Anyone Ever Feel Like Giving Up?

[Gfresh404]

I've been a member of this site for quite some time and I have to say I was quite optimistic at first. But after being almost gluten-free for almost 3 years, sometimes I just wanna give up. I still cannot function like a normal person, I'm in school by the way, so my life can be stressful at times. I still don't have the energy I want, or the mental clarity I want for that matter. I don't think I am being greedy either, these are just basic things that most people never think about. I'm 21 by the way and I can't handle a normal work-load, I already had to drop a class. I'm not sleeping through the night, at least not anymore. I find that glutamine helps me a lot, but it can be difficult to find the proper balance. If I take too much of it I'm tired all the time and if I don't take enough I can't fall asleep. I usually just get really frustrated and then that frustration turns to anger. And I'm sick of living like this. I don't want other people to lose hope, but sometimes I really just wanna throw in the towel.

Don't get me wrong, my life is great, but I am not. I just started seeing this girl I really like, my parents both love me very much, and I have an awesome older brother. I also have some really great friends. Sometimes I just feel broken.

I think the worst part about the whole situation is just the isolation. Lunch/dinner are kind of big social things in college. Everyone has different schedules but food is the one thing that can always bring people together. But that's obviously not the case for (most of) us gluten-free people.

Any advice or similar stories are appreciated.

For those about to offer advice just know that I do take care of myself. I eat a well balanced diet with whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. I take a food-based multivitamin and a D3 supplement. And I also take 2 grams of glutamine about every 48 - 60 hours.

Thanks for listening/reading!

EDIT: Just wanted to add sometimes I think it's just a chemical imbalance of the sorts, but I really don't know. I literally broke down last week and full out cried - which actually felt really good. I honestly have not just let go of myself like that since my Uncle died when I was about 10. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night unable to fall back sleep (ie right now) with just this feeling of wanting to cry. For no obvious reason. I do tend to think the world is a pretty f$#%ed up place, excuse my language, so maybe it has something to do with my viewpoint? I have always been told and I personally think I have a good head on my shoulders, but sometimes you just can't fight chemicals - I really don't know anymore.

[weluvgators]

Anyone Ever Feel Like Giving Up?

Yes. Last year - year 4 for my family on the diet was awful. I have had varying thoughts on how to go about giving up, but they have passed. I have done a lot of work in the last year to improve our situation to help avert those despairing thoughts and situations. Gluten free living can certainly add significant struggles to our daily lives, but we have also found some amazing and rewarding times that also come with it. I hope that you are feeling better soon.

Some strategies that we have used over the last year to improve our situation include working with an allergy savvy coach and improving our medical team. We were stumbling our way through with doctors that didn't really know what to do for us. I reached out to an allergy savvy coach in part to help me assess whether or not I needed to find a therapist - I was reluctant to go straight to a traditional therapist, as I was concerned that they wouldn't understand the allergy part of our struggles . . . and I didn't really feel that I needed therapy. I have been very pleased with the coaching that I have gotten, and it has included improving the relationships that I have with my medical team. I enjoyed reading the book, Allergic Girl by Sloane Miller, and picked up a lot of helpful tips for managing our condition there.

One of my most desparate moments came after trying an adrenal support supplement recommended by one of the doctor groups that we added a year ago - horrible and awful are understatements of what went through my head, and it was a reaction of some sort to that supplement. I had had another doctor consultant warn me against doing exactly what I did - super charge my already exhausted adrenals . . . which he had explained would be like giving gas to a car without traction - just a lot of spinning tires is what you get - it felt like that for me, and it was awful! So imbalances can certainly play with your mind and change your viewpoints - I have no doubt about that!

As for the social eating aspect of college . . . I don't really remember it that way. I was pretty poor, and my food budget was incredibly slim. I didn't eat out, and I ate really simple foods that I prepared at home (largely from scratch). We would make big batches of beans and salads that we would share with friends that came over. If socializing while eating would feel good for you, have you considered making food to share with your friends? We did a fair amount of that while in school, and it can all be done gluten free.

