Gluten And/or Add?

[redheadheather]

I've been contacted by my son's teacher (he's 6 - first grade), who in turn contacted a teacher consulstant with regard to him. They are considering having him screened for ADD. I know that some symptoms of celiac/gluten intolerance are brain fog, concentration issues, etc. He very well may have ADD... but... how long do you guys think it would take for any issues with regard to gluten ingestion to clear up so we can rule that out as an issue? I hate the thought that the school is thinking ADD (I can kind of see some concentration issues... but HE's 6!)

Anyway - just kind of frustrated/nervous. Thanks for hearing me out.

[VydorScope]

Childern clear up extremly fast. How long has he been gluten-free? Has he been check for iron deficient anemia? That often shows up a s result of celiac disease and has very simular symptons to ADD.

How does he respond to CAFINE? Does he seem to focus BETTER or WORSE with sugar/cafine ?

As an adult with ADHD, I am here to answer whaterver questions I can fro you on this.

[Jnkmnky]

You don't have to submit your child to the testing, do you? I've heard that in some east coast schools they can deny a child in a school if the kid has been dx with add/adhd and the parent refuses to medicate the child. Frankly, I think there's too much medicating of the boys in this country. My celiac kid is wiggly and easily distracted. His teacher is old school, raised a boy herself, been teaching for three decades and says some boys itch to move. She's against medicating all these kids and the labels. Just be careful. I wouldn't allow my children to be tested and gain a label.

[Jnkmnky]

Open Original Shared Link

Just make sure you're in control of what goes on with your son. It's very easy to lose control when the "professionals" come in and start calling the shots. Teachers today are overburdened with large classroom, teaching mandates that can pull funding if students don't perform and more... It's easiest to teach kids who will sit still and not interrupt. 6 year olds should NEVER need medication to control their behavior for being distracted. It's a new and interesting world and they're simply taking it all in. This is my biggest issue with kids. My friend's daughter was medicated for adhd and turned to her mother one afternoon and said, "mommy, my imagination doesn't work anymore" That's insane.

[Kasey'sMom]

redheadheather,

I forgot are you doing CF with your soon as well?

When my dd eats a food she's intolerant to she get very easily irritated and impatient. She has a hard time sorting through her feelings and taking control over her emotions for several days after eating an offending food. She's been gluten-free for several months and her behavioral symptoms are much better as long as she stays away from gluten, casein etc. Now we can tell very quickly if she's eaten gluten or something she's allergic to. Her ped. said Jackyl & Hyde emotions are very common with celiac children. Most of the time she's very loving and easy to get along with but then again she's 3.

I found a website a while ago and I thought I'd bookmarked it but now I can't find it. The website was started by moms who's children were no longer taking medicine but using a Gluten-free Casein-free diet to treat their children. You might be able to do some reserch on Gluten-free Casein-free diets. I know that autistic children are getting great results from the diet as well.

I'm not recommeding this program, just because I don't know enough about it but the Feingold Program eliminates salicylates, additives etc. This might be worth lookin into, here's the website for Feingold, Open Original Shared Link

I've also read books by Dr. Doris Rapp. She helped to solidify my gut instinct that my dd had food issues....even when our Dr.'s weren't listening very well. Here's her website. Open Original Shared Link

Take care & you'll be in my prayers!!

[VydorScope]

You don't have to submit your child to the testing, do you?  I've heard that in some east coast schools they can deny a child in a school if the kid has been dx with add/adhd and the parent refuses to medicate the child.  Frankly, I think there's too much medicating of the boys in this country.  My celiac kid is wiggly and easily distracted.  His teacher is old school, raised a boy herself, been teaching for three decades and says some boys itch to move.  She's against medicating all these kids and the labels.  Just be careful.  I wouldn't allow my children to be tested and gain a label.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not true. Not at all. As I siad, I am ADHD, and I have other simualr "lables". In reality, if one wants to exploit the system the labes are a HUGE benifit. For example its litterly illegal for any teacher to make me spell words correctly. Well WAS true till I gaduted college a couple years ago.

