I have been given blood tests for celiac three times, all negative, tho I was gluten free for the last two. There is false neg with these tests I know. My old dr requested I do a gluten free diet to see what happenes, I did for about 8 months. Now I am sure I was not 100% gluten free despite my effort. After seeing my new dr about my symptoms and many many tests later, he wants me to go gluten free again, he's convinced that is the problem. He said he want me to follow it very carefully for at least a year. I'm also lactose intolerant, and I cheat and have dairy, he said no more of that either.

Last time I went off gluten I had a lot of issues with my mood especially in the beginning, I think I was going through withdrawal from the gluten. I remember being very emotional, very very moody. I know I read that gluten and casein react with the opiate receptors thus making withdrawal difficult. Any one else eating gluten free,or have done so? I'm really not looking forward to this.

I'm not sure when I will start, I need to get my kitchen clean and de- glutened. My mood has been a bit up and down, not too bad, but I'm a bit worried about rocking the boat. Not exactly looking forward to spending all the money I do have on food either as gf food isn't exactly cheap. And I hate cooking.... This just is going to suck I can see that.

If any of you have been gf, I would seriously love any tips tricks, anything at all that could make this transition easier.

I think I'm already going through withdrawal just from thing about it, I already feelz sad I hate being sick every day, but gluten is in da happy foodz.

[SunAngel]

WoW Anika, at the other site I belonged too, someone's wife asked the exact same question you are. It seems her husband, BP2, moods get affected by gluten.

I would google it and see what it says about gluten and moods.

I checked it out because symptoms of celiac include psychiatric symptoms. There is slim bit of research that suggest that bipolars have anti-gluten antibodies at a higher rate than general population, same with bovine casein, half the bipolar group carried the celiac genes that predispose you. The research is very slim however they found similar things with schizophrenia and gluten, I think there is already a lot of research into autism and gluten. They found bigger links to gluten and depression tho, but psychosis was also on the list. interestingly patients who were manic had higher gluten related antibody levels that leveled out when mania receeded. No idea what that means, but interesting.

So not getting my hopes up, that would be too crazy!! The research definitely isn't there. I could see how serious gut problems could interfere with mood. Our guts seems pretty emotionally connected.

The problem with going gluten free .. Reminds me of that Franks Red Hot Sauce commercial " they put that $#!% in everything!".

[ladyjrnlist]

I went gluten free and it did nothing for my bipolar. However, I'm now on Atkin's Diet and it is helping tremendously with stabilizing my moods, believe it or not. There are lots of good gluten free cookbooks out there. I suggest you invest in them. There are some actually tasty dessert recipes out there too!

Anika! I'm not, but my sister recently discovered she is. (Genetically speaking, it seems she got all the physical stuff, I got all the mental stuff.) She visited recently, and we IM, so I've learned a bit. If I think of any particulars, or she mentions anything helpful, I'll be sure to pass it on to you.

[hanners]

Here's an interesting article about gluten and bipolar disorder: http://www.queermentalhealth.org/art...up-the-health/

Thanks IZ and Hanners, I appreciate that! I have a few cookbooks from last time I went gluten free. I tried to find ones with simpler recipes since I really hate cooking, and I have a dessert one. I have a bread machine too, that should help. I think the hardest part is eating out, in a really small city we don't have many options.

I noticed last time I felt really depressed at the beginning, and aggitated, I think that's just clearing it out of your body, it's like you are addicted to the gluten. My vitamin A an K levels were very low, and anemia. I'll start supplementing and start rounds of iron shots. When my new dr looked back at my tests he said my IgA antibody levels were really low and that can give false negatives.

We'll see, I have almost every single symptom of celiac, so I it improves my physical symptoms that would be awesome. If it improves my mood stability that would definitely be icing on the cake!

Day 1 down, no gluten, lactose or casein. Wasn't too terrible yet. The only thing is that I am completely starving. I've been anorexic for so long I don't think I've ever felt this kind of hunger in my life. I really think my stomach is eating it self. I'm trying to not keep eating because well then I'll feel even worse. I hope I can sleep despite the intense hunger pangs. I sure hope this is only temporary.

Did not sleep I hate when two days turn into one.

