gettinbetterbaby

Thank you positiveenrgfairy, I'm certainly feeling better today than I did last Wed, Thurs, Friday especially. My gut feels a lot better - less pain and gas. I will carry on and continue to reduce the nasty drug. I kept to the low dose and continue to weather this storm.

Thanks Mey Marie

I do have upcoming appt with doc. Last year this time I tried to get off Zoloft, without doctor supervision and tapered it fast. I'll never do that again- very sick also, in every way and didn't know what to make of it at the time.

For anyone interested in antidepressant withdrawal, and the importance of a slow taper, there is an excellent article in the New York Times: Open Original Shared Link

Hi Trying to Be Healthy in Mass,

Thank you so much for your confirmation on the symptoms being so similar. I knew I wasn't alone here.

I still feel crappy today (day 6) and it's only early in the day, but I will carry on and will feel better eventually, as you said it is more a matter of weeks than days with this particular poison. I feel like one of my potted plants right now. Water now and then. Welcome here to you too! Thanks again for your affirmation.

Hi Everyone:

I've been visiting this site for about a year now and just joined. I've really appreciated the great information and personal stories I've found here. I've found much support here. I've been gluten free for a year and two months.

Nearly immediately after I stopped the gluten, I felt better. I've always had stomachaches, which I believe later led to anxiety and depression- emotional problems. Beginning in my twenties I saw gastroenterologists, naturopaths, had colonics, psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy and group therapy, all in hopes of getting to bottom of constant pain. Figured it had to do with issues not dealt with around being anorexic at twelve. I believe now that being (unknowingly) gluten intolerant had a lot to do with the beginning of the eating disorder. I've been on the macrobiotic diet and the yeast-free diet. As far back as I can recall I had stomach issues, mostly not being able to "go" and I've been on Zoloft 250mg at its highest, for the past 17 years and I'm 44.

If you're still with me here, here is the point: I have now realized that the Zoloft was not the solution to my stomachaches (because it did help for awhile, but at increasing doses) afterall, and that perhaps the depression was a result of the stomaches, not the stomache problems a part of the depression, so I've been tapering off the Zoloft since April, slowly. I'm down from 250mg to 125mg and felt fine and at times great, up until this last week. It seemswhen I take a step down in dosage (now 125mg to 100mg), which I do every month and a half , I get terrible side effects that are so similar to getting glutened, that it is arguable what's what. I get the same nausea, worse aches and pains especially in my neck and shoulders, headache, gastrointestinal issues- like guts have slowed down...I could go on.

I know how it is to feel well and not contaminated by gluten; I had twenty-three good days in a row last month for the first time, ever and before that it was nine days. I don't feel so well these last five days and I think it's the tapering of the medicine because I don't believe I've been glutened, though I worry about the packaged potato salad (Recers or Reecers or Reesers) and the Old Dutch Creamy Dill Pickle chips I ate two days ago. It is making me crazy not knowing what to blame. I think it's the drug reduction.

Mostly, I guess I wanted to say hi and here's my story to date.

Thanks.

How many years have you been trying to live a gluten-free life? One year and a couple of months.

How often or many times do you think you've been hit with wheat?

Maybe 10 or more times since the start. The learning curve was steep, and so it happens less often now, but still way too often (always when eating out). The longest I've felt well is 23 days in a row, which was phenomenal. Before that it was nine days.

Anyone been diagnosed with cancer, kidney or liver problems?

Two or three years before becoming gluten-free I was sent to a kidney doctor (nephrologist), for odd blood work; I was "dumping" potassium, magnesium and salt. He couldn't determine the cause, wondered if I was vomiting or taking laxatives: No. Weeks later, after consultation with colleagues, he diagnosed Gitelman Syndrome or Bartel's Syndrome, which is just a collection of symptoms. He was puzzled. I was too. I had mentioned stomach aches too, as I have over the past twenty years to all doctors with whom I've had contact. That led nowhere as always. So I treated the deficiency with magnesium supplements and noticed unexpectedly my stomach felt better for awhile, which was a bonus. I eventually put all this together myself, later, with much help from all of you on this forum who I'd like to thank here. I have learned so much.

Have you ever said "what the hell" and just ate something you aren't supposed to?

Never, but I've eaten around things I'm not supposed to eat, that was touching, and have most recently learned not to do this.

What is your age?

44