Medication is not required for all cases od ADD/ADHD, but medication is alot safer then all the stupid negtive tv hype will make you believe. In some case its the only way the child will have a normal life. Undiagnose/untreated ADD can be ins some ways FAR FAR worse then celiac disease. After all its possible to RECOVER form celiac disease's ill effects. I know ppl in mental wards now permantly I know ppl that will never ever work a day inther life cause htey are no longer capable. This si a SERIOUS DEAL

It realy angers me that all this hype has made ADD/ADHD the "popular" diagnose ofr "acctive" kids, because the ppl taht REALY have it end up not getting the help the need becausde of posts like your "warning" ppl away from proper care.

This hits VERY close to home for me. And unless you have been there, you can not begin to understand.

However, there are lots of things that cuase ADD/ADHD like symptons(and not ADD/ADHD), and evertyhing needs to be check, ESPLY Iron deficicny linked to the celiac disease.

[Jnkmnky]

The over-dxing of add/adhd is fueled by the pharmaceutical companies that make tons of money off of the drugs they've concocted to "fix" hyperactivity in children. Those drug companies make money hand over fist when tired, overworked, or lazy, incompetent, parents/teachers and caregivers can't cope with the natural exhuberance of a normal, healthy child... particularly the boys. Those meds they prescribe are NOT safe for kids. Long term effects are NOT known. People have opted for a 'quick fix' to get kids into a compliant state so they can go along with their own lives uninterupted.

I was a teacher and had dozens of kids on meds for add/adhd. There was only ONE student of mine who CLEARLY had a problem and needed meds. Add/adhd is a RARE condition, not this common human malady. People should evaluate the capability of a caregiver who suspects add/adhd before looking at the child. I'd wager most cases of suspected add/adhd are a result of a lazy or tired, or overworked, or neglectful, or selfish, or stressed out caregiver who can't deal, doesn't want to deal with the natural energy of a normal child. I had a child dx with adhd in one of my classes who ended up drooling at her desk. <--- That's preferred?! It was to the school and parents. Vincent maybe you think it's all well and good and you benefited from the meds.. that's great. The label is detrimental to schooling, jsyk. It's not a free ride through classes after a dx of add/adhd. You are then officially and forever a tagged student. Let me tell you how student placement works... In a big room with teachers discussing who's going to get which "difficult" student.---- Marked before the new semester begins. Don't be fooled. No one thinks the add/adhd students are going to be the "good students". There's very low expectations and an idea about what NOT to expect. Do not think for a minute that tagging a kid as having attention, hyperactivity disorders is going to make them *shine* in school. It's just a predjudical a place as any other in society. Personally, my opinion of add/adhd students was that the parent's were going to be nuts.... The kid would be neglected on some level, and be used as a scapegoat for all the shortcomings of the parents. My warning is this.. Parent's and kids are well served to limit the school's involvement in a dx of add/adhd. Seek an outside dx if you must.

[Jnkmnky]

Side Effects of Drugs Used for ADHDAccording to the manufacturers' drug inserts and to the Physician Drug Reference, the following are some of the side effects

of the drugs commonly used for ADHD.

Amphetamine/amphetamine type

Ritalin: depression, chronic abuse can lead to tolerance and psychic dependency with varying degrees of abnormal behavior. Frank psychotic episodes can occur. Patients with agitation may react adversely. CBC and platelet count (lab work) are advised. Long-term affects have not been established.

Cardiac side effects: necrotizing vasculitis, thrombocytopenia purpura, blood pressure and pulse changes, rapid heart beat, cardiac arrhythmia, angina.

Adderall: Amphetamine with high potential for abuse, controlled substance, may lead to drug dependence, may exacerbate behavior disturbances and thought disorders, and psychotic episodes.

Cardiac side effects: palpitations, rapid heartbeat, hypertension, cardiomyopathy with chronic use of amphetamines.

Dexedrine: Amphetamine with high potential for abuse, controlled substance, may lead to drug dependence, psychotic episodes.

