Depression

[KMS1311]

Hi, ive just found this site and im extremely concerned about my partner. She is currently being tested for Celiac after her 1st blood test was only borderline for positive. It

[KaitiUSA]

Depression does go with celiac. When she is gluten free that will clear up as she starts to feel better. Different people take longer to heal. She may see a difference right away or it may take months. It took me 3 months to have my symptoms go away and another few months to get back to normal. She will get back to her normal self. Biopsy results come back fairly quick. Remember though if there is not damage in her intestines yet her biopsy could come back negative but she could still have celiac. I would recommend doing research on what is gluten free and what is not ahead of time. It may seem like an easy change but it's not..gluten is hidden under so much. She is very lucky to have someone who cares so much about her...hope she feels better soon...hang in there

This is a great place to get info about what you can and can't have.. https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid=12

This is a link to safe and forbidden foods that will help as a guideline...there are some things like a new toaster she will need...and she has to check things such as lipsticks as well...once she learns everything it will be very easy..it may not seem easy at first. It is definitely worth it

[KMS1311]

Thanks Kaiti.

I have saved that link into my favorites.

Before the depression started to take a turn for the worse she ordered a book from a website listing all the types of food that can be eaten. Hopefully once diagnosed and the depression starts to ease she will see a dietician. At the moment she doesn

[KaitiUSA]

If she has bad depression right now she may need to see a doctor though. You don't want her to do anything crazy. Maybe she needs to be on meds until she can go gluten free and get better.I had anxiety for a while and I haven't taken any Xanax in about 10 months because the diet has helped so hopefully it will do the same for her.

There are some really good brands of bread that are gluten free too.

Here is also a list of some brands that will put wheat,rye,barley, oats on labels.

If you do not see one of those ingredients on these following labels then they are safe...they will not hide anything under otherwise questionable ingredients. Alot of these brands are in a regular grocery store too...

Aunt Nelly's

Balance

Baskin Robbins

Ben & Jerry

Betty Crocker

Blue Bunny

Breyers

Campbells

Cascadian Farms

Celestial Seasonings

Country Crock

Edy's

General Mills

Good Humor

Green Giant

Haagen Daz

Hellman's

Hershey

Hormel

Hungry Jack

Jiffy

Knorr

Kozy Shack

Kraft

Libby's

Lipton

Martha White

McCormick

Nabisco

Nestle

Old El Paso

Ortega

Pillsbury

Popsicle

Post

Progresso

Russell Stover

Seneca Foods

Smucker

Stokely's

Sunny Delight

T Marzetti

Tyson

Unilever

Wishbone

Yoplait

Zatarain's

Also there are some conagra, utz, and frito lay products that are gluten free.

If you need any help with info just let me know and I can help you out there...

[KMS1311]

Thanks again.

Im not a person who would push anyone into taking any sorta drug but I would feel alot more at ease if she was to agree to some sort of anti-depresent, just until shes started on the correct diet after offically being diagnosed. Like i said before I have mentioned anti-depresents several times but everytime shes become more adiment that she is not gonna take them :o/ What more can I do !

Thanks for the list, im saving all the info onto the PC so when shes feeling upto it I will show her this site and what you have told me. Knowing more about what she can and cant eat before being diagnosed is a real boost I reckon. Ive also notcied a few of bars and restaurants now have menus that tell you what they serve that people with celiac can eat. Only downfall is you have to ask for it and if theres someone working that doesnt even know what celiac is then thats when it becomes a little more difficult.

[lotusgem]

Dear KMS. So sorry to hear of the trouble that you and your dear one are going through. I suffered from severe depression almost ten years ago. I've only recently figured out that I have Celiac and suspect that that was the cause of it. I remember what it felt like to be in the depths of despair. There is utter hopelessness, emptiness and it is impossible to fathom even an ounce of joy or goodness in your own life, regardless of the true, positive conditions of your existence. There is self loathing as well. My husband and kids were kind and loving to me, but I was unable to feel it, and their tender efforts only annoyed and angered me. It is, unfortunately a very self-absorbed state. I know that your partner has indicated that she doesn't want to talk, but still, try to be attentive, because she will probably feel neglected and even more depressed! I know that this is hard. My husband looks back on that time as a nightmare, but it did pass. A weaker man would have left me. I agree with Kaiti that she should probably see a doctor...a psychiatrist, because when depression reaches a certain level, suicidal thoughts can take hold. I honestly didn't think that I would see my next birthday, for a while. Anti-depressants can (as I recall) take up to 2-4 weeks to take effect. As a rule, I think that they are much too widely prescribed, especially when the cause is something in a person's life that can be addressed; an event-triggered depression. But her depression could be strictly biological in nature, as was mine, and she may temporarily need a little help from medication until she can get back on track again. I wish you both the best!

