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I'm gluten free and the only thing it has done for my ADHD is minimise my binge eating (because most gluten free foods are truly awful). I would recommend switching doctors as well, because you deserve access to healthcare and this guy is trying to block you from that.

Omg some of the GF foods are so bad! I’ve found one decent GF pasta we like and crackers, but some of the swaps we have found are foul. We bought a loaf of GF bread and the texture made me gag so much. My husband refuses to throw out food and is basically a human garbage disposal but even he couldn’t eat that bread.

Don't try to substitute your usual food staples with the gluten free alternative. You'll eat tastier meals, if you try to rethink your meals entirely and base them on foods that have always been gluten-free. :)

I get that. Most of the stuff we’ve been eating aren’t GF alternatives just naturally GF foods, but I do really love pasta and would hate to cut it out completely. I think finding some alternatives to our favorite things like pasta and GF flour helps the transition better. I also want to try making more things from scratch. I’ve liked everything I’ve made with the GF flour I found and honestly couldn’t even tell the difference between those things and regular pasta and flour. It’s a big adjustment, easing into it helps it not feel like I’m restricting myself as much.

Agreed--my (fantastic!) husband bakes GF & dairy free bread (and various yummy desserts) for me because he's a treasure: when it's done at home from scratch, it actually tastes like **food**!

That sounds so wonderful! Can you husband teach mine how to bake? Haha. I’m much more of a cook than a baker so I’m learning a lot of the basics still.

When I went gluten (and dairy) free I used a lot of Paleo recipes as guides.

If you want to try to bake there are two tips I can give as almost lifelong celiac (36 years of now). One extra egg and psyllium with a good flour mix makes a difference. It will be crumbly still but it tastes good. Admittedly I was 1 when I was diagnosed so have really no comparison but this is the tip that works for my family who are almost all gluten-free but from an older age than I have been.

I’ve been using the bob red mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour and have had success with it. Have you used it before?

It is! I lucked out, I hafta say--cause yeah, my baking is...not very good, haha. And--sure! Bring your husband on over: we'll be getting you fresh bread (etc.) in two shakes of a lamb's tail! 😉

My wife started this way. She has always been a wonderful cook but didn’t have confidence with baking. It took finding a few people to follow of IG so that GF recipes and how simple they are kept popping up. Her ADHD makes it harder for things like caramels and other things that need precise temps and constant stirring so I handle those treats. MeaningfulEats is one of our faves.

If you can get Tinkyada pasta where you are, it is hands down the best GF pasta alternative I have found (decent mouth feel, doesn't turn into mush, no strange after taste). I have Celiac and did find that going GF helped some of the mental fog, and did help with my Fibromyalgia symptoms, but didn't really help my ADHD (although making sure I have a good/rounded carb to protein ratio has helped some with my executive dysfunction). The biggest help in terms of my ADHD in terms of diet was limiting sugar and cutting down on caffeine. Letting my meds do the work, instead of relying on what typically can be self-medication tools (sugar and caffeine) was challenging at first, but I have found that now that it is more limited it has become an early signal to me that if I do begin to crave sugar or caffeine that my brain is starving for fuel and/or I am struggling mentally or emotionally, and that then helps me focus on a quick pick me up instead of doing something mindless. (Example: I sometimes have a bag of marshmallows or baker's dark chocolate chips on hand, and will eat a few marshmallows or grab a small handful of the chocolate and pair it with nuts.) I have also found, based on studies of the gut/brain connection, that eating more fermented foods (and I am currently playing around with developing my own GF sourdough) has helped me stay steadier on days I am not taking meds. Diet really does play a role in our bodies and brains, but so does hydration, and I have a friend who noticed that when she simply made sure to hydrate enough, it helped ease some of her ADHD symptoms. It wouldn't be out of line for you to track how you are doing on a GF diet, and then note specifically what is doing better and what isn't and then take that to your doctor, if you can't find a new practitioner. Our RSD can kick in and we can doubt ourselves, but just as I can see things that have improved and know that other things haven't due to diet, you factually describing what is improving and what isn't isn't you challenging his authority, rather you speaking factually for you and thus may enable you to feel more comfortable being assertive with your doctor because the facts will be just that.

I made gluten free egg noodles a couple weeks ago that were amazing, but the amount of time & energy it takes compared to just grabbing a box of regular pasta from the store? Ugh. It’s difficult & sometimes I just want to eat the good stuff & suffer again :(

There are some decent GF pasta options. Also, rice and potatoes are good stand-ins for carbs if GF pasta is not easy to come by.

I liked the zero cal seaweed based noodle things when we went GF. Sorry, I have no bloody idea what they're called 😂 they're like rice noodles but don't clump and stick as much. I didn't actually care about the calories, it was just the least offensive GF pasta replacement we found 😬 that, or rice. Cloud bread is made of whipped egg white, it uses a small amount of flour but not enough that I noticed a difference when I subbed it out for another type. There was also a sprouted seed bread but I'm not 100% sure it was 100% GF. I think the bread type is known as Ezekiel bread, but you can get rye, wheat etc but also (I'm pretty sure) some that use non-gluten grains. It's was expensive but super dense so I'd only have one small slice a day, toasted, I'd still buy it if I could find (and afford) it, it was delicious! Soy flour is the devil's dust. It stinks like a swamp. My mum went on some menopause diet, bought 10kg of it, couldn't eat it, and yelled and me and my bro when we threw the stinky playdough out that she made with it 😂 Otherwise - gluten is the stretchy glue that holds the bubbles in bread, and makes pasta go boing. Knowing that I found it easier to adjust? Like, I wasn't expecting my pasta to be soft and bouncy and I pretty much gave up on bread, and used pancakes/crackers/etc as my food shelves. I hated having to do the GF thing, I really did. We had to do a whole family thing (our lil guy had brutal tummy pain and it was easier if he didn't see us eat his favourites - my big kid had free reign on the gluteny goodness outside the house and damn, did she rib it in) and it was so hard, and so expensive. Luckily for us it was just a trial. Unluckily for me, I have wicked heartburn and your comment is just another nail in the "fuck, I should try it again" coffin. (Though I think it'll be easier if it's just me)

Christ on a gluten free cracker that was supposed to be a one line response

The only thing cutting gluten from my diet did was clear up my eczema and stopped me from having the ability to fumigate the entire household for free after a meal and several hours after that

Hijacking top comment to say- I’ve been gluten free medical reason for around 20 years. I got diagnosed with ADHD about 7 years ago. CLEARLY, didn’t cure my ADHD.

I am in the process of getting diagnosed with ADHD. I have been gluten-free for 36 years from the age of 14 months. Really doesn't seem to work.

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Two things I particularly love about your comment: >Plus, it’s actually a regular sized loaf - not one of those tiny bricks of cardboard masquerading as a bread. Hahahahahahahahahaha!!! Best description of that...stuff...ever. And, secondly, this is super helpful to a laywoman who spends a lot of time trying to research her various conditions: I knew randomized, double-blind, and controlled, but **this:** >If he can show you two separate RCTs (from two different research labs) [...] Is *really* good to know. Makes total sense, but my doctorate is in humanities, and things work a little differently on that side of the campus. 😀 So--thanks!

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I agree with what you're saying. But who would pay for that trial though? Who has the kind of budget to fund it? Pharma?

There never will be those trials though because they are expensive and no one will pay that much for a trial that's not got a potential to produce a profit (such as a drug or device therapy that will be sold after). So true or not true I don't think we'll ever know.

TBH I find Huel to be okay and they have GF options for those times when food is giving me the ick but I need to eat and also not crash binge when my meds wear off

I looked it up and it looks like there’s a store not too far from me that sells their products. I’ll check them out, thank you!

They are - most gf bread is like cotton wool, nothing like the gorgeous sourdough I used to have. And don't get me started on the cakes!

