Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

"toddler Diarrhea"- Diagnosis?

omgmegg

Recommended Posts

omgmegg Newbie
omgmegg
Posted

I took my son to a GI doctor who after seeing that he's on target with everything (height and weight) "diagnosed" him with Toddler Diarrhea.

 

He gave us a list of foods he should avoid, mostly saying to stay away from sugar and hidden sugars and to make sure he take Benefiber once a day. He hasn't had any traditional celiac or gluten sensitivity issues other than not having solid stools with undigested food.  And after changing his diet and adding the fiber, his poops have solidified and he poops 1-2 times a day (instead of his usual 4-6 times.

 

Thing is, he wasn't eating that much "hidden" sugars to begin with and I'm wondering if the fiber supplement is masking a gluten sensitivity- or if it's really what he needs.

 

Confused.

 

ETA: He had a traditional celiac panel done on him and came up negative (I think he scored a '2' )

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


snowmom Rookie
snowmom
Posted

I had a similar issue with my non-celiac younger child. Around the time his sister was dx-ed celiac last fall, he was experiencing chronic diarrhea. His height and weight and behavior were right on track, though.

 

The pediatrician was a little skeptical that he had anything more than "toddler diarrhea" (whatever that is!), and she said that the testing might not be that accurate since he wasn't 2 yet. Still, she humored us, and we ran two rounds of tests that revealed IgA deficiency but no celiac antibodies.

 

I was all set to push for more comprehensive testing in January, but then the diarrhea pretty much resolved on its own very suddenly, with no dietary changes (he has never consumed a lot of refined sugar or juice, so there wasn't much to eliminate from his diet). I think in total he had diarrhea almost daily for about 6 to 8 weeks, and the pedi was never able to give us a satisfactory explanation for what was going on. At this point, he doesn't have any celiac symptoms other than some weird stuff going on with his teeth that I've posted about elsewhere on this board.

 

I'm not sure if this throws any light on your situation, except to say that we went through something similar, and are now pretty satisfied that he's currently healthy. We're gluten-free at home, but he eats a conventional diet at daycare. We do plan to re-test him periodically because of the IgA deficiency and the prevalence of celiac and other autoimmunes in our family.

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

The doctor needs to put down a "diagnoses" so insurance will cover the visit. IBS and toddler diarrhea might be code words for "pay me".

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

From what I understand, celiac testing is not very accurate with young children.  The test was negative so the doctor looked for other causes.  The changes you made seem to have resolved the problem.  That is really all you can do for now.  If problems return, you can take him back to the doctor and he may decide to run another celiac panel.  Do you have reason to believe that he has celiac disease?  Do other family members have it? 

omgmegg Newbie
omgmegg
Posted
  • Author

I had a similar issue with my non-celiac younger child. Around the time his sister was dx-ed celiac last fall, he was experiencing chronic diarrhea. His height and weight and behavior were right on track, though.

 

The pediatrician was a little skeptical that he had anything more than "toddler diarrhea" (whatever that is!), and she said that the testing might not be that accurate since he wasn't 2 yet. Still, she humored us, and we ran two rounds of tests that revealed IgA deficiency but no celiac antibodies.

 

I was all set to push for more comprehensive testing in January, but then the diarrhea pretty much resolved on its own very suddenly, with no dietary changes (he has never consumed a lot of refined sugar or juice, so there wasn't much to eliminate from his diet). I think in total he had diarrhea almost daily for about 6 to 8 weeks, and the pedi was never able to give us a satisfactory explanation for what was going on. At this point, he doesn't have any celiac symptoms other than some weird stuff going on with his teeth that I've posted about elsewhere on this board.

 

I'm not sure if this throws any light on your situation, except to say that we went through something similar, and are now pretty satisfied that he's currently healthy. We're gluten-free at home, but he eats a conventional diet at daycare. We do plan to re-test him periodically because of the IgA deficiency and the prevalence of celiac and other autoimmunes in our family.

I think i would be all fine if it were for the fact that he'll be 3 in July and without benefiber, he hasn't had a solid stool.

