Help! Is It Celiac, Anyone Like Me?

[Bedbug]

I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, severe depression, generalized anxiety, sleep disorder, early onset menopause, IBS, and the list goes on and on......AHHHHHH!

I started my decline into darkness 7 years ago....going from working part time, being a fun mom and wife, and being active with friends and hobbies to becoming a reclusive, nonfunction, friendless, apathetic, sad, TV watching hermit. I now rarely leave my bed. IS THERE ANYONE WHO IS SO DEPRESSED AND FEELING GENERALLY SO FATIGUED THEY ARE ACTUALLY STAY IN BED LIKE ME ... OR I AM I JUST EXTRA LAZY? I feel like the worst wife and mom in the world. The guilt makes it all worse. I wonder if my personality is defective and I don't contain whatever is needed to "power through". AM I ALONE?

My son has Celiac Disease, nephew with Aspergers, mother has addiction and anxiety problems.

I've had all kinds of tests --- nothing. Dr.s just load me up on all kinds of meds (7 right now) and say "come back in 3 months".

Can anyone on this site give me helpful advice?

Is there anyone who has had, or knows someone with a similar experience?

[mushroom]

I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, severe depression, generalized anxiety, sleep disorder, early onset menopause, IBS, and the list goes on and on......AHHHHHH!

I started my decline into darkness 7 years ago....going from working part time, being a fun mom and wife, and being active with friends and hobbies to becoming a reclusive, nonfunction, friendless, apathetic, sad, TV watching hermit. I now rarely leave my bed. IS THERE ANYONE WHO IS SO DEPRESSED AND FEELING GENERALLY SO FATIGUED THEY ARE ACTUALLY STAY IN BED LIKE ME ... OR I AM I JUST EXTRA LAZY? I feel like the worst wife and mom in the world. The guilt makes it all worse. I wonder if my personality is defective and I don't contain whatever is needed to "power through". AM I ALONE?

My son has Celiac Disease, nephew with Aspergers, mother has addiction and anxiety problems.

I've had all kinds of tests --- nothing. Dr.s just load me up on all kinds of meds (7 right now) and say "come back in 3 months".

Can anyone on this site give me helpful advice?

Is there anyone who has had, or knows someone with a similar experience?

Your first line says it all - these are all symptoms of gluten intolerance/celiac disease. You don't mention if you have ever been tested for celiac, but if you haven't you should be. Your son's celiac disease came via genes from either his mother or father (or both). That means that it is quite logical for one of you to express the disease. If you have been tested and the results were negative, you should still give the gluten free diet a trial - you may be amazed at the improvement in your symptoms, including the depression, which is probably not a clinical depression but rather just another gluten manifestation. You know how to do the diet because your son must do it, so get started right away and feel BETTER.

Celiac testing is not entirely reliable, and many people have gluten intolerance which does not meet the criteria of celiac disease (i.e., a certain level of antibodies in the blood and damage to the villi in the small intestine) but nevertheless suffer most of the same symptoms as those with celiac. However, doctors as a group seem loath to tell these people to stop eating gluten, so that is why I am telling you - get rid of that substance and you may well be amazed what a difference it will make to your life. Not necessarily tomorrow, but after you have had time to heal. You may well find you can get rid of all those meds which could be making you feel worse rather that better if gluten is the problem.

Good luck and stay in touch and let us know how you are doing.

[ravenwoodglass]

Your not alone. Your issues sound so very familiar to me. I had them all and then some. I also have celiac children who were diagnosed 6 months after I finally was. Interestingly I was close to death at diagnosis but never showed positive on blood work (this delayed my diagnosis for many painful years) both of my children did show up on blood work with much less impact than I.

I think you are in the right place, ask any questions you need to and when you are done with all celiac related testing do the diet and see if it helps. I bet you will have your life back within a few months.

[Skylark]

You are not alone. IBS, depression and anxiety (which later turned into bipolar), chronic fatigue, hypothyroidism and gastritis for me. I was so tired I didn't want to get out of bed some days. Going gluten-free pretty much cleared things up and now I feel so much better.

[txplowgirl]

Hi Bedbug,

I have fibro, rheumatoid arthritis as well as battled with clinical depression and high anxiety, not to mention a host of other problems too long to mention. Have had this since I was 8 years old. Dr's kept throwing meds at me that never seemed to work.

Did you know that over 75% of patients with fibro have food intolerances? I read that in one of the fibro network periodicles that I get.

That is what led me to gluten because the fibro meds and RA meds do not work for me.

If you are at the point I was, I was at the end of my rope, I didn't have the insurance and I felt like I was dying. I said to hell with the tests because of the chances of the tests being negative and went gluten free.

Now, you can get tested for celiac, but keep in mind that they are not a sure thing. You can test negative to the blood test and biopsy but still have a gluten sensitivity and it can cause the problems youa are having just as much.

My depression, anxiety and IBS are gone. I only have bouts of depression, IBS, and anxiety when I ingest the least amount of gluten, dairy or soy. The pain, fatigue and swelling have eased up alot since I quit eating the nightshade vegetables. (tomatoes, potatoes, all bell peppers and eggplant.) Do you drink a lot of diet drinks? The aspertame is also a no no for fibro sufferers. Causes fatigue. It took me a year to get me to where I am now.

I say go for it, and if you would like to talk with me just let me know. I'll help you all I can.

Vicky

[gf-soph]

Just to second the other posters - give up the gluten!! There is a VERY real chance that it is a significant part of your problems. Gluten can directly cause all of the problems you have mentioned. Many doctors are ignorant of what gluten can do to you, but the combination of your son having celiac and your symptoms means you should definitely try for at least a few months.

Having a celiac son is an advantage at this point as you probably have a good idea what you need to do, and depending on his age he might be able to help you out to start with.

I also think there is a real value to keeping a journal of your symptoms and food - daily is good if you are up to it, but even writing down thorough lists every week or so can be a really good way of keeping track. I think it is really easy to miss the little improvements that happen - my first symptoms to go when I stopped eating gluten were mouth ulcers and foot cramps. They are also something that comes back when I am glutened. I don't think I would have realised this without having my symptom entries to look at.

Hope you start to feel better soon!

[VegasGuy10]

I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, severe depression, generalized anxiety, sleep disorder, early onset menopause, IBS, and the list goes on and on......AHHHHHH!

I started my decline into darkness 7 years ago....going from working part time, being a fun mom and wife, and being active with friends and hobbies to becoming a reclusive, nonfunction, friendless, apathetic, sad, TV watching hermit. I now rarely leave my bed. IS THERE ANYONE WHO IS SO DEPRESSED AND FEELING GENERALLY SO FATIGUED THEY ARE ACTUALLY STAY IN BED LIKE ME ... OR I AM I JUST EXTRA LAZY? I feel like the worst wife and mom in the world. The guilt makes it all worse. I wonder if my personality is defective and I don't contain whatever is needed to "power through". AM I ALONE?

My son has Celiac Disease, nephew with Aspergers, mother has addiction and anxiety problems.

I've had all kinds of tests --- nothing. Dr.s just load me up on all kinds of meds (7 right now) and say "come back in 3 months".

Can anyone on this site give me helpful advice?

Is there anyone who has had, or knows someone with a similar experience?

If you are not already seeing a Naturopath, I suggest you consider it.