Purchase Playdough?

[Terri-Anne]

I've read recipes for home-made gluten-free play doughs, but with all the special gluten-free food prep I already have to do for my little fellow, I am wondering if there is an easy (lazy) way around being able to provide playdough to the daycare/school. I think since my husband mentioned that the wheat-flour playdough was inappropriate to put in son's trick-or-treat bag at daycare, that they've removed the playdough from the playroom as well. At first they didn't see the connection to it being a problem, as they weren't feeding playdough to him, however hubby's point was, if even a bit got under his fingernails, and he later chewed on his fingernails ( he's a BOY!! ) or some got into his mouth later when he ate snack or lunch, he would wind up having a reaction.

We both work in schools, so even if there was a gluten-free playdough sold only through the school markets, in a bit of a bigger quantity, it would possibly be okay.

I know you folks are the most knowledgeable out there, as necessity is the mother of invention, so what do you know?

[wclemens]

I see that Jessie and Miranda have ADHD and Asthma. Just a note--my son was diagnosed ADHD and we've recently tested his new baby and learned the baby has gluten sensitivity and allergies to milk and dairy, as do I (the baby's grandma).

I have suffered with Asthma since the age of 8, 51 years now, and learned that not only wheat and all other grains, but all milk and dairy products, as well as egg whites and yeast are poison for my system, along with such things as maltodextrin, casein, and whey.

Be on the lookout for reactions when your children ingest these and other foods. Sometimes as the system heals, other reactions occur which we don't expect.

Good luck with finding the playdoh. As a recently retired elementary school teacher (25 years in the classroom) I would love to see the results of what you learn. I will check back here again. Welda

[angel-jd1]

There actually is a gluten-free playdough stuff that is made!! However, I am having a hard time remembering the company. I know it was sort of expensive, but what isn't that is gluten free! ha I know that it comes in a bucket with several colors.....I hate when i can't remember things.

I will do some research and try to find the company!! If anybody else remembers please help!! ha

-Jessica

[angel-jd1]

I FOUND THE INFO!!! https://www.celiac.com/uploads/emoticons/default_rolleyes.gif alt=':rolleyes:'> Here is the link to the site that sells the gluten free/wheat free playdough stuff. Open Original Shared Link

Colorations

[Terri-Anne]

Thanks again Jessica!

Now I know there is such a thing in production out there, I just have to find a way to get my grubby little hands on some.

"At this time, Discount School Supply does not ship orders to destinations outside of the 50 United States and its official territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and APO, FPO and PPO Military Bases). "

I don't suppose Ontario, Canada would qualify as one of the United States official territories, yet.

I'll keep lookin'!

[angel-jd1]

Sorry, I didn't realize you lived in Canada!! Hope you find something that works for you!!

-Jessica

[Terri-Anne]

Welda

I am really quite sure that Jesse has food allergies (sensitivities) to something, but I really am not sure what. Because of Logie's wheat allergy, I suspect possibly wheat.

Logan disliked bread, etc. that were obviously wheat, when he was little. He would pick all the peanut butter and jam off of the top of a slice of toast and leave the bread. He always ate the insides of a sandwich leaving the bread, bun, etc. The first time I handed him a gluten-free cookie, and reassured him it was safe to eat, he first cautiously licked it, and waited several seconds before actually taking a bite. He later told me he was waiting to see if it hurt his tongue.

So because of Jesse's own strong dislike for milk when he was little, I wonder about milk. Jesse also has diarrhea most mornings, so something is definitely not agreeing with him. I really have no clue as to how to go about narrowing down what he could be allergic to, though. I mean it could be almost anything as he doesn't react as dramatically obviously as Logan. Logan's cheeks, chin and ears begin to glow bright red within an hour or two after eating wheat. Then he often gets tiny hives that come and go, or a nasty rash that stings, all over his arms, legs and sometimes torso depending how much wheat he ingested. And he usually goes through a Jeckyl/Hyde behavioural change, like a super-turbo Taz in fast forward, oblivious to any redirection given by anyone.

Jesse doesn't react in obvious immediate ways so I wouldn't even know how to know whether he was sensitive to something or not. The pediatrician said that the allergy testing, all types when it comes to food sensitivities, are not accurate enough to bother with.

Miranda used to have 10 liquid bowel movements by noon! when she was just over a year. The more I weaned her from the breast and replaced breastmilk with cow's milk, the worse it got. Near the end, the last 2 or three BM's before noon, would consist of straight mucous, with apparently no actual stool in it. After two weeks on lactose reduced milk, Randa's BM's slowed down to one or two a day, and firmed up to be soft but no longer liquid. So the lactose was definitely part of her problem. But seeing as she has reflux much of the time, and soft dental enamel, I wonder if there is something more she needs to be avoiding.