[MoonOwl]

Hi Anika,

So sorry to hear that your not sleeping. I've had many of those two days turning into one and its not fun

Since February my SO other has eliminated Wheat, Corn, and Oats completely from his diet. He's always had alot of problems with acid reflux/heartburn/indigestion, and just digestion in general. He had done alot of reading and decided to try to manage it by diet instead of taking medication. He says it has helped tremendously. He has since had allergy testing and has found that he is moderately allergic to wheat and has a slight sensitivity to corn and oats.

Anyway since he started eating this way so did I but I still eat corn tortillas and chips. Thinking back I don't recall any withdrawal if anything I feel better mood wise but I've never really eaten alot of bread or pasta. I also began taking a B Complex and D 3 supplement and eliminated as much sugar as I could from my diet around this time so that may have helped.

Like you we have found it very challenging to eat. Its not like you can just fix a sandwich for lunch anymore, which is so easy to do. We also haven't tried many of the gluten free products because of the expense and most of them have corn. We cook alot of dried beans (black-eyed peas, red beans and rice, navy beans, etc.) I've also found that brown rice is good and it stays with you. I cook alot of Stir Frys (Chicken or beef, veges usually with a peanut sauce) which I put over the brown rice. He likes to make a beef stew about once a week. Steamed veges are good. You notice we make alot of stuff in pots (the peas, beans, stew) Thats so we have something left for lunch the next day so we don't have to cook so much. My SO is a snacker and eats ALOT. In addition to meals he eats fresh fruit, gluten free rice cereal (I know you can't have dairy but you could just snack on it dry like I do, kinda bland but it is something crunchy ), nuts, etc. For breakfast you could have eggs or gluten free oatmeal.

Buying all these fresh fruit and veges are more expensive. We also buy frozen when we can, just check the ingredients on the package. Wheat or corn seems to be in EVERYTHING! We don't eat out much but I know some restaurants have a gluten free menu and some of them are online.

I will tell you that we have lost weight eating this way so you need to be careful. I would suggest eating more times a day, I know my SO says hes always hungry and eats something about every 3 hours it seems.

I found this website and her recipes look good but I have never tried them http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/ She has a gluten free bread recipe that looks really good and has good reviews but those flours she uses cost so much, maybe one day.

Sorry to have written such a long post but I hope some of it helps. I'm sure there is more that I haven't thought about so I'll let you know.

[AbeIsAbe]

I would like to go gluten free but have no idea how to go about it. Or if I have it in me to stick to it. 2 members of my family have been diagnosed with celiac.

Hey Anika! Got a reply from my sister today. Not sure whether to cut and paste it to here or PM you... any thoughts?

(With your stomach giving you trouble (per other thread), the following may not appeal at this time, but perhaps later.)

The other thing I was thinking about is beans. Because really, who doesn't?
I don't know how you feel about them, but to me, you can't beat them for being filling, good protein source, easy and cheap! And super healthy. And no gluten. Here's what I do:

* Buy them dry in bulk (I go for black beans). And make a big batch.
* Sort through them in small batches to pick out anything unwanted (Like little rocks. I've had many batches with none, though it is best to check(!) Or less than stellar looking beans, like shrivelly or broken.)
* Soak. Either overnight or by quick method (bring to boil in stockpot, let boil 3 min., turn off heat, cover pot and let sit for an hour). In picking a pot and quantity of water, take into consideration that the beans will double (or more) in volume.
* Drain off the soaking water and replace with fresh, being sure to more than cover them. I am solidly in the NO SALT camp. Bring to boil, then turn it down and let simmer. For black beans, cook time is an hour to an hour and a half (if you are at elevation, it will take longer). You don't have to babysit them, just check on to make sure there continues to be enough water to be covering the beans. Spoon one out to test for doneness.
* Drain off the cooking water. I only drain off a bit, then let the whole thing cool a bit before the "real drain", because I make a big batch (stockpot near-full when cooked), and it gets unwieldy, and who needs unwieldy boiling water?!
* Let the beans cool off, then portion into freezer bags of snack or sandwich size (ie., a cup or two). Put those in single layer in a gallon sized freezer bag. (Freezer bags are ideal, but we use the regular ones too and just use two gallon-sized bags, one inside the other for the extra protection.)
*Set bags in single layer in freezer to freeze.

