Hip Pain

[buffettbride]

We've been having a frustrating time at school the last few weeks--3 glutenings in two weeks due to not-ideal lunchroom cleanliness, etc (that is so frustrating because she hasn't been glutened more than 1x per month and we've only been doing this since May). She just seemed to be contacting gluten with her hands and then not washing them before eating. We've kind of addressed/remedied that problem, but since last Friday DDs hips have been hurting very, very badly. The best way I've been able to get her to describe it is it feels like her hip joints are griding on bone (kind of like when you're pregnant) and according to her it's not really getting better the farther she is from her glutenings.

So, I'm wondering if I should get her in to the doctor. I don't know if I should call our family doctor or the gastro doc. Our family doctor would probably just tell us to give her some ibuprofin and maybe labs for xrays or something, in which case I'd have to go to Children's Hospital anyway. The GI doc is AT Children's Hospital and since this is very likely Celiac-related pain it seems like that is the way I should go. Part of me thinks it is just a symptom of the glutening and it will pass, but the poor thing just seems in so much pain.

What would you do?

[glutenfreegirls]

We've been having a frustrating time at school the last few weeks--3 glutenings in two weeks due to not-ideal lunchroom cleanliness, etc (that is so frustrating because she hasn't been glutened more than 1x per month and we've only been doing this since May). She just seemed to be contacting gluten with her hands and then not washing them before eating. We've kind of addressed/remedied that problem, but since last Friday DDs hips have been hurting very, very badly. The best way I've been able to get her to describe it is it feels like her hip joints are griding on bone (kind of like when you're pregnant) and according to her it's not really getting better the farther she is from her glutenings.

So, I'm wondering if I should get her in to the doctor. I don't know if I should call our family doctor or the gastro doc. Our family doctor would probably just tell us to give her some ibuprofin and maybe labs for xrays or something, in which case I'd have to go to Children's Hospital anyway. The GI doc is AT Children's Hospital and since this is very likely Celiac-related pain it seems like that is the way I should go. Part of me thinks it is just a symptom of the glutening and it will pass, but the poor thing just seems in so much pain.

What would you do?

Boy, I don't know what I would do, but I can tell you that my DD has leg pain as a primary complaint with her gluten sensitivity. And it takes a long time to totally go away after gluten exposure. I guess if you're not worried that there coud be another unrelated cause, I would give pain relievers, we use hot water bottles at night, and just give it a little time.

If she has any other symptoms (like fever), I would call the Doc.

Hope she's better soon.

[blueeyedmanda]

I also say if there is a fever see a dr. If you do not think anything else can be to blame I would also give the pain relievers.

[Ridgewalker]

I so understand your frustration! Lucas is home today again because of a glutening. Second time he's missed school in two weeks. It's nerve-wracking. This time I haven't even figured out what it was from. The only suspect is the Lays chips he ate, if there was cc at the manufacturing plant. I don't know, he's never had problems with them before.

I agree with the others that if there is a fever present, even low-grade, I'd take her to the Doc immediately.

You said she's been having the pain since last Friday- was that the last time she was glutened, or has she gotten gluten again since then? If she hasn't been glutened since then, and the pain isn't getting any better at all, that's not happy

Is the pain so severe that it's affecting her walking? Is she limping or walking stiffly? I'm trying to remember how old you said she is... 7? I think that if it were me, I'd go ahead and take her to the Doc if it's affecting how well she's walking- to me, that's an indicator of pretty severe pain.

It could very well just be a symptom of glutening that takes a while to get better, BUT.... I don't know, it's just that with all the problems that Celiac can cause because of the malabsorptive issues, I just associate that with bone/joint problems (among other things, obviously) that sometimes need to be addressed...

How long do her glutening symptoms usually last? And how long would it take for you to get an appt with her doc? If it were me, I don't think I'd let it go on more more than a week - then I'd get her in to the Doc's office.

-Sarah

[buffettbride]

Thanks so much!