This parenting gig sure is tough at times!

God help us if they all wound up being intolerant to wheat! I simply do not believe we could financially afford to have three of them wheat free! It is soooooo expensive to keep up, for even one!

This may sound really really really bad, but (a certain degree of ignorance is maybe semi-bliss???) I know deep down it's not, but do you know what I mean??? I don't know how we'd do it!

[seeking-wholeness]

Terri-Anne,

It really sounds to me like Logan, Jesse, and Miranda ALL have celiac disease! I know that preferring blissful ignorance is a normal phase in the adjustment process, but please consider yourself gently chivvied to get them tested (and Kelsey, too, just to be sure)! And don't forget that you should be tested, too, and their father as well. If three out of your four kids are showing suspicious symptoms, celiac disease may very well run on BOTH sides of the family!

As far as the expense goes, de-emphasizing processed grain products like bread in favor of whole grains like brown rice would help reduce your outlay. It is a different approach to meal planning than the standard American diet, it is true, but in my opinion it is healthier anyway! (I personally implement the gluten-free diet within the framework of the Blood Type Diet, which--although it initially sounds hokey--I believe to be a very healthy eating plan worth looking into. You could check Eat Right 4 Your Type and Live Right 4 Your Type out of your local library if you are interested in learning more.) gluten-free breads and pastries, especially, often contain a lot of calories but very little solid nutrition. gluten-free cold breakfast cereals can't be trusted anyway (as my toddler proved by eating an entire bag while I was napping earlier this week--now his cheeks are bright pink and rough and he has been charging around the house in overdrive for the last few days, refusing to cooperate and throwing huge fits over nothing!). gluten-free variants of most other foods are available in regular grocery stores at regular prices, if you know which brands to buy. There are several lists available online, although I am not sure how many of them are Canada-oriented.

If it turns out that your family needs to make this major lifestyle change, I believe you will find the strength to accomplish it. We are all here to help and encourage you! Please don't let reluctance to change compromise your family's health--get tested for celiac disease!

I wish you the best of luck as you pursue answers!

[Terri-Anne]

Sarah

Logan's pediatrician gave him a blood test for celiac, which came back negative. Dr. then non-chalantly stated he did not have celiac, but a mere allergy to wheat, and nothing more was ever mentioned of the issue. (until I asked for a referral to a nutritionist who specializes in Celiac disease and the celiac disease diet, which I got)

Also, Logan only reacts when he ingests wheat. He is able to eat wheat free granola bars (full of oatmeal), and cereals with barley derived malt in them, with no apparent reactions whatsoever. He reacts very obviously when he ingests the tiniest amount of wheat. Like if there are toast crumbs in the margarine he uses, he lights up bright red, Jeckyl/Hyde behaviour change, etc. I recently stirred the family wheat pasta with a spoon, then not thinking, stirred his rice pasta with the same spoon. There was no visible bits of pasta stuck on the spoon between pots, and the pasta was in a potful of water, so I didn't realize it would affect him. Sure enough an hour or so later, Taz-child showed up at the school Christmas concert we were watching , along with the bright red face and tiny hives. I won't make that mistake again. However, my point is, he can eat oats and barley with no reaction, which I think would support the wheat allergy diagnosis versus celiac disease. Wouldn't it???

I would like to be able to encourage their dad to be tested as there is a lot of "irritable bowel" in his family, and food sensitive tummies, but so far, he is not convinced. It doesn't help that we have a severe shortage of doctors in our area, and the family physician we do have instills very little confidence in himself. Hopefully one day soon.....

[tarnalberry]

An allergist should be easily able to confirm the wheat allergy suspicion with a simple allergy test.... (If you even care to test...)

[seeking-wholeness]

Terri-Anne,

My little guy was able to eat oatmeal and barley cereals for quite a while without any noticeable reaction (except maybe some constipation now and then), so I figured wheat was his only problem. The eye-opener came when he suddenly developed bulky, vile-smelling diarrhea after he started teething on RYE crackers--and since then, he reacts to gluten in any form or amount! (His big brother had experienced the exact same diarrhea for his entire infancy, but I had not eliminated wheat from his diet--or mine.) Since rye isn't ubiquitous like wheat and barley (malt) are, maybe you could test Logan on Wasa or Kavli rye crackers and see what happens, if you fee like experimenting. (I know, the ethics....)

