I'm In Trouble

[sneako]

Last december I was fired at my last job because of my attitude, May before that I was fired from another job also for my attitude, the reason for the attitude? "Bipolar" said the doctor.

But now, I'm starting to realize something wiht my tiredness, I am ALWAYS tired, told my doc, tested positive for Sleep Apnea, put me on a CPAP machine last junt, used it every night for 2 months, didnt do anything, then have been using it about 5 days a week since and still always tired, plus I'm getting progressively MORE tired EVERY DAY...

Told my doc again, gave me seroquel, knocks me out cold, I wake up hungover, and can' tremember the last hour of my life before I conked out. My eyelids are always very heavy even without the seroquel, my sister calls them "little chinese eyes" (shes 25 and doesnt seem to have this problem, though she might have Celiac but is in denial)..And when I wake up, even without the seroquel, I feel extremely hungover, my eyes take about 30 blinks to actually open and focus on anythign, and I kind of stumble around for an hour until my brain kicks in.

At work today while sauteing up some pastas I suddenly realized that I couldnt focus, ON ANYTHING! I stood there for a second, and thought omg, everything is blurry and I get double vision every now and then. I am still having the blurry part, and slight double vision. But I see my Chefs talking about me and they are looking at other resumes.

Now, my left eye tends to get out of focus almost 90% of the time, I went to see the eye doc a few weeks ago, and he didnt notice anything at all. while watching TV itll just either itch, or just loose focus (like you need to usually blink to fix, but blinking doesnt do anything for this).

What do I do? What's wrong with me!?

[Carriefaith]

Are you sure that you are 100% gluten free? Gluten can make me feel very tired. Also, maybe you are intolerant to another food. Have you tried eliminating dairy products?

[sneako]

I have not tried to get rid of anything besides gluten. Ever since going gluten-free I get this almost constant craving for milk, and go through 2 gallons of milk a week now, I'm sure thats no good. But my GI tract is in pristine condition now since going gluten-free.

[debmidge]

Mike, have you gone to a neurologist for more testing?

See attorney however, before you do this: speak to the owner of the business you work for and explain that you're trying to resolve a mild health problem? (don't overplay it, just keep your explanations simple and assure them that it's a mild problem...or would that mean the death knell of your job?)

Are you able to keep up with the boss's demands?

Keep optimistic and my advice is if they're going to replace you, then before they can do it, see an Employment practices attorney. He/she would have the best advise on how to handle this and protect your rights.

Sometimes it's good to do some homework first behind the scenes. You need an advocate in this situation, like advice of an Employment Practices attorney.

[Carriefaith]

I saw in your signature that you were diagnosed in November 2005? You may just need more time to feel better on the diet. I didn't start to feel better until 6 months on the diet and most of my symptoms were gone after 1 year.

[Nancym]

Wow, sounds like you need a thorough health exam. Get your thyroid checked too. You might also try getting off dairy products for a couple of weeks and see if that helps. I think that sort of compulsive eating of something could indicate an intolerance. I was that way with both dairy and wheat. And guess what... intolerant of both. An intolerance to casein is very similar to gluten in terms of symptoms.

[ianm]

Wow you sound just like me two years ago. Are you sure that you are not getting any hidden gluten? Are there any other food intolerances? Like some of the others have said you may not have been gluten-free long enough to notice a difference yet. I know exactly what it is like to experience massive brain fog.

[Guest nini]

sneako, you said before you work in an Italian restaurant. You are around gluten all the time... as much as you may feel that this job is your only option, your health is more important than any job.

I don't think you should go out and quit. I hope you aren't let go. But, there has got to be a way for you to continue doing what you love without exposing yourself to so much gluten. I get dizzy just walking down the bread aisle at the grocery store.

I believe that the universe works in mysterious ways and everything happens for a reason... look at your job and your health and your life and just do the best you can for YOU.

Good luck with it all.

BTW, I have visions of you being a famous gluten free chef with a world renowned restaurant

[jerseyangel]

Hi Sneako--I would say to give it some more time--brain fog was one of my worst symptoms. I didn't even know what it was until I was Dx and did research and said--omg--that's what I have! I would get the "heavy eyelid" thing, too. It was hard to concentrate on any one thing for long. I would feel detached from what I was supposed to be doing, like writing a check or something common like that. I did not feel much relief from the brain fog and fatigue (the fatigue actually got worse in the first months gluten-free) until the 4 th. month or so. After more than 7 months, I still feel tired a lot and am ready to go to bed by 7:30 at night! The brain fog is better, but if I have a gluten reaction or am just really tired, I still get it. A physical exam is a good idea--have them check your iron and thyroid. Maybe get outside and walk a little bit--I find the fresh air and some excercise helpful. I hope you get some relief soon

[gabby]

Your symptoms sound just like mine...3 years ago, before i went gluten free. I went through YEARS of 'tired' problems. i actually had to pull off the road sometimes and just have a little nap so I could stay awake enough to get home. I also had a whole pile of other health problems.

But when I was diganosed with Celiac, and I started following the gluten-free diet, things started to clear up. It took me a whole year of paying very close attention to everything I ate to finally get around to being completely gluten free. Once I was 100% gluten-free, I started feeling much, much, much better. The only time I get the tired episodes, and brain fog and everything else...is when I've been glutened. And sometimes, I never figure out where I was glutened...I just know I was.