Cardiac side effects: palpitations, rapid heartbeat, hypertension, cardiomyopathy with chronic amphetamine use.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI)

Prozac: Anxiety, restlessness, mania/hypomania, seizures, suicide, impaired judgment, agitation, amnesia, confusion, emotional lability, apathy, depersonalization, hallucinations, hostility, paranoid reaction, personality disorder, delusions.

Cardiac side effects: hemorrhage, hypertension, angina, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, heart attack, rapid heart beat, atrial fibrillation, cerebral embolism, heart block.

Zoloft: Mania/hypomania, suicide, agitation, anxiety, emotional lability, apathy, paranoid reactions, hallucinations, aggressive reactions, delusions, illusion.

Cardiac side effects: heart palpitations, chest pain, hypertension, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, syncope, fluid retention, heart attack.

Paxil: Mania/hypomania, impaired judgment, agitation, depression, anxiety, drugged feeling, depersonalization, amnesia, emotional lability, abnormal thinking, hallucinations, lack of emotion, hostility, manic reaction, neurosis, paranoid reaction, antisocial reaction, delirium, delusions, drug dependence, stupor.

Cardiac side effects: hypertension, rapid heartbeat, syncope; EKG abnormalities, angina, heart attack.

Luvox: mania, apathy, amnesia, delusions, depersonalization, drug dependence, emotional lability, hostility, paranoid reaction, and phobia.

Cardiac side effects: hypertension, rapid heartbeat, syncope, angina, heart failure, and heart attack.

OTHER DRUGS

Catapres: Adult high blood pressure drug: delirium, mental depression, visual and auditory hallucinations, restlessness, anxiety, agitation, irritability, other behavioral changes, drowsiness.

Cardiac side-effects: congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident (stroke), EKG abnormalities, arrhythmias, chest pain, syncope, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat and palpitations.

Wellbutrin: Agitation, anxiety, restlessness, delusions, hallucinations, psychotic episodes, confusion, paranoia, mania, seizures, hostility, depression, depersonalization, mood instability, thought disorder, suicidal ideation.

Cardiac side effects: edema, chest pain, EKG abnormalities, shortness of breath, heart attack.

Norpramine: Psychiatric disturbances, seizures, anxiety, hallucinations, restlessness, agitation, nightmares, insomnia, confusion, tremors.

Cardiac side effects: Sudden death in children, heart attack, heart block, stroke, arrhythmias, rapid heart rate.

Just this week one of the drugs...begins with an "S", was it stretera? Whatever, they just had out a warning on one of the popular add drugs this week. I've not said there's no such thing as add/adhd.... I'm saying it's a grossly overdx disorder. It's going to be in the history books as the greatest crime against children one day. It's the culmination of our selfish society's efforts to eliminate duty to our children. Those efforts include fast food, rampant consumerism and emotional neglect. This generation of adults has done more harm to it's children than any other generation before it.

[VydorScope]

The over-dxing of add/adhd is fueled by the pharmaceutical companies that make tons of money off of the drugs they've concocted to "fix" hyperactivity in children.  Those drug companies make money hand over fist when tired, overworked, or lazy, incompetent, parents/teachers and caregivers can't cope with the natural exhuberance of a normal, healthy child... particularly the boys.  Those meds they prescribe are NOT safe for kids.  Long term effects are NOT known.  People have opted for a 'quick fix' to get kids into a compliant state so they can go along with their own lives uninterupted. 