Logan may also have BOTH a "classic" allergy to wheat (an immuno-globulin E reaction that produces hives) and celiac disease (an immuno-globulin A and G reaction) with more subtle symptoms. You might also want to look at the information and FAQs at Open Original Shared Link to see if any of it rings a bell--it certainly did for me!

Also, if the doctor situation doesn't improve, you might want to consider testing the family through Open Original Shared Link. Their tests seem to be MORE reliable than blood tests, but they are new enough that they have not yet entered the mainstream (which lags ten to fifteen YEARS behind medical research!). You can certainly e-mail Dr. Fine to discuss any questions or concerns you may have. Enterolab offers a full panel of tests, but you can order just the stool test for celiac disease-related antibodies if you need to conserve money. This is what I will be doing just as soon as I can afford it!

I hope this information is helpful!

[Terri-Anne]

Sarah,

Thank you for the information and ideas. I have considered "testing" Logie with some gluten containing food that did NOT contain wheat, to see whether he reacted or not in the past. Initially I thought I was doing that by giving him oatmeal, (he loves granola bars and porridge,) but according to what I've read on here, the gluten in oats is perhaps not a problem as was first believed, unless it is contaminated with wheat???? I kind of thought since he was handling the oats and barley malt in cereals, that he was okay, but I will probably try giving him some of the Rye crackers you've mentioned to see how he makes out. I had never even considered that he could have BOTH an allergy and celiac disease. I figured it was either one or the other, and since he gets hives, it must definitely be the former.

I appreciate the link to the Enterolab site, as I've read a lot about people getting tested by them, through this site, but did know much in the way of details. The site answered several questions for me.

The unfortunate thing is that the testing is so expensive. Wow. Perhaps this can be something I can save towards doing.

What do objective third parties who are not writing a piece of advertising propaganda say about the accuracy and worth of their testing? I mean the Enterolab site was rather convincing, but what else is the company peddling it's own wares, so to speak, going to portray? Why has this testing not been embraced by the medical community at large in Canada/USA, when the currently accepted allergy testing for food allergies is so unreliable?

Why is the public at large so hesitant to consider the probable high prevalence of Celiac disease in the population? From speaking with the nutritionist and reading the posts on here, I really get the impression that even the majority of doctors out there think that people who suspect celiac disease are half-loony hypo-chondriacs looking for a label and attention. I feel that my kids have some sort of undiagnosed food issues, however that prevailing attitude makes it difficult to persue a solid diagnoses.

I hope I have not offended anyone with my comments. Even if Logan does only have a histamine type of wheat allergy as opposed to celiac disease, this site has been a real help, comfort and support to me. I've just voiced (or written) some thoughts. I don't mean any disrespect to anyone.

[Terri-Anne]

Tarnalberry,

I am not sure how to take your post. I think I am a little offended by your perceived tone in the comment "if you even care to test...." I have discussed allergy testing with my pediatrician whom I feel is very competant and compassionate. (due to dealings we've had with him for the past 11 years with unrelated issues) His advice is that while allergy testing for environmental allergies, like dust, animal danders, etc. are helpful in identifying and confirming environmental allergies, testing for food allergies is too inaccurate to be worth anything. According to him, the scratch tests are terribly unreliable, and the blood tests are not much better.

So, it is not that I have not considered having Logan tested by an allergist due to a lazy parenting attitude or something like that. I feel the hives, rashes, diarrhea etc. speak for themselves, and I am thankful that we were able to narrow down the culprit (wheat), through trial and error. And I have had a blood test done on Logan for the celiac disease, which came back negative. I am doing everything I know how to do, to ensure the good health of each of my children. I am in frequent regular contact with my pediatrician, a nutritionist, and all the helpful people at this site.

[seeking-wholeness]

Terri-Anne,

Yes, Enterolab testing is expensive, but the stool test by itself was only $99 the last time I checked. If Logan is still eating gluten on a regular basis, this test alone should be able to give you some accurate and important information without breaking the bank!

What do objective third parties who are not writing a piece of advertising propaganda say about the accuracy and worth of their testing? I mean the Enterolab site was rather convincing, but what else is the company peddling it's own wares, so to speak, going to portray? Why has this testing not been embraced by the medical community at large in Canada/USA, when the currently accepted allergy testing for food allergies is so unreliable?