So my recommendation is this: be scrupulous with what you are eating, ingesting, inhaling and touching. It sounds like you are definitely getting glutened somewhere. Inhaling four will do it. Having to knead wheat dough will do it. Having wet pasta stuck under your fingernails will do it.

Today, my biggest source of getting glutened is 99% of the time eating a gluten-free product that has been cross-contaminated in the factory (eg potato chips, rice, certain mixes, etc.)

Something else...when you get glutened, the effects can last for several days. So if you are having small amounts of gluten here and there, this is enough to keep you pretty sick for a long long time.

I hope this helps,

it will get better

One more thing...maybe post a couple days worth of what you eat...and let us detectives help you hunt down the possible culprits.

[Guest BERNESES]

Oh- the TIRED thing- it's horrific! I JUST started to feel better after almost a year on the diet. Yes, it took that long. All of the advice you have gotten from everyone is really good- blood levels checked for anemia and thyroid, hidden sources of gluten.

Also, Seroquel can be REALLY sedating so if you feel MORE tired on it, talk to your doctor because your body muay be adjusting or ir may be too sedating for you. If the tiredness is getting worse, give her/him a call. hang in there, B

[Becky6]

I am sorry!! Go to a neruologist. The eye thing could be optic neuritis. That is what happens to my eye and that was my diagnosis. Do you have any pain with the eye at all? Good luck!!

[dlp252]

BTW, I have visions of you being a famous gluten free chef with a world renowned restaurant

Better go nationwide! Seriously. We need a good restaurant.

[YankeeDB]

Two gallons of milk a week? Sounds like a red flag to me, if you're still exhausted.

Some options:

Use enterolab.com and get tested for dairy, yeast, and egg sensitivities.

Use york.com and get tested for a variety of food reactions (tests different anti-body than enterolab).

Join the Tuesday Club online (do a search) and try a Detection Diet.

Simplest of all: consume only water, oil, meat, fish (no shellfish), vegetables, salt and pepper for a week and see how you feel. If better, then add other things back in one per week and see if you relapse. If you do, eliminate that food. You may not have to eliminate it forever, just until your intestines heal from gluten damage.

I didn't feel better until I eliminated gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast, soy and a few others.

I'd stay away from jobs where I come in contact with gluten foods.

[Melzo]

My first dx when I was 19 was depression. Then 3 years later I moved onto Bipolar Disorder. For a year and a half I was on lithium for the Bipolar disorder and also on anti-anxiety and sleep medication. I would seriously not sleep for days on end. I would be sitting up in bed just crying because I couldn't fall asleep. Even when I would take the sleep medication, I would not sleep. I could not concentrate on work, college, nothing. I felt that I have seriously lost four years of my life. I wasn't even excited about my wedding! Can you believe it! It is the biggest day in a girl's life, and I could have cared less because I was on so many medications. When I found out that I had celiac disease, I went cold turkey on all of my meds (I was actually afraid that they too contained gluten). I cannot tell you how much better I feel!!! I feel like a normal, happy person should. My sticking very close to the gluten-free diet, and exercising, I am normal. I think that the whole "dazed" problem you are having are strictly from the meds you are on. And because you are not sleeping properly, of course you are going to have an attitude problem. You're tired and your body needs rest. AND, please talk to your doctor first about getting off of the meds. It might not work as nicely for you as it did for me.

As a side note, I actually had to quit my job because of the stress and the fact that I wasn't able to focus on getting better. I took another job, less stress, same pay. I was seriously just going to quit without another job lined up (that's how bad I was). Two people rushed me to offer me a position at their company. It all seems to work out in the end. My advise to you, you need to get healthy, you know what you need to do, just do it and we are here to help you!!

[Guest BERNESES]

Sneako- How are you doing? So, you just went gluten-free in November. I went gluten-free last February and then about two months later, started to feel worse. i think that once I initially got the big sources of gluten out of my life, I became more and more sensitive. I can't eat anything even processed in a factory that processes wheat.

When it happened, I was dog sitting for a friend. I realized after about 2 1/2 weeks that the dog treates I was giving her dogs were making me sick despite the fact that I was constantly washing my hands. So, it could be that you are just getting more sensitive which is a bummer given the nature of your job. I'm really sorry.

Also, i just got the results of a blood test back and I have NO iron whatsoever. So, are you taking a good multivitamin?

Let us know how you are doing and what the doc said about your meds. Best, Beverly

[KJohnson]

I would look at the medicines you are taking. Is it possible that one of them has gluten in it? I agree with everyone whose saying that working in an Italian restaurant might be causing some issues as well.

[Rusla]

Mike,

You may be personally gluten-free but working in a restaurant with pasta, you are still in contact with and inhaling gluten. The tired thing is a big time thing I had before being gluten-free. However, I still am quite tired and I know I have been accidently glutened at work etc. But I still have to look at that I have not been gluten-free for very long. I am better in some ways but not in the energy ways. Perhaps you need to not work with pastas or wear a mask and gloves when you do.