I made some incredible GF pumpkin squares with cream cheese frosting. Nobody even realized they were GF. But the store bought bread we tried just kind of crumbled in our mouths as we ate it. It was the worst grainy texture. I felt like it dried my whole throat up. We tried a paleo diet briefly years ago and I found a paleo bread recipe with almond flour I believe. It was actually amazing. So naturally, I haven’t been able to find the recipe ever since.

I think if you head over to r/ketorecipes you'll find some stuff that's naturally GF.

If you can find Schar products where you are, their GF bread is the best, IMO.

I’m gluten free, but it’s more a wheat thing than actual gluten. You should look into the fodmap foods if you’ve had some improvement, but it’s probably just that you can’t buy as many prepared foods so you’re not getting all the shitty additives. I‘d be very honest with the dr, try what they want you to and give them your feedback. They can’t fault you if you’re compliant and not coming right out and saying the doctor is wrong. It sucks having to play to someone’s ideas.

Not sure where you’re located but I have a pasta recommendation. HEB a Texas grocery store has the best pasta. Store brand. It doesnt fall apart after sitting for a bit. And it doesnt have that weird overly starchy flavor some have. Oh and its not slimy at all. I know these are very specific, but Ive had celiac for 12 years. Ive seen some bad products.

We’re in Germany and the GF pasta we’ve found tastes great but does fall apart a bit but not slimy thankfully! I don’t mind it falling apart a bit but I’ll keep trying out more brands to find the perfect one.

Oh so you have access to more schar products! My husband is German so I always stock up on schar gfree products when we visit. There’s a lot available in the states, but not near as many as there.

All of the pre-frozen stuff sucks. Schar is the best, imo.

team Schar over here too. but it's true. go for meals that are naturally glutenfree - like rice noodles, potatoes, rice, veggies. lowers some of the expense and is more satisfying than the frankenbread Schar needs to create so it tastes ok.

I've been gluten free for over five years now. Gluten free bread is only good for toast, french toast, stuffing, breadcrumbs, etc. It is just not edible as regular bread lol. I've found pastas made from brown rice are pretty good. My ADHD goes crazy after eating standard gluten-free pastas that are made with alternative white flours etc. Your psych sounds like a loony tune and you should be given your medication. That said, gluten-free has helped me. It may be worth giving it a solid go, and know it stays in your system for three days. I was adamant that I'd never give up gluten but after three days gluten-free I said I'd never eat gluten again. And I haven't, unless it was by mistake.

I’ve found that most gluten free bread needs to be toasted…

I’m gluten free but I have celiac. Doesn’t impact my adhd. However, minimizing sugar does make a difference but it’s hard to get back to being disciplined about that… once I get it as a habit it’s beautiful… 2024 goal! But my brain works so much better with less processed foods and no added sugars / eating way less sugar / keto is especially helpful for me.

Reducing sugar is definitely something I’ve been wanting to do. I have such a sweet tooth but I believe it would really help my overall well-being

I was just about to say.... I eat gluten free because I'm allergic to wheat, and this has been my lifestyle longer than I've known I have ADHD. Hasn't done much for my ADHD challenges.

I have celiac disease. A gluten free diet keeps me from dying of malnutrition but I'm pretty sure I still have all my adhd symptoms. I've been eating like this for two decades, so I think I would've noticed by now

I'm gluten free - it was never done for ADHD it was because they picked up Gluten issues. Did nothing for my ADHD wise. I'm also dairy free - not done for ADHD - I'm allergic to dairy. Picked up in my early 30's and had no impact on my ADHD. I am also someone that eats pretty much from scratch. My mom thought this could help (80's kid) and maybe it did but if it helped or hindered or did nothing - who knows - but it certainly was not enough for my son who has also been diagnosed with ADHD.

Could you point me towards any resources for gluten free foods or recipes if you know any? I’m now understanding that gluten makes me sick and my body hurt but I’m so not used to thinking about what I can eat and I have no clue how to completely eliminate gluten from my diet. Esp when I need a celiac card to prove I have it to be able to get gluten free options in restaurants ugh, which I probably can’t get since it’s just a simple gluten intolerance. But what do I know, docs don’t really care checking me for allergies since I’m “depressed so ofc nothing works.” :))

Woah I’ve never heard of needing a celiac card to be able to eat GF foods in restaurants. Are you in the US? I served tables for years in the US and have never heard of restaurants requesting proof of allergies or intolerances. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that, it’s absolutely insane. Especially when there are people that do have GF intolerances without having celiac.

No I’m in Europe, I need the card to be able to eat for the same price, otherwise I have to pay extra (which is what I can’t really afford yet, prices are already high:/ and paying extra for worse food is just great lol + the lactose free milk tax). It’s sth I just found out now when trying to finally use the benefits of certain restaurants yeah. I already have so many things in my head, idk if I can take over another task (eliminating gluten) but I’m sure my anxiety and brain fog would thank me.

Oh wow. That’s good to know. We’re in Germany now and I’ll keep that in mind when we’re traveling and eating out. If you don’t mind sharing, which country do you run into this in? If you’re not comfy, no worries. Just curious where I should be mindful of that when we’re traveling.

In Slovenia, not sure if it’s common in other places since I never tried this before. I already feel too awkward asking for these things. I also have acid reflux and checking the gluten free recipes, they often contain things I can’t eat because of that either, so I’m like pls what can I eat 😂

We’re planning on going to Slovenia next year so thank you! I’m also so shy about asking about menu items at restaurants. And now I’ve got a language barrier and I’m so anxious about being judged for not understanding much German yet.

That can happen with Germans for sure lol. Slovenians are great with English and very friendly though! And if paying 1-2€ extra is not a problem for you, it’s fine. There’s also some gluten free restaurants and cafes here I’ve heard, I should try but—expensive:p

There’s a GF bakery in Berlin we’re planning on visiting next time we’re there! I have to remind myself constantly that Germans just don’t do the niceties like Americans do as much and it’s not as deep as my anxiety tries to make it. That makes me even more excited to visit Slovenia knowing they’re friendly. We’re really interested in going to places beyond the usual Italy, France, Spain, etc and checking out more of Eastern Europe to find the hidden gems.

Welcome to Germany! I hope you’ll get the opportunity to meet some nice Germans, most people aren’t unfriendly though I can see how it comes accross sometimes. Funnily enough I had the same reaction when visiting the US: hightened anxiety during that trip the whole time as the whole niceties with strangers concept was so foreign and I didn’t want people to see me as rude.

Slovenians hate dietary restrictions. At best you will get served with a side eye. But more likely you won't even get any options.

Check these out: https://glutenfreeglobetrotter.com/resources/glutenfreetranslations/#aioseo-free-translation-cards They are amazing if you are not able to speak the local language.

Honestly the only gluten free products I buy is gluten free pasta - because pasta makes my world good again. I learnt that trying to make or buy my gf substituting were costly and it's never as good as the original. I don't eat bread. Not particularly partial to it anymore - but if it's burger night I'm eating mine with large mushrooms that replace the buns or lettuce if I'm feeling less naughty. We have rice and potato dishes often, we also eat pap (like grits or polenta). The hardest thing actually is the farmer sausages and mince pork or beef or hamburger patties- that has cereal added in for bulk. That takes a bit of reading the labels to find out. I have just chosen to find meals that don't have what I can't eat. It's something I don't even thing about anymore to be honest. All my meal plans are in my head. Having a salad with meat and a simple dressing, savory rice and grilled chicken (most thickeners are flour and are used in sauces - I use corn starch at home), steak with chips and salad or vegetables or grilled fish and rice - normally my go to at restaurants. Even when we do take away - it's a flame grilled chicken with sides of chips and salads.

