Celiac Children And Bad Behavior?

[debbie-doodles]

Okay, so just 4 weeks ago my daughter's GI doctor took her off of her generic prilosec (she has reflux disease too) to see if she has outgrown the problem. My daughter got sick and wouldn't sleep, wouldn't eat, started throwing up and having diahrea and acting really cranky and bad. She seems really tired, but won't take naps or sleep at night. So I told the doctor and he told me to put her back on the prilosec. I did. Long story short, its been 2 weeks back on the meds and she is still acting really horribly. She seemed to get better for a day or two, but now its awful. She is not throwing up or having diahrea, but her behavior is terrible. This is not my little . I found out that she may have gotten some goldfish crackers from my sister on accident. Does anyone else notice that their children act out and throw tantrums and do things like pinch and bite and hit when they are glutened? My daughter has acted so good and sweet since she started the gluten-free diet back in April. And now this. Its been a month already and I feel like I'm gonna pull my hair out. Any ideas on how to deal with it? How long does it last??

[Guest nini]

actually one of my daughter's most noticeable symptoms prior to going gluten-free, was terrible behavior problems. Kicking biting screaming hitting thrashing about on the floor, etc... she couldn't help it... after taking her off gluten the behavioral issues disappeared. I think that if she got accidentally glutened I would probably see the same kind of behavior resurface.

[Carriefaith]

Gluten seems to really affect the brain. When I am glutened, I get brain fog, irritability, anxiety, mild insomnia, and nervousness. Those goldfish crackers may have been the source of the problem. The best thing to do is to make sure that she doesn't get anymore gluten. The longer she is off the gluten, the better she should get.

[e&j0304]

My daughter definitely has behavioral problems when she has gluten. In fact, we were sent to a psychologist and then refered to a psychiatrist for her "behavioral problem" before we discovered her gluten sensitivity.

Since she has been off gluten she is so much better. However, she has had a coupld of accidents and her behaviors come right back. She is moody, cries, is clingy, and says she needs to eat constanty (which is how she was before). Her dr. and I think that her little tummy hurts and she interprets that as hunger.

I actually think she may have gotten some gluten today at her little Halloween party at school because this evening she has been awful and did actually say her tummy hurt. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Good luck with your little one and I think you're right to assume it may be the gluten causing her behaviors.

[taweavmo3]

Oh, that is a big fat YES for us!!!!! Emmie had a gluten accident 3 weeks ago, after being totally accident free for 3+months. Well, gluten had totally transformed my sweet baby girl into a different child. I would not have been surprised if her head had spun around.....she was throwing some hell raising temper tantrums. I had to call my mom to come over and watch the kids for a few hours, b/c I really needed a break from the screaming. Em would scream over every little thing, she was throwing things, biting, pulling her hair, hitting the wall, etc. She was like this pre-diagnosis, but not as bad. It was after this episode that I made our entire house gluten free, I wanted the stuff out of our home!

For us, the physical reaction lasts about a week (vomiting, fever), then the behavior starts up the following week. So, a two week period seems to be our recovery time. I have no idea how to deal with it....I usually just let it run it's course, but I still have consequences for her if she hits one of her brothers or me. Everything else, I generally let slide until she feels better.

[Kasey'sMom]

This is soooo great to help remind us that we're not the only ones who deal with this. My dd and I have the temperment changes as well. Things are tough around our house when we've both been glutened.

I remember when my dd first started having problems. Before celiac disease she was easy going and enjoyed simple things. Her tempermant can change within minutes. Our reactions last several days but it seems like after the first couple days she is able to control her emotions a little better. When our dd is gluten-free we have the a different child. Our house went gluten-free as well. I tend to let my OCD take over and I find it's one less thing for me to worry about..... atleast at home.

She got glutened at story time this week. She got a treat bag from another student. The bag had both gluten-free and regular candy in it. She didn't eat the candy but she played with the gluten-free candy and drank from a straw that was in the bag. I could tell within less than an hour she had gotten into something. Then the temper flared...........

Sometimes I just want to hibernate in our little gluten-free bubble at home.

[Indea88]

I have a new toddler since the diagnosis of Celiac and being gluten-free. I was being told he was autistic, spinning, screaming, biting, limited eye contact. My sons behavior now is nothng short of remarkable. There is a gut-brain connection.

[tpineo]

Yes, my daughter is a different kid. With gluten she is lethargic, irritable, very short fuse, whiny, and only wants to lie on the couch and watch tv. Without gluten, she is energetic, wants to play outside, has a longer fuse (for a 4 year old), and is just plain a happy kid. Tania

[snoopylian]

There is a connection - a Dr. Jekle Mr. Hyde connection with my son. Malabsorbtion of nutrients = all kinds of problems, including behavioral. The behavioral problems use to go away about two weeks after the accidental glutenization until recently. I have a great book - Superimmunity for kids by Leo Galland, MD, starting on p 83 talks about behavioral problems and supplements. I found that due to the malabsorbtion my son had and his dairy free diet he was deficient in calcium. I give him liquid calcium magnesium citrate by bluebonnet. In the book the dr. also talks about probiotics. Probiotics (acidophilus is a common probiotic) help maintain a healthy intestinal track.

I use to take prilosec twice a day but after going on probiotics I no longer need prilosec. You can do some research on probiotics on the internet. I highly recommend it.

[kimber]

Hi

I think it may be the gluten as well as the reflux meds

My toddler (just turned 2) has had reflux since birth..we recently took him off meds and he did great for a week then drastically went down hill

From what I've been told after being off a PPi for 2 weeks, it can take at least 2 weeks to kick back in...then even more time to heal any damage that has been done

Hope your little one feels better soon, Kim

[gf4life]

actually one of my daughter's most noticeable symptoms prior to going gluten-free, was terrible behavior problems. Kicking biting screaming hitting thrashing about on the floor, etc... she couldn't help it... after taking her off gluten the behavioral issues disappeared. I think that if she got accidentally glutened I would probably see the same kind of behavior resurface.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nini,

I could have written this post (only substitute son for daughter!). You completely described how my son was when he was on gluten, and the behavior issues do come back when he gets glutened. Thank God that that has only happened a few times since going gluten-free. He is 11 and is remarkable in how well he handles the diet. He keeps himself gluten-free very well and is getting really good at reading his own labels. He HATES feeling the way gluten makes him feel.

God bless,

Mariann

[elsiemscharff]

what I would have given to have known about this when my kids, now 28 and 30, were small. My daughter started being gluten-free about a year ago and told me to try it. I was stubborn, but after having severe allergies last spring, tried an elimination diet, starting with wheat.....omg. Bone Pain. Gone. Fuzzy Brain. Gone. Chronic Fatigue. Gone No kidding. Now that I put it together, ( my niece has celiac as do my two sisters), we are feeling great. Now....if i can only convince my son to do the same...