On Maria Menounos’ “Heal Squad” podcast, Jennifer Esposito has talked about a difficult health battle that she says changed her life and career. The 53-year-old Blue Bloods star recalled years of unexplained health problems that left her “deeply depressed”. She even opened up about struggling with suicidal thoughts before her celiac disease diagnosis.
Jennifer Esposito says her celiac disease battle devastated her health
She shared on the Maria Menounos’ “Heal Squad” podcast that as doctors tried to figure out what was wrong, she was put on several medications and even faced the possibility of shock treatment. “They brought me to a psychologist, like they had me on every medication,” she recalled. “They wanted to give me shock treatment at one point because I wasn’t responding.”
Her physical health also started to get worse. While working on Samantha Who?, Esposito said she lost her hair and fingernails. The actress shared, “A tooth fell out of my mouth, like literally in the middle of a scene.” She continued, “I was mortified but also had been so ill that I just — I went hysterical. Like, somebody has to help me.”
Esposito claimed misdiagnosis, and that doctors considered several possible conditions, including multiple sclerosis and irritable bowel syndrome.
After years of searching for answers, eventually, the doctor diagnosed her with celiac disease. She recalled the doctor telling her, “I’m not sure how you’re alive.” According to Esposito, her condition had become so severe that her liver was failing. Celiac disease is a condition where the body reacts badly to gluten and damages the small intestine.
Even after getting the diagnosis, recovery was difficult. Jennifer Esposito said she became extremely sensitive to light and was taking four Klonopin pills a day. However, she was still struggling with severe trembling. According to Esposito, about two months after her diagnosis, she ended up in a psychiatric ward after telling a doctor she felt like she was “jumping out of my skin.” She said she was taken there under the name “Betty Franklin.”
“I will say it was seven of the most excruciating hours of my entire life because I was yet again pleading for my sanity,” she recalled. Looking back, Esposito now believes her diagnosis forced her to change her life. “Celiac disease saved my life. One hundred percent,” she said.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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