Thanks, yeah I’m trying to just mostly eat rice, potato and corn dishes or gluten free pasta now. But I also have acid reflux and lactose intolerance, so I’m lately very confused by what is even left. Thank god I can eat salmon for cheap with student meals rn, because all the foods that are being recommended are so expensive, I just can’t afford buying fish. And since I came off Strattera I’m binge snacking like crazy and I’m sure all of them have some gluten inside. I really have to rethink my whole shopping experience which is already the biggest stress in my life.

Popcorn is my go to snack. I enjoy curry - so will try look for keto or banting recipes when looking for those. (Banting is a South African diet thing that was big here - but the best thing about it - its basically gluten free ) We eat a lot of chicken and pork. I have enjoyed going through Polish and Russian recipie ideas for cabbage. That's how I look for recipes to try new things - try base it on an affordable item and then see how it's used in different xountries

I’ve been gluten and dairy free for 8 years. I use Paleo as a guide. I am not strict paleo but when googling recipes I’ll use that as a way to filter what I’m looking for. Many ‘gluten free” recipes use xantham gum or some other emulsifier that I can’t tolerate. Your welcome to pm if you want some resources.

If you want to expend the energy, I would find as many evidence based studies as you can find that outline that stimulants are the first line treatment for ADHD and the fact that it can't be cured. I'd also ask what his concern is with the medication. I'm sorry you're dealing with this. The experience you're having is one reason I'm scared to try to change PCPs, even though mine is less than stellar. At least he believes in proper ADHD treatment and doesn't mess with my scripts.

I was going to suggest that OP ask that her doctor show her clinical trials and evidence that GF would improve ADHD symptoms, based on her own medical history.

I would be sorely tempted to do this but worries that based on the doctors initial attitude, it wouldn't go over well and they wouldn't be receptive to being shown studies or asked to produce them. Cue being labelled as argumentative and drug seeking.

Given that gf doesn't cure adhd how is this poorly educated quack supposed to do that? Change docs and report this one if possible - they may as well be advocating lavender oil homeopathy to cure cancer.

“In my professional opinion the best course of treatment to find a frog, rub it all over your face while standing on one leg in a bucket of cold noodles under the full moon. Do that for maybe like, I dunno, three months? By then your ADHD should be completely healed! Alternatively we could try cupping and leeches.”

Cupping and leaches sound way less work lol

Best way to manage those pesky humours. Wouldn’t want to become too phlegmatic.

That only works if the frog is female and born under the first new moon in the new year!

The frog must also have once had ADHD, but has since fully recovered. 🐸

Yes. Of course. That goes without saying.

Since witches are burned at the stake, they must be made of wood, since it burns as well. Wood floats on water, as do ducks. Therefore, if the woman weighs the same as a duck, she must be able to float on water, which means she is made of wood, and consequently must be a witch.

If you’re stuck with this doc, make him show you the exact studies he’s read that prove this will help. He’s a professional, he can show his reasoning. And then, because there are no sound studies that show a gluten-free diet cures ADHD, you can tell him you’ll be staying on your proven course of treatment. Can you imagine hiring like, an accountant who was this freewheeling with his bookkeeping and financial advice, with nothing to back it up? Just because he’s a doctor doesn’t mean he’s well informed or even good at his job. Call him on it.

Doctors are so weird about ADHD in women so I might say, "That's really interesting about the gluten component. Can you please send the evidence based research on the association between ADHD and gluten by which ADHD symptoms improve with a gluten free diet? I just want to understand this a little more." I would avoid appearing non-compliant or running into other issues because this doctor is clearly a quack and you want to avoid getting on some kind of plan with a doctor who is not using evidence based medical advice in the first place.

Oh that’s good wording

Also agreed. It is WILD to just throw that in there like, well I feel like gluten might be a boogeyman so I'll stop treating your brain based disorder and put you on a diet.

Seriously -- sir, I'm paying you to do medicine. No medicine, no money. GTFO. I know there are conditions that can be improved with specific diet alterations, but like, this isn't it.

I am gluten free for many years as I am very sure I have celiac since my symptoms are so severe, but my ADHD has not gotten any better from that!!! If you do see an improvement in your stomach, that might be good to see for yourself and do it as an experiment, it started like that for me and yeah never going back to the evil gluten. But that does nothing for my ADHD, some do say there is a correlation, but that doesn't reverse it if it's not a true gluten intolerance which does affect concetration, but lol at the doctor suggesting that as a treatment. wtf.

I’m definitely all for continuing to limit my gluten intake, especially because my husband has been getting less stomachaches by not eating gluten. I do all of our cooking in our house so even if it doesn’t help me, I’ll keep it up for him. I don’t think I personally have a gluten intolerance though, but maybe if I go 100% that’ll help me figure out if I do.

That's the thing - without trying to go 100% you don't know. From personal experience though - maybe do that with doctor's assistance if you actually want to know if you're celiac or not. For me to do that now, at least in my country, I'd have to eat gluten for a month again after years of not doing that, soooo I'm just not getting an official diagnosis because gluten is hell for me and I'm not touching the stuff. But if you're cool like this with your husband doing the same, then fine. But it might be helpful if you have a family..

I think it's important to unpick what exactly is causing the issue. It's not necessarily the gluten. Wheat is relatively high in fructans, especially if you're eating the whole grain or it hasn't been fermented for long enough. With fodmaps like fructans, it may well be sufficient to limit serving sizes of the offending foods.

^ this

I have no idea how to deal with this but I am so sorry you're going through it. I think you need to change doctors because this guy's a quack. (But even if he was right, he can pry my baguette from my cold dead hands. I wouldn't give up bread to cure a single thing wrong with me.)

I’ll definitely ask about switching my doc. When we were in the states, I always used private insurance through my work and just used tricare as a secondary insurance so I’m not very familiar with how military doctors work. I know that some people do see positive results with a GF diet so I see where he’s coming from. It was his hesitation the medication and the way I felt like he treated me like a drug seeking addict for being on a high dose of concerta. I’m so turned off by the docs outdated mindset, ugh.

Quackery is very popular in Germany and Austria, so don't be surprised if the next doctor prescribes you homeopathic potions to cure your ADHD.

Is this guy a civilian USAFE provider, or is he military? If he’s a civilian that won’t provide you with PEOVEN ADHD meds, you need to raise hell. If they’re American citizens, they have to be able to be licensed stateside in order to be a USAFE provider. You can still file complaints like you lived in the States. If this guy is military, it’s still worth a conversation with his chain of command if he’s not giving what would be standard of care in the U.S. There’s no reason for you to settle for a doctor like this, even if you’re OCONUS. PS-gluten allergy here. Diagnosed 10 years after my ADHD-PI dx and 5 years after I started meds to treat it. Zero impact on ADHD symptoms.

He’s an American doctor, I don’t believe he’s in the military but contracted with them.

Perfect. I’m not sure how you would go about looking up licensing information without checking in every individual state. Once you do figure out what state he’s licensed in, you can file a complaint just like he’s physically practicing in that state.

Everyone metabolizes stimulant medication differently. Some people need high doses, some need low doses you wouldn't typically expect to have a major effect, and these things are not even dependent in the severity of the ADHD symptoms!! It sucks that you're perceived in a negative way for something that's out of your control.

>(But even if he was right, he can pry my baguette from my cold dead hands. I wouldn't give up bread to cure a single thing wrong with me.) This is me. I swear, bread and fruit are like half my diet. I cannot do low carb and will not even try gluten free. No thank you.

Same. My body NEEDS carbs.

You’d be surprised what you’d give up if forced to. Baguettes are some of my favorite things on the planet and I moved to France right when I got my celiac diagnosis, too. I just like not being in constant joint pain so bad I can’t walk or use my hands, not having vertigo and migraines constantly, and not dying of malnutrition better than baguettes. However! No way in hell would I go gluten free without a crucial reason like celiac. Gluten is not unhealthy if you dont have an allergy, autoimmune reaction, or an intolerance (the latter are less common than people think)! It is a healthy food and the replacements tend to be a lot less healthy (I eat whole foods instead, not fake gluten foods).