Working with our medical team and coach over the past year has given us many more tools for dealing with the struggles we face, and I hope that you are able to find relief, clarity and inspiration soon. I think it has helped tremendously to add a gluten intolerant / celiac savvy doctor to our mix who is much better at monitoring our nutrition and wellness levels more frequently and making incredibly helpful recommendations to improve our nutrition and wellness levels. But it has certainly been a lot of work!

One of my favorite tools that my coach suggested was to create a list of things that I do/want to do for me to help with coping and to find support. These are primarily simple, no/low cost things. She suggested that I do one/some of these things daily, and it really helped me to understand better how I would cope and improve my support system that I needed to help me through my struggles. It sounds like you are surrounded by supportive family and friends, and I know that my family and friends have been a big part of my support system in all of this. Good luck!! I think many, many people here understand what a struggle it can be at times as we navigate this beast!

[Skylark]

Major depression + fatigue + brain fog + insomnia + celiac = get your thyroid checked.

And heck, yes it's frustrating. Not having enough energy to get through the day is awful and I know how horrible it feels because it's happened to me. You also sound somewhat depressed, which makes everything seem far worse. When I feel the way you're describing, I usually have other hypothyroid symptoms too and I'm at the Dr.'s office yelling to get my TSH checked. My thyroid is still kinda messed up and I've been on the verge of falling asleep at work the last few weeks. Got an appointment this AM.

Our college had really bad food. I used to hang out with friends in the cafeteria and have a little salad. I'd go upstairs for a peanut butter sandwich as my real dinner later. Can you hang out and nibble something gluten-free like salad or pack a sandwich to eat with your friends?

[heatherjane]

If you're open to it, seek spiritual guidance as well. Most schools have some decent campus ministries that would be glad to talk through things with you. I agree with you that the world is pretty messed up. I have a great life and am very blessed, but the ways of the world can weigh me down easily if I let them. My relationship with Jesus is the one thing that gets me sustaining hope for the future and my life with this whacked-out disease (and other trials).

(Not sure if I'm allowed to say that, but there you go.)

[pain*in*my*gut]

Major depression + fatigue + brain fog + insomnia + celiac = get your thyroid checked.

And heck, yes it's frustrating. Not having enough energy to get through the day is awful and I know how horrible it feels because it's happened to me. You also sound somewhat depressed, which makes everything seem far worse.

Agreed! You need to make sure that these other symptoms are not something else.

As for the depression, itt's a chemical imbalance in your brain, and it's nothing to be ashamed of or something that you can just "suck up" if it's effecting your life like this. Have you talked to a doctor about the insomnia and feelings of hoplessness? I have been there, my friend, and there are meds (Zoloft for me) that literally saved my life.

Please see a doc and see if there is something else going on! You are too young to be feeling bad!!

[Asharia]

I hear you. The lack of positive results from all of our effort (i.e. still feeling ill years into a gluten-free diet) is hard to handle, and sometimes the knowledge of "big bad future problems if you eat gluten" doesn't seem like enough to keep you on track. It seems like for a lot of us the specifics are different, but the difficulty of truly feeling better AND feeling like you have a semi-normal life is universal. I have to travel a lot for my job (including living for months at a time in shared research housing), and it is so tough to not only be healthy in a shared environment, but also not feel guilty for avoiding shared meal times. The last conference I was at I got reprimanded for going back to my room to eat a safe meal instead of going out with the group - I imagine you fee like you are missing out on the social aspect of cafeteria time, and plus, why pay for a service when you can't use it!?

I don't have any great answers for you, but I've found that talking with other people with life-long issues that require maintenance (not even just celiac, but other food allergies or diabetes) helps, and if you don't have a good therapist, try and find one. Friends and family are all well and good, but unless they are dealing with the same problems they don't *really* understand, and they aren't trained to help you keep your head on straight in times of stress.