So far no fever or anything and no glutenings since midweek last week. She has complained of sore throat, but we've had a cold bug passing around our house too, so that doesn't surprise me.

She's 10 (and very dramatic) so it's hard to tell with her sometimes.

To top it all off, we were rear-ended driving to school/work this morning. We were both fine, but the guy who hit me, well, his car caught fire. It was kinda askeery!!! Thankfully the other driver was OK as well and has insurance. *sigh* Just what I needed.

I figure I'll see how those hips are feeling today and tomorrow and get her seen before the weekend if they still feel as bad. Her GI symptoms usually only last a day but is usually SUPER DUPER EMOTIONAL for several days after and those "growing pains" kick back up. She's just never complained of the hip stuff before.

Heat seems to soothe her the most so I'm going to get a non-electric heating pad she can use when she goes to bed. She's taken a warm bath every night this week because it provides the most relief.

Thanks again!

[glutenfreegirls]

T

She's 10 (and very dramatic) so it's hard to tell with her sometimes.

I hate to admit it, but with my daughter who sometimes complains of a headache even when she doesn't seem sick, I give her a few Pez (or other Gluten-free Casein-free candy that looks like a pill) that I have stored in a tylenol bottle. She is glad to take the "medicine", and glad that I am taking her ills seriously, and, often that cures the headache without medicating her. If she still has a headache in an hour or so, I give her the real thing (from a different looking tylenol or ibuprofen bottle). I started doing this because she would have "really, really bad" headaches that would get better within 3 or 4 minutes of giving tylenol, long before the tylenol had a chance to take effect. The placebo effect is very real, and very powerful. It also helped me to sort out what pain needed medicine and what pain needed loving care.

Good Luck!

[buffettbride]

I hate to admit it, but with my daughter who sometimes complains of a headache even when she doesn't seem sick, I give her a few Pez (or other Gluten-free Casein-free candy that looks like a pill) that I have stored in a tylenol bottle. She is glad to take the "medicine", and glad that I am taking her ills seriously, and, often that cures the headache without medicating her. If she still has a headache in an hour or so, I give her the real thing (from a different looking tylenol or ibuprofen bottle). I started doing this because she would have "really, really bad" headaches that would get better within 3 or 4 minutes of giving tylenol, long before the tylenol had a chance to take effect. The placebo effect is very real, and very powerful. It also helped me to sort out what pain needed medicine and what pain needed loving care.

Good Luck!

Sadly, she's sharp enough at 10 to know that Pez isn't a Tylenol. We use the whole placebo effect with both kids for as long as possible. For almost 5 years (pre-celiac) graham crackers were cookies, etc.

[buffettbride]

Thankfully she is doing MUCH better now. Hasn't complained of hip pain most of the week and no glutenings this week. I think we've made it over the "hump" of adjusting to school *fingers crossed*.

I'm sending a bandana in with her every day to use as a placemat to provide extra protection of her food space.

I was hoping to find some of those self-adhesive placemats but I can only find them in "little kid" patterns like Sesame Street and ABCs. I'm not sure that would bode well for a 5th grader!

[Ridgewalker]

Thankfully she is doing MUCH better now. Hasn't complained of hip pain most of the week and no glutenings this week. I think we've made it over the "hump" of adjusting to school *fingers crossed*.

I'm sending a bandana in with her every day to use as a placemat to provide extra protection of her food space.

I was hoping to find some of those self-adhesive placemats but I can only find them in "little kid" patterns like Sesame Street and ABCs. I'm not sure that would bode well for a 5th grader!

Yay!!! I am soo glad she is feeling better! Hey, actually a bandana might work even better for her- there's a jillion cute prints you can find. She may start a trend, and soon all the other 5th grade girls will be doing it too.

-Sarah

[Nancym]

There are other things that can cause joint pain in young people. Ankylosing Spondylitis is one. It is an autoimmune disease that causes mistakes in repairing cartiledge. It often starts in young people, probably early to late teens. I'd imagine other forms of autoimmune arthritis can arise too. Of course, it could be gluten related. But you might want to see a rhuematologist if it doesn't get any better.

