My Daughter's Gluten Experiment

[celiacgirls]

My 11 year old daughter has been gluten/casein free for almost a year. Before this, she was an extremely difficult child. She was even diagnosed with Oppostional Defiant Disorder. 11 months into the diet, I would say the only time she acts that way is when she has some gluten or casein. Sometimes I am pretty sure she has had it because she ate something that said "may contain traces of wheat or milk" and sometimes I am only fairly certain since I am going on how she acts. She has admitted to cheating by trying "a goldfish" or the frosting off from a cupcake but usually when her behaviour is bad and I ask her what she has eaten, she says "nothing". But life in our house has definitely improved since she has been on the diet.

Apparently, when she started the diet, I told her she could do a gluten challenge after one year. My husband is not totally convinced she needs to be on this diet but he has said he thinks it helps. So he wants her to do the challenge. So last night, without telling my husband, I let my daughter eat chicken nuggets and a fortune cookie. She was difficult this morning but not as bad as I thought she would be. I see the connection but it is not enough for my husband to agree there is a definite link. My thought was she would be in such a bad mood that he would notice and probably point out that the diet wasn't working. Unfortunately, since her reaction wasn't that bad, it probably will undermine my whole argument with both of them that she needs to be on this diet.

So my question is do you think I should continue to let her eat gluten until her behaviour is so bad that it is clear to everyone (my husband and her) that she needs to be on this diet? I'm concerned then it will be very difficult for her to go back to the diet, not to mention how difficult she will be during the challenge. My symptoms (mood) take 2 1/2 weeks to go away so it will be a long time if hers take that long. I'm also concerned about her sister because she can be very mean and violent when she's had gluten and her sister gets the worst of it.

After I agreed to let her challenge it last night, she told me the day before she had cheated and had a fortune cookie. Just that morning, she had been very mean to her sister and hit her and I "knew" she had cheated but she didn't admit it. So this, to me, proves the point but it isn't enough for her dad.

Of course, there is the possibility, I am wrong and she doesn't need to be on the diet. She's only been diagnosed by Enterolab and my observation of her diet response.

Sorry this is so long. Thanks to anyone who has it all.

[Nancym]

Personally I think you can't judge it from one incident. It might take months for the damage to get bad enough to cause obvious issues. For me, the proof was in how my IBS cleared up so quickly getting off the gluten. I did do one gluten challenge and felt emotionally "off" for a week afterwards. Might have been coincidence or not.

Imagine that gluten is a piece of sandpaper. You rub your skin with it once. Ok, no problem. Now do it 10 times a day for months on end...

Ok, well skin would might callous over but your intestines can't.