[ganesha]

I've been a member of this site for quite some time and I have to say I was quite optimistic at first. But after being almost gluten-free for almost 3 years, sometimes I just wanna give up. I still cannot function like a normal person, I'm in school by the way, so my life can be stressful at times. I still don't have the energy I want, or the mental clarity I want for that matter. I don't think I am being greedy either, these are just basic things that most people never think about. I'm 21 by the way and I can't handle a normal work-load, I already had to drop a class. I'm not sleeping through the night, at least not anymore. I find that glutamine helps me a lot, but it can be difficult to find the proper balance. If I take too much of it I'm tired all the time and if I don't take enough I can't fall asleep. I usually just get really frustrated and then that frustration turns to anger. And I'm sick of living like this. I don't want other people to lose hope, but sometimes I really just wanna throw in the towel.

Don't get me wrong, my life is great, but I am not. I just started seeing this girl I really like, my parents both love me very much, and I have an awesome older brother. I also have some really great friends. Sometimes I just feel broken.

I think the worst part about the whole situation is just the isolation. Lunch/dinner are kind of big social things in college. Everyone has different schedules but food is the one thing that can always bring people together. But that's obviously not the case for (most of) us gluten-free people.

Any advice or similar stories are appreciated.

For those about to offer advice just know that I do take care of myself. I eat a well balanced diet with whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. I take a food-based multivitamin and a D3 supplement. And I also take 2 grams of glutamine about every 48 - 60 hours.

Thanks for listening/reading!

EDIT: Just wanted to add sometimes I think it's just a chemical imbalance of the sorts, but I really don't know. I literally broke down last week and full out cried - which actually felt really good. I honestly have not just let go of myself like that since my Uncle died when I was about 10. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night unable to fall back sleep (ie right now) with just this feeling of wanting to cry. For no obvious reason. I do tend to think the world is a pretty f$#%ed up place, excuse my language, so maybe it has something to do with my viewpoint? I have always been told and I personally think I have a good head on my shoulders, but sometimes you just can't fight chemicals - I really don't know anymore.

I can honestly say that yes, sometimes I feel very hopeless. What I can also say is that everytime I come through a challenge around celiac my life condition improves markedly. I was diagnosed last fall - it has been a rocky road - loads of reactions to supplements, individual foods, etc. I found that any soy or dairy will cause debilitating depression - this is just my story and we are all unique.

I have also struggled with intestinal candida which manifests in brain fog and extreme depression (again - my story). I am going through a rough patch again as it appears the candida may have gained a foothold in the last month or so...I know and believe that the depression and anxiety are physical - but, wow. it certainly feels hopeless.

But as my doctor (who is one cool guy that stuggles with these issues as well) said yesterday "knowledge is power." He also once told me "you know you're not crazy don't you?" Just the fact that we know something is wrong is huge.

When I get in this dark place I find that acupuncture, chanting (my spiritual path is buddhism), laughing out loud, and reaching out to others (encouraging them about their challenges as well) all help. The truth, however, is that it is hard for me to remember that this too shall pass. I related to everything you wrote. Thank you for posting.

[julandjo]

after being almost gluten-free for almost 3 years

Was this a mistake, or are you not 100% gluten-free?

If you're truly gluten-free, it sounds like there's something else in your diet getting you. Would you consider going grain-free altogether for a while to see if that improves things?

[Melissaann829]

I feel you, girlie. I know how you feel with regard to the social outing but it does improve. My family thrives on big "food" gatherings and last year, I skipped out on Easter dinner because i didn't want to watch everyone eat the foods I miss so much. It does suck. I do ok with restaurants now because my friends/family know the places i can comfortably eat gluten free w/o a hassle from the staff. No one wants to be the weirdo at the table saying "Do you know what meals might be gluten free?"... and then the waitress looks at you like you're a total moron. Nice feeling! I typically just order a steak in the restaurant without seasoning or a cheeseburger w/o a bun.. and I am good to go without looking like I have a serious medical problem in need to management to come out and talk to me. I will admit that i am sick of rice and potatoes at this point. I have Hypoglycemia also, so the carb choices are wearing thin for me at this point! I, too, have "brain fog" and a horrible memory. I've had my thyroid checked and it is normal. Can't explain why that keeps happening either. I try my best to keep a positive attitude but I still experience bodily pain that I can't seem to get a grip on yet. I am seeing a physical therapist for that. Anyway, there are others out there that understand you! Vent here anytime! It does help to vent to people who truly understand! Melissa

[New Community Member]

If you're open to it, seek spiritual guidance as well. Most schools have some decent campus ministries that would be glad to talk through things with you. I agree with you that the world is pretty messed up. I have a great life and am very blessed, but the ways of the world can weigh me down easily if I let them. My relationship with Jesus is the one thing that gets me sustaining hope for the future and my life with this whacked-out disease (and other trials).

