Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Brain Fog

Irishjoe

Recommended Posts

Papa-Hen Rookie
Papa-Hen
Posted

Joe & the rest,

I'm brand new here and writing for the first time.

Brain fog, Chronic Fatigue, forgetful,

"Tired, cranky, irritable, and miserable...and sometimes I enjoy it". :)

In retrospect, my worst days were Pancake Saturdays with the kids...Imagine that!

...did I mention forgetful?

Over the past 10+ years, I have done well losing weight on low-carb diets, and even better at gaining it back when I sought to go back to a "normal" diet. I am one of the souls that can lose up to 6lb of water weight the 1st day. Silly, me, I didn't believe enough in what I was doing, and allowed myself a little of a friends B-day cake...Several years later, and I was back & beyond my previous high weight.

Now down 45 lb from 260 since quitting bread/cakes/etc. in November. Recently read "Dangerous Grains" and came to learn it's gluten sensitivity, and that barley, rye, and others also have gluten. Since then, much more gluten free. The weight just comes off without even thinking about it. No struggle!

I also now know that I'm only one donut away from going back.

(Thank God it wasn't alcohol that I was so addicted to--I would have been a real mess.)

Last time, I got down to 185. I'm more than 1/2 way there.

The weird thing is that I am now to the point where I prefer fruits & fresh veggies to a huge pile of mashed potatoes! Considering similar claims elsewhere at this site, I'm optimistic that I'm really on to something.

I'm also scared as I had a very rough 2+ weeks that I hope are now over as of this afternoon.

Was it just anxiety causing everything, including the stomach aches, or could it have been my body releasing many toxins that had accumulated over my lifetime?

Most on this board indicate that they get much better right away, so this does not seem to be the norm.

Has anyone else had to go through hell to get to heaven?

I look forward to hearing from you and being part of this group.

Thanks,

- Henry

  • 5 years later...
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Februaryrich Rookie
Februaryrich
Posted

I also can't make eye contacts with people, for some reason my eyes just go WOOHOO and I can't focus on prints when I read. It goes away after a while on the diet!

Twinklestars Contributor
Twinklestars
Posted

I will be so glad when I don't turn around in circles in my kitchen anymore, trying to remember which cupboard something is in! :lol:

Ollie's Mom Apprentice
Ollie's Mom
Posted

I've been wondering about that no eye contact thing a little more. I wonder if there's any connection to that same behavior in autism (which I know may have some connection with celiac and other food problems)? Like maybe people with celiac and people with autism have a problem with the same area of the brain. I know they say that with autism they can become overstimulated and withdraw. I wonder if it's the same process?

I have diagnosed myself with Asperger's (sounds strange, maybe, but I was too old to have been screened for it when I was going through school, and diagnosing adults with autism is difficult because adults have had time to develop coping mechanisms). Anyway, my family and husband all agree I am a Asperger's "poster adult"

(I also self diagnosed my gluten issues... aren't doctors useful? *sigh*)

When I get glutened, my inability to look people in the eye gets much, much worse. I can't talk properly (like someone else here mentioned, it's like I lose control of my tongue). I stutter. My sensory issues (noise, smells, lights, the feeling of the material of my clothing) gets so much worse. The last time I was glutened, I almost ran screaming out of a public washroom because someone turned on an air hand dryer, and the noise was too much for me to handle.

Basically, when I get glutened, I tell my husband that I feel much more "autistic" than when I haven't been glutened. I makes me wonder how I survived before I went gluten free, because I felt that "autistic" all the time before (I do remember how hard it was... but thankfully that is almost completely behind me, unless I get glutened, of course).

So yes, I am convinced there's a link in some cases to autism and gluten / other food intolerances.

pricklypear1971 Community Regular
pricklypear1971
Posted

I have diagnosed myself with Asperger's (sounds strange, maybe, but I was too old to have been screened for it when I was going through school, and diagnosing adults with autism is difficult because adults have had time to develop coping mechanisms). Anyway, my family and husband all agree I am a Asperger's "poster adult"

(I also self diagnosed my gluten issues... aren't doctors useful? *sigh*)

When I get glutened, my inability to look people in the eye gets much, much worse. I can't talk properly (like someone else here mentioned, it's like I lose control of my tongue). I stutter. My sensory issues (noise, smells, lights, the feeling of the material of my clothing) gets so much worse. The last time I was glutened, I almost ran screaming out of a public washroom because someone turned on an air hand dryer, and the noise was too much for me to handle.

Basically, when I get glutened, I tell my husband that I feel much more "autistic" than when I haven't been glutened. I makes me wonder how I survived before I went gluten free, because I felt that "autistic" all the time before (I do remember how hard it was... but thankfully that is almost completely behind me, unless I get glutened, of course).

So yes, I am convinced there's a link in some cases to autism and gluten / other food intolerances.

