Bloating And Pain

[Norris]

My 9-year-old daughter has been on the gluten-free diet for over three weeks now and has only minimally improved. The sharp stabbing pain near her navel has decreased but she constantly complains of bloating and dizziness. She is in too much pain to return to school (7 weeks missed, now).

For those of you who have been through this before...

Is this normal? He biopsy showed "substantial damage to the villi" and her blood levels were high, so do I assume that her recovery may be slow?

Any tips for helping her with the pain and bloating?

[Guest Robbin]

I would take her off dairy for awhile if you haven't already. Dairy is a big cause of bloating and pain with my son. I sure hope she gets better soon. I know how heartbreaking it is for you to see her so ill, too. Keep us posted. God bless

[Guest BERNESES]

Norris- i'm so sorry that your daughter is so ill. It's so hard to watch a child suffer. But if the damage to the villi was significant, it's not surprising. It may take quite awhile for her to feel really good again. I know when I first went gluten-free (and supposedly had no villi damage) I was still in pretty rough shape. I definitely saw improvements right away but if I was a child in school, it would probably have been some time before I was back on my feet again.

Maybe you can work it out with her school (or depending on your schedule) that she can go back half days for a bit and then full days when she starts to feel better (fourth grade?).

I would definitely keep away the lactose too- they say the first six months you shouldn't have any. (((Hugs))), Beverly