(Not sure if I'm allowed to say that, but there you go.)

Amen to that!! I've been clinging to Jesus through it all, too. He can give us hope to face tomorrow! Psalm 139.

Hang in there!

[ravenwoodglass]

Was this a mistake, or are you not 100% gluten-free?

Celiac can have a direct impact on our moods. The only time I get depressed now is when glutened or CC'd. It might help to keep a mood and food diary and see if there is a corelation to your depression and your mood issues. No for sure that is what is going on but worth investigating.

[Gfresh404]

Yes. Last year - year 4 for my family on the diet was awful. I have had varying thoughts on how to go about giving up, but they have passed. I have done a lot of work in the last year to improve our situation to help avert those despairing thoughts and situations. Gluten free living can certainly add significant struggles to our daily lives, but we have also found some amazing and rewarding times that also come with it. I hope that you are feeling better soon.

Some strategies that we have used over the last year to improve our situation include working with an allergy savvy coach and improving our medical team. We were stumbling our way through with doctors that didn't really know what to do for us. I reached out to an allergy savvy coach in part to help me assess whether or not I needed to find a therapist - I was reluctant to go straight to a traditional therapist, as I was concerned that they wouldn't understand the allergy part of our struggles . . . and I didn't really feel that I needed therapy. I have been very pleased with the coaching that I have gotten, and it has included improving the relationships that I have with my medical team. I enjoyed reading the book, Allergic Girl by Sloane Miller, and picked up a lot of helpful tips for managing our condition there.

One of my most desparate moments came after trying an adrenal support supplement recommended by one of the doctor groups that we added a year ago - horrible and awful are understatements of what went through my head, and it was a reaction of some sort to that supplement. I had had another doctor consultant warn me against doing exactly what I did - super charge my already exhausted adrenals . . . which he had explained would be like giving gas to a car without traction - just a lot of spinning tires is what you get - it felt like that for me, and it was awful! So imbalances can certainly play with your mind and change your viewpoints - I have no doubt about that!

As for the social eating aspect of college . . . I don't really remember it that way. I was pretty poor, and my food budget was incredibly slim. I didn't eat out, and I ate really simple foods that I prepared at home (largely from scratch). We would make big batches of beans and salads that we would share with friends that came over. If socializing while eating would feel good for you, have you considered making food to share with your friends? We did a fair amount of that while in school, and it can all be done gluten free.

Working with our medical team and coach over the past year has given us many more tools for dealing with the struggles we face, and I hope that you are able to find relief, clarity and inspiration soon. I think it has helped tremendously to add a gluten intolerant / celiac savvy doctor to our mix who is much better at monitoring our nutrition and wellness levels more frequently and making incredibly helpful recommendations to improve our nutrition and wellness levels. But it has certainly been a lot of work!

One of my favorite tools that my coach suggested was to create a list of things that I do/want to do for me to help with coping and to find support. These are primarily simple, no/low cost things. She suggested that I do one/some of these things daily, and it really helped me to understand better how I would cope and improve my support system that I needed to help me through my struggles. It sounds like you are surrounded by supportive family and friends, and I know that my family and friends have been a big part of my support system in all of this. Good luck!! I think many, many people here understand what a struggle it can be at times as we navigate this beast!

Thank you for sharing - even though I wish no one else was going through the same thing I am - it's comforting to know that I am not alone.

[Gfresh404]

Major depression + fatigue + brain fog + insomnia + celiac = get your thyroid checked.

And heck, yes it's frustrating. Not having enough energy to get through the day is awful and I know how horrible it feels because it's happened to me. You also sound somewhat depressed, which makes everything seem far worse. When I feel the way you're describing, I usually have other hypothyroid symptoms too and I'm at the Dr.'s office yelling to get my TSH checked. My thyroid is still kinda messed up and I've been on the verge of falling asleep at work the last few weeks. Got an appointment this AM.