Paula

[burdee]

Remember 'depression' is just a fancy term for sadness turned to hopelessness turned to giving up on life. Longterm undiagnosed, debilitating and even painful symptoms of celiac disease can make people feel hopeless about ever living a normal life again. Fears about unexpected celiac reactions which may produce embarassing gas, bloating or diarrhea or even excruciating abdominal pain make every day scary and hopeless for undiagnosed celiacs. Even after diagnosis people who have lived with such ever worsening symptoms may take weeks or months to believe they can return to normal activities or life without symptoms.

My celiac symptoms were gas, bloating, constipation and excruciating abdominal pain. For many years my doctors misdiagnosed my symptoms as 'irritable bowel syndrome' and handed me an IBS diet sheet which recommended eating more whole grains and especially WHEAT BRAN (exactly what I should have avoided). I felt angry at doctors who couldn't help me, powerless to resolve every worsening painful symptoms, and scared to plan any activities away from home or familiar bathrooms. After I learned I had celiac, abstained from gluten (and then dairy and soy to which I also have intolerances), I experienced my first pain free hours in years. I wondered how I would plan my daily activities WITHOUT pain, how I would adjust to a life WITHOUT pain, a better life, but nevertheless, a very different life. Despite many gluten/dairy/soy contamination 'slips' I eventually became confident that I could experience painfree days, eventually plan vacations and most recently serve jury duty, despite fears of being away from bathrooms should I have a 'slip'.

Many doctors see 'depression' as a 'disorder' separate and unrelated from celiac disease. However, I understand how anyone with lifelong, undiagnosed, embarassing, painful and debilitating symptoms can feel sad, scared and hopeless enough to receive that 'depression' label. Support your partner's efforts to maintain a gluten free diet, encourage her to talk about her experiences with celiac symptoms, fears about unexpected gluten reactions, powerless feelings about a life ruled by celiac symptoms or whatever she feels about celiac disease. With time, knowledge and encouragement, her 'depression' will lift. Taking antidepressants may numb the sad feelings, but the beliefs which she developed during years of undiagnosed symptoms will remain, until she talks about those and/or experiences wellness to change feelings of hopelessness about her life. I also hope you show her posts on this message board from other people who overcame depression as they recovered from celiac symptoms.

BURDEE

[lotusgem]

KMS, I wanted to clarify what I had said in my previous post about the anti-depressants. You probably read what I wrote and thought that I hadn't seen what you had said about how you've tried to get her to take meds. I don't know if she has already seen a psychiatrist, but that would be a good starting point. If she already has and has been given a prescription but refuses to take it, then I think that it would be wise to make an appointment, with her knowledge, so that you all can talk this thing through. If it is biological, it is probably also being fueled by her fears and discomforts as Burdee mentioned. Whatever the underlying cause, she needs help and with the meds, she could be feeling much better in the very near future...sure hope so!

Paula

[KMS1311]

Thank you for your replies.

I understood what you said Paula and I'm very gratefulll for what you said. Also Kaiti & Burdee's replies too.

She has been seeing a psychiatrist for a good few weeks up until about 3 weeks ago as her psychiatrist took ill, phoned her and cancled that weeks app. It was that week when she made a massive improvment and then she herself took ill with flu and throat infection the following week and thats when things started to become worse at a rapid rate and this also was the time when she was told to eat the foods that make her sick until the biopsy has been carried out. It cant be nice sitting down to a meal knowing about 20mins (max) later your gonna see it again !! Before being told by her doctor that she must eat the foods she normally has she started to eat the foods that didnt make her ill or not eat at all as she didnt see the point as it wasnt gonna stay down. It may seem wise at the time to her but looking back now it was prob the worst mistake to make! as thats what caused the blood test results to come back as borderline.

I'm trying and hoping she will go back and start having regular weekly sessions again with her psychiatrist until she starts to feel better. It's just timing when to bring up the subject without her thinking im nagging, or her to take what im saying the wrong way. Because to be fare it must not be a nice thing to be told by someone that they think it would be wise to see a psychiatrist ! I know I would feel a bit upset and confused if someone told me that.

Im still gatherig info and feedng myself with info about Celiac to get a better understanding of it all. The more i read the better I understand what shes going through. This forum is amazing and everyone who helps and replies should be proud !!