Anyone Else Ever Feel Like Banging Your Head Against The Wall?

[rez]

Gluten, casein, soy, chocolate, aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!! I have no idea what else to look for or do. I feel like once I strike all the offending foods from my son's diet that there will be nothing left. To try to eliminate all the canker sore/stomach ache/acid reflux causing foods is nearly impossible. I'm normally a great cook and I have ruined two cakes, a batch of muffins, and 3 loaves of banana bread in the past two days. I want to run away and be a kid again with no responsibilities and no worries!!! Does anyone else ever feel like giving up? I have good days and bad ones, but right now I'm in a slump. I'm affraid we're going to have to look deeper than gluten. His tummy is not 100% and the cankers are better, but not completely gone. Nuts and strawberries were also on the offending foods list. I feel there's no where or no one to turn to. No doctor to help or make him better. He called crying from school today with a terrible stomach ache. Sorry for the rant.

[Guhlia]

Gluten, casein, soy, chocolate, aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!! I have no idea what else to look for or do. I feel like once I strike all the offending foods from my son's diet that there will be nothing left. To try to eliminate all the canker sore/stomach ache/acid reflux causing foods is nearly impossible. I'm normally a great cook and I have ruined two cakes, a batch of muffins, and 3 loaves of banana bread in the past two days. I want to run away and be a kid again with no responsibilities and no worries!!! Does anyone else ever feel like giving up? I have good days and bad ones, but right now I'm in a slump. I'm affraid we're going to have to look deeper than gluten. His tummy is not 100% and the cankers are better, but not completely gone. Nuts and strawberries were also on the offending foods list. I feel there's no where or no one to turn to. No doctor to help or make him better. He called crying from school today with a terrible stomach ache. Sorry for the rant.

How long has your son been gluten free? It can take up to two years for symptoms (such as stomach ache and canker sores) to go away completely, especially if he has done a lot of damage to his intestines. Are you sure that all gluten sources have been eliminated (ie: soaps, lotions, play dough, paints, glue, hair product, soaps at school, lotions at school, caregivers lotions and soaps, etc). I'm sure you already covered all this, but those are all easy places to slip up.

I would highly recommend, if you haven't already, getting a good gluten free cookbook like Incredible Edible Gluten Free Foods for Kids by Shari L Sanderson. The recipes in there are gluten free and most are easily made casein free as well. I love that book for my family. Perhaps you would have more success if you were trying gluten free baking that were a little easier than the bread items, like cookies or mini muffins (mini is key as gluten free baked goods tend to not cook inside in my experience). Or, try some naturally gluten free recipes to give you a little sense of success before tackling the harder recipes... Have you done the 3 ingredient PB cookie recipe? It's fabulous and sure to be a success. It's also naturally gluten and casein free. You'll need to make sure your PB is soy-free.

[ryebaby0]

Goodness yes, I think we all feel overwhelmed and miserable from time to time! And of course, this time of year is one big food-o-rama for the "mainstream" world, and here I am, stockpilling frozen entrees to take to potlucks so my guys can sit and gaze at the "buffet of doom" (my son's favorite invented term) and hating the world of people who start ANY sentence with "just a little" or "I know this is safe".

... has your son been tested for vitamin deficiencies? Mine takes a med (unrelated to celiac disease) that has as a side effect mouth sores, and the doctor recommended we give him a multi with lots of folate to combat those. If he is really deficient in zinc, folate, B vitamins or some other things, a simple multi won't be enough and he might need a simple prescription for supplements. Just an idea, it's awful to hang out there not knowing what else to try.

...your son is lucky you are a great cook. You can do this! Give yourself a break, and keep throwing out food. It's part of learning what works. I write notes in my cookbooks, and keep trying. (Mine is also egg allergic -- try making muffins without an egg!). When all else fails, come here and rant, because we all really do understand

joanna

[azmom3]

have you tried food allergy testing yet? It's nice to quickly get an answer to what things you should take out of their diet.

[Cheri A]

((HUGS)) ~ You can do this!! We've been gluten-free for a year and I baked many door stops that would break a window or sink or just plain taste disgusting. My dd also has an extensive list of other allergies.

I agree with Guhlia about baking in small pans. We took bread away for a few months so she could "forget" what wheat bread tasted like. And, also because I was throwing away every doorstop I made! Then I read about the smaller pans. I started baking in muffin tins, then graduated to mini-loaf pans and then to the regular loaf pan. The first "success" I had was with banana muffins from www.savorypalate.com. She lived on those for awhile. Just keep trying!!

I am sorry that I don't know much about canker sores.