Our college had really bad food. I used to hang out with friends in the cafeteria and have a little salad. I'd go upstairs for a peanut butter sandwich as my real dinner later. Can you hang out and nibble something gluten-free like salad or pack a sandwich to eat with your friends?

My mood really goes up and down. Almost bipolar-ish. I am pretty sure I had my thyroid checked at the beginning when this all started. Is it routine to have it done during a physical?

[Gfresh404]

If you're open to it, seek spiritual guidance as well. Most schools have some decent campus ministries that would be glad to talk through things with you. I agree with you that the world is pretty messed up. I have a great life and am very blessed, but the ways of the world can weigh me down easily if I let them. My relationship with Jesus is the one thing that gets me sustaining hope for the future and my life with this whacked-out disease (and other trials).

(Not sure if I'm allowed to say that, but there you go.)

I'm actually an atheist, so religion is kind out of the question. But appreciate the suggestion and I'm glad it works for someone

Agreed! You need to make sure that these other symptoms are not something else.

As for the depression, itt's a chemical imbalance in your brain, and it's nothing to be ashamed of or something that you can just "suck up" if it's effecting your life like this. Have you talked to a doctor about the insomnia and feelings of hoplessness? I have been there, my friend, and there are meds (Zoloft for me) that literally saved my life.

Please see a doc and see if there is something else going on! You are too young to be feeling bad!!

If only most people understood this.

I have been to the doctor, all my tests have come back normal. I honestly think part of it is due to the fact that I am still not absorbing fats completely, so excess digested fat passes through my body and makes me tired.

[Gfresh404]

I hear you. The lack of positive results from all of our effort (i.e. still feeling ill years into a gluten-free diet) is hard to handle, and sometimes the knowledge of "big bad future problems if you eat gluten" doesn't seem like enough to keep you on track. It seems like for a lot of us the specifics are different, but the difficulty of truly feeling better AND feeling like you have a semi-normal life is universal. I have to travel a lot for my job (including living for months at a time in shared research housing), and it is so tough to not only be healthy in a shared environment, but also not feel guilty for avoiding shared meal times. The last conference I was at I got reprimanded for going back to my room to eat a safe meal instead of going out with the group - I imagine you fee like you are missing out on the social aspect of cafeteria time, and plus, why pay for a service when you can't use it!?

I don't have any great answers for you, but I've found that talking with other people with life-long issues that require maintenance (not even just celiac, but other food allergies or diabetes) helps, and if you don't have a good therapist, try and find one. Friends and family are all well and good, but unless they are dealing with the same problems they don't *really* understand, and they aren't trained to help you keep your head on straight in times of stress.

I can honestly say that yes, sometimes I feel very hopeless. What I can also say is that everytime I come through a challenge around celiac my life condition improves markedly. I was diagnosed last fall - it has been a rocky road - loads of reactions to supplements, individual foods, etc. I found that any soy or dairy will cause debilitating depression - this is just my story and we are all unique.

I have also struggled with intestinal candida which manifests in brain fog and extreme depression (again - my story). I am going through a rough patch again as it appears the candida may have gained a foothold in the last month or so...I know and believe that the depression and anxiety are physical - but, wow. it certainly feels hopeless.

But as my doctor (who is one cool guy that stuggles with these issues as well) said yesterday "knowledge is power." He also once told me "you know you're not crazy don't you?" Just the fact that we know something is wrong is huge.

When I get in this dark place I find that acupuncture, chanting (my spiritual path is buddhism), laughing out loud, and reaching out to others (encouraging them about their challenges as well) all help. The truth, however, is that it is hard for me to remember that this too shall pass. I related to everything you wrote. Thank you for posting.

Was this a mistake, or are you not 100% gluten-free?

If you're truly gluten-free, it sounds like there's something else in your diet getting you. Would you consider going grain-free altogether for a while to see if that improves things?