I was a teacher and had dozens of kids on meds for add/adhd.  There was only ONE student of mine who CLEARLY had a problem and needed meds.  Add/adhd is a RARE condition, not this common human malady.  People should evaluate the capability of a caregiver who suspects add/adhd before looking at the child.  I'd wager most cases of suspected add/adhd are a result of a lazy or tired, or overworked, or neglectful, or selfish, or stressed out caregiver who can't deal, doesn't want to deal with the natural energy of a normal child.  I had a child dx with adhd in one of my classes who ended up drooling at her desk.  <---  That's preferred?!  It was to the school and parents.  Vincent maybe you think it's all well and good and you benefited from the meds..  that's great.  The label is detrimental to schooling, jsyk.  It's not a free ride through classes after a dx of add/adhd.  You are then officially and forever a tagged student.  Let me tell you how student placement works... In a big room with teachers discussing who's going to get which "difficult" student.---- Marked before the new semester begins.  Don't be fooled.  No one thinks the add/adhd students are going to be the "good students".  There's very low expectations and an idea about what NOT to expect.  Do not think for a minute that tagging a kid as having attention, hyperactivity disorders is going to make them *shine* in school.  It's just a predjudical a place as any other in society.  Personally, my opinion of add/adhd students was that the parent's were going to be nuts....  The kid would be neglected on some level, and be used as a scapegoat for all the shortcomings of the parents.  My warning is this..  Parent's and kids are well served to limit the school's involvement in a dx of add/adhd.  Seek an outside dx if you must.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Okay, agian, unless you lived through it personaly you can have no clue what your talking about. I am sorry, but you dont. Saying you had a ahdh child in your class once and dealing with it are 2 differnent things. You perosonaly have posted the same about celiac disease. ADHD isthe same, but much more so.

I HAVE. I BEEN through the schools placement, I have the lables since early childhood, I have been in the specail classes, I have taken the abuse from other childern over it. I have been labled a diffcult student. I have had all the stuff you say is "soo bad" No offense, but get a clue, all of it, ALL OF IT AND MUCH MORE is far greater then the alterative. To many ppl read posts like yours and get scared to get thier child the help they need. You have a right to you opinoin, and the right to post it, but if ppl like me that have BEEN THERE. Who KNOW FIRST had the danger of very real bio-chemical imbalnces in the brian that are proven to exist, and proven to be extremly detrimental to the patence.

The labels ARE NOT THAT BAD. They can often HELP childern. Only very shallow and predjuice ppl would hold them agianst you, and they are not worht your time. The kid will NOT be neglected one inch more then the parents like the lid be. Get this, ITS THE PARENTS RESPONSIBLITY to make sure the child is treated fairly and well.

Are the ADHD and other drugs as safe as most of the food and drugs you take daily? YES MANY OF THEM HAVE OVER 60 YEARS OF CLINICAL USE, some much longer. Some of the newer onese like Strata , and etc have no longer term use because they just recently came out.

Are they safe for ppl that do not have the disorder NO. They can be very detremental when misused. For examples of that see just aobut any "street" drug.

Abuse of the drug, the diagnoses, the labels, etc is all very very bad. Do not get me wrong. ADD/ADHD is jumped to way to soon. This poster is a case in point. Vit/Min/etc dificnies are far more likly in this posters case, but thats not a garrentee.

You have a right to post what you think, and givien this envrioment I guess a duty.. .but , IMO, post that are so strongly and blindly negative about REAL medical issues that have DRAMANTIC impact on the life and well of potenal suffers of the disorder is DANGEROUS, and should be tone WAAAAY back.

Seeing posts like yours I have no choice but to stand up and defend what could be a very real , and very serious medical issue for not only the oringal poster, but others reading the thrad.

ADHD is very real, and very serious. The drugs that treat it are very much needed to SURIVE for some of the more extreme cases, and in most cases are a requirement for a normal productive life.

ADHD/ other very real medical issues dealing with the brain are not to be taken litely.

Post liske your I take personaly, beucase I know better form first hand expernce. I have been dealing with ppl telling me and others like me that its all made up, its a scam by drug companies, its a lie, just spank the child he will get over it. GET A CLUE. Its real, and very serious.

You think the lable is detremental? Take a tour of a mental hospital some time, go see where ADHD leads. Go on, look them in the face, and tell them how glad you are they did not get treatment in school cause it would ahve been bad for them. Then visit ther mothers who will face al ife of supporting thier childern in those hell holes, and tell them how proud you are that they never got thier kids help!

