Teenage Daughter

[bakingbarb]

I have Celiac. I have 3 kids all of which I think have Celiac also. My sons are young adults and agree that they might have it but they are not dealing with it at all yet. I keep working on them both because they show some classic signs and one of them stopped eating wheat for 2 weeks and felt 100% better.

My daughter is a teen and I think she has it but doesn't have many of the classic symptoms. I feel though that I am trying to push it and she resists. The Dr did blood work and it supposedly came back negative. 2 things though,1st, I didn't see the results and there was some confusion about them. We haven't gone back yet so when we do I will ask to see them. 2nd, I read that many times teens show negative on the blood work, is this true?

This morning she showed me her teeth, they look almost transparent. She said they don't always look like this. Isn't this a sign?

Here are the other things, she eats no meat, only pastas, breads, spuds, veggies, fruits, dairy oh and tuna.

She has been anemic and is still, although I buy her a highly absorb-able iron. She is fatigued easily also. She has some brain fog but not enough to slow her down, she gets excellent grades. If I get brain fog and I am slow as molasses! She doesn't lose weight easily but gains easily, like me.

What do you all think?

She resists the thought but she knows it is a fact that it can be. I think being a teen and not being able to eat fries with her friends would be very difficult for her. She might go along with the diet at home but not away from home, that is if I get her to change at all in the first place. I think pasta would be the first place I need to change.

[nora-n]

I think teens would ned a positive blood test, or a trial off gluten, something they can see or have experienced.

I remeber my daughter slept for three days after introducing cheese while on an elimination diet when she was a teen. She used to be so tired she dropped out of school, bythe way.

She did not want to be allergic to milk and was in denial for many more years. She finally went milk and gluten free two years ago after being in ill health for all those years. She'll be 30 this year.....he had graves disease in the meantime, too. after the second time I suggested she try gluten-free and her graves antibodies just vanished.

nora

[AliB]

You just have to try and get through to her that ignoring this won't make it go away - it will just get worse. From what you have said I would think there is a very strong chance that she is Celiac.

As you know, she just can't ignore this. Young people have this 'live for today and I'll worry about the future when it happens' attitude, but talk to anyone who has suffered because they didn't deal with it when they should and they will all tell you, and her, that sacrificing your health just isn't worth it.

I have had weight problems and fatigue all my life since my mid-teens and I am now 50 and I am sick and tired of being tired and sick. If anyone had told me 35 years ago that this would have happened but all I had to do was avoid gluten I'd have jumped at it!

These days it is becoming more widely recognised and there is not such a stigma associated with it. Perhaps she might be surprised by her friends' response if she told them - they may well be quite happy to support her - you never know, some of them might themselves be gluten and/or carb intolerant and could benefit from dropping gluten too!

There are thousands out there who are Celiac or Gluten Intolerant who don't know it. It is behind so many illnesses and diseases. By educating her friends she might be helping not just herself but them too.

[Ursa Major]

My youngest daughter had the blood test when she was 15, and because it was negative (high negative, but still negative), she refused to try the gluten-free diet. She insisted that the negative blood test 'proved' that she didn't have a problem with gluten, and that was that. Despite the fact that she had all the symptoms of gluten intolerance!

So, I ordered the Enterolab tests for her, and after having the kit around for four weeks, she finally grudgingly gave the samples. It helped that she was feeling worse all the time, and really knew I was right. But I still had to prove to her that she was gluten intolerant, before she would try the gluten-free diet.

Her tests were positive, but what really convinced her was the high malabsorption score. She has now been gluten-free for several months, and is finally getting excellent marks in school, after failing all courses for more than a year! She was unable to concentrate and retain learned material while eating gluten. It was really affecting her brain as well as her digestive system.

[pixiegirl]

I'm going to show my daughter this thread... she is trying to be gluten-free but is a bit casual about it.

I've been diagnosed for about 6 years and I've been sure she has it from the get go. I had her doctor test her and he said the first test was inconclusive. About a year later he tested her again and her blood test was positive. I was originally diagnosed by Enterolab.