Haha whoops - ya that was just a typo on my part - I've been 100% gluten-free for almost 3 years now, with a few slip ups here and there. I'm fairly certain that no gluten is getting in, it's very obvious to me when I accidently consume gluten. I don't really think grain free would me all that much. I remember trying the SCD for a while and it didn't seem to do much. It would take a lot of time and effort to do, especially in school. But I appreciate the suggestion, I know it has helped a lot of people, I just don't think it's for me.

I feel you, girlie. I know how you feel with regard to the social outing but it does improve. My family thrives on big "food" gatherings and last year, I skipped out on Easter dinner because i didn't want to watch everyone eat the foods I miss so much. It does suck. I do ok with restaurants now because my friends/family know the places i can comfortably eat gluten free w/o a hassle from the staff. No one wants to be the weirdo at the table saying "Do you know what meals might be gluten free?"... and then the waitress looks at you like you're a total moron. Nice feeling! I typically just order a steak in the restaurant without seasoning or a cheeseburger w/o a bun.. and I am good to go without looking like I have a serious medical problem in need to management to come out and talk to me. I will admit that i am sick of rice and potatoes at this point. I have Hypoglycemia also, so the carb choices are wearing thin for me at this point! I, too, have "brain fog" and a horrible memory. I've had my thyroid checked and it is normal. Can't explain why that keeps happening either. I try my best to keep a positive attitude but I still experience bodily pain that I can't seem to get a grip on yet. I am seeing a physical therapist for that. Anyway, there are others out there that understand you! Vent here anytime! It does help to vent to people who truly understand! Melissa

And thank you to everyone else for sharing your stories and for your support. It actually means a lot to me. Sometimes it's just easy to forget that other people are going through the same thing and in many cases, are worse off.

[Skylark]

My mood really goes up and down. Almost bipolar-ish. I am pretty sure I had my thyroid checked at the beginning when this all started. Is it routine to have it done during a physical?

I don't think thyroid checking is routine during a physical unless you have symptoms. Also, there are some issues with older TSH reference ranges. Lab slips will often say TSH is normal up to 5.0, but endocrinologists say if it's above 2.5 you may be hypothyroid. You should absolutely have a full thyroid workup again, because it is one of the most common physical causes of fatigue and depression.

An awful lot of gluten intolerant and celiac folks have thyroid problems because the gluten inflames the thyroid gland as well as the gut. The inflammation can trigger hypothyroidism and even autoimmunity. Mood swings that are almost bipolar-ish can be an early sign of thyroid autoimmunity, especially if you have other hyperthyroid signs like elevated pulse with the manic phases. The thyroid gland sometimes cycles between high and low at first. Eventually the damage accumulates and you're uniformly low and need thyroid replacement. Finding the right kind of thyroid medicine can be tricky if you've had a lot of damage like me, but I feel so much better when my doctor and I get it right.

You're taking the D3 and multi, which is great. You might see if adding a little more B12 helps. We're often deficient and B12 deficiency can make you depressed and anxious. It's pretty safe to grab a 1000 mcg sublingual. Also, look into methylfolate. Some people suffer from depression because they can't metabolize ordinary folate and taking methylfolate can be life-changing for those folks. You learn whether it works for you by buying a bottle and taking methylfolate for a month or so.

Also, I absolutely require fish oil to fell "normal". Without it, insomnia and anxiety creeps in. I take a capsule of 3x strength every day. The multivitamin/mineral I take is also designed for people with bipolar illness and it helps me tremendously but I still feel rotten if my thyroid is too low.

If all else fails an antidepressant might buy you some time and sanity while you continue to research possible causes of your fatigue. I went on welbutrin for a bit this summer and it was a godsend. I was able to concentrate well enough to read the thyroid books and figure out my REAL problem.

Good luck and hang in there!

[Gfresh404]

I don't think thyroid checking is routine during a physical unless you have symptoms. Also, there are some issues with older TSH reference ranges. Lab slips will often say TSH is normal up to 5.0, but endocrinologists say if it's above 2.5 you may be hypothyroid. You should absolutely have a full thyroid workup again, because it is one of the most common physical causes of fatigue and depression.