Everyo0ne reading this thread know thhis... Just as you were told celiac disease is a lie, or no big deal.. ADHD faces the same thing, execpt much worse. You all should knwo better. Remeber next time some one tells you a little wheat is okay... your facing the same thing cept on a smaller level.

[VydorScope]

Side Effects of Drugs Used for ADHDAccording to the manufacturers' drug inserts and to the Physician Drug Reference, the following are some of the side effects...

Bah Every drug out there when abused has SERIOS side effects, try reading the inserts in any prescription med you get. You think that mulitvit you take is safe? realy? Try reading up on the web about it, you can find ppl saying your gonna die of r brain hemmorage from it. What about htat cell phone>? Didnt you hear? Your gonna get a tumor if you use it once!! You think that floride in your tooth paste is safe??? HUH?? Then why cant we give it to childern that will swallow it?

FACT ADHD drugs have been in use for long then most of the ppl reading this board have been alive. Long term effects are documented and known for many of them.

FACT PPL who truly have ADHD/ADD or other mental disorder are in most cases doomed to a life of extreml pain, failure, mental failures, and often imprisonment and early death if left untreated

FACT Drugs are not the only way to treat mental medical issues, and in some cases are not needed. Each case has to be taken one by one

FACT ADHD?ADD is just as seriosu as Bipolar, manic depressive, schizonphreza, and other disorders but is geting a bum rap because its POPULAR.

FACT Dispcpline, splanking, yelling, time out, etcs will often make behavior issues cause by these diseases MUCH WORSE not better.

FACT Drug companies, get this, are out to make money and will populaize ANYTHING to get a buck. No one disputes that. That how ever should not deter you from getting childern the treatment they need.

Wait till they say you have to eat wheat cause celiac disease is a cam by the meat industry.

The greatest crime aginst childern of this generation is ingnoring their needs. Its parents wokring and paying other ppl to raise thier childern. Its neglect alright!

[Jnkmnky]

I had more than one student dx with add/adhd. Even the ONLY student I believed actually had adhd did nothing more than distract everyone. Drugged, he still distracted everyone. Infact it wasn't until he was drugged so hard that he bobbed his head up and down trying to stay awake that he finally stopped moving to the point of distraction. In any case, I'd have taken him au natural. I liked his personality even with all the movement. And once again, I do believe there are people with the disorder, but it's a minute fraction of those dxed. I have more experience with add/adhd than my old students. None of that experience leads me to approve of the drugs they use to "fix" add/adhd. I disapprove completely of the rampant dxing of add/adhd. And there's NO place in society that is free of discrimination of those with "problems". A school is not a special place where cruelty doesn't exist. The labels are there, the expectation of add/adhd students is low and it results in an insidious undermining of the full potential of an innocent child. Clearly the two of us are speaking from opposite ends of this discussion. You speak in terms of mental hosptals and I speak in terms of 99% of those dx not needing any meds at all. So, we will never see eye to eye on this. Let's hope the truth is discovered to be somewhere safely in the middle of our two opposing positions. That way, the most possible amount of people would benefit.

[VydorScope]

I had more than one student dx with add/adhd.  Even the ONLY student I believed actually had adhd did nothing more than distract everyone.  Drugged, he still distracted everyone.  Infact it wasn't until he was drugged so hard that he bobbed his head up and down trying to stay awake that he finally stopped moving to the point of distraction.  In any case, I'd have taken him au natural.  I liked his personality even with all the movement.  And once again, I do believe there are people with the disorder, but it's a minute fraction of those dxed.  I have more experience with add/adhd than my old students.  None of that experience leads me to approve of the drugs they use to "fix" add/adhd.  I disapprove completely of the rampant dxing of add/adhd.  And there's NO place in society that is free of discrimination of those with "problems".  A school is not a special place where cruelty doesn't exist.  The labels are there, the expectation of add/adhd students is low and it results in an insidious undermining of the full potential of an innocent child.  Clearly the two of us are speaking from opposite ends of this discussion.  You speak in terms of mental hosptals and I speak in terms of 99% of those dx not needing any meds at all.  So, we will never see eye to eye on this.  Let's hope the truth is discovered to be somewhere safely in the middle of our two opposing positions.  That way, the most possible amount of people would benefit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Let me clear one thing up, school is about the most cruel place for a child, reguardless of any issues. Peer teasing is rampaent, and you dont need any "lable" to get it.