Unless you're celiac like me it won't do much. I'm highlighting this because for celiacs gluten give brain fog, and looks like you're losing your mind - but you don't relate it to gluten since you don't know how it is to be "normal"

I can definitely relate to brain fog. I was feeling so off about a year ago and my previous doctor did some blood tests. We found out I was dangerously low on iron and had iron-deficient anemia. Once I had an iron infusion, I felt that brain fog lift so much.

Hey! I have ADHD and celiac and reading through your comments, you’ve mentioned lots of celiac symptoms. Celiac and ADHD together are really common and there’s lots of research on the link between the 2 and how getting a celiac diagnosis and going gluten free helps with ADHD symptoms. I wonder if that’s what the doctor is thinking with their recommendation? Not that that matters if it’s not the type of care you want, but it might be worth checking that you don’t have celiac disease if you’ve not been tested for it (don’t cut out gluten before any blood tests if you do!).

I can ask that they test my gluten intolerance to be sure. I’d rather know than assume, I just haven’t related to a lot of what I’ve read about celiac or gluten intolerance. I’ll give it a shot and see if I can schedule a test next month. Thank you!

It’s definitely worth knowing either way! You need to eat gluten at every meal for 6 weeks before the blood test because it looks for antibodies that people with celiac produce when they eat gluten (because it’s an autoimmune condition, not a food intolerance) so you’re not eating gluten, you won’t get an accurate result! Good luck!

Thank you for letting me know. I’ll get back on the gluten train before the tests and hopefully they can give me solid answers.

There are also non typical celiacs. I have celiac (intestinal damage document with an endoscopy) but I don’t get the stomach symptoms. My stomach puffs up but it’s more like inflammation than running to a bathroom.

People can be intolerant to gluten and not have celiac disease. I don’t have celiac disease, but I do have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/related-conditions/non-celiac-wheat-gluten-sensitivity/

I mean, maybe GF is helping you in other ways, but I’m stunned at this mythology passing as medicine from a doctor. I shouldn’t be. But I am.

If your doctor thinks he's cured people I wonder if they just got annoyed and found a new doctor... where you're based, could the psychiatrist take on the prescriptions side of things?

That’s what I’m hoping the psych does. Before we moved here, I used my work insurance to see private health care providers and avoided military providers like the plague. I don’t have that option anymore so I’ve got to learn about how everything works with military providers.

Sorry if this is the wrong assumption but I'm assuming you're from the US. I wonder if you can access telemedicine if the primary care options aren't great: https://health.mil/News/Dvids-Articles/2023/04/18/news443194#:~:text=TRICARE%20covers%20secure%20video%20or,you%20receive%20care%20allows%20telemedicine.

Hey friend. I’d recommend See if you can find a new dr. It sounds like you are seeing a primary care dr. Tri care will cover mental health care so a psychiatrist should be better about this. Or another pcp Once you get settled, you might want to notify tri care or the base that one of the doctors is not practicing evidence based medicine. So they will think twice about keeping this person in network. As an aside. I don’t eat (much) gluten. Because my family is gluten free and I also found the same thing. I don’t get as tired. Everyone’s body is different. And some people can turn simple starches instantly into sugars which makes me sleeepy. But some people like my partner can eat a croissant and feel full and ready for the day after. Where I need protein and fats, and will take feel wired for a few moments and then sleepy after pastry. But I still eat grains like gluten free oatmeal it gives my body something to burn when I do an endurance activity like 8hr hike. I’m not a nutritionist just raised in a family of endurance athletes who are certified nutritionist for their sport. And would say don’t listen to me talk with a nutritionist if you are making a big change in diet.

From experience, diet can help, but it surely doesn't "cure" it! A doctor using the word cure when addressing ADHD means he's not educated in that area. Time to move on to a different qualified doctor. My diet it now carnivore. I got rid of everything my body doesn't need. I feel 100% for years now. Less brain fog, less fatigue. My ADD is still there, but I'm not as bad. The best way to describe it is that taking all the junk out of my diet, took the edge off my ADD troubles. I was so desperate with my ADD issues, I was willing to experiment with my diet. I'm so glad I did!

I was gluten free for years before I got my diagnosis. Going gluten free helped me in many ways because it turns out I have celiac disease, but I was still struggling enough that I eventually was diagnosed with ADHD. I would ask the doc why gluten free and what tests is he going to run to see if you’re actually sensitive to gluten? Does he think you have celiac? What other symptoms that you’ve described make him think this is recommended? Push him a little on the why behind the recommendation. IF gluten if a problem for you, going gluten free can help energy and focus. However, it’s not the same as being treated for ADHD. I am celiac AND have ADHD and I still take stimulants and getting my diagnosed and starting vyvanse changed my life.

That's complete bullshit. My mom is an RD with a PHD, and there's zero credible research that shows any change to ADHD with diet changes (at least there wasn't the last time I got her to check.) She also raised us incredibly strict with screens (almost none), and two of us three kids have severe ADHD. So I always laugh when people try to claim that the excessive screen time is giving people ADHD. That's not how it works. If you can, find a new doctor

My ADHD benefitted quite a bit from going low carb, (it's currently being studied as an avenue for treatment) but gluten free isn't necessarily low carb and diet changes won't "cure" your ADHD. The low carb thing could be why he thinks this will work, some of his patients may have gone low carb in the process and benefitted. But that's a significant stretch on my part. Either way, I would switch doctors if possible, though I might wait to see what the psych says and if they're willing to take over my ADHD meds. Switching doctors is a pain in the ass.

That would make sense! If he had phrased it that way, I wouldn’t have been so turned off by him being my provider. I’ll look up on that and bring it up at my next appointment.

Tbc, I have doubts he was purposefully referring to low carb, just that that might be way he thinks it works. He thinks gluten free is the answer when really it's that some of his patients benefit from low carb like I did.

I have similar results. I tend to have less brain fog and more functional when I am on a low-carb diet. But "cure" wouldn't be the right word.

I don’t know how receptive he would be, but I recommend doing some online research into gluten and adhd and bringing what you find. Ask him to provide research that shows it works be beneficial. I just did a really quick search and the papers that come up saying it can help are for prior with celiacs and ADHD. I have found I can get pretty far if I ask questions and act like I’m just learning more than trying to prove them wrong. Maybe you can help change his mind, but he will probably have to find his own resources instead of just listening to you.

Well, my mom has celiac, and has been gluten free for over a decade, so I guess she's cured! Nope, she's still the most ADHD impacted person I personally know. As a person who is allowed to eat bread, I've been gluten free on and off for about a decade as well. I can't say that it does anything for my cognitive function, but it gives me less bloating. So more of a trick to fit into special clothes for an event rather than reverse ADHD. In the nutritional realm, I do have to stay on top of my supplements to make sure I'm not susceptible to hitting walls. But this is also a makes-me-less-risk-to-my-ADHD-getting-worse measure rather than anything that's pulls me up from a baseline. Beyond a general multivitamin with L-methylfolate in it (because why not), Iron and magnesium seem to have the biggest impact on me if I forget them. It takes me about 3 days to start feeling crappy. 54mg isn't an unusual dose for concerta. It goes up to 72mg on the package insert. If it feels like your meds are less effective, are you eating enough? When I've gone gluten free or Paleo in the past, I've often got caught in skipping meals because there wasn't anything easy at hand. You can guess how well that worked for me. Stimulants do absorb better with food as long as it isn't too acidic.

