Blood Work

[Rudi 0]

My wife and I recently became married. She has been having digestive symptoms for over 20 years, she never went to the doctors for fear of physicians. During courtship she would confide in me her symptoms gas, bloating, diarhea, severe stomach pain, and more. Her symptoms became worse and at my suggestion and encouragement she decided to seek medical help. We are awaiting results from a biopsy test, however since we have been married I have noticed a pattern, while she experiences these digestive symptoms all day and night; which they seem to get worse after eating, she is tells me quite often that she feels sad (doesn't know why), feels scared (doesn't know why) in her stomach, and seems down a lot....like depression.

I don't know what to do other than hug her and hold her and tell her everything is going to be okay. I recently came across a byline in an article that mentioned something that Celiac Disease can cause depression.

Can someone please help me find references or information about this possible link? Also is my wife's symptoms of sadness, fear and depression related to hormones? Thyroid glands? Celiac Disease? Nutrition deficiency? What can we do about it or get it checked out with doctors?

Thanks in advance!

[dilettantesteph 492]

I have read about and experienced the link between celiac and depression. I don't have any good references handy though. It went away gluten free and doesn't come back unless I get accidental gluten contamination.

[ang1e0251 7]

There are definate links to mental health and gluten intolerance. As suggested on your other thread, she should go gluten-free immediately and you should track her food reactions as she progresses. Since she is showing "the blues" in a mild way, I think you could give her some time on the diet and see if those feelings don't subside. If they become severe, then a dr should be consulted. She would do well to start a good B complex supplement as well.

[StephanieM 1]

The links between Celiac and Depression are greatly linked.. You have to think, that if someone feels bad all the time, tired, bloated, headachy, they are bound to get depressed.. I know I did. I was always feeling off, and I didn't know why.. Not just depression either, I always characterized myself as an 'anxious' person, and even this basal level of anxiety is gone, now that I"m gluten free. Gluten causes our bodies to go into hyperdrive, and can cause a slew of symptoms.. At least she's taken the first step.. Once she gets a diagnosis, then she can begin to heal.. It's an insanely wonderful feeling once a Celiac gets diagnosed and goes gluten free. Those first 6 months were the 'high' of my life.. I went from feeling like total crap daily to feeling literally on top of the world..

I hope that she gets some results either way so she can begin to heal...

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Also- you sound like a very supportive and concerned husband, which is wonderful to see..

[RollingAlong 15]

Your spouse sounds a lot like mine! My husband hates doctors too. He does not have celiac, the biopsy was negative. But his moods improved when he quit eating gluten. Gluten seems to make him mopey, unmotivated and tired. (he was anemic.) He also felt anxious, much smaller matters bothered him and for longer, and he was much less optimistic than his usual self. (The anxiety was particularly odd because he used to have nerves of steel; he was a volunteer firefighter several years ago.)

He saw further improvement when he quit dairy and soy. He just challenged eggs and they also cause the nervousness/anxiety, feelings of hopelessness or "why bother?". The mood washes over like a wave and lasts less than one day. His hormones and thyroid checked out ok. he was tested for nutrients and the only thing he as deficient in was niacin. (The anemia went away after 3 weeks eating gluten-free)

I met him 30 years ago so I knew this was not his usual behavior; it started and came on very gradually since 2000 or so. The docs thought he was in good health. They did think his blood sugar was just a bit high. They felt this was a bit odd since he ate a good diet, exercised and was slim. The blood sugar issues also went away with the diet change.

The nutrient test he took was Spectracell. This as not covered by insurance, so if that's an issue, at least check iron and vitamin D. Checking thyroid is totally worth it. Keeping a food and hormonal cycle diary could help. He was negative on all blood tests for gluten but not for casein, soy, eggs. (Elisa type food intolerance tests, I mean). He was positive for all four foods at Enterolab. You could also get a blood glucose meter to see if blood sugar swings are contributing to the mood issues. Hugs and reassurance are very helpful too.

What I am trying to say is that, it is wonderful that she has been tested, but since the formal testing was negative (per your other post), the diet is still very much worth a try and you should consider the possibility of additional food intolerances.

It takes awhile to get the diet right. Lots of tricky little gotchas. Totally worth it though. Please keep us posted on how you and your bride are doing.