 

I had a friend who's son had diarrhea really bad for a few months and then it stopped. Her brother-in-law who is a doctor said it isn't uncommon for a virus or bacteria (can't remember which) to hold on for a while and cause diarrhea. Thing is, his isn't just a few months, it's been all his life which is fine when you're a baby but as a toddler coming up on 3 years I feel like there should be some solid stools, sometimes. But he's never had one.

 

Thanks for sharing :)

omgmegg Newbie
omgmegg
Posted
  • Author

From what I understand, celiac testing is not very accurate with young children.  The test was negative so the doctor looked for other causes.  The changes you made seem to have resolved the problem.  That is really all you can do for now.  If problems return, you can take him back to the doctor and he may decide to run another celiac panel.  Do you have reason to believe that he has celiac disease?  Do other family members have it? 

 

I guess what I'm wondering is lets say if a kid has gluten sensitivity or celiac and they take benefiber and their only indicator that they may have a problem is diarrhea that is now solved by the benefiber, isn't their issue just being masked? OR if the benifiber has taken care of his loose stool, is it really that he's just having fiber issues?

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

I guess what I'm wondering is lets say if a kid has gluten sensitivity or celiac and they take benefiber and their only indicator that they may have a problem is diarrhea that is now solved by the benefiber, isn't their issue just being masked? OR if the benifiber has taken care of his loose stool, is it really that he's just having fiber issues?

 

Good question.  Do you have any reason to suspect celiac disease despite the negative tests?  Does it run in the family?  Is there any correlation between symptoms and gluten ingestion? 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,779
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    erin.wright
    Newest Member
    erin.wright
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • nanny marley
      Manitol and mri

      By nanny marley · Posted

      Hi I've been told I need a MRI on my bowels , I was booked for a colonoscopy, but because of my sever back issues and trapped nerve it can't be done , the nurse told me I will have to have a manitol drink a hour before the scan , I'm just a bit worried has I have issues with sweeteners like even a little,  I get a weird throat and ears and I've read it is a similar substance , not sure if anyone has had one of these scans or could give me some advise on the drink prep thanks in advance 😄
    • Colleen H
      Ibuprofen

      By Colleen H · Posted

      Ok thank you.  Me either 
    • Colleen H
      Celiac attack confusion and anxiety

      By Colleen H · Posted

      Hi all ! Can a celiac attack be so intense that it causes your entire body to work in reverse? Meaning really bad pain,  neuropathy and muscle,  jaw pain,  the stomach issues , Horrible anxiety and confusion??  I had a Tums and you would think I ate poison. My jaw and stomach did not like it . Not the norm for me. Things that are simple are just out of control. Anyone ever have this happen??  I'm trying to figure out what I ate or did to bring on a celiac like attack. I had an idea before but yesterday I didn't have any gluten unless it was in a medication ?! Any positive suggestions ??  Thank you 
    • Scott Adams
      Gluten free stuff

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      The following two lists are very helpful for anyone who is gluten sensitive and needs to avoid gluten when shopping. It's very important to learn to read labels and understand sources of hidden gluten, and to know some general information about product labelling--for example in the USA if wheat is a possible allergen it must be declared on a product's ingredient label like this: Allergens: Wheat.      
    • trents
      Gluten free stuff

      By trents · Posted

      Tammy, in the food industry, "gluten free" doesn't mean the same thing as "no gluten". As Scott explained, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) allows food companies to use the "gluten-free" label as long as the product does not contain more than 20 ppm (parts per million) of gluten. This number is based on studies the FDA did years ago to determine the reaction threshold for those with celiac disease. And the 20 ppm figure works for the majority of celiacs. There are those who are more sensitive, however, who still react to that amount. There is another, stricter standard known as "Certified Gluten Free" which was developed by a third party organization known as GFCO which requires not more than 10 ppm of gluten. So, when you see "GFCO" or "Certified Gluten Free" labels on food items you know they are manufactured with a stricter standard concerning gluten content. Having said all that, even though you may read the disclaimer on a food item that says the spices may contain wheat, barley or rye (the gluten grains), you should be able to trust that the amount of gluten the spices may contain is so small it allows the total product to meet the requirements of gluten free or certified gluten free labeling. I hope this helps.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.