15 year old new to gluten-free

[Janwill]

My son has been on gluten-free for 2 weeks and still getting severe stomach cramps. When do these stop and can he take anything to stop this. He is taking buscopan 2 tablets and it does not help. He missed 2 weeks of high school so far and just want to manage the pain for him any help would be great. 

[kareng]

I am assuming he was diagnosed with Celiac?  Has he removed dairy?  Celiac disease damages the part of the intestines that help digest dairy.  The ability to digest dairy may return in a few months.

[Ennis-TX]

IF he has been diagnosed and is living in a shared house it is going to really hard not to get CC contamination. I suggest reading the newbie 101 page, also it can take 2-6 weeks for the antibodies to calm down once on a gluten-free diet, assuming there is no cross contamination. NOTE gluten is a protein, like blood, you can get contamination off of residue from surfaces, cookware, utensils, etc. I would suggest if in a shared house having his own cookware, pots, pans, utensils cooking equipment. Prep his food on top of freezer paper to avoid counter contamination and a safe work surface, wear gloves if you have been handling gluten.  He will need his own condiment containers to avoid crumb contamination between them.

We really do suggest a whole foods only diet of meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, vegetables, sweet potatoes, and fruits for the first few weeks to boost healing. Avoid oats, and dairy and limit grain intake for the first few weeks. Getting his own little counter top microwave, a fold out table and a area for his dedicated gluten-free foods, and some microwave cooking tools like omelette makers, steam trays, etc. will make cooking quite easy and save you buying a whole lot right off the bat.  I also suggest a rice cooker/crockpot/steamer and liners, and his own toasters if you later wish to buy or make some gluten-free breads.    PS avoid cerals starting off. many contain oats and have CC issues like cheerios.

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/117090-gluten-free-food-alternatives-list/

 ^ List of gluten-free food alternatives for after he starts to heal a bit, also have different kinds of ingredients, and where and how to buy foods. Makes the transition simpler when you think of it as just changing brands.