What To Eat!? I'm Going Crazy :(

[CeliacFashionista]

I have been okay with eating gluten free but now I am trying to go on a low iodine diet to cure my DH. I need some type of candy that I CAN eat because this is driving me crazy!! I am almost to the point of suicide because of this disease and I don't think I can hold on much longer if things don't get better. Please someone help!!

[Kim69]

Whereabouts in the world are you? It looks like you are from USA from your use of the word candy. I have never heard of a low iodine diet do I googled it (and DH). I hope the lid helps you. I am sorry that you have to be on this diet. I found this website that says you can have dark chocolate, marshmallow, hard candy, jellies (tho according to the site I found no red dye is allowed), Popsicles. Could you make or buy a vegan gluten-free cake? I have made chocolate cake before that is gluten-free and vegan. The egg substitute powder would need checking. But apparently u can have cocoa at least

[rosetapper23]

You can eat all See's candies except those that have hard frosting on them (like Easter eggs). That means everything in the display case is fine to eat. My favorite is the Butterscotch Square. Nestle's chocolate chips are gluten free as are Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey Bars, and a lot of Trader Joe's chocolates. Actually, there are quite a few candies we can eat. Do you like ice cream? Haagen Dazs (sp?), Breyer's, Dreyer's, Double Rainbow, Ben and Jerry's, and Baskin-Robbins are gluten free as long as they don't list wheat in them (such as Cookies and Cream).

If you're following a low-iodine diet, you only have to avoid iodized salt, salty snacks, seafood, dairy, and asparagus. Otherwise, you can eat practically everything else that is gluten free. However, I would avoid most processed foods. I suffer from DH, and candy has never really been an aggravating food. If you're feeling practically suicidal, I think chocolate is really needed in your life (lots of calming chemicals).

[GottaSki]

I am not familiar with the low iodine diet. Others have made suggestions for sweet treats, hopefully you can purchase some things to help get you through the rough patches of changing your diet.

Do you have someone to talk to regarding how tough your dietary changes / health problems have been on you which led to the statement about suicide? Sibling? Parent? Friend? Pastor/Priest? Counselor/Therapist?

If you are having suicidal thoughts, please, please talk to someone.

[Metoo]

My undiagnosed DH drove me nuts!

I didn't go totally iodine free, but I did things like strictly avoided eggs, and limited dairy. It definitly seemed to help, but it still took me over 5 weeks to get mine to stop having my skin peel off and hurt!

I also switched to all gluten free soaps, lotions and shampoos.

My 'gluten' reactions in terms of stomach stuff, or fatigue is nothing compared to what the little patch of skin on my hand does...it litterally drove me nuts and just continued to be painful and peel off skin down to raw flesh for over 5 weeks the last time I got glutened. The skin alone is what keeps me from eating gluten. I am terrified, nor do I know exactly how much gluten would make me break out again.

[lovegrov]

If you truly have DH and it's truly driving you nuts, consider dapsone for a while (if you haven't tried it already). I know that the side effect warnings scare some but it's better than suicide. I took it for more than 20 years when DH was my only symptom and I didn't know about celiac.

richard

[CeliacFashionista]

Thank you Guys so much for all your help! I was sent to the ER last because my eye has swollen up and they gave me prednisone to help with the swelling. Hopefully it will help the Dh as well. It sucks because I get the worst of it on my face and most doctors believe its just really bad cystic acne and aren't willing to treat it as anything else. Is prednisone unsafe to take for emergencies? I don't break out in DH daily but the scars are what bother me most. I really want to eat chocolate but I think dairy is the biggest trigger. Maybe I will try dark chocolate to see if thats better. Thank you again! I don't know what I would do without this forum.