they could increase your brain fog and space you out even more than the gluten reaction does. If anxious they might help you get a good nights sleep if you take a minimal dose before bed the night before IF you can get a doctor to prescribe one. 

[Gluten-free-01]

31 minutes ago, ravenwoodglass said:

I would advise against taking this right before the interview since they could increase your brain fog and space you out even more than the gluten reaction does. If anxious they might help you get a good nights sleep if you take a minimal dose before bed the night before IF you can get a doctor to prescribe one. 

Yes, I wouldn't recommend them for brain fog either - I should have said it, sorry. It really depends on what kind of issues Mat82 has. Also, we don't know if he has any positive/negative experience with benzodiazepines. So, it was only a suggestion.

They can help with anxiety, panic attacks, trembling, cold sweats, jitters etc. They can help with things like exam stress or job interview anxiety. 

However, everyone is different, can have a different reaction.. and there are various types of benz. and doses available. So, I gave advice based on what helped me in the past - e.g. during exam periods at uni. I was taking a min. dose 1-2 hours before an exam and it was extremely helpful. I was calm, wasn't trembling, was focused and could think clearly. And, I wasn't sleepy - just calm. But not everyone may react  in the same way, of course.

[ravenwoodglass]

24 minutes ago, Gluten_free_01 said:

Yes, I wouldn't recommend them for brain fog either - I should have said it, sorry. It really depends on what kind of issues Mat82 has. Also, we don't know if he has any positive/negative experience with benzodiazepines. So, it was only a suggestion.

They can help with anxiety, panic attacks, trembling, cold sweats, jitters etc. They can help with things like exam stress or job interview anxiety. 

However, everyone is different, can have a different reaction.. and there are various types of benz. and doses available. So, I gave advice based on what helped me in the past - e.g. during exam periods at uni. I was taking a min. dose 1-2 hours before an exam and it was extremely helpful. I was calm, wasn't trembling, was focused and could think clearly. And, I wasn't sleepy - just calm. But not everyone may react  in the same way, of course.

I agree they are extremely helpful for anxiety. I take them when needed for PTSD and never would have overcome agoraphobia without them.

I was simply worried that with brain fog being the big worry for the interview that they might make things worse.

[Mat82]

thanks for your replies

Yes brain fog is one of my main symptoms and ive never had benzodiazepine before so i probably not a good idea  lack of sleep has never been a problem for me, its the opposite for me, i sleep for about 10hrs a night and am still tired all day

Im just going to have all my gluten tuesday morning and then back on it after my interview, also im taking my supplements again, so hopefully i can hold it together long enough to at least give it my best shot, i wont be upset if i dont get it as long as i try my best.

thanks for you help