Wow. Makes ME wonder. I get the hairdryer thing. My doctors call it "overstimulated adrenals" in my case - supposedly temporary from corticosteroids and gee - gluten and salicylates. I couldn't take a shower because that involved feeling something on my skin and hearing the water run. I can't imagine feeling that all the time. Kudos to you for figuring it out and learning to manage the situation.

cougie23 Explorer
cougie23
Posted

I will be so glad when I don't turn around in circles in my kitchen anymore, trying to remember which cupboard something is in! :lol:

Yeah..me too!!! I thought the eye contact thing was just a QUIRK on my part!!! WEIRD...chalk another bizzarre symptom up to CELIACS...and people just thought I was CRAZY!!! LOL :lol:

I HATE forgetting what your talking about in mid conversation...or not remembering pin #'s...Or intructions involving more than 3 things!!! not to mention the "clasic" why am I in this room?! OR this is another "classic" having someone looking you in the eye...being really serious..(not being able to look back)... and a second after they finish talking and its YOUR turn...its like ..what??? no clue whatsoever!!!? :blink:

Stuttering too...just out of no where...!!! <_<

This was what it was like last March for me...Its gotten alot better...but I am still acused of being VERY HYPER!!! Among OTHER persistant problems...I tend to TYPE like I THINK!!! LOL :lol::lol::lol::D ........LOL :P

Twinklestars Contributor
Twinklestars
Posted

Wow. Makes ME wonder. I get the hairdryer thing. My doctors call it "overstimulated adrenals" in my case - supposedly temporary from corticosteroids and gee - gluten and salicylates. I couldn't take a shower because that involved feeling something on my skin and hearing the water run. I can't imagine feeling that all the time. Kudos to you for figuring it out and learning to manage the situation.

And your post just made me go wow PP. One of my children is extremely sensitive to noise. I had just put it down to her being 3, but she gets hysterical if she has to have a shower (but a bath is fine), she bursts into tears if a game get noisy etc. I'll watch her a bit more closely I think. Obviously if I'm diagnosed I'll get all my kids tested, but will be more watchful in the meantime.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


bodhizatfa Newbie
bodhizatfa
Posted

Gluten intolerance affected me in a lot of ways including my brain activity. When my sensitivity was triggered 3 and a half years ago I developped some OCD...something I hadn't experienced before. My mind wouldn't shut-down, I was stressed to the max, I had anxiety, I had racing thoughts to the point where my wife thought I was loosing my marbles. She patiently listened to me while I explained what was going on in my head and reassured me that it was only the OCD talking. I really thought I was going crazy. The brain fog...wow....concentration was null. It got so bad that I started to get really embarassed, because I knew that things were not normal. It took a great deal of effort just to function every day. I did my research and I went on a gluten free diet nine months ago and it all went away. All of my other symptoms went away too. I am so grateful to have found the answer. My symptoms come back to life when I get any gluten in my diet....intentional or not. Even the smallest traces now affect me. Gotta be careful..:)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Mari
      - Mari replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      15

      My only proof

      Years ago a friend and I drove north into Canada hoping to find a ski resort open in late spring,We were in my VW and found a small ski area near a small town and started up this gravelled road up a mountain. We got about halfway up and got stuck in the mud. We tried everything we could think of but an hour later we were still stuck. Finally a pickup came...
    2. Rejoicephd
      - Rejoicephd commented on Jefferson Adams's article in Gluten-Free Cooking
      1

      Your Complete Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Plan: Recipes, Tips & Holiday Favorites

      Wow what a helpful article!! I am just seeing this now but I hosted a small group of family for Thanksgiving at my house this year and I did some of these things- got a butterball gluten-free turkey, got gluten-free stuffing, had a few gluten-free sides, and a gluten-free nothing-Bundt-cake. I had other non gluten-free things there too for others, and I also...
    3. Scott Adams
      0

      Rainforest Cafe Fined After Child's Severe Allergic Reaction: What It Means for Gluten-Free Safety

    4. marion wheaton
      - marion wheaton replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      3

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      Thanks for responding. I researched further and Lindt Lindor chocolate balls do contain barely malt powder which contains gluten. I was surprised at all of the conflicting information I found when I checked online.
    5. trents
      - trents replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      3

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,416
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Heather8280
    Newest Member
    Heather8280
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Mari
      My only proof

      By Mari · Posted

      Years  ago a friend and I drove north into Canada hoping to find a ski resort open in late spring,We were in my VW and found a small ski area near a small town and started up this gravelled road up a mountain. We  got about halfway up and got stuck in the mud. We tried everything we could think of but an hour later we were still stuck. Finally a pickup came down the road, laughed at our situation, then pulled the VW free of the mud. We followed him back to the ski area where where he started up the rope ski lift and we had an enjoyable hour of skiing and gave us a shot of aquavit  before we left.It was a great rescue.  In some ways this reminds me of your situation. You are waiting for a rescue and you have chosen medical practitioners to do it now or as soon as possible. As you have found out the med. experts have not learned how to help you. You face years of continuing to feel horrible, frustrated searching for your rescuer to save you. You can break away from from this pattern of thinking and you have begun breaking  away by using some herbs and supplements from doTerra. Now you can start trying some of the suggestions thatother Celiacs have written to your original posts.  You live with other people who eat gluten foods. Cross contamination is very possible. Are you sure that their food is completely separate from their food. It  is not only the gluten grains you need to avoid (wheat, barley, rye) but possibly oats, cows milk also. Whenever you fall back into that angry and frustrated way of thinking get up and walk around for a whild. You will learn ways to break that way of thinking about your problems.  Best wishes for your future. May you enjpy a better life.  
    • marion wheaton
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By marion wheaton · Posted