An awful lot of gluten intolerant and celiac folks have thyroid problems because the gluten inflames the thyroid gland as well as the gut. The inflammation can trigger hypothyroidism and even autoimmunity. Mood swings that are almost bipolar-ish can be an early sign of thyroid autoimmunity, especially if you have other hyperthyroid signs like elevated pulse with the manic phases. The thyroid gland sometimes cycles between high and low at first. Eventually the damage accumulates and you're uniformly low and need thyroid replacement. Finding the right kind of thyroid medicine can be tricky if you've had a lot of damage like me, but I feel so much better when my doctor and I get it right.

You're taking the D3 and multi, which is great. You might see if adding a little more B12 helps. We're often deficient and B12 deficiency can make you depressed and anxious. It's pretty safe to grab a 1000 mcg sublingual. Also, look into methylfolate. Some people suffer from depression because they can't metabolize ordinary folate and taking methylfolate can be life-changing for those folks. You learn whether it works for you by buying a bottle and taking methylfolate for a month or so.

Also, I absolutely require fish oil to fell "normal". Without it, insomnia and anxiety creeps in. I take a capsule of 3x strength every day. The multivitamin/mineral I take is also designed for people with bipolar illness and it helps me tremendously but I still feel rotten if my thyroid is too low.

If all else fails an antidepressant might buy you some time and sanity while you continue to research possible causes of your fatigue. I went on welbutrin for a bit this summer and it was a godsend. I was able to concentrate well enough to read the thyroid books and figure out my REAL problem.

Good luck and hang in there!

Thanks for posting. I really don't think my thyroid is messed up but I didn't really think I was sensitive to gluten either. Anyway I'm at college right now but thankfully the health center here does Thyroid Testing - which I am having done tomorrow.

Do you really think it could be thyroid when my only real symptoms are that of depression and fatigue? It would honestly make me feel so much better to know something else was causing this "chemical imbalance." But I'm not getting my hopes up.

[mushroom]

I didn't see any reference that you had all your vitamin and mineral levels checked, especially B12, D, potassium, magnesium, iron/ferritin and folate. Low levels of any of these can leave you feeling depressed, and low levels of all in addition to out of whack thyroid are common in celiacs. Thyroid is not commonly checked unless asked for; same goes for above.

[Gfresh404]

I didn't see any reference that you had all your vitamin and mineral levels checked, especially B12, D, potassium, magnesium, iron/ferritin and folate. Low levels of any of these can leave you feeling depressed, and low levels of all in addition to out of whack thyroid are common in celiacs. Thyroid is not commonly checked unless asked for; same goes for above.

Ya know I do remember feeling the best mentally when I was loading up on vitamins, but it was so long ago it's hard to remember if that was because I had finally found out what was wrong with me or because of the actual vitamins. I eat fairly healthy for a college student - lots of healthy fats, lean meats, and whole grains. My only downfall would be too much sugar - but most of that is from juice.

I'm also pretty sure I had my vitamin/mineral levels checked when I went in for a physical. I'll try to do a better job of remembering to take my supplements - although my mood swings appear extremely random and usually come out of nowhere.

I have a food-based multi, a b-complex, a D3 supplement, and I am going to buy some B12 sublingual. Is there anything else I am missing/should be taking? I also take 2 grams of glutamine about every other day - this is the only thing I have TO TAKE or otherwise I can't function.

[mushroom]

Ya know I do remember feeling the best mentally when I was loading up on vitamins, but it was so long ago it's hard to remember if that was because I had finally found out what was wrong with me or because of the actual vitamins. I eat fairly healthy for a college student - lots of healthy fats, lean meats, and whole grains. My only downfall would be too much sugar - but most of that is from juice.

I'm also pretty sure I had my vitamin/mineral levels checked when I went in for a physical. I'll try to do a better job of remembering to take my supplements - although my mood swings appear extremely random and usually come out of nowhere.

I have a food-based multi, a b-complex, a D3 supplement, and I am going to buy some B12 sublingual. Is there anything else I am missing/should be taking? I also take 2 grams of glutamine about every other day - this is the only thing I have TO TAKE or otherwise I can't function.

