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Somewhere along the way to finding out I had celiac, a therapist suggested I pursue psychiatric treatment for ADD -- I was on Ritalin and then Adderall -- both intermittently for about a year, I think. I was really dissatisfied with the meds and eventually began to pursue other ways of managing the symptoms I was having. The meds also seemed to play up occasional anxiety symptoms to the point where the psychiatrist and I were considering putting me on anti-anxiety meds as well -- which is where I began to balk. I just didn't want to go down the road of relying on multiple pharmaceuticals to keep myself functioning unless, indeed, I had some kind of clinical-level psychiatric disorder -- which I knew was questionable because I'd done a lot of research and "trying on" different possible diagnoses.

So, I spent a lot of time researching treatments for anxiety and revamping my exercise routines. I took a meditation class and tinkered a whole lot with my diet. Eventually, this was how I figured out that there was a food issue -- and my ADD-like symptoms have completely vanished since I've gone gluten-free. However, even before that happened, I had found that, with a very structured schedule and lots of exercise, regular and meditation I was generally pretty functional as well. (I say "pretty functional" -- that's nowhere near as functional as I am right now -- before, it took a lot of effort and structure to maintain those habits and a state of calm -- now, it's just my day-to-day reality except when I've been glutened).

My own opinion would be that you'll have a clearer sense of what's really going on if you try one thing at a time -- try the diet for a few months and, if his symptoms don't seem to be improving, then reconsider the meds. ADD meds don't really "cure" anything -- they're basically stimulants that jack up the brain's dopamine levels which makes it possible for the brain's executive function to focus. However, exercise and diet are also good ways to stimulate dopamine levels (as is being fully healthy) which tend to be more self-sustaining and helpful for the brain's healthy development in the long run.

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Now, if only the cat could be trusted to come along on a hike, things would be just dandy! Speaking as someone who's been fighting the urge to get a rebound dog lately!

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Canada is cooler for so many reasons.

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LOTS of things are better, but (on the vain side of things) I have to say that recently I've noticed that my face looks a lot better -- it's rounder and rosier and I think my eyes are brighter and my eyelashes are longer! The lifelong dark circles under my eyes seem to have faded to a point where concealer is generally overkill. This isn't anywhere near as important as the other stuff that's improved, but it is really pleasant to see myself brush my teeth in the morning -- smiling is even easier!

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Thanks for the quick reply, Ursula.

I never noticed a problem with rice before. I ate it maybe 3 times a week and never had any of the symptoms I am having now. Do you think it was because I was eating it so frequently?

Thanks!

I actually think I may be reacting to rice as well -- hadn't really realized how often I was eating it because I "forgot" that my sandwich bread is rice-based. My reactions aren't too severe at all, but I have same "oh no, not rice" feeling that you do. So, it's sweet potatoes for dinner-starch tonight and lentils tomorrow night. Quinoa after that and I may finally get around to cooking some amaranth......

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Speaking of stoves -- not to hijack this thread -- however, there are some excellent websites on making your own cheap backpacking stove out of things like tuna/catfood cans. My hiking partner and I needed to fly with an unused camp stove because of the restrictions on bringing fuel (even the residue in a fuel bottle would have set off the sensors at the airport), so we made one of these and it worked extremely well. I don't have the links anymore, but I think there was a Backpacker Magazine contest or something like that -- so you might do a search on that.

Missed the August-hike-a-thon thread -- I'll have to check it out, Tiffany, because I'm living vicariously this month -- it's too hot for hiking down here right now and my knee was too injured to do the Adirondacks trip earlier in the month.

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I have to agree here -- this is one case where, no matter how much you care for her -- it's too important for you to be healthy -- sometimes this means that talking won't do the trick. Be firm, but gentle and do what you need to take control of setting clear boundaries -- sometimes actions speak louder than words and she might actually "get it" better if you take action. Move your pans to their own cupboard, label stuff -- get organized and structured about it and she might be a bit put off initially, but it's a much clearer message than constantly nagging her -- and it will be better for your relationship in the long run. I've had to learn this the hard way with a number of people since my diagnosis, but it's actually been quite effective.

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Well, I'm not sure one of these jobs would really be where I want to end up -- so it's not a "go for it if it's what you want" kind of thing (yet -- I might have a change of heart). However, it is good to know that work-travel is something that can be done.