      Thanks for responding. I researched further and Lindt Lindor chocolate balls do contain barely malt powder which contains gluten. I was surprised at all of the conflicting information I found when I checked online.
    • trents
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By trents · Posted

      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a super sensitive celiac for whom that standard is insufficient. 
    • BlessedinBoston
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By BlessedinBoston · Posted

      No,Lindt is not gluten free no matter what they say on their website. I found out the hard way when I was newly diagnosed in 2000. At that time the Lindt truffles were just becoming popular and were only sold in small specialty shops at the mall. You couldn't buy them in any stores like today and I was obsessed with them 😁. Took me a while to get around to checking them and was heartbroken when I saw they were absolutely not gluten free 😔. Felt the same when I realized Twizzlers weren't either. Took me a while to get my diet on order after being diagnosed. I was diagnosed with small bowel non Hodgkins lymphoma at the same time. So it was a very stressful time to say the least. Hope this helps 😁.
    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jmartes71, I understand your frustration and anger.  I've been in a similar situation where no doctor took me seriously, accused me of making things up, and eventually sent me home to suffer alone.   My doctors did not recognize nutritional deficiencies.  Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions that are funded by pharmaceutical companies.  They are taught which medications cover up which symptoms.  Doctors are required to take twenty  hours of nutritional education in seven years of medical training.  (They can earn nine hours in Nutrition by taking a three day weekend seminar.)  They are taught nutritional deficiencies are passe' and don't happen in our well fed Western society any more.  In Celiac Disease, the autoimmune response and inflammation affects the absorption of ALL the essential vitamins and minerals.  Correcting nutritional deficiencies caused by malabsorption is essential!  I begged my doctor to check my Vitamin D level, which he did only after making sure my insurance would cover it.  When my Vitamin D came back extremely low, my doctor was very surprised, but refused to test for further nutritional deficiencies because he "couldn't make money prescribing vitamins.". I believe it was beyond his knowledge, so he blamed me for making stuff up, and stormed out of the exam room.  I had studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I switched because I was curious what vitamins from our food were doing in our bodies.  Vitamins are substances that our bodies cannot manufacture, so we must ingest them every day.  Without them, our bodies cannot manufacture life sustaining enzymes and we sicken and die.   At home alone, I could feel myself dying.  It's an unnerving feeling, to say the least, and, so, with nothing left to lose, I relied in my education in nutrition.  My symptoms of Thiamine deficiency were the worst, so I began taking high dose Thiamine.  I had health improvement within an hour.  It was magical.  I continued taking high dose thiamine with a B Complex, magnesium. and other essential nutrients.  The health improvements continued for months.  High doses of thiamine are required to correct a thiamine deficiency because thiamine affects every cell and mitochondria in our bodies.    A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function.  The cerebellum of the brain is most affected.  The cerebellum controls things we don't have to consciously have to think about, like digestion, balance, breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, hormone regulation, and many more.  Thiamine is absorbed from the digestive tract and sent to the most important organs like the brain and the heart.  This leaves the digestive tract depleted of Thiamine and symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a thiamine deficiency localized in the digestive system, begin to appear.  Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi include anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, headaches, Gerd, acid reflux, gas, slow stomach emptying, gastroparesis, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation, incontinence, abdominal pain, IBS,  SIBO, POTS, high blood pressure, heart rate changes like tachycardia, difficulty swallowing, Barrett's Esophagus, peripheral neuropathy, and more. Doctors are only taught about thiamine deficiency in alcoholism and look for the classic triad of symptoms (changes in gait, mental function, and nystagmus) but fail to realize that gastrointestinal symptoms can precede these symptoms by months.  All three classic triad of symptoms only appear in fifteen percent of patients, with most patients being diagnosed with thiamine deficiency post mortem.  I had all three but swore I didn't drink, so I was dismissed as "crazy" and sent home to die basically.   Yes, I understand how frustrating no answers from doctors can be.  I took OTC Thiamine Hydrochloride, and later thiamine in the forms TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) and Benfotiamine to correct my thiamine deficiency.  I also took magnesium, needed by thiamine to make those life sustaining enzymes.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins, so the other B vitamins must be supplemented as well.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   A doctor can administer high dose thiamine by IV along with the other B vitamins.  Again, Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine should be given if only to rule Gastrointestinal Beriberi out as a cause of your symptoms.  If no improvement, no harm is done. Share the following link with your doctors.  Section Three is especially informative.  They need to be expand their knowledge about Thiamine and nutrition in Celiac Disease.  Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test for thiamine deficiency.  This test is more reliable than a blood test. Thiamine, gastrointestinal beriberi and acetylcholine signaling.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12014454/ Best wishes!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.