Finals Week W/ Celiac: Help!

[rnb2114]

Hi there! I'm new here, and I am excited to find people who really understand what I'm going through.

I've been gluten-free since January...sort of. Since March I've accidentally had gluten as much as once a week -- I just keep messing up! I have had problems with depression, anxiety, and ADHD long before I had any celiac symptoms, but they got unbearable when I got sick. Things started to get better on the gluten-free diet -- I was finally feeling hopeful. But now I'm in finals week at an Ivy League college and I'm melting. I can't stay awake, focus, or remember anything. I can't get my work done and I'm embarrassed about going to my professors because I should have told them about celiac long ago. I'm worried I'm going to fail, and I can't stop crying! It feels kind of like pulling multiple all-nighters. My friends think I'm being a drama queen. Even my sorority sisters with celiac (there are 4 celiacs in my chapter!) don't really get it because they've been gluten-free for so long -- they act like I'm making too big a deal about it.

Anyone have any ideas about how to get through the week? I take Wellbutrin daily and Ativan as needed (hopefully these are gluten-free -- I looked up all the ingredients online and they seemed fine), but it's not enough to overcome the evil celiac symptoms. Just 6 more days until I'm home...but I feel like I won't make it!

[ravenwoodglass]

As I think you have realized being 'sort of' gluten free isn't enough. Even at this late date you should let your professors know what is going on. I did the same thing last summer. I got hit with a glutening right before my finals. One of my professors gave me the option of skipping the final and going with my grades in the semester, taking the final as scheduled or he offered to give me the final the next week when I would have some relief from the symptoms. I chose to take the final and did much better than I thought I would.

One thing you really need to do is get clean with your diet over semester break and stay that way when you go back. Right now you could try taking some B12 sublingually and see if it helps. You also really need to check on those meds and I don't know how long you have been on them but if you started them in the last couple of months let your doctor know that your symptoms are getting worse. For some celiacs antidepressants can make us worse and you want to make sure that is not happening with you. There are also times when doctors think we are depressed but the bigger problem is anxiety. That was the case with me and once they realized that and treated the anxiety and dropped the meds for depression I improved a great deal.

[L Ceezy]

Hi there! I'm new here, and I am excited to find people who really understand what I'm going through.

I've been gluten-free since January...sort of. Since March I've accidentally had gluten as much as once a week -- I just keep messing up! I have had problems with depression, anxiety, and ADHD long before I had any celiac symptoms, but they got unbearable when I got sick. Things started to get better on the gluten-free diet -- I was finally feeling hopeful. But now I'm in finals week at an Ivy League college and I'm melting. I can't stay awake, focus, or remember anything. I can't get my work done and I'm embarrassed about going to my professors because I should have told them about celiac long ago. I'm worried I'm going to fail, and I can't stop crying! It feels kind of like pulling multiple all-nighters. My friends think I'm being a drama queen. Even my sorority sisters with celiac (there are 4 celiacs in my chapter!) don't really get it because they've been gluten-free for so long -- they act like I'm making too big a deal about it.

Anyone have any ideas about how to get through the week? I take Wellbutrin daily and Ativan as needed (hopefully these are gluten-free -- I looked up all the ingredients online and they seemed fine), but it's not enough to overcome the evil celiac symptoms. Just 6 more days until I'm home...but I feel like I won't make it!

I know how frustrating this is. That we have a disease, and yet it's still not treated as a real disease many times, even by us! We try to downplay what we are going through because we're used to doing it before we knew and people would say we're just depressed and/or being a hypochondriac.

There are definitely a lot of changes I would suggest making after finals, but right now you only have 6 days to get through this and that's the pressing issue. First I would immediately go to your doctor. If you can't stay awake, you can't stay awake and it's a problem that there are drugs out there for a short term solution. I don't know what your situation is with your doctor at school or home though. I fully understand that you feel like you can't go to your professors at this point, I would feel the same way. I had a problem with that too.

At the very least I'd say cut back on the Ativan and drink lots of Red Bull for the next 6 days. But don't go crazy! It's only one semester. And you haven't known long at all! It takes time and we have to be easy with ourselves. I can't believe other Celiacs are saying you're making too big a deal about your symptoms, that are supposed to be your friends! I know you're not. Even if you do fail, you can get help from the school to have it not count or something. I failed a lot of classes because of Celiac when I didn't know I had it, a lot. And I'm really smart, so I know how devastating that is. But now I finally know about it at 28, I am ready to go back to school for nutrition, yay! I'm the happiest I've ever been or could really imagine, so I know it gets better.

Then after finals come back on here, and we'll help get you all set up and healthy and happy for the fall!

[shadowicewolf]

You are not alone, i assure you. I am in the same boat (luckly i only have two more finals left).

I just... don't have the energy for it either. My professors and the disability office at my school (as this is considered a disability in terms of education due to accomadation and such (for example not being able to walk across campus because you are in pain, you could have a security member come and pick you up and drive you to your class)).

All i can say is just to trudge on through it. I notice if i don't have a snack or something (something small cheese (chedder) or an apple) it helps.

You can do it