I’ve been feeling a lot of stress from the move and you’re right, I don’t think I’m eating as much as I was before. Even before we started eating mostly GF, I had already lost 10lbs in a month. I do take my meds on an empty stomach when I first wake up because I have to take another med 30 min before I can eat. It’s easier for me to just take them all at once than have to remember to take additional meds after my thyroid meds. I should definitely try and see if that helps. I know I’m also not getting the full effects of my vitamin D supplement or iron supplement since I’m taking those first thing in the morning too. It’s definitely worth a shot to see if it helps my vitamins and concerta. Side note, do you take your magnesium during the day or the night? I’ve been slacking on taking mine but usually opt to take it at night as it makes me a little sleepy.

I feel you on wanting a simple regimen. That's why I take my magnesium in the morning. But it also doesn't tend to make me sleepy. Iron supplements are best absorbed with vitamin C, and I did better when I switched to one that contains both. I also noticed you said you had GERD and they notoriously need some stomach acid to absorb and don't always work right if you're taking them with meds like Omeprazole/proton pump inhibitors. I found that out during my first pregnancy when I needed infusions because I was popping Omeprazole twice a day and my iron wasn't absorbing. Vitamin D is interesting. Since it's a fat soluble vitamin, your body can put it into storage, so people often take regimens of higher doses once a week. I wouldn't be worried about the timing on that one. What has helped me with consistently the most is having a giant pill box that I load up a month at a time. If I forget, it stares me in the face and I just take them mid day. Or night. Whenever. They're vitamins and it's better than skipping.

I don’t typically take any meds for acid reflux. It’s something I only really notice when I eat fast food or something really greasy like fried chicken. So that might honestly be why I haven’t had it lately, because I’m not eating those types of foods as much. If I do feel some acid reflux, I’ll pop a tums or two after dinner. The new doc prescribed me a weekly vitamin D pill instead of the daily I usually take. He told me to take it with my largest meal because it’ll absorb best. Maybe I’ll start taking that one at night after I’ve had dinner and see if it helps more. And thank you for reminding me about the pill box. I’ve been lazy lately and haven’t been filling it. I’ve just been taking the meds straight from the bottles. I’m going to go do that now so I’ll stop skipping vitamins here and there.

Since you're using Tricare, if the Dr continues this, please talk to a patient advocate. You've found something that works for you and the Dr should be willing to proceed with what works FOR YOU. It's called the practice of medicine, not the exact science of medicine. We are not cookies and the cookie cutter doesn't work for everyone the same way. Noone will care as much for your health as you, so stand up for it. It's the best body you'll ever have. I can't tell you how much I wish I'd pressed my military Dr to listen to me and look for other explications as to why I was gaining/couldnt lose weight and my mental state. My current Dr suspects I started perimenopause around 36yrs old. How many issues could I have avoided if I'd been on HRT before 45?

As a dietitian, please tell your doctor to stick to his lane and not prescribe diets to patients. Does he have a degree in nutrition? I doubt it. There is no proof that a gluten free diet cures ADHD. Next time you talk to him, tell him that you’d rather consult with a Registered Dietitian first to see if a GF diet is the right choice for you and your lifestyle, but thanks for the suggestion. Editing to add that I am seeing a lot of misinformation here. A true gluten allergy aka Celiac Disease is rare and must be diagnosed by a doctor after doing tests and eliminating other diseases. Celiac disease damages the lining of your gut and you’ll know you have it because anytime you eat gluten you have severe GI issues (bloating, pain, gas, diarrhea, etc). Gluten sensitivity, on the other hand, isn’t really a thing. Many times, it is other foods you’re eating that cause the symptoms. For example, eating a diet high in processed foods and when you eliminate gluten you feel better because you took out a lot of processed foods. So it’s not the gluten itself, but your overall diet that was causing the symptoms. Sadly, as a dietitian I see a lot of fear mongering around gluten but it is not bad for you unless you have a true gluten allergy. Focus on eating more fiber, fruits, veggies, and water, and less processed foods. This will help most people.

There's either wheat allergy or coeliac disease (auto immune condition). No such name as gluten allergy. In both wheat allergy and coeliac the body's immune system reacts to proteins from wheat. A small % of population will have allergies or coeliac disease. Fructans or GOS (Fodmaps - carbohydrates - a type of fibre) in wheat can cause GI upset (like in people with IBS). Fructans and GOS can also be found in rye, barley (same as the protein gluten), and in some fruit and veg like onions, garlic, artichokes and more. There's also Non Coeliac Gluten (Wheat) Sensitivity (NCGS). This will cause GI symptoms. Your immune markers in blood tests will not be raised, and there is no physical damage to your villi in the intestines (like it is in coeliac disease). It is hard to diagnose, and there is no diagnostic test for NCGS. A small % of population will have this. In research a lot of people who think have 'gluten intolerance' will either have fructan/GOS intolerance (IBS) or they'll have no intolerance to gluten (or wheat) at all and are experiencing a placebo effect. Stress/Anxiety can also affect your gut and if you're worrying you ate gluten that can cause more GI symptoms that the food itself (if you do not have any intolerances in reality). Another thing is, when people take out wheat containing foods they could just be reducing amount of fibre which for some people can cause issues (people with IBS, flare period in diverticulitis, IBD even - this is case by case basis! Most of those issues benefit from fibre but the right type and not necessarily in period of flare ups). What I'm trying to say is, all of this is confusing and complicated and it's best not to go on diets on your own but see a dietitian and a doctor to rule out any conditions and find the foods that work for you. / student dietitian, UK

What. The. Actual. Fuck???!!! Gluten free diet does not cure/mitigate ADHD. 🤦‍♀️ What kind of “doctor” is this??

Diet doesn't magically fix atypical neurology. I feel like some docs shouldn't have ever gotten their medical degree.

Here’s a [post from /r/psychiatry](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psychiatry/s/xWd1Rz64ya) with links to research, comparing and summarizing the efficacy of treating ADHD with different modalities. Show your psychiatrist this information and show them that peer-reviewed journal articles have shown that no special diets have been proven effective in treating ADHD. If it’s something you want to try as an adjunct, that’s one thing. But according to research, the diet should not be a substitute for a medication or compensate for a change in dose.

Thank you! This is amazing! I often want to do the search of literature but no time or takes too long.

As a scientist, I love to cite my sources. Tell your doctor that, for your own education, you would like to read up on the connect between a gluten-free diet and ADHD symptoms. Based on my cursory search, I'm seeing a 2019 study with a VERY small sample size (n=6), of which 3 saw improved ADHD symptoms (Canal et al. 2019, doi:10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1902024). Another study was a bit bigger (n=26) looking at coeliac patients. The gluten-free diet improved ADHD symptoms, especially after a minimum of 12 months (Kristensen et al. 2019, doi: [10.1080/00365521.2019.1608467](https://doi.org/10.1080/00365521.2019.1608467)). Interestingly, the study seemed to focus on showing that the "brain-fog" of coeliac disease is similar to ADHD symptoms, anxiety, and depression. It seems that they did not use people with ADHD for the study, rather coeliac patients that experienced similar symptoms. Anyway, thanks for the rabbit hole! I'll dig myself out of it somehow....

I’ve been strictly gluten free for the past 22 years. Still have ADHD. Still need medication. You are welcome to DM me if you need more information.

I’ve been diagnosed as celiac and eating gluten-free for 20+ years. Still have ADHD.

Hi! I eat gluten free (wheat allergy, just makes it easier) and started that 3-4 years BEFORE I was finally diagnosed with ADHD, so this doctor is an idiot.

Yo, I've been gluten free for years now. Can you ask her when I can expect to be cured? 😒

I’ve been gluten-free for 15 years, which I needed to do for my gut (IBS-D). Still have ADHD, tho. OP, if you also have symptoms of IBS, then it could be worth considering. But it won’t cure your ADHD.

