Opinions, Please.

[Jentu]

Hi all, I'm new here. I've been worried about my daughter, who's 6, for quite awile now and I was hoping you could give me some advice. I'm going to make an appointment with her pediatrician probably on Monday, but in the mean time I'd like some input.

For the past year or so I've noticed that she's not thriving, for lack of a better description. She's occasionally complained of joint pain, she seems to tire easily and often lacks the energy that a kid her age should have. And can be so grouchy! It seems to take so little to upset her and sometimes she even acts as though she's depressed. She also seems to get diarrhea more often than she should, and (because she forgets to flush) I've also noticed that her BM is often pale or a floating, broken-up type. And in the mountain-out-a-molehill category of potential symptoms, she's also somewhat small for her age and seems to grow so slowly. I was always a big kid, so I'm not sure where she got it from.

I should also probably add that her paternal grandmother has RA, which seems to be relevant according to what I've read.

I just feel as though something isn't right, but I also tend to worry too much and I'm afraid I'm just missing some big problem. I've been more careful about the way I handle her at home in hopes that it would relieve her irritability and anxiety, but it hasn't seemed to help too much.

Does this sound like a wheat problem? Would you recommend cutting out the gluten products to see if it helps, or should I discuss it with the doc first?

Thanks in advance!

[ptkds]

That sounds like my dd. She is also 6. She is pretty small for her age, she was always pale, and she was VERY moody. School mornings were torture for both of us. And at 6 yrs old, she would still take naps if she sat still long enough. She tested positive last November for Celiac. I have seen a nice improvement since she has been completely gluten-free. All this 1st week of school, we have had great mornings. She got up, got dressed, and did all the stuff she needs to do. Well, last night she got glutened, and today was HORRIBLE. She cried and screamed most of the morning, and she slapped her sister after school. And her tummy hurt this morning.

You should definetly get her tested. We knew nothing about Celiac disease until 2 of my dd's and I tested positive 9 months ago. But we do have a family history of stomach problems, diverticulosis, thyroid problems, etc.

good luck at the dr's!

ptkds

[dandelionmom]

Those symptoms sound very similar to the ones my 3 year old had before we started the gluten-free diet. I would talk to the pediatrician about testing for Celiac (you want to have the tests done before you go gluten-free).

We knew nothing about Celiac Disease, so it has been quite an adjustment. But we are so relieved to find answers and are delighted with how well Julia is feeling.

[CtheCeliac]

This sounds like my six-year-old. My six-year-old had the three blood test through the doctor, and they were negative. However, I've been told that sometimes it takes a second round of tests when they're a year older and have had more exposure with age to to glutens. I'm debating between a second round of blood tests with the doctor or tests through Enterolab. In the meantime, she eats gluten in her diet but not near as much because of my diet. (She eats gluten-free dinners.) However, since I've been gluten-free 8 mos., she's slightly improving. Maybe because my moods are better or maybe because she's not getting as much gluten.

I read in the book "The Doctor's Guide to Gastrointestinal Health: The Ultimate Resource" that all children in Italy are screened by age six; the time between symptoms and diagnosis of celiac disease is 2-3 weeks in Italy and about 10 years in the U.S. Wow! I need to research this further, but this sounds in line with other readings. We should be more proactive in seeking testing.

[crittermom]

The moodiness and sensitivity sounds like Katharine before she went gluten-free. I tried changing the way I handled her as well but to no avail. Her stools were white, but we large instead of floating and we had the blood in the stool problem. Don't try gluten-free before the tests as it will give you a false negative. There has to be gluten in her body for the tests to work correctly. Good luck.