Once you leave school you CHOOSE to go whereever you go, and do what you do. If you choose to stay in envrioments where what you are gets you grief, then thats your call. IE How many ppl with celiac disease will work at a Dunkin Doughnuts?

Just to be clear... where we agree;

1) Not everyone diag'd with <insert any mental or medical disorder here> has it for real. Many are just lazy docs/teachers

2) Not everyone that realy has <insert any mental disorder here> needs meds, in my epxerince... less then 1/2 do. And i have known HUNDREDS do to my work with suport groups

3) Drug compaies are out to make a profit and this "take a pill for instant fix to <insert just about anything from wieht lose, to love life, to anything here> " is very dangerous

Where we disagree is your extremly negative post, agressivly telling parents not to get treatment thier childern may very well need. ADHD, Autism, etc are NOT a "minute" faction of society. No you can not sperate ADHD from any other mental disorder, they are often many sides of the same issue, and they almsot never travel alone. I have never personaly met any one that had exaclty 1 (ie ADHD, Bipolar, etc )diag for real. Nor have I ever heard of a case from any doctor, consoler, etc.

My son has a extremly high chance of being ADHD due to his gentics. Will I medicate him? Frankly only if all other methds fail. Drugs should not be the first, and never the only method of treatment.

And I love how you assumed I am medicated. I am no longer taking any meds, just as a side note. Most adults no longer need the meds , assuming that meds were not hte only way they were treated. Cases like mine can be overcome to a degree with proper training, often with the short term assit of meds. Which of course, if left up to you will never happen.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Please stick to the question at hand and leave the controversial parts for PMs or e-mails, thank you.

There is no harm i getting your son tested. If he has ADD it is best to know at such a young age because then he can start a learning program fit for him. If he doesn't have ADD then great! I know in my family that a lot of trouble and frustration could have been avoided if that testing option had been prestended to us in grade school.

[Jnkmnky]

Where we disagree is your extremly negative post, agressivly telling parents not to get treatment thier childern may very well need.

Wrong. I suggested quite strongly that parents seek dx of add/adhd without the involvement of the school. This is what I said - Parent's and kids are well served to limit the school's involvement in a dx of add/adhd. Seek an outside dx if you must.

And this - Just make sure you're in control of what goes on with your son. It's very easy to lose control when the "professionals" come in and start calling the shots.

You don't seem convinced that schools are overburdened enough and people with teaching degrees can be so lazy that they'd risk the health of a child in order to get him or her to sit still for 7 hours a day. I'm telling you for a fact that teachers, principals and parents are definitely drugging kids for being kids in order to make their lives easier.

I don't believe there's all this add/adhd out there necessitating the medicating of children. I believe it's a corrupt pharmeceutical industry inventing drugs *or worse yet* finding uses for drugs they spent billions creating to market on innocent children. I believe drug companies have been given a free pass by the recent leadership of the fda to push unnecessary add/adhd meds on children because they're the least likey to resist this big experiment. I do believe the head of the fda just resigned or was fired and vioxx wasn't the only example of poor judgement by that regulatory agency.

As for your quote below....

Most adults no longer need the meds , assuming that meds were not hte only way they were treated. Cases like mine can be overcome to a degree with proper training, often with the short term assit of meds. Which of course, if left up to you will never happen.

You're just being argumentitive. I said again and again that there are very few cases of actual add/adhd that require medicating-in my opinion from what I observed. One kid out of several dozen in my time teaching actually needed meds -again, in my opinion. But then, I wasn't put out by kids being kids like some "teachers" were. I didn't lose my cool when a kid got figety or wasn't getting the grades that made ME look good. I just worked with the kid a little harder and spent a little extra time with the distracted ones. Whether you agree with me or not, there will be repercussions from all this over medicating that will come to light in time. There are lots of culturally accepted practices that are eventually discredited as barbaric by the following generation. I'd bet money this dependency on medicating kids rather than letting them be kids will be viewed as a shameful period of selfishness in the future.