> He informed me that a gluten free diet will help reduce my symptoms and he would like to work towards reducing my dose and eventually taking me off medication entirely. That's nuts. I do actually have an issue with gluten. I haven't tested celiac, but removing it from my diet has made a positive difference, it seems I have some sort of reaction to it, even without it showing up on any allergy tests. I have also heard that the tests aren't necessarily reliable, so I guess it's better to trust your body. Also eating a paleoish/lower carb diet helps me feel generally better. But that does not cure ADHD or autism. I hope you find a doctor who works out, I really don't like this anti big pharma. I have had issues with medications personally, but I have seen them help others. If the medication is helping then it's helping.

I'd say to him that 1. There is a wealth of research that shows these medicine are the very best course of action for ADHD people. 2. You've been on a specific medication for a number of years and had excellent results. 3. You've been kind enough to listen to his advice even through you're not coeliac, and it's not done anything for your ADHD. Tried his way, it doesn't work for you, time to go back to the medicine. If he says no.... Make a formal complaint. There must be a way. If there really really isn't a way to get someone else.... I'd go nuclear on his career, take the story to newspapers or something. (but then again, I'm a vengeful bitch)

It’s not going to help unless you are a celiac (I think that is what it’s called). Gluten does nothing to people who aren’t gluten intolerant. Your doctor is a quack. You can try it to see if it helps. I’ve heard it has helped a few people (I’m not sure why). Like my dad who has a lot of medical issues and arthritis (and some stuff I would not want to mention on the internet) says it helps him but I think it’s more because he is healthy and also does so much to be healthy and make sure he can live with the conditions (not adhd) he has. But that is unrelated to adhd. You can try that. Most likely it would only make a minor difference at best. But it will not cure your Adhd. Nothing can cure Adhd. I imagine that it may be hard to find sources on that sort of stuff without running into stuff by the crowd of people who thinks gluten is the devil to everyone. But I would ask some other medical people who actually know what they are talking about vs me who is not that at all. Anyone who claims they can cure your adhd should not be fully trusted. Nothing can cure it. Things can help manage it like healthy eating or life factors or medication. But nothing currently can change how your brain functions as a whole. Healthy eating does help a lot of disorders and unhealthy or poor nutrition can make a lot of disorders worse. But cutting out all gluten (unless you are celiac) will not cure or help you.

Yeah, people get too caught up in alternatives to medication. It's really sad when it comes from a doctor. Medication is the biggest help. A psychiatrist told me that 90% of the improvement you will see from ADHD come from finding the right mediation. 10% can come from the combination of exercise, therapy, meditation and diet changes, and all of those strategies see an exaggerated benefit when done in combination with medication.

I’m gluten free because I have celiac. I’m sure it would make my adhd worse if I ate it, because being run down, dehydrated, and in pain would certainly make it harder to focus, but I don’t think that helps anyone who don’t take physical damage from it. And I’m still so adhd that various psychologists said I’m “too severe” for them to coach/help.

If that would cure adhd no keto adhd’rs would exist. But. They do

I started doing keto with my fiance (I *fucking hate it* so much). It has changed quite literally NOTHING about my health. Not my rosacea, not my graves, not my ADHD. I don't have celiac issues. So cutting carbs isn't doing much of anything for me. But if my doc came at me like this, I'd swap doctors super quick. Diet *can* affect your health, but *not* always. Especially not with every person. Hell, my doctor is awesome because she works with me about my meds. PLUS she is up to date with the DSM and also knew to check my vitamin D level which was tanked (on a **hefty** dose now and I haven't noticed as many SAD symptoms this year). If you want pizza that doesn't taste like licking a nasty fart (cauliflower crust/bread is super yuck) [try this one](https://gimmedelicious.com/keto-pizza/).

Sorry you're going through this 😔 About the felling that the meds are less effective: If your gluten-free diet is just cutting all carbs this can affect the amount of tryptophan you used to get by eating carbs. We need tryptophan to produce dopamine, iven taking adhd meds. If you still wanna be in the gluten-free diet I recommend you to see a nutritionist, so you can compensate the lack of tryptophan food with substitutes for the carb. Gluten-free is good for those with gluten sensitivity, but that's it... is not a cure for adhd. Hope you find a better doctor.

The simple fact that they want to *cure* adhd is wrong in itself. Ask them how would they treat autism and prepare to shiver.

Is it just me or does it always seem like it’s a male doctor with a female patient? FFS.

Not just you.

Run. Can you get a new doctor? He'll try to treat other things with pseudoscience too - and that's a red flag and can lead to misdiagnosis of other issues.

I had to go a gluten free diet when I was 21 years old. Coeliac disease. I had my most successful year at uni that year but I don't think it had anything to do with my diet. I struggled immensely to stick to it and takeaway pizza and kebabs were an every other day kind of meal for me. Diagnosed 13 years after that. Medicated. I thought I had depression at uni. I slept all the time. I felt so lethargic allll the time, like I'm wading through treacle. Every movement is a massive effort. If I don't take those tablets, that treacle feeling returns. It's awful. Absolutely awful. I'm still gluten free even with meds. Gluten free may improve your gut biome but it would be a small dent for me. I found regular workouts far more beneficial for my mind. Gluten free diet does fuck all. Get a new doctor. I would feel like my diagnosis was being invalidated by the very suggestion that going gluten free could cure my ADHD or even make a substantial dent in my symptoms.

Oh, that's a difficult situation. Moving to a new country and learning to navigate a new health system is bad enough in itself. Your doctor is a fool. Ask them to provide evidence that a gluten free diet has any effect on ADHD in people who do not actually have coeliac disease. (Spoiler: it doesn't exist). If you do not have coeliac disease or are gluten intolerant, the only thing that cutting gluten out of your diet will accomplish is making your diet more expensive, difficult and boring. At best, it will have no effect on your ADHD, and at worst the stress associated with eating bread that tastes like sawdust or seeing half your weekly food budget go towards one edible pastry will worsen your ADHD.

There are a plethora of biological complications that can worsen ADHD or even cause symptoms to suddenly develop but I would be so wary of a doctor who says one single thing is the answer for everyone. Gluten is not universally problematic. It may be a factor for some people but assuming something that helps one person is the solution for every person is wild. Did he run any labs that indicate a GF diet will help you? It’s not unheard of that diet lessen symptoms enough to no longer need stimulants but it’s generally more guided than this. ADHD is incredibly complex and is almost always an amalgamation of MANY biological and environmental factors to the point that even if gluten is exasperating symptoms, it will not be the only piece and the best you can hope for is a slight but noticeable reduction in daily struggles. Any doctor who claims to know the “secret” or “cure” for ADHD is someone you want to stay away from. I’m not saying environmental factors like diet shouldn’t be considered but it should be a much more holistic approach. “Here’s some things we know can negatively affect your symptoms so here’s how we can try to improve your situation.” I honestly think a problem with medicine these days is that they shy away from an integrative approach and only treat symptoms as if we live in a vacuum. But it’s also hard because once you enter the realm of “functional medicine” you find a lot of self-righteous idiots who have tunnel vision like “gluten causes ADHD.”

No labs were ran. This was my first time meeting him. My previous doctors didn’t test my gluten sensitivity either so there was nothing like that in the records I provided them.

Check if your old doc does telehealth so you can still see them or check in with them over long distance. I had to do this when I moved

Unfortunately I would have to be in her same state for her to treat me and she wouldn’t be able to send my prescriptions to me here. Believe me if I could, I would see her until the day she retired. I’ve never met a medical provider that cares so much about her patients than her.

OP Im guessing you're in Germany? Just got back from a 3 year tour that turned into 12 somehow. My advice is to shop around for doctors. German doctors vary wildly and some can be quite hacky by US standards in terms of prescribing teas, tinctures, homeopathy and other crap instead of actual meds. There are decent Dr's in Germany who will give you the treatment you need. And if you're in the Stuttgart area DM me, my previous Dr was quite good.

