Discouraged, But Needing Hope

[angelynnb]

I've posted my story on here before, so I won't repeat... but basically I've been strictly gluten free for about 2 months. I'm still having trouble w/ my emotions, irritability, hopelessness, anger.... need I go on? Other physical signs are itchy face and neck, and I look like I'm about 5 months pregnant in "bloat". Yuck!

Of course my mind is playing tricks on me. I thought when I was accidentally glutened the stomach cramps would be my warning sign. That is most of the time...but I got these cramps on Thursday, and felt the effects of gluten all through the weekend and today I'm even more irritable than the other days.

I keep reading that it takes time for your body to heal....it is so frustrating to be dedicating time to preparing gluten-free foods for my family of 5, but then to still be having side effects. I've eliminated gluten from our house, realized that even having cereal around for my toddler and 3 year old was making me paranoid. I'm not a clean enough person that I wash my hands all the time, so I knew I could easily be contaminated at home.

I'm sorry to go on, but it really does feel hopeless when I have this in my system. I wake up in the morning thinking, "what is the point to all this hard work".

I am currently not on any vitamins. I was on Travacor, but its too expensive.

I have a probiotic from Costco I haven't started.

Does it get easier? Does the emotional and psychological stuff go away? How long?

I have a very supportive family, but honestly if I were them I would skeptical of what has happened w/ me and the "glutenings" I talk about....

[Takala]

It is the "holidays." Ho Ho Ho and all of that. In the northern hemisphere we are coming up on the shortest daylight period of the year, and you need to cut yourself some slack because of this. And start taking care of your increased vitamin needs, even if it is an inexpensive, over the counter gluten free B complex you purchased at the grocery store, and a basic vitamin D and calcium type of thing. The itchiness on the face - check your laundry detergent, wash your bedsheets, check shampoos, conditioners, lotions and makeup,and cat foods and cat litters for gluten, if you have a cat.

Hang in there, it's only a few more weeks of this.

[1desperateladysaved]

Sorry to hear you are struggling like this. I remember feeling overwhelmed in my not too distant past. I am about 6 months gluten free. I ended up supplementing, checking for food intolerances, and following a rotational diet. I am not wanting to overwhelm you with that, only encourage you that there is or will be more that you can do to recover if it becomes necessary. Your damaged body may not be absorbing enough nutrients, so agree with trying to afford the supplements. Keep walking in the right direction, you will get somewhere.

Diana

[angelynnb]

It is the "holidays." Ho Ho Ho and all of that. In the northern hemisphere we are coming up on the shortest daylight period of the year, and you need to cut yourself some slack because of this. And start taking care of your increased vitamin needs, even if it is an inexpensive, over the counter gluten free B complex you purchased at the grocery store, and a basic vitamin D and calcium type of thing. The itchiness on the face - check your laundry detergent, wash your bedsheets, check shampoos, conditioners, lotions and makeup,and cat foods and cat litters for gluten, if you have a cat.

Hang in there, it's only a few more weeks of this.

Thank you. I needed to hear about the vitamins being a necessity! Thanks. I haven't checked my detergent, didn't even think about.

[angelynnb]

Sorry to hear you are struggling like this. I remember feeling overwhelmed in my not too distant past. I am about 6 months gluten free. I ended up supplementing, checking for food intolerances, and following a rotational diet. I am not wanting to overwhelm you with that, only encourage you that there is or will be more that you can do to recover if it becomes necessary. Your damaged body may not be absorbing enough nutrients, so agree with trying to afford the supplements. Keep walking in the right direction, you will get somewhere.

Diana

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that the overwhelmed phase does get better. I am going to take vitamins and see if that helps carry me through!

I think some times it just helps to have people who understand what I'm going through. And to know I'm not crazy...

[Curtis721]

I get frustrated too. I wish I had an answer, because I need answers too. I'm just persevering and tightening up little by little. I'm 56 with mysterious symptoms most of my life. First week of January I had my big flare-up. It took 5 months for my Drs to test me for Celiac. I've been gluten-free since June. It took 4 months for the diarrhea to stop. I seem to get glutened 2 or three times a month. It's so hard to nail down the culprit. About 10 days ago I started itching on my elbows & knees & the diarrhea came back. I hadn't eaten *anything* suspicious. It got worse and kept on for a week. I tracked it down to a rice & legumes mixture that my wife started cooking last weekend.

In the meantime I bought a dedicated gluten-free toaster for myself. I was gambling with the regular family toaster. We finished the rice mix on Saturday and I have been slowly improving. This mix has brown rice, red rice, wild rice, 2 colors of lentils and black-eyed beans. Someone told me that the wild rice is too close to wheat for safety. I'm not sure if it is that or cross contamination.

When I get glutened I don't feel cramps right away, but get real loud gurgling in my guts. The next day I get hit with the colic & diarrhea. Depression and moodswings comes next. after the third day I start to get better if I haven't been glutened by something else.

I'm working on being more resilient and pickier about reading ingredients. I won't eat other people's cooking just because it "looks OK". I'm learning that I can't take anything for granted. I always have to read the ingredients.

I would like to be able to go for at least two weeks without being glutened.

[mushroom]

Wild rice should not be a problem; but some people can't handle any grain-like carbs. I would be more concerned that it might have been cross-contamination, or even the legumes. Some of us cannot handle them either, at least for the moment. Yes, yes, you must read all the ingredients in the label. My hubs is not very good at this (could be because he doesn't take his glasses with him ) so if he does the shopping I often end up with items with soy or corn or legumes. It's okay if he's buying those things for himself, but not for me

I spent a couple of years tracking my culprits (and gaining new ones) before I identified them, cut them out, healed my leaky gut. I can now eat potato starch and the last couple of nights have had a small piece of white potato (no skin) without incident. At the height of the ripe tomato summer I intend to trial some skinned tomato in a BLT and see what happens.

Do you have separate tubs/jars for spreads, jams, nut butters, mayonnaise?