Picky Eater Probable Celiac

[Austins-Mom]

My son is 6, he wieghs 39 pds  and has not gained a pound in 3.5 years. He has always had cronic consipation, headaches,  Throwing up weekly, terribly smelly stools when he does poop, bad stomach pains that makes him hurl over in fetal postion screaming of pain, he has vitaligo ,which is a form of autoimmune diese, he has a rash, always icthy. He has had these problems since he was about 2, doctors said it was his vegas nerve that was sentive and being constipated. 

 

After some reasearch of my own, blood test that said Allergy Level was high and protien was low. I beleive he has Celiac.GI doctor said it was probable. We are waiting on a a biopsy to confirm. I have had him Gluten free for about  a week now and he is pooping regular and doesnt complain as about stomach. After eating gluten free yogurt he had a fit with tummy and complaining of heart hurting. So I have taken him off of dairy.

 

My question is do yawl think I on the right track? Also he is a very picky eater he will eat fruits and granola all day but I have a really hard time getting protien in him? Is there a childrens protien  supplement for children? Any advice is appreciated

[cyclinglady]

He needs to be on gluten until all testing is done per the University of Chicago Celiac Center and then you can remove the gluten.  Please research their website as they are one of the leaders in Celiac Disease Research and treatment.

 

By the way, granola is not gluten free as oats can be cross contaminated (unless it's certified gluten free granola).  

 

Welcome and search the forum for ideas and suggestions!   Read the newbie section under coping.  It's a great place to start.

[snowmom]

On the pickiness question, maybe our experience will provide some comfort: My DD is extremely picky, and she basically refused all food at many meals in the weeks before diagnosis without ever explaining why. We were on the total wrong track in trying to get the bottom of her food refusal, but fortunately her celiac was diagnosed through a routine screening related to another health condition. Once we initiated the gluten-free diet, she started eating normal to large quantities again (including lots of eggs, fruits, and veggies). DD still has a pretty limited range of foods that she likes, but she will now eat a TON of the food she does like.

 

I'm sure this varies hugely among kids, but the gluten-free diet basically cured our DD's lack of appetite within a week of starting it. Something to keep in mind if your child does turn out to have celiac.

 

As for the protein supplement question: does your GI have a dietitian in his practice that you can call? The dietitian should be able to offer some suggestions, and also flag other nutrient deficiencies that can arise on the gluten-free diet.

[blmoreschi]

Prior to diagnosis, one of our best ways to get a somewhat decent breakfast into our daughter was a Carnation Instant Breakfast. In our search to find a replacement for that, I ordered a product from VitaCost.com called Spiru-Tein for kids only (not sure on that spelling). I thought it was a perfectly suitable replacement, but our Miss Particular didn't agree. I don't know if she would have been less particular at age 6, but I think it's worth a try!

[kareng]

If you want him tested for Celiac, he must be eating gluten.

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How much gluten should be consumed prior to being screened for celiac disease?

It’s best to continue a normal, gluten-containing diet before being screened and diagnosed. If a gluten-free diet has been followed for more than a few weeks, then we recommend eating at least 1 serving of gluten (1/2 slice of bread or a cracker, for example) every day for 12 weeks prior to a blood test and 2 weeks prior to a biopsy. This is often referred to as a “gluten challenge” and should be done under the care of a medical professional.

[mommida]

What do you mean by picky eater?  PICA, iron defiency that causes the desire to chew non-food items, can seem like picky eating.  Chewing food and then spitting it out is a sign of pica.

[ArPlasma]

Just wanted to say hang in there! We dealt with unexplained stomach pain and headaches for a while too. 3.5 years without gaining a pound is a bit scary. Has his pediatrician started anything( tests) about it? Did he go through Celiac blood panel yet? If not, as others have mentioned he needs to stay on gluten diet until after biopsy for all of it to be valid.

I am so sorry you are going through this.

[Cara in Boston]

Yes to what everyone else said . . . especially about not changing his diet until all testing is done.  Sounds like he already had the endoscopy?  Then you are all set.

 

Just some encouragement:  my son was a picky eater until after his celiac diagnosis . . . a few months gluten free and he is now the most adventurous eater in the house.  I think he just didn't enjoy eating much because it seemed like every time he ate he didn't feel well.

 

Also - celiacs in the early stages of healing are often sensitive to dairy products.  Often, once the gut has healed, you can reintroduce dairy without a problem.

 

What about fruit smoothies with protein powder?  We do a lot of smoothies using coconut milk and I add greek yogurt for protein.  If you are avoiding dairy, try adding other sources. Peanut butter, frozen bananas, and coconut milk smoothies are delicious.