Help Me, Sympoms Of Insanity?

[RacerRex9727]

I am 20 years old, been on a gluten-free diet for a year even though its been hard to learn the ropes and I messed up a few times. This summer I was suffering from severe depression, suicidal thoughts, insanity, and short term memory loss which all went away once I figured I should stop eating out even if there was a "Gluten free" menu. Apparently cross-contamination seems to always be an issue at In-N-Out, Chipotle, or Pei Wei which is where I frequently ate before work. My dad has the same issue, he seems to become violent and aggressive when he is on gluten or eats out, but now that he is gluten-free he's a much better person who wouldn't hurt a fly.

The school semester rolled on, and things were better once I kept a strict control of my gluten free diet. However, I was told to stay away from soy lecithin from a friend because her doctor said its a gluten trigger, even though I never heard my own GI doc say that. I stayed away from soy, but for the past few weeks I started to eat some gluten-free items from Trader Joe's that had soy ingredients in it, and initially I thought I was doing okay. But then I started to show gluten-esque signs of depression, changes in behavior (according to my parents), migraines, and in the past few days I started having the unexplainable suicidal thoughts and depression signs again. Today, i am in such an intense brain fog I can't even think straight. I feel paranoid, reckless, scared, and suicidal but I can't figure out why. I am feeling the same way as I did during the summer. I can't help it. The part that scares me is I don't know if my feelings are legitimate or if they are gluten-related. I'm irrational and I can't reason myself out of this.

I can't think right now because my brain fog is so intense. These feelings just came up randomly for no reason, especially the suicidal ones. How did I get glutened if I did get glutened? Is it because I started eating soy again? Can soy even cause such intense negative feelings like gluten can? Or is it because there could be cross-contamination in my family's kitchen where I use the dishes? I don't know where I messed up or even if I did mess up, but I just can't think right now my thoughts and paranoia are racing. Right now with this feeling, I don't know how I can keep going in life, this wretched feeling is just unbearable but I can't figure out why I am feeling this way.

[ravenwoodglass]

I would take a real good look at all your eating or coming into contact with. For me what you are describing would be gluten but if it started up again after adding soy back into your diet the first thing I would do is drop the soy. If your living in a non gluten free house it could be CC getting you. You are using your own condiments, butter, jams, pnut butter etc right? How about your toaster are you using the same one the rest of the family uses? Have you checked all scripts and supplements? Some supplements will use barley or wheat grass and still label items gluten-free, those aren't. How about your snack habits, do you eat a fair amount of stuff like fritos, Doritos etc from Frito Lays gluten-free list, those are often heavingly CC and many of us avoid them. You mention being dairy free, you are not by any chance using Rice Dream are you? It is another thing labeled gluten free that in reality has small amounts of gluten. Many of us react to it.

How about pet foods and toiletries and craft supplies like glues? Doing any remodeling and using drywall? Those can also be a problem.

Hang in there reassess and hopefully you will find the culprit and be feeling better soon.

[ang1e0251]

I would immediately go back to where your diet was when you felt so good. No eating those foods you mentioned that are prepackaged. Very simple whole foods. Keep a food journal where you also describe any of your symptoms. When you stabilize again, then you can add new foods but only one at a time and maybe one new thing per week. That way you should be able to nail down what is getting you.

Many processed foods that are labeled gluten-free, have small amounts of gluten. Very sensitive persons can to react to those amounts. It's possible that is what you are reacting to. Go back to your safe foods and feel better.