You will seriously not believe how much beans you have for the money.

* To use: Take out a bag and put it in a microwave for a little bit (or just set on counter), just to defrost it enough that they come out easily. Put in a dish (we use ceramic pie plate) with some water and taco spice (or whatever you like) and microwave till hot. You can mash them or not. Or just toss them in a soup or whatever right from the bag.

This may look like a big deal, but it really isn't. We only do it 2 or 3 times in a year, and we eat beans quite often. A lot of people don't use the dry beans because they think it is a nuisance. And yeah, if you went from scratch one meal at a time, it kind of would be(!) That's why we make the big batch. Then they are always ready to use. Just like canned beans would be, but definitely cheaper (and yummier, imo).

Heheh. Maybe you already do this!

[shortandcute]

im not bipolar--but i did have to go gluten free
i went gluten free for a while, and it helped but not my depression; then i stopped being gluten-free and started taking meds, but i noticed that the side affects were worse on the days i ate alot of gluten

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Anonymous32507

I'm also lactose intolerant, and I cheat and have dairy, he said no more of that either.

That is weird to me. Lactose intolerance has absolutely nothing to do with casein, that is one thing. I have no idea what is bad about casein - btw I am bp asymptomatic drinking lots of milk and kefir and eating lots of yogurt and some farmer's cheese - but I do know that casein and lactase are two completely different animals.

Second, if you are able to "cheat", you are not THAT lactose intolerant. If you were THAT lactose intolerant, you would literally be unable to tolerate dairy. You are probably like me: I drink Lactaid milk but I can have all fermented dairy: cheese, farmer's cheese, yogurt, and kefir. This is not suprising: fermented dairy does not contain that much lactose and whatever little there is, I am able to digest. I also am fine drinking lattes or cappuccinos with regular milk. So I must be mildly lactose intolerant. You too, maybe?

[Melmo]

I am gluten free and have not been officially diangosed with bipolar but I am 100% sure I have it and my dr seems to agree.

[shortandcute]

Originally Posted by Innerzone

Hey Anika! Got a reply from my sister today. Not sure whether to cut and paste it to here or PM you... any thoughts?

(With your stomach giving you trouble (per other thread), the following may not appeal at this time, but perhaps later.)

The other thing I was thinking about is beans. Because really, who doesn't?
I don't know how you feel about them, but to me, you can't beat them for being filling, good protein source, easy and cheap! And super healthy. And no gluten. Here's what I do:

* Buy them dry in bulk (I go for black beans). And make a big batch.
* Sort through them in small batches to pick out anything unwanted (Like little rocks. I've had many batches with none, though it is best to check(!) Or less than stellar looking beans, like shrivelly or broken.)
* Soak. Either overnight or by quick method (bring to boil in stockpot, let boil 3 min., turn off heat, cover pot and let sit for an hour). In picking a pot and quantity of water, take into consideration that the beans will double (or more) in volume.
* Drain off the soaking water and replace with fresh, being sure to more than cover them. I am solidly in the NO SALT camp. Bring to boil, then turn it down and let simmer. For black beans, cook time is an hour to an hour and a half (if you are at elevation, it will take longer). You don't have to babysit them, just check on to make sure there continues to be enough water to be covering the beans. Spoon one out to test for doneness.
* Drain off the cooking water. I only drain off a bit, then let the whole thing cool a bit before the "real drain", because I make a big batch (stockpot near-full when cooked), and it gets unwieldy, and who needs unwieldy boiling water?!
* Let the beans cool off, then portion into freezer bags of snack or sandwich size (ie., a cup or two). Put those in single layer in a gallon sized freezer bag. (Freezer bags are ideal, but we use the regular ones too and just use two gallon-sized bags, one inside the other for the extra protection.)
*Set bags in single layer in freezer to freeze.

You will seriously not believe how much beans you have for the money.

* To use: Take out a bag and put it in a microwave for a little bit (or just set on counter), just to defrost it enough that they come out easily. Put in a dish (we use ceramic pie plate) with some water and taco spice (or whatever you like) and microwave till hot. You can mash them or not. Or just toss them in a soup or whatever right from the bag.