SFCC is definitely close enough -- and there's one other UF graduate student celiac on this listserv as well! I'm not in a great position for the next few weeks to get something started (turning in a major draft to my advisor soon), but perhaps sometime in September we could set something up?

Grrr, this feels hellish. I have absolutely no interest in smoking again, but there are all sorts of emotional things coming up that the smoking was kind of holding at bay these past few months. On the other hand, I still look better than I ever have.

I've quit smoking several times in the past and my experience up until this time has always been that dealing with the anxiety for the first week or so was the worst part of quitting. I don't smoke when I hike or paddle, so I generally quit every time I had an overnight trip -- the exercise alleviated any accompanying stress.

Now, however, I'm in a different position and, although I've been under a LOT more stress than usual recently, it's been very easy just to quit this time without needing to go out into the woods to do so. Anxiety hasn't felt like a huge issue because this feels like nothing compared to gluten-related anxiety.

However, I was smoking more than usual for a few months post-breakup and my body has a bit of recovery to do -- I've started having major flu-like symptoms which I know are nicotine withdrawal symptoms -- a sore throat, fatigue, achey & drainy feeling ears, etc. (I'm pretty sure I haven't been exposed to anything).

Does anyone have recommendations for dealing with these -- or know how long it takes to get through them? I'm trying to drink lots of water and, of course, I'm doing the usual supplementation things I always do -- but are there specific foods or supplements that might help this process along? Part of me just wants to get into bed with some chicken soup, but I don't know whether that's the best way to treat this or not.

I'm getting lots of exercise -- running daily and doing lots of yoga.

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I'm looking for eye-specific cream or lotion recommendations. I've never used anything other than your basic facial moisturizer before, so I'm new to this category of product.

Edit: whoops -- I was responding to the title, not the actual posting.

IMHO -- Quality of life -- even in one's declining years -- is a really important thing. It also does make a difference in how peaceful and accepting a person (and their loved ones) can be in the face of the eventual end of life. My understanding is that dementia-like symptoms are common for older people with celiac and anxiety certainly is a common symptom -- these were issues that made my mother's decline towards death a very painful thing to watch because I think she was living in perpetual terror for much of the last two years of her life -- not understanding what was going on. She died of cancer, but I would have liked to see her die more comfortably and I don't think that was possible with all the other psychological stuff going on.

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Red lentil soups can cook into a nice, puree-able and nourishing thing. I'm also a big fan of cold buttermilk soups for summer, but that's not necessarily to everyone's taste.

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Just got off the phone with a friend who works for the American Association of University Professors -- she does a lot of organizing and travelling, but we were talking about my possible eligibility for non-organizing AAUP jobs that would require less travelling, but still some.

I'm a ways out from knowing exactly what kind of work I'm going to be looking for -- right now, I'm trying to get myself to a point where I can effectively choose between moving into a new career next year and finishing the dissertation, but I've been gathering information about job opportunities and possibilities -- one of the things that appeals to me about the AAUP work is that they would support me through the completion of the dissertation in any case. There are a number of publication and research positions open in some very exciting cities across the country right now that look like they might be a decent fit for me in the long run.

However, I want to be realistic about my limitations with the celiac -- and I don't want to jeopardize my health for the sake of a job. I am comfortable (and even a little excited) with the prospect of just settling into an area I really like and doing high school or community college teaching (although my advisor's still pushing for me to go for the big tenure-track university prize).

How many people on the list have to do some travelling for work, and how do you manage it? What strategies do you use to deal with the diet and how successful do you feel you are? Do you feel like all the travelling jeopardizes your health? How much/what kind of travelling works and doesn't?

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Wow. Peeps are gluten-free. Wish I was more of a peeps freak. I've got several friends who go rabid over them.

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It occurs to me that I may sound somewhat preachy here -- I've been spending some time with a good friend who's recovering from a cocaine habit -- he's reuniting with the love of his life in April and it's been tough for him to be away from her while he's going through this stuff. He's had a hard time with feeling isolated because he's essentially been doing this all on his own -- this must be part of that guy-thing, because I have no problem reaching out to friends and family for support!

