How To Overcome?

[cheesycow5]

I'm 19 years old. I've had social anxiety for as long as I can remember. About five years ago, I started noticing HOCD (irrational fears about my sexuality).

Depression has been around for a long time. Fatigue comes and goes. All of these are fairly mild, though. I'm a freshman in college at OSU, and can keep up with the work for the most part. I just don't enjoy my life most of the time. I wake up many days with bad anxiety and no motivation. Many days, I can't understand the college math that comes so easily to me on other days.

Family history: My father as well as his mother have Parkinson's disease. My father has Type II Diabetes. He had a six month period of depression a few years ago. My mother died three years ago of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. My younger brother and my older brother are very smart and hard working, but they both use caffeine on an almost daily basis, and complain of fatigue.

Also, I was found to have a pilonidal cyst about six years ago. The doctor tested it and found multiple varieties of bacteria. The cyst was removed and drained twice, but it's still definitely there. It no longer causes any pain, but I'm sure it's not doing wonders for my immune system.

I get bumps on my fingers sometimes, as well. Very tiny bumps that cluster together, and look somewhat transparent. They go away after a couple weeks. I used to have a numbness on my left upper leg for a couple years, too.

I've been on a very low carb diet for four or five months, with lots of small cheats, and there have been periods where I feel almost completely normal. This past December, I had a weeklong period that may have been the best I've felt in years. I'm not sure, but it may have come after a period of no cheating. This past week, though, I've tried to avoid cheating completely. I eat mostly meat and eggs, with some vegetables, and a fruit or two.

Today I felt so tired and unmotivated that I went and bought Cheez-Its and pretzels, hoping to stop the gluten withdrawal, if that's what it is. Eating that food didn't make it worse or better.

Also, have you heard anything about eggs being unsafe for gluten sensitive individuals? Thanks!

[Reba32]

have you been tested for Celiac?

You may have an entirely separate allergy/intolerance to eggs.

Be careful with the low carb the way you're doing it. You're not getting enough nutrients by not including enough vegetables, which is making you lethargic and is making you crave and binge. If you properly balance your meals with fats, protiens, and controlled carb foods, then you won't get the lethargy.

If low carb is what you want, do it properly. Check out the Atkins community forum and the info there. Lots of helpful advice, and an on staff nutritionist frequents the forums.

[Wolicki]

Also, I was found to have a pilonidal cyst about six years ago. The doctor tested it and found multiple varieties of bacteria. The cyst was removed and drained twice, but it's still definitely there. It no longer causes any pain, but I'm sure it's not doing wonders for my immune system.

I had these from age 18-21. I had them drained a couple of times, then had surgery to have them removed and haven't had a problem since. I am 43 now. I was on my stomach for a couple of days, but never had another problem. Worth looking into!

[lizzers]

I am on a gluten-free diet. I have an allergy to eggs. I also have an intolerance to lactose. It is quite common for those of us with compromised immune systems to be sensitive to many foods. Sometimes on a gluten-free diet these sensitivities clear up, sometimes they don't.

[RiceGuy]

I would agree with the importance of nutrients, and balancing your diet better. It may be that the anxiety, fatigue, brain-fog, etc are a result of deficiencies rather than a direct reaction to gluten. Given your experience and family history, I'd say gluten intolerance/Celiac is certainly a possibility. Not everyone gets a reaction to gluten like an allergy or whatever. But if your intestines are being damaged by an autoimmune response to gluten, that would cause nutrient deficiencies, thus can well be the cause of the symptoms you're describing.

So in addition to a proper diet, I'd suggest some nutritional supplements. A co-enzyme B-complex and a separate 5mg methylcobalamin B12 sublingual tablet can do wonders. Vitamin B12 is necessary for the production of both melatonin and serotonin, and a deficiency will effect mood, sleep cycles, wakefulness, and various other aspects of neurological health. It is also necessary for nerve health throughout the body, so some of the other symptoms you mentioned may be due to such a deficiency. Also, some vitamin D3 would probably be a good idea, as well as folic acid. You may also consider an omega-3 supplement too.

Some of the common deficiencies in those with Celiac include B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D, folic acid, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, and others. We're all different, but these are some of the more common ones.

If you intend to seek testing for Celiac/gluten intolerance, then do it immediately, before going on a gluten-free diet. This is because the already unreliable tests will become practically useless once your immune system stops producing the antibodies which destroy the lining of the small intestine. Just keep in mind that no matter what the test results say, the gluten-free diet is the best test there is, and you should give it a few months 100% gluten-free to see how you feel.

Some respond wonderfully to the diet in a matter of days, while for others it takes months to see results. It was about six months gluten-free before I noticed anything.

[Takala]

If you are going to eat low carbohydrate long term, don't forget to eat HIGH FAT, relatively speaking, long term. Fat is the slow burning fuel you need to replace the missing carbohydrates. Just high protein won't do it. This means lots of olive oil, nuts, avocados, coconut milk, etc. Each meal should include a vegetable and/or fruit, a protein, and a fat source.

Also, many people feel much calmer and focused on a gluten free B complex vitamin supplement, along with calcium and magnesium and vitamin D. (see RiceGuy's post ).

[cheesycow5]

I'm still staying gluten-free. And I still feel very crappy. I went to the doctor for the first time in a long time a few days ago. I asked if he would do a test for gluten sensitivity, and he said they don't do that unless there are more GI symptoms. He ended up ordering tests for TSH and electrolytes. And he gave me a prescription for Prozac. Great. I don't plan to take the Prozac at all, I've had bad experiences with Paxil, Wellbutrin, and Zoloft.

[Reba32]

what are you eating on a daily basis? How much? How often? Feeling like crap is often caused by not eating properly, and not eating enough.

I'd suggest you find a doctor who *will* test you for celiac. Not everybody has GI symptoms. However, if you are gluten free, Celiac will not show up on a blood test, and probably not on an intestinal biopsy if you've been gluten free for a few months.

Prozac isn't Paxil, or Wellbutrin or Zoloft. Everybody needs to find the one that works for them. Just because the others haven't, doesn't mean none of them will.