The compliance rate for teenagers isn't real high, its very hard for my daughter. She also has a life threatening peanut and tree nut allergies so most of the pre-packaged gluten free food she can't eat because it contains exposure to nuts. I pack her a lunch every single day for school but often the kids do things after school (unplanned so she won't have snacks) and she buys things out of the vending machine. She sticks with things like Doritios but they make me sick every time so i feel they have some gluten exposure. And right next to her high school is a pizza place and a Dunkin Donuts and often the kids go over there.

But she is trying and our house is totally gluten free. She does feel better when she is gluten-free so thats what I'm hoping will convince her in the long run. One thing I've done... I've made a promise to myself and my daughter NOT to get mad, or threaten, or pout when she "goofs" with gluten. First I like to know and if I don't get angry she is willing to tell me, her mood changes so when I see her getting "prickly" I ask her, "is there any chance you might have had some gluten" and because of my attitude she feels comfortable saying "i might have at (fill in blank)" And at least then I know we may be in for a rough couple of days.

If you get angry or make threats (your going to die young, you'll get this or that other disease) the discussion about it won't continue. I've found that she is getting better at this as time goes on and I believe my positive attitude is helping a lot. When she tells me she might have gotten glutened, I'll say oh bummer your doing so good too, the next couple of days might be rough but lets keep trying, its hard to do this and your doing great. So far for us its working but kids take longer to convince and as long as you give them the info and keep it positive I think it will eventually sink in!

Susan

[bakingbarb]

I'm going to show my daughter this thread... she is trying to be gluten-free but is a bit casual about it.

I've been diagnosed for about 6 years and I've been sure she has it from the get go. I had her doctor test her and he said the first test was inconclusive. About a year later he tested her again and her blood test was positive. I was originally diagnosed by Enterolab.

The compliance rate for teenagers isn't real high, its very hard for my daughter. She also has a life threatening peanut and tree nut allergies so most of the pre-packaged gluten free food she can't eat because it contains exposure to nuts. I pack her a lunch every single day for school but often the kids do things after school (unplanned so she won't have snacks) and she buys things out of the vending machine. She sticks with things like Doritios but they make me sick every time so i feel they have some gluten exposure. And right next to her high school is a pizza place and a Dunkin Donuts and often the kids go over there.

But she is trying and our house is totally gluten free. She does feel better when she is gluten-free so thats what I'm hoping will convince her in the long run. One thing I've done... I've made a promise to myself and my daughter NOT to get mad, or threaten, or pout when she "goofs" with gluten. First I like to know and if I don't get angry she is willing to tell me, her mood changes so when I see her getting "prickly" I ask her, "is there any chance you might have had some gluten" and because of my attitude she feels comfortable saying "i might have at (fill in blank)" And at least then I know we may be in for a rough couple of days.

If you get angry or make threats (your going to die young, you'll get this or that other disease) the discussion about it won't continue. I've found that she is getting better at this as time goes on and I believe my positive attitude is helping a lot. When she tells me she might have gotten glutened, I'll say oh bummer your doing so good too, the next couple of days might be rough but lets keep trying, its hard to do this and your doing great. So far for us its working but kids take longer to convince and as long as you give them the info and keep it positive I think it will eventually sink in!

Susan

Susan, thank you.

We have a pretty good relationship mostly, so I think we should be able to work together on this.

Your attitude has got to be the way to go. IF I were negative with her about it, she would go the other way.

It seems the malabsorption would convince my daughter also. She knows I worry about it for myself and she doesn't want the same health issues I have. Funny, they are not recognized health issues but the brain fog, the achy joints, the weight and the big D and then the intense stomach pain.

We have our work cut out for us. But I am hopeful.

She does like what I bake so she might give up bagels if I bake something for her.

[confusedks]

I'm going to offer a different point of view...I am 17 years old.

I went gluten-free last year because I was SO sick that I didn't care what I ate or didn't eat. It is NOT that big of a deal once you get used to it. It is very overwhelming at first when you start this, and as a teen, we are out without our parents a lot, so we really feel like we are doing it on our own. (As far as label reading, etc.)

My friends at first would make fun of me because I would eat really healthy lunches, but finally they started to realize that the only main difference in my lunch from pre gluten-free was that I didn't have sandwiches.

If your daughter does go gluten free, you can have her email me for support if she'd like. If you want to PM me I'll give you my email address.