[Jnkmnky]

Please stick to the question at hand and leave the controversial parts for PMs or e-mails, thank you.

There is no harm i getting your son tested.  If he has ADD it is best to know at such a young age because then he can start a learning program fit for him.  If he doesn't have ADD then great!  I know in my family that a lot of trouble and frustration could have been avoided if that testing option had been prestended to us in grade school.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gosh! Sorry. I happen to like Vincent....though we seem to disagree often. I posted before I read your admonishment. Vincent- thanks for the polite disagreement!

[VydorScope]

Gosh!  Sorry.  I happen to like Vincent....though we seem to disagree often.  I posted before I read your admonishment.  Vincent- thanks for the polite disagreement! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nah we dont disagre that often... but I think in this case it might be more of a misunderstanding then a disagreement. I think I might have misread your intent, cause I would never say let a techer diag a child. I always suggest at least TWO inddpentent diags from non-school connect officals when I console ppl. Sorry if we had a missing connection there!

[VydorScope]

And back to the oringal post, I would not test of ADHD at this stage. Its to soon with to many other possble factors. My orginal questions still stand

How long has your child been gluten-free?

Have you checked for deficincies, ESPLY Iron decifient Anemai?

How does your child react ot Sugar and Caffine, does you child get more or less focus'd? More or less active?

[Claire]

Did you ask the name of the test to be given to your child and how it is to be given and by whom?

Some people who have asked these questions have been quite surprised. Claire

[Merika]

Hi Heather,

I would be shocked too if my otherwise normal kid came home from the first month of school with an add label trailing from his shirt, so to speak! Gluten can do all sorts of funny stuff to your brain/emotions/etc. It seems he's only very recently been diagnosed with celiac. How long has he been gluten-free? he may be feeling all sorts of new things, have more energy than before, who knows what, and this may be temporarily impacting him...

I *know* my own son, who is highly soy-intolerant (and gluten-free), would be falsely labled add/adhd if he went to school hopped up on soy. Luckily we found that allergy when he was 3yrs old. If we hadn't though.....eeee, I hate to think what our lives would be like, and what' he'd be like at school!

If you don't see a problem in your kid, i would be tempted to explain to the teacher about his recent celiac diagnosis and how you think his behavior is related to that, and to jsut give it some more time puleez. You know your kid best - go with your gut.

Merika

[redheadheather]

Thanks for the replies. My DS has been gluten-free for about 6 weeks now. I am not sure if he has any other food "issues" (other than a tree nut allergy). As an infant he tested positive for milk and soy - but the Dr. said he outgrew them as he no longer has symptoms from ingesting them. Maybe they are more of an intolerance now? How would I tell?

I'm very nervous about the school stating ADD so early in the year. They know about his DX... in fact - the "school consultant"'s daughter was just DX w/celiac (they are making an apt. for the biopsy as we speak - so to speak

I know DS does have some concentration issues - but what 6 year old doesn't? I just guess I'm not seeing what the teacher is seeing - but to be fair to her, I don't see DS in the classroom either - I'm basing this on his behavior at home. Maybe I should find a way to observe him unseen one day (I'd love to do that if it were possible).

As to some questions that were raised: I dont' know if they checked his iron... I have an appointment w/his current doctor's office to ask questions - this'll be one of them, along with if/when they will do a repeat blood test to check his levels and make sure they are going into the *normal* range. I don't know how he responds to caffeine - I try not to give him caffeine as I have kidney disease and caffeine has been shown to assist in the cyst growth. I don't know that either DS has it - but I'd rather err on the safe side. I don't put much faith in my current doctor's office - they seem very cursory and dismissive of things - I am trying to get back to DS's previous doctor [LOVED HIM] - but that wont happen until the beginning of the year. He did say I could contact him with any questions/concerns about DS and he would see us no charge [did I mention I love him?] I may take him up on that pretty soon.