[tarnalberry]

actually, if you were rear-ended, I would take her in. you may think that you're fine, but actually have had enough force on the spine to cause an alignment shift that causes her hip pain. if it comes up again, I would definitely take her in, and not necessarily suspect that it's gluten related unless there is an extremely tight correlation.

[buffettbride]

Yay!!! I am soo glad she is feeling better! Hey, actually a bandana might work even better for her- there's a jillion cute prints you can find. She may start a trend, and soon all the other 5th grade girls will be doing it too.

-Sarah

You make a great point! Bandanas definitely have the potential to become trendy placemats! I'm going to the Army/Navy surplus today to pick a BUNCH. They are washable so I'm not adding to a bunch of lunchtime waste, either (one of the reason we got the Laptop Lunches as well).

[buffettbride]

But you might want to see a rhuematologist if it doesn't get any better.

That is the plan. Since we had 3 glutenings in a short period of time and she seems to feel better now, we're going to keep an eye on the pain separate from glutening incidents. Since going gluten-free her "growing pain" in her legs has subsided almost completely, but if that hip stuff keeps happening without a glutening then we'll take it a step further.

Somewhat related, my mom (DDs grandma) has Fibromyalgia and althought tested negative to blood tests (I don't know which ones) to Celiac, she has MANY of the symptoms--IBS being one and practically lives on coffee and toast, sooooo, it doesn't surprise me that pain management will be a big part of managing DDs Celiac.

[buffettbride]

actually, if you were rear-ended, I would take her in. you may think that you're fine, but actually have had enough force on the spine to cause an alignment shift that causes her hip pain. if it comes up again, I would definitely take her in, and not necessarily suspect that it's gluten related unless there is an extremely tight correlation.

the hip pain started well before the rear-ending accident.

[tazallie]

Hi

I read this with some interest. My 10 year old daughter has been gluten-free since april, before that she complained often of hip and groin pain and having read this I have just realised she hasnt complained of it once since april...I dont know if it is the gluten intolerance or not but I found it interesting to read this.

The groin pain would often be followed by a water infection (again they were reguler occurences but none since april) but the hip pain could happen at any time and could be crippling.

And I am so relieved that there are others out there with 10 year olds who play on it! My daughter deserves an oscar some days for her acting skills, but she hasnt yet realised that when she is glutened she goes very very pale with big bruised eyes...and its a give away when she is still pink and complaining but I love the idea of giving sweets out of a medicne bottle..will try that as it will make her feel that i do care but without her having to have medicne for nothing.

[buffettbride]

And I am so relieved that there are others out there with 10 year olds who play on it! My daughter deserves an oscar some days for her acting skills, but she hasnt yet realised that when she is glutened she goes very very pale with big bruised eyes...and its a give away when she is still pink and complaining but I love the idea of giving sweets out of a medicne bottle..will try that as it will make her feel that i do care but without her having to have medicne for nothing.

I know EXACTLY how you feel! Oh the drama! My DD gets the bruised/red eyes when glutened as well. She had a bad spell a few weeks ago. 3 glutenings in 2 weeks. Thankfully none since then! Her legs and hips just seem to get the brunt of pain most of the time w/ glutening (she used to get "growing pains" several times a week before she was gluten-free). She still gets some peripheral neuropathy in her legs as well, but we've balanced some of that with extra calcium and watching those B vitamins.

[Musicmaker]

My daughter is 10 and diagnosed 6 weeks ago with celiacs. She has been really sick, and I have been making all her food from scratch excluding eggs, dairy, soy, corn, and nuts. She was just starting to get better, when she went to a friends and came home with a can of snapple iced tea with gluten ingrediants! I had specifically asked her friend's mom not to let her eat or drink anything other than what she had brought with her. She has been so sick last two days and has been complaining of bad hip pain on the right side ever since. Really hoping and praying it goes away and not sure how long glutening symptoms last as we are new to this. I'm glad I'm not alone in this.