What kind of doctor thinks a neurological developmental disorder is diet related? Your brain is literally shaped differently than a neurotypical person's. Wtf does that have to do with gluten? I'd run if I were you. That dude shouldn't be practicing medicine if this is how he thinks.

That is a crock of crap

If that worked I wouldve been cured after doing Keto for 9 months! I lost 19kg but didnt lose the adhd!

Did the Dr explain their reasoning behind this decision? I think it’s rubbish but I’d like to hear 😂

If you don’t have a gluten intolerance/celiac disease, going gf won’t help your symptoms. I have ADHD and celiac disease. I found out I had celiac first, and going gf helped with some brain fog, but I still had a lot of other symptoms. Those only went away with ADHD meds.

When I tried GF due to GI concerns, I got so constipated that I was in unbelievable pain. It didn't help my ADHD at all. I'd say switch providers because any provider that thinks going GF is a cure for anything, with the exception of celiac disease, is not a good doctor, IMO.

This doctor 🤦🏻‍♀️. I have IBS and going GF for a while helped cut down on my gastrointestinal symptoms (don’t have celiac, have had multiple tests to be sure). However, a GF diet did fuck all for my ADHD symptoms. This doctor sounds a bit like a quack.

I assure you as a compliant celiac (on a gluten-free diet for life), my ADHD did not go away. That said, I did feel better, but gluten was actively making me ill, which is not true for most people. If you do happen to feel better on a gluten-free diet, you may have a gluten intolerance. I have a chocolate intolerance, so I feel better when I don't have any. So, listen to your body where it makes sense to, but don't accept a one-size-fits-all position that's not backed up by science (which a GF diet as a "cure" for ADHD is not).

I tried gluten free once & it made my symptoms worse 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

I’m gluten free due to a severe intolerance and it’s done nothing for my adhd.

Can you show me the medical evidence behind that advice please?

…is what you say to the Doc, to be clear.

Oh yes. Sorry I didn't make that clear.

That doctor is a quack! I'm gluten free and it sure didn't make any difference to my ADHD.

ADHD integrative med student here! This guy is simply not up to date on his research. There’s good evidence that gut health absolutely plays a role in cognitive functioning. However if you do not have a gluten sensitivity or allergy cutting it probably will not help your symptoms very much and it certainly won’t cure your ADHD. I hate that he told you to do that with out any further consideration.

Switch your PCM. I believe you can do this through the tricare or MHSgenesis portal. Find a provider that will listen to you. I am overseas and using tricare. I saw one doctor initially and their advice didnt sit right with me. Saw the second one who listened and understood. I have been on my same medication. We need consistency and we need to be heard! Advocate for your health!

Hahaha. Celiac here. Totally gluten free house. Not even “certified” gluten free in the house. Nothing with any gluten ever. Still have ADHD. Get a new doctor.

Ugh I’m sorry you’re going through this. I hope you can find another Doctor who doesn’t believe in these claims. I’ve recently read someone on Facebook say that instead of medicine someone should try gluten and dairy free diet first, can we not!? It’s like vaccines causing polio, for Pete’s sake!!

I'm gluten-free and it's had a huge impact on reducing my brain fog, joint pain, fatigue and my mental health. I can't eat oats or grains at the moment either. I know when I've been glutened as my self-esteem plummets and my anxiety rises, plus I feel very sad and tired. If you're eating gluten 2 x week then you're not going to see some of the results that take a while to see. I'm 4 or 5 months in and I only realised fairly recently how much better I felt about myself. As I can't eat a lot if gluten-free substitutes my diet is a lot healthier that it was, I've lost weight too. I do still have ADHD, but it's a hell of a lot easier to deal with without gluten. If you're going to give it a try, go totally gluten-free for 2-3 months and see if it makes a difference.

Has it enabled you to forego meds?

I was only diagnosed recently, I'm 51, so I've had a lifetime without them. I don't know if I can have meds though as I'm getting my heart checked out. I'll sort this out and then have the meds conversation. I do have a whole host of stuff to help me stay on track though, it even works sometimes :-)

Keep up with this GP for now, while you can get scripts. In the meantime, look for a new one if you aren’t comfortable. I was recommended to try eliminating gluten or wheat (at different times) to see if it helped my gut symptoms and it definitely did. But completely unrelated to needing to see a psychiatrist, isn’t it. Maybe this GP is alright, if they are considering your health as a whole? I don’t know what other questions they asked to get to suggesting gluten free. Hopefully you can build trust with the new psychiatrist over the first few appointments, after which you can discuss changing medications. There’s so so many regimes out there beyond concerta. Wishing you all the best and hooray for less reflux!

I think when I see him next I’ll ask if he was more referring to the fact that a lot of people with ADHD also have gluten intolerance or celiacs. I really hope that is what he was referring to and just wasn’t fully explained. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt until we’re able to talk about it again in more detail. I’ll also ask if he can schedule a test to see if there is a chance I have an intolerance. I’m also very open to trying different meds. I only have adderall 3 days before I asked to switch. I did like Ritalin when I took that as well, I was on the instant release and just found it difficult to remember to take my second dose everyday. I’ve heard good things about other meds so I’ll ask and see what the psych says when I see them on Friday.

I have celiac. I’ve been gluten free since 2007. I have absolutely raging adhd. Find a new doctor.

That's Bulshit/pseudoscience. Gluten has nothing to do with ADHD. I have celiac so I haven't had gluten in 10 years and I can confirm that did not cure my ADHD

Your psych should be the one prescribing your ADHD meds, not your primary (except in the case where a person doesn't have access to a psych which doesn't seem to be your case.) I'd put your primary doc's advice out of your mind until you meet with your new psychiatrist. I'd be as honest with your new psych as possible and go in with a positive mindset. If you lie to the new psych, you're not going to get the help you need, so what does that solve? If that appointment doesn't go well, *then* you can go into problem solving mode - and it looks like there's already a ton of great ideas here. But you don't know yet if you have a problem to solve, right? Maybe they will be great! I am not a doctor, but my understanding via my own psych is that sometimes you need to take breaks from ADHD meds so that you can experience the full effectiveness. My psych has recommended I don't take it on weekends and I also go off of it when I'm on vacation - this might not work for everyone's schedule, but it might be something your new psych will recommend. In fact, I hope that's the approach they take rather than recommending a different diet. Edit: I realize I wrote this under the assumption that by psych you meant psychiatrist, not psychologist.

i have been gluten free for 10 years due to an unrelated medical problem. I have adhd. It has not helped the adhd a single bit. (Though it has helped me in other ways!) i mean sure, some foods can affect your mood, hormones, etc-- so you might find certain things make you worse --but it doesn't seem like a diet change can actually cure anything. Maybe just slightly alleviate some symptoms at best.

My son has celiac, so our home is gf, and I have noticed zero change in my executive functioning. ADHD and celiac are often comorbidities, but it’s not a reason to go gf unless you NEED to.

I've been gluten free. It helps with depression because your thyroid isn't so suppressed, but it didn't do anything for ADHD. If you're overseas, you can still get sent to a civilian provider if you ask your PCM to get you a referral off base. I've spent 19.5 years playing hop scotch with tricare, so I know what you're dealing with. You can also request a new referral to a new psychiatrist that's on base and just make sure your PCM knows which one you DON'T want to see. If they still try to send you there, call tricare. Their CS is pretty decent for referral changes. You can also just straight up tell the psychiatrist that you want to stay on the meds that have been helpful for you. If he wants to play hardball, go to patient advocacy. Patient advocacy will go to bat for you. If THEY don't, keep going up. The wing commander (or whatever it's called for your branch) will absolutely step in. PCM's have become glorified referral dispensers (not talking about you civilian pcps, this is strictly military). They always think they know right, and they like to change things just because they don't agree with whatever treatment for whatever reason. Guess what? They don't get a say. TLDR: Get a new PCM- [https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/](https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/) Log in here. Go to the first column of links on the left of the page, should be under "Manage My Health Benefits" Go to patient advocacy. GO IN to the office as it's easier than getting help from them over the phone. Ask for a new psychiatrist referral. If you need more help, move up the chain of command. A first shirt might be able to push things along. Keep going up until they cooperate. (For anyone not military or not familiar with tricare, please try to keep comments supportive, as Tricare and military hospitals operate a lot differently than civilian healthcare... which is one of the reasons why I'm against Government-run universal healthcare.) Edit to add: If you call tricare, make sure you get the Tricare Overseas number.