Anyway, one thing that you've got going for you is that you understand some of the nutritional/food relationship to your moods. This guy has started feeling and looking a whole lot better recently after he and I had a long talk about nutrition and what I've been going through with the celiac. He went out and got some sublingual B complex and has been paying a lot more attention to what he eats.

I do nuts and dried fruit a lot for snacks. I've also been eating beef jerky and salami for more protein. I've been exploring the gluten-free bar options for times when I'm on the run -- most of them are, essentially, nuts and dried fruits, but sometimes I haven't had the time to put together a bag of snacks for myself, so I keep a couple bars in my backpack.

Any time you make a big change that involves giving something up you are likely to go through a period of depression. I also quit smoking recently -- I actually wanted to quit shortly after my diagnosis, but a doctor recommended that I not try to make so many changes at once and, instead, focus on making small changes where the gains in my life could keep up with the losses. So, I've really focused on caring for my body quite a bit and learning to like and cook foods that will nurture me. I did a lot of work with a massage therapist and took a lot of baths with candles and music when I was too ill to get much exercise -- and when I did have some energy for exercise, I went for walks and hikes in nature and did some very gentle yoga.

Smoking (or drinking, or any kind of self-medicating behavior) can suppress a lot of emotions, so you may find that there's stuff coming up that seems overwhelming at times. It's really important not to be hard on yourself for feeling bad -- letting yourself feel what you need to feel and getting it out (if you need to cry, for instance), is part of the process of healing. Remember that you will get through this and be happy and strong again -- the emotions are just part of life.

My therapist told me that the way to get through stuff like this is to just accept being kind of boring for a while -- to focus on having a schedule and self-care, nutrition and exercise. One of the problems with addiction is that it gets our reward/excitement brain chemistry hooked on spikes in dopamine and adrenaline -- so, in order to reset that brain chemistry, it's sometimes necessary to let go of needing to feel a rush for a while. This can naturally lead to feelings of depression, but they don't last forever. Moreover, your capacity to feel pleasure and joy will be much much greater once you've gotten through this process. It's kind of about letting go of instant gratification and having faith in the long-term vision.

I've found that this board is a great place for me to go when I feel lousy and I'm afraid of being judged by friends who might not understand. I also should say that, after going through a lot of grief and alone-time over the past few months I'm actually very happy right now and things are going quite well, so yes -- it gets a whole lot better! These days, I'm generally more likely to laugh than to cry!

Therapy, possible medication (I was taking St. John's Wort for a while) and things like meditation can help a whole lot as well.

Hang in there!

Couple o' things:

First: A HUGE thank you to this board and the link to the meal cards! I just went to a local Peruvian restaurant. I brought my Spanish language diet card and had a wonderful meal that I, in no way, am "worried" about.

What is Peruvian food like? I have a friend coming back from Peru soon and he's promised to cook a meal with me because he claims it's a very celiac-friendly cuisine.

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I used to fluctuate between the insomnia and the oversleeping -- actually, the insomnia came in and out for seemingly inexplicable reasons -- the need to oversleep was pretty much constant throughout the day. The absolute worst were the periods when I was insomniac at night and exhausted, stressed and snappish during the day. I would even avoid napping just so I could have better chances of getting a good night's sleep and _still_ lie awake for most of the night. The month and a half after I stopped eating gluten was actually the worst of all of this -- between withdrawal and various accidental glutenings, I don't think I did sleep through that entire stretch of time. Once my patterns evened out, it took about another month for my body to recuperate and now I'm actually quite well-rested most of the time.

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Some brown eggs are also just that -- brown eggs. Omega-3 fatty acids are a very good anti-inflammatory thing to eat, as well.

I'm particularly fond of cream cheese in eggs myself -- I'd throw in some avocado as well, but I'm in Florida where they're really cheap right now.

The only thing I've heard about apple juice is that it's actually something that's supposed to help soothe an upset stomach.

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How is it that Outback is a chain that's so celiac-friendly? Anyone know the story behind this?

Tone of voice is always an issue on message boards and in email, but, Tiffany, your tone always comes across as very technical, disciplined and practical to me -- not the least bit cold or condescending.

If it's a cajun-style roux you're looking to make, I've had good results with garbanzo-bean flour.

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