What Would You Do?

[ADevoto]

Hi everyone,

Here is my situation. I have twin 10 year olds. Daughter has one of the celiac genes and has a really big problem with constipation. I took her to a major hospital where they did all the blood tests and they all came back negative except for the gene. The hospital said that we didn't need to do the diet just becasue she had the gene. They thought the constipation was from her just not taking the time to go to the bathroom. She also has serve dyxlesia and a very negative attidute about life. Now, her twin has major emotional problems - depression/bad temper tantums that go on for hours. It is now better managed under Lithium - these blow ups are always at home never at school. He does have occassional stomache that make him come hom from school. He also has occasional diaherra. He is spacey and has problems focusing. The school wants us to put him in a special day class becasue he has a terrible short term memory problemand is having a difficult time keeping up in class. I had him tested for TTS, IGA, IGg, heavy metals..but not the gene (different doctor - ordered differnt tests). Anway, all came back perfectly normal. The doctor wants us to get a stool test and a very sensitive food allergy test done. She also wants us to go gluten free and diary free. This would be a hugh deal for my son as this is all he wants. I am not looking forward to the temper tantums. It would be bad for a while. But we have tried everything else. I am worried for my child and really do want to do everything for him but the tests are expressive and I don't know if putting him on a gluten free diet is the right thing to do if all the tests are negative. Especially both of them (twins) are negative except for gene. I really am at the end of my rope. Any opinions are appreciated.

[darlindeb25]

ummmmm i say try gluten free--it may be a rough week but maybe after a week they will start feeling better and then their spirits will pick up and possibly everything will get better for them--it cant be worse then it sounds like you have now --i know i felt so much better you may have to keep gluten things hidden from them for a bit so they dont cheat--but give gluten-free a try--otay deb

[billfl]

ADevoto....I agree with Deb. While I don't have any children living with me now, if my children had ever exhibited the symptoms that you mention, I would certainly have them go gluten-free for a couple of weeks. The symptoms that you mention are all listed as gluten reactions. The tests can be false neg or pos. You won't be endangering your children on a gluten-free diet for a week or two.

[seeking-wholeness]

ADevoto,

When you mentioned that your son is spacey and that he eats a lot of gluten, I thought of Open Original Shared Link that addresses some possible effects of gluten (and casein) on the brain. These effects are possible even without overt celiac disease. If you're interested, check it out, and good luck to all three of you!

--Sarah

[FreyaUSA]

Definitely give it a try. One of my kids (10 yr old second son) came back with "low positive, nothing to worry about" bloodwork. Because I was gluten-free and so was my eldest, I decided to bite the bullet and put him (and his little sister with the same diagnosis) on the gluten-free diet. The behavioral and emotional changes that he's gone through have been pretty pronounced. We are very aware now of when he has something (9 out of 10 times because he sneaks it in school) because he becomes an emotional rollercoaster. He's begun to be aware of how different he feels and doesn't like it (YEA!). His attention in class is much better, too. Like the others said, it can't hurt to try it! (With my kids I found similar foods to substitute for their old wheat foods in the beginning and stocked up on the stuff that was already gluten-free.)