Vitamins, Calcium,etc.

[eternity]

I was wondering if everyone's kids take vitamins and if so just a multivitamin or extra stuff to to compensate for the malabsorption issue. Mason is 16 months old and takes a multivitamin. I tried to get him to take calcium chews but he spits them out. He is lactose intolerant right now and I am afraid he is not getting enough calcium. He was just diagnosed last week. I am wondering if a liquid calcium exits that I could get the doctor to perscribe.

[gf4life]

There are liquid forms of calcium. I have gotten Kirkman liquid calcium/magnesium supplement before (it is gluten-free/cf) , but it tastes pretty wierd. Some sort of tropical fruit punch flavor, but it tastes like nasty medicine. Then we tried to find another source, but some of the liquid minerals are very salty tasting. I found a powdered calcium supplement called Cal-100 with vitamin D, and you mix the powder into drinks or food. That might work for your son, but you would have to check with your doctor, since it says it is not recommended for infants or children.

My kids are older, so they take chewable calcium tablets made by Freeda. And they also take magnesium, by GNC. But they are able to swallow pills, so it is easier to find things they can take. They don't do well with the flavored stuff. They take Lil' Critters Gummy Bear Vitamins as their multi-vitamin.

Your son might be spitting out the calcium chewables because they bother him. They are not dairy free, so it may make him sick if he has problems with dairy.

God bless,

Mariann

[ryebaby0]

My son takes Caltrate 600 plus, and a Centrum Jr. tablet that he believes is the worst tasting-vitamin in the world (and this from a kid who was taking zinc -p'tooey!). If your son is only off dairy, you might have more success with a soy milk or almond milk (my son LOVES Almond Breeze). There's also a lot of calcium in broccoli, I believe. Not all calcium is gluten-free, though, so (all together now) check the label....

[Terri-Anne]

My wheat allergic son takes a multi-vitamin everyday, seeing as he is missing out on the iron, niacin, etc that is added to fortified breads, cereals and pastas made from wheat. I didn't start with the multi-vitamin until he started having terrible "cradle cap" and hair started falling out in large handfuls. At first I tried "cradle cap" remedies. Then I clued in that he was missing out on the fortifying in the mainstream products. Shortly after starting the multi-vitamin, his scalp cleared and the hair loss stopped! At first he was reluctant to take the multivitamin as he didn't lke th taste, but I made it a game, he gets one, and I get one and we race to see who can chew and swallow theirs first. Now he brings the vitamin bottle to me everyday, anxious for our vitamin race! Just be careful as not all multivitamins are gluten free. Be sure to read or check with your pharmacist.

My 6 year old daughter is lactose intolerant, so we buy a lactose reduced milk for her, like Lactaid, Lacteeze, or our favourite Natrel lactose reduced milk. The Natrel tastes most like regular milk. The other two are slightly sweeter. These are regular milk with lactase added to make up for the lactase deficiency in your intestines. If your son is not dairy allergic, but merely lactose intolerant, that is what I would suggest for him as he will get the calcium he needs.

If there is a safe yoghurt(gluten-free) (my son eats yogurt all the time but we are only avoiding wheat, not all gluten.)I would also recommend giving him some yogurt as long as it says "active bacterial culture" in the ingredients listing, as the bacteria digest (break down) the lactose so it doesn't bother lactose intolerant individuals.

I hope that helps you some.

[flagbabyds]

I can swallow pills so I take cal/mag from GNC and and centrum everyday

[KayJay]

I have been taking the Kroger calcium chews (Carmel) I don't know if they are gluten-free. Does anyone know???

[wildones]

Terri-Ann

"Logan Aged 4, Allergic to wheat, Asthma

Jesse Aged 12, ADHD, Migraines, dark eye circles, Asthma, allergic to???,

Miranda Aged 5, Lactose Intolerant, reflux and soft dental enamel, Very Spirited "

All of the above mentioned things can be the result of gluten intolerance/celiac disease. My son (the first to be diagnosed in our family) had several false negative blood tests for celiac disease until he was tested with the newer more accurate tests. His biopsy may not have shown up positive either if the lab hadn't been an experienced lab that looked deeper than just at the villi (they found lymphocytes and mimimal damage to his villi)

I was diagnosed with wheat allergies also, had reflux as did all of my kids as well as the dark circles, tooth enamel problems, one had ADHD and one had migraines as well as asthma. All three of my kids and I have improved dramatically on gluten free diets after being diagnosed with Celiac disease.

Just something you might want to consider, because even GI drs will sometimes not do the latest most accurate testing, and give you the false impression that you do not have gluten problems because of it.