This may look like a big deal, but it really isn't. We only do it 2 or 3 times in a year, and we eat beans quite often. A lot of people don't use the dry beans because they think it is a nuisance. And yeah, if you went from scratch one meal at a time, it kind of would be(!) That's why we make the big batch. Then they are always ready to use. Just like canned beans would be, but definitely cheaper (and yummier, imo).

Heheh. Maybe you already do this!

just remember, tho, most beans are not a complete protein by themselves, and you'll only get the full benefit if you eat them with somethng like brown rice. lentils are a complete protein, tho.

[hamster-bamster]

Anika,

My feeling is as follows: if you can tolerate dairy and enjoy it, eat/drink it to your health. Nothing matches dairy and fermented dairy in particular in the ease of meeting the body's calcium requirements and ensuring beneficial intestinal flora and strong immunity. Yes, it is possible to get those needs met elsewhere, but it is non-trivial to say the least and, at times, yucky and expensive - I an talking about Good Belly products here...

Without plentiful fermented dairy, I doubt that I would have had such a good digestion, for one, and such a strong immunity, for another - I do not catch viruses whereas my co-workers work from home sick, so I am definitely exposed but I do not come down with anything. I have not been sick for over a year. I mean, I have been sick - I was even hospitalized with a Li intoxication, but it is not THAT kind of sick. I have not had a stomach virus, an upper respiratory inferction, a cough...

[Anika.]

Hamster, when I have dairy I am crippled over in pain for a few days, stuck in th bathroom, and then constipated so I can barely walk., with a lot of abdomninal distention. So while I was cheating, I was also paying for it a lot. And it set in about 20 min after I eat or drink it. That's what I meant by cheating, not that I didnt suffer a lot when I did have it.

After your whole life of having that reaction, you do get a bit used to it, not that it doesn't effect you, just that you learn to suffer through it, or cut it out. When I was a baby my mom said she could find me by following the white trail of spit up, because it's all I did when I was on cow milk. That and cry with gas and upset tummy.

I dont think anyone was made to drink cows milk. It isnt made for us either, some will react stronger than other, it is a sensitivity, which will vary from person to person.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Anika.

Hamster, when I have dairy I am crippled over in pain for a few days, stuck in th bathroom, and then constipated so I can barely walk., with a lot of abdomninal distention. So while I was cheating, I was also paying for it a lot. And it set in about 20 min after I eat or drink it. That's what I meant by cheating, not that I didnt suffer a lot when I did have it.

After your whole life of having that reaction, you do get a bit used to it, not that it doesn't effect you, just that you learn to suffer through it, it cut it out. When I was a baby my mom said she could find me by following the white trail of spit up, because it's all I did when I was on cow milk. That and cry with gas and upset tummy.

No, then you obviously do not need dairy. If you do not do well on it, you do not need it. I thought by "cheating" you meant "enjoying despite a prohibition".

[Anika.]

I understand, no just enjoy the flavor of cheese, ice cream, but it's not worth it afterwards. My daughter is doing the same right now. She could never tolerate dairy, same reaction. She is 12 tho and when she goes to her friends and they have ice cream or other dairy treats she gives in, and then lays on the sofa in pain for two days. She knows that will happen, but it's hard to say no when it tastes so good.

[hamster-bamster]

I know that there is Lactaid ice-cream. I have never tried it because I do not eat ice-cream - well I might eat it a couple of times a year - but the ad for Lactaid ice-cream is on my Lactaid milk cartons. Is the Lactaid brand available in Canada? In the US it is a national brand.

[Anika.]

It is available, I havent tried it tho. When I have tried lactaid pills it didnt help. But we have rice ice cream. I tolerate that fine, and it actually tastes good. But you know what happens.. I eat it and still anticipate a reaction and get anxious. The reaction doesn't come but I am not over expecting it. My daughter is good with the rice ice cream. Maybe I will try the lactaid and see how she reacts to it. The rice one is pretty expensive so I dont buy it often.

[hamster-bamster]

I know - all these dairy substitutes are pricey. I think Lactaid ice-cream would cost more than regular ice-cream but less than rice ice-cream.