My naturopath says that the tests look reliable, for whatever that's worth. I can think of a couple of reasons why these tests have not been embraced by the medical community at large. First, I get the impression that these tests are only a year or two old, and most doctors operate using information that is ten to fifteen years out of date--they don't know these tests exist! And even if they do, they are trained to accept only those tests that have been rigorously studied for accuracy--and there hasn't been time for that with the Enterolab tests. Second, and I admit that I have become rather cynical, a panel of tests that costs less than $400 and gives a conclusive answer is simply not as lucrative as repeated blood work and biopsies to "confirm" the diagnosis and "check for improvement"!

Why is the public at large so hesitant to consider the probable high prevalence of Celiac disease in the population? From speaking with the nutritionist and reading the posts on here, I really get the impression that even the majority of doctors out there think that people who suspect celiac disease are half-loony hypo-chondriacs looking for a label and attention.

The public probably prefers the head-in-the-sand approach because dietary change is a depressing and frightening prospect for most people. And as far as doctors go, a friend and I were talking recently and have a theory about that. We think that doctors see a lot more true hypochondriacs, percentage-wise, during their residency years at a teaching hospital than they do in private practice, because many hypochondriacs flock to teaching hospitals where they can get free or low-cost care for their perceived ailments. The trouble is, doctors don't realize this--and on top of that, they are taught incorrectly in medical school that celiac disease is extremely rare. Put the two together, and you get doctors who believe that anyone who suspects celiac IS a half-loony hypochondriac looking for a label and attention!

It's wonderful that you are so intent on figuring out exactly what is going on with your children and their diet, and I'm glad my previous post didn't offend you. I was worried that it might! Good luck as you pursue answers!

[gf4life]

Hi Terri-Anne,

Sarah has made many good points in this string of posts. I would just like to add a few more.

The blood tests are not as reliable as most doctors believe (at least in regards to Celiac). One negative test does not mean your child does not have Celiac Disease.

The food allergy blood tests are accurate as far as I know. I tested positive on Soy only and that is the one that makes me itchy, so I think it is accurate. It seems to me it is worth a shot. ( I don't think Tarnalberry meant that you didn't care about your son enough to have him tested, many people do not want to bother with testing at all and just go on the gluten free diet. I prefer to test, but i want to know the tests are accurate...)

And on that note, it took me two years of fighting my doctors for testing, and when my blood test came back negative and the doctors would not do a endoscopy and biopsy my intestine to check for Celiac, I did use Enterolab. I was very skeptical about them at first. But for the two years I was seeking testing I was also researching Enterolab. I believe them to be one of the best testing procedures available. I did the complete panel and yes it was a bit hard on the pocketbook, but worth the money. I found out I did indeed have a problem with gluten, as well as dairy, and carry the gene HLA DQ2 that predisposes me to Celiac Disease as well as other autoimmune diseases, of which I already have a few.

I think the reason that the medical field here in the US and in Canada do not use these procedures is that they are fairly new, and it takes more than 10-15 years for new tests to be accepted, and also that no one seems interested in learning more about them. They are happily cruising along with their old tests and not realizing how many people out there are suffering, everyday. Most doctors still think Celiac is rare. I was speaking to a nurse today about my son's upcoming sinus surgery and we were talking about his health issues and I mentioned that I recently was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and my son was being tested for it. She paused and said,"you have Celiac? That's very rare." I responded by telling her that it isn't as rare as previoously thought. Recent studies have shown that about 1 out of every 150 people have it. She was surprised. I hope it makes her stop and think when she comes acrossed someone with bizarre symptoms.

I have had symptoms since I was 4 (possibly earlier) and would have had a much healthier life had they found the celiac disease earlier. I know it is much easier for everyone to turn a blind eye to the disease and for doctors not to bother looking deeper into the symptoms, but just because someone goes undiagnosed it does not make the disease go away. Only a 100% gluten free diet will restore health to a person sensitive to gluten.

I'm sorry for the long post. I hope I could help.

God bless,

Mariann

Oh, and I had a hard time with the cost of Enterolab, but if you think about how much you would spend on medications and doctor visits trying to fix your ailments, the cost doesn't look so bad. I only waited as long as I did to test with them since my insurance would pay if I did the tests through my GI doctor. But Enterolab was the card I held in my back pocket. I will never regret testing with them. It was the best thing I ever did for my own health and my kids. I was able to get them all tested after I got my results and they are all three now seeing a wonderful pediatric GI specialist who is totally up to date on celiac disease and he did NOT discount my diagnosis through Enterolab, neither did my General Practitoner's office when they ordered the first blood tests for my children. But my personal GI doctor did not accept them. It is a personal choice to have them done, but worth the money and easy to do.