AGH2010

Our GI, a celiac expert, said constipation takes the longest to go away on a gluten-free diet, up to 6 mos at least. It's been 5 mos for us and whenever I try to decrease my daughter's Miralax, her constipation returns. Our GI also said that her constipation could be unrelated to her celiac. Not very encouraging for us. But wanted you not to worry if you haven't seen any changes in that department after 8 days.

Do you mind me asking which doctor you take your children to? I've tried 3 pediatric GI's in the LA area and haven't found anyone who seems particularly knowledgable about celiac. As a result I've been taking my daughter to see a pediatric celiac expert in San Diego but would obviously love to find someone closer.

As to the original post, I'm constantly worrying about my child's poop too. For awhile her poop was very pale and I had read that it was a bad sign but her GI always responds that color doesn't matter. Not sure how much I buy it.

I see Dr. Harmon, GI/Celiac researcher and Nancee Jaffe, Registered Dietician at UCLA's Celiac Center.  Poop shouldn't float.  It floats due to malabsorption of fats.  It is important to absorb fats.  As the gut heals, usually fat malabsorption subsides and poop will start sinking .

(One of my twin's poops floated.  We are at 9 months gluten free and her poop now sinks.  Other than going gluten-free, we didn't do anything--she just healed on her own.)

I have Celiac and my poop floats.  I have been advised to take an  ADEK to help with fat absorption.  A REALLY good dietician will be helpful.

In the meantime, please tell your husband I never tested positive on my TTG but had a positive Celiac biopsy (and did a colonoscopy at the same time with a whopper:  they removed a Sessile Serated Adenoma...probably saved my life).  There is likely some reason his poop is floating.  A great GI will dig deeper, so to speak.

That's very interesting about the vaccine. But requiring a formal diagnosis would keep people like my daughter from getting it. She's not yet 3 and her bloodwork came back positive. Her biopsy was negative. A celiac expert in San Diego told us that 2/3 of kids with positive blood work will develop celiac within 2 years if they keep eating gluten. She recommended we get my daughter on a strict gluten-free diet if we wanted to play it safe. So we did. I'd hope that a vaccine would still be available to those whose biopsies are negative but have had positive antibodies to gluten... In any event, how wonderful it would be if they could find an effective vaccine. An absolute dream come true!!

Thank you all for the great ideas! Really appreciate it.

Sorry I don't have any suggestions but wanted to say my daughter has been gluten-free for 5 mos now and also takes laxatives (milk of magnesia in our case) and still only has a bowel movement once every 2-3 days. I was really hoping going gluten-free would help w her constipation but it doesn't seem to have made a difference at all. And like your son, she's a very picky eater. I feel your frustration!!