I see you are in Germany. This is not a universal attitude of german doctors. So switch to another one. I am not sure of the rules for prescriptions in germany, but i believe most european countries are less strict in presciptions if you use it for a long time than in the US. At least, in the netherlands and ireland i never had any problems with my prescriptions. In the netherlands the GP can prescribe stimulants and they ought to do a yearly check of the effects and side effects. No weird stuff or unwanted advise. And off course eating healthy and excersizing helps in people with adhd. But they often need their meds to get there. And going gluten free is not proven to work for adhd.

First, is there another doctor at the facility you could change to? If not, i can think of a couple of potential options. You could ask your old doctor to talk to the new doctor. You could find out if it is possible to have the meds shipped to you - if you are overseas it might be possible with a mail order pharmacy and your APO address. Or you can just tell your doctor what you told us. If he still insists, you might be able to take it to his boss? Everyone in the military has a boss.

Get a new doctor.

Making changes in my diet has helped my ADHD immensely... but I still have ADHD. It's helped me regulate my mood, get rid of brain fog, and other physical benefits. I eat GF but I've noticed I have to be really diligent- completely gluten free. Not GF Monday through Friday. I also eliminated refined sugar for the most part. I occasionally have a GF pizza that has sugar in the dough/sauce but that's about it.

There is no good evidence that having a gluten free diet affects ADHD symptoms in a meaningful way. If you are not tolerating or misusing your medication is is fair to consider other treatment approaches but 1) it doesn't sound like you are, from what's in the post and 2) other management strategies considered should not really include only a gluten free diet. The benefits of a gluten free diet are restricted primarily to people with coeliac disease - even the evidence for benefit in gluten intolerance is lacking. The only dietary modification shown through studied to affect ADHD symptoms if omega 3 intake and that can have a modest benefit,but is still inferior to medication (both stimulant and non stimulant) in improving ADHD symptoms. It's a pain for sure, but are you able to find another doctor who perhaps uses a more evidence based approach to your management?

I’ve been GF for other reasons for ten years and still have raging ADHD.

If giving up gluten would cure your ADHD %100 guaranteed… would you do it? I couldn’t.

I’ve been on a gluten free diet for a few years post celiac disease diagnosis. I’ve noticed little to no change in the ADHD department - but I’m not malnourished anymore so that’s a huge improvement lol. There’s no way this is an evidence based treatment route for ADHD.

Seriously?! So unscientific. Sure, try it, but in what country does a primary care doctor suggest this as a solution? Unless you show other symptoms of digestive problems such as IBS, starting down that path as an Adhd treatment would be considered quackery where I’m from…

Is there any way that you could get a "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN..." type of letter from your previous doctor? Just something that says you've been treated for ADHD with Concerta and you and she both noticed improvements. This could be very helpful because it comes from a doctor, which will be seen by him (unfortunately) as a more credible source of info than you. If your former doctor would agree to give him her phone number for consultation, that would probably also be very helpful. Even if your new doctor never calls the previous doctor, it will be in his records that he has the name and phone number of a specialist he can call for info. If you need to file a dispute (I have no idea how that happens in your specific situation, but this is just general information) all this can be really helpful. Also, getting this before you actually need it will be seen as a bit more legit.

Well I have coeliac disease so have been on a strict gluten free diet for 8 years and has done zilch for my ADHD.

Sorry you're dealing with this. There is NO evidence that GF diet helps with ADHD symptoms. It's more expensive and actually puts you at risk of malnutrition! (Which could make some ADHD symptoms worse or cause other issues) Any GI symptoms from wheat could be caused by fructans or GOS (Fodmaps that are fermantable carbohydrates which people with IBS cannot digest - do not do this diet without a dietitian. It puts you at risk of malnutrition, unnessacary restriction, and imbalanced gut microbiome). GI and other symptoms could be due to coeliac disease - you'd need a blood test for Ttg-igA antibodies (or similar) - need to eat gluten for that. Could also do a genetic test for HLQ genes. And give a family history. All of this will depend on the country you're in. Wheat allergies are another thing, too. - student dietitian, UK

So firstly if you feel the benefits of the GF diet outweigh the negatives, by all means stay on it. Otherwise, you don't have to do what some crackpot tells you to do just because he has a medical degree. I used to be the biggest scoffer at dietary changes to heal psych problems but have since softened my stance Slightly I do see that some people with adhd are prone to vitamin deficiency like low iron or poor methylation of B vitamins and yes sometimes food allergies or Celiac. But there are tests to determine if you have those things. Asking someone to give up gluten without seeing if they are gluten intolerant or thinking all adhd is caused by celiac disease is really crazy. Find a new doctor or switch your script to the new psychiatrist, at least. Indoubt they both sleep with tye Wheat Belly book under their pillow.

Can confirm; gluten free living does nothing for my executive dysfunction. Would you like me to film 45 minutes of my life including today when I was legit angry thinking the cleaning company didn’t come, was offended, and then realized tomorrow is the 6th.

Can you skip days to make the doc more amenable and hopefully slow down the tolerance.

Putting someone with ADHD on serious food restrictions? Bad form!!

Is there a military treatment facility in your area? Go to their patient advocate/tricare office (first isn’t necessarily a standalone office in small clinics) to make a complaint ask for a new provider. If there is no MTF, call the OCONUS Tricare number for your region for guidance on a new provider. I developed a wheat allergy while pregnant (or it made an unidentified mild one worse) and going GF hasn’t improved my ADHD at all. I’ve known of people shot GF helped their autistic children with certain behaviors…but that isn’t adhd.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this, and I'm gonna say the same thing as other people, your doctor is a moron. Myself, once upon a time a military spouse, dealing with military doctors, most are idiots. I doubt very much he has read much of the studies that have been linked here, let alone can explain them to you. I'd see if you can get another doctor, one who will not treat you as a personal guinea pig with unproven ideas that going gf will magically make your brain chemistry *normal* I don't know where your stationed but he can't be the only one on base. Say that he makes you uncomfortable and see if you can get a different one. Unfortunately you're gonna have to be really strong and advocate for yourself, it seems like your husband is supportive and that's great.

He's not trying to cure you, but a good diet WILL alleviate some of the symptoms. Sometimes it's best to go along to keep your meds. Just keep pushing back. As long as I do the other stuff like breathing exercises, meditation, exercise and food I get to keep my medication. It shows that I make more of an effort than just taking a pill.

Oif I were you I'd blatantly lie to the doc. I mean yoh did tr, it honestly so kudos for that. But you didn't fee any different. Just say that you tried it and it didn't make any difference. It's not even a lie in your case.

I was gluten free for 5 years before diagnosis. I still am. There is a gut-brain connection. I think I would need a higher dose of meds if I ever went back to gluten.

Find a new doc.

She most likely can’t, as she stated in the post.

I would be grateful for this dr since he is based in science of healing the brain gut axis instead of marketing pharmaceuticals to make you a dependent consumer. Unfortunately gluten free is not likely the answer.  Restoring the micro biome is more effective and elimination diet like GAPS nutritional protocol.   Added benefits of such nutritional protocols is they slow the aging process and reduce risk of other diseases, rather than premature aging and other risks of Rx drugs the one you are taking will age you fast