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Should I Push?

sarahelizabeth

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sarahelizabeth Contributor
sarahelizabeth
Posted

I visited these boards this time last year when our GI dr was debating testing my youngest for celiac. He never did end up testing him but now I am wondering whether I should push for it?? He's 21 months old now. This time last year he wasn't gaining weight (at all) and was falling completely off the growth charts. He had chronic constipation issues that wouldn't resolve even with miralax. He had chornic ear infectiosn (11 in 18 months and has had 2 sets of tubes), and horrible eczema as well. The GI Dr wanted us to do allergy testing first before he started looking at celiac or even possible hirshprungs. We thought he had a dairy allergy. Ended up he didn't and we started him on whole milk which he did MUCH better on than formula... finally started gaining some weight.

We found out at 11 months he had a peanut allergy... then at 20 months we found out he was also allergic to most all tree nuts, as well as vanilla, and green peppers. We've finally removed all his allergens but aren't seeing much improvement (some but not what we were hoping for). He's still constantly got a pimply eczema rash (does flare something awful if he does get an accidently exposure to an allergen), now he goes back and forth between diarrhea and constipation... his stools are often a very light yellow color and smell something fierce. He's still small BUT he's actually gaining weight now... up to the 10-25th percentile for weight now finally (up from below the 3rd before a year). He NEVER eats... its not that he's picky... seems totally disinterested and acts like it makes him sick to eat. Lately (the reason I've become concerned again) he's been sleeping ALL the time... falling asleep less than 2 hours after he wakes up and sleeping 16-17 hours a day... 3-4 hours more than he used to. I thought maybe it was a growth spurt but its been going on WAY longer than that and he's not eating to support a growth spurt. I am not sure what to think???

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CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

I'd have him tested.

If gluten is not the problem, keep looking for what is. Some of us feel better on a gluten-free diet but have other health problems causing some of the symptoms.

Many different diseases that have a systemic reaction all have very similar symptoms.

I'd still try the diet once the testing is completed just to see if he responds favorably to it. But don't do it before the testing or it can affect the results.

plantime Contributor
plantime
Posted

Insist his docs run the tests. They are not near as bad as docs claim they are, and the diet is not even close to as bad. If your docs absolutely refuse to do the tests, then go glutenfree for him, and see if he gets better.

Juliet Newbie
Juliet
Posted

Yes - insist that he run the test. This is very similar to how my son started getting very noticeably sick. It was during the time that he started getting very lethargic that he began to lose weight and get the distended belly and grey skin tones. Up until that time, he was only having the constipation/diarrhea cycle; he was still gaining weight and height.

ryebaby0 Enthusiast
ryebaby0
Posted

Why not just start him on a gluten-free diet? The doctor's opinion is interesting, but not actually necessary....

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

If your doctor is not interested in running the tests, I would find another doctor who is open to it. Make sure the run the FULL Celiac panel.

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    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @rei.b,  I understand how frustrating starting a new way of eating can be.  I tried all sorts of gluten-free processed foods and just kept feeling worse.  My health didn't improve until I started the low histamine AIP diet.  It makes a big difference.   Gluten fits into opioid receptors in our bodies.  So, removing gluten can cause withdrawal symptoms and reveals the underlying discomfort.  SIBO can cause digestive symptoms.  SIBO can prevent vitamins from being absorbed by the intestines.  Thiamine insufficiency causes Gastrointestinal Beriberi (bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation).  Thiamine is the B vitamin that runs out first because it can only be stored for two weeks.  We need more thiamine when we're sick or under emotional stress.  Gastric Beriberi is under recognised by doctors.  An Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test is more accurate than a blood test for thiamine deficiency, but the best way to see if you're low in thiamine is to take it and look for health improvement.  Don't take Thiamine Mononitrate because the body can't utilize it well.  Try Benfotiamine.  Thiamine is water soluble, nontoxic and safe even at high doses.  I thought it was crazy, too, but simple vitamins and minerals are important.  The eight B vitamins work together, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine,  magnesium and Vitamin D really helped get my body to start healing, along with the AIP diet.  Once you heal, you add foods back in, so the AIP diet is worth doing for a few months. I do hope you'll consider the AIP diet and Benfotiamine.
    • captaincrab55
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    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      So you're saying that you think you should have severe intestinal damage since you've had the symptoms so long?   DGP IgG antibodies are produced in response to a partial gluten molecule.  This is different than what tissue transglutaminase antibodies are  produced in response to.   TTg IgA antibodies are produced in the intestines in response to gluten.  The tTg IgA antibodies attack our own cells because a structural component in our cell membranes resembles a part of gluten.  There's a correlation between the level of intestinal damage with the level of tTg antibodies produced.  You are not producing a high number of tTg IgA antibodies, so your level of tissue damage in your intestines is not very bad.  Be thankful.   There may be reasons why you are not producing a high quantity of tTg IgA antibodies.  Consuming ten grams or more of gluten a day for two weeks to two months before blood tests are done is required to get sufficient antibody production and damage to the intestines.  Some undiagnosed people tend to subconsciously avoid lots of gluten.  Cookies and cakes do not contain as much gluten as artisan breads and thick chewy pizza crust.  Anemia, diabetes and thiamine deficiency can affect IgA antibody production as well.   Do you carry genes for Celiac?  They frequently go along with EDS.
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
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