Take lots of D3, way more than the RDA, the B12 sublingual (methylcobalamine) is important, also take a multimineral to get your potassium, magnesium, trace minerals.

[Gfresh404]

Okay well just a bit of an update for you guys (that care). I had blood work done that looked for problems with my thyroid and everything came back normal. I am going to do a better job of taking my vitamins and mineral supplements. Hopefully that will make some kind of a difference.

[Kansas]

Try doing without dairy for a couple weeks. I have been gluten free for 3 years but thought I was a slow healer, not feeling completely recovered. Stopped dairy and I feel alomst 100 percent.

[dilettantesteph]

Your symptoms, low energy, depression, negative tests for other things, etc. sound to me like they could be celiac symptoms. Have you looked into super sensitivity?

To test for that you would try a produce and meat only diet for a week or so. Eat nothing that comes in a package,bottle or box, except the meat. Non chicken meat should be packaged at the meat distributor, and forget hamburger, or things like sausage where anything is added.

[Gfresh404]

Try doing without dairy for a couple weeks. I have been gluten free for 3 years but thought I was a slow healer, not feeling completely recovered. Stopped dairy and I feel alomst 100 percent.

Dairy has never really bothered me all that much. And I really don't consume that much of it - I eat cheese probably like once a week, and I don't think I can give that up haha - sometimes it really is like a drug.

Your symptoms, low energy, depression, negative tests for other things, etc. sound to me like they could be celiac symptoms. Have you looked into super sensitivity?

To test for that you would try a produce and meat only diet for a week or so. Eat nothing that comes in a package,bottle or box, except the meat. Non chicken meat should be packaged at the meat distributor, and forget hamburger, or things like sausage where anything is added.

I'm not familiar with super sensitivity. And I have already self-diagnosed myself as gluten-intolerant so I am %100 gluten-free. I tested negative for Celiac in every possible way. And I would be all for trying out a diet like that but unfortunately I am at school right now and while I do have a kitchen and no meal plan, it just seems like a ton of work and probably stress that I cannot deal with right now. Plus grains are usually what give me my energy. I usually feel as though fats still make me sluggish from time to time.

I did just get my a physical copy of my bloodwork and my Iron levels were actually just a tad below normal. I honestly think that could make a difference, I guess we'll see.

[Bubba's Mom]

I feel like giving up too.

My Dr. questions my DX because I'm newly DXed at the age of 54. She said it should have shown up sooner if I really have it. I said I thought I had a soy sensitivity too, because I get all sorts of neuro symptoms if I ingest it. She said "soy can't do that".

My blood work was negative, but biopsy showed flattened villi and a couple of ulcerations.

I asked her for a Hashi's test because I seem to have a lot of symptoms, and she said no. She did agree to testing my TSH level though. I won't find out the results until I go back in 2 months.

My GI doesn't seem to know much about Celiac? She ordered blood tests for vitamin/mineral levels and they weren't too bad at that time. She told me to just not eat gluten and I'd be fine. When I asked about my damage and the Marsh scale she didn't know what I was talking about.

I feel tired, depressed, hopeless. On Satarday night I talked to my son on the phone and he suggested I contact the various treatment centers and see if they could recommend an experienced Dr. in my area. I told my hubby I thought I should try it. On Sunday morning I logged onto the computer to check emails, etc. Hubby came into the room and asked if I had contacted the places yet. I told him I had just logged on and hadn't even made coffee yet. He yelled at me that I wasn't trying to do anything to help myself and that I'm just a whiner..went on and on.

I am always vigilant about making sure I'm not consuming even traces of gluten, but my hubby and son still eat it. Neither one is the least bit careful about trying to keep it contained.

I picked up the TV remote and it was covered with bright orange powder from cheese curls they had been eating. When I told them they keep poisoning me they told me I was rediculous.

I feel like crap, and I'm tired. I don't want to eat..in fact I've gotten so I'm afraid to eat.

I'm taking a handful of vitamins/minerals every day and use melatonin to sleep.

Sometimes I think I should just stop eating/taking anything..and let nature take it's course.