Continued Symptoms

[mamaharrod]

Backstory:

My daughter just turned seven. As a baby, she was not really interested in solid foods. She self-weaned at 18 months and ate a regular diet. By the time she was three we were very concerned. She had not grown or gained weight in a year and complained of stomachaches daily. She also had bowel issues. Due to a family member with what we thought was celiacs (turned out to be a fructose intolerance), we decided to try a gluten free diet and see if our daughter's issues resolved. We did not want to subject her to the invasive testing. Within one month of going gluten-free, she gained several pounds and grew an inch. She also stopped complaining about her stomache. We were amazed! I tried glutinous foods I think twice more after that just to see what would happen and it was ugly. So, gluten was definitely the culprit. She developed a secondary lactose intolerance that cleared up last summer.

 

The Question:

My daughter has a stuffy nose pretty much constantly and her lymph nodes (in her neck and inner thigh, but most noticeably in the neck) seem to always be really swollen. Her tongue seems puffy and she cannot pronounce r's properly. She is thin, but has recovered well and is back on the growth charts. Our other children (not celiac) are all thin too, so no worries there. Any thoughts on the nose and nodes? Help appreciated!

[cyclinglady]

5 hours ago, mamaharrod said:

Backstory:

My daughter just turned seven. As a baby, she was not really interested in solid foods. She self-weaned at 18 months and ate a regular diet. By the time she was three we were very concerned. She had not grown or gained weight in a year and complained of stomachaches daily. She also had bowel issues. Due to a family member with what we thought was celiacs (turned out to be a fructose intolerance), we decided to try a gluten free diet and see if our daughter's issues resolved. We did not want to subject her to the invasive testing. Within one month of going gluten-free, she gained several pounds and grew an inch. She also stopped complaining about her stomache. We were amazed! I tried glutinous foods I think twice more after that just to see what would happen and it was ugly. So, gluten was definitely the culprit. She developed a secondary lactose intolerance that cleared up last summer.

 

The Question:

My daughter has a stuffy nose pretty much constantly and her lymph nodes (in her neck and inner thigh, but most noticeably in the neck) seem to always be really swollen. Her tongue seems puffy and she cannot pronounce r's properly. She is thin, but has recovered well and is back on the growth charts. Our other children (not celiac) are all thin too, so no worries there. Any thoughts on the nose and nodes? Help appreciated!

Since we are not doctors, we can not offer medical advice over the Internet.    Besides, most of us are "experts" on maintaining a gluten free diet.  We can offer tips, support, and advice about celiac disease or the gluten free diet.  What does her doctor think?   Your public school can evaluate her speech at no charge, if that is helpful.  

[mamaharrod]

Since she is back on the charts her doctor is generally pleased with her condition. I don't know that I've made it clear enough how persistent and ongoing some of this is for her. She improved so dramatically when we made her gluten free, but there are these couple of nagging issues. I'm beginning to wonder if she has some other food sensitivity...

Regarding the speech - we homeschool, will the public schools evaluate her anyway?

[cyclinglady]

Try keeping a food and symptom diary.   She could have allergies or intolerances.  But, again, I am not a doctor!  I am healed from celiac disease, but I still react to certain foods and have allergies.  Those will probably never go away as I have been plagued with them all my life (as my siblings have too).  She could have a milk protein intolerance and not just lactose.  Eliminate all dairy too see if it helps.  

Speech really normalizes by the age of 8.  I can not say if your public school will evaluate her.  My home-schooled friends are still monitored by the state and receive state funding.  So, I would assume they would receive all the same benefits.  Try calling.