[VydorScope]

redheadheather,

Odvilously its very hard to say much based on your posts , but your not telling the typical ADD/ADHD story. Based soly on my experence with ADD/ADHD families, and etc, I would say your posts do not sound like a mother with an ADD/ADHD child.

If you do not have faith in your doctors , get new ones. You need to get Iron/etc tested on that child, and get a feel for any other issues. 6 weeks gluten-free after 6 years of damage might not be enough. If I was you I would...

1) Find a new set of doctors

2) Get my child tested for defictiones, esply Iron

3) Re-test all food alergies.

4) Most of all STALL. Give the gluten-free diet more time.

Most little boys have all the classic ADD signs to a small degree, esply when very little. I know many docs will diag it as young as 3, but I would say at least 10 before you can say it.

Again, I am not a doctor, and you need find one you can trust to talk to about all this. Most decent peditricitions know a bit about ADD/ADHD these days.

You DO want some test resutls in writing, to show the teachers etc that you are doing somthing. At some point if the school wants to force the ADD/ADHD issue, you will have to get the outside testing to prove/disprove it. If that becomes the case, and it very well might, get at least 2 inpendent tests by to inpendent doctors not connected to the school , and get thier resulsts in writting. The school can not make you do anything if you ahve the paper work to prove your side. Schools tend ot work by intimdation, but have a lot less power then ppl think they do.

Please do keep an eye out for caffine in his diet, if I knew how he reacted on a normal day to caffine I could better answer some of your questions.

[Guest Lucy]

This doesn't sound like a child with ADD/ADHD. I think teachers (some, not all I'm not dissing all teachers) use this as a way to excuse their lack of control. Is there another section of his class? Maybe try moving him at the quarter or semester.

Don't medicate him PLEASE. There is nothing good about it.

[krisb]

My 5 year old behaves ADD. He was just diagnosed celiac and I think it has to do with his behavior. He cheated the other day when he was at Sunday school and he was so hyper the next few days after that. He was out of control. I don't think he has ADD because at times he can focus and sit. He can sit through stories, movies and drawing. He makes me nuts a lot of the time and I hope it gets better as he gets over the gluten.

[VydorScope]

Don't medicate him PLEASE. There is nothing good about it.

(trys very hard not to get angry at the hypocrisy and ingroance of that post)

Statements like this are akin to

"PLEASE DONT PUT HIM ON A gluten-free DIET NO GOOD CAN COME FORM IT"

Or

"A little cookie wont hurt!"

Or

"How can wheat be bad for you?"

Which many of has had been told.

A more inteligent, and considerit thing to say is

"Please get him tested and evualted for all possible reasons for his problems first. Then if it is ADD/ADHD, think carefully on wether or not he NEEDS medication as its not a choice to be taken lighly"

I will not stand by and let ppl bash on parents that get their child the proper treatment for what is a very real, and very serious mental issue. Nor will I allow ingorance designed to prevent ppl from getting the treatments their childern need to go unanswered. I might be the only person here willing to defend people with very real and very serious mental issues, and if thats the case, so be it.

Its not always needing drugs to correct, and for sure not all diagnoses of it are even correct, but there are plenty of cases where medication is needed in addition to other homopathic/behavioral treatments . Medication is never the "magic answer", but it is a very crictial tool to use, and in many cases its it the only way to start on a life long journery of dealing with this incurable condtion.

[VydorScope]

My 5 year old behaves ADD. He was just diagnosed celiac and I think it has to do with his behavior. He cheated the other day when he was at Sunday school and he was so hyper the next few days after that. He was out of control. I don't think he has ADD because at times he can focus and sit. He can sit through stories, movies and drawing. He makes me nuts a lot of the time and I hope it gets better as he gets over the gluten.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If he acts out right after cheating on his gluten-free diet, then its almsot definlty a gluten issue and nothing else. Keep an eye on it, and try to log the events leading up to it. Might point to an addtional food allergy/intelerance too. Food additives ahve been known to cause these issues too.