Help With Daughter

[ksymonds84]

My 21 year old daughter recently decided to do the South Beach diet. She feels mostly great on this diet. During her mid cycle (she is on birth control pills) she started bleeding slightly heavy. After 5 days she called the family doctor. The doctor on call had her do a pregnancy test (she was appalled) but it was negative. She will see her doctor this Friday. She's only slightly spotting now but she keeps getting light headed and vomits occasionally. I asked her what she had to eat when this happens and she said 1/4 slice of real bread and another time she sampled other peoples desserts while having dinner and had diarrhea when she got home. She is the only daughter who has my symptoms of the 3 children that I have but she never listens to me. I went to my GI last week and I carry BOTH DQ 2 and DQ8 and he said all of my children will get one of these genes. I told her that and she is a little more impressed and is at least thinking about gluten. Dr. Lewey, my GI, told me that although it is only a theory of his, that people going on Atkins (which is what I did when I was mid 30's and thought it cured my IBS) are taking in very minuscule amounts of gluten and when they go back to gluten (and they are really gluten intolerant) their bodies go in to shock and if you carry the celiac genes it could possibly turn them on. This is what I am thinking in happening with my daughter but am also wondering about the bleeding?

[mom26boys]

My 21 year old daughter recently decided to do the South Beach diet. She feels mostly great on this diet. During her mid cycle (she is on birth control pills) she started bleeding slightly heavy. After 5 days she called the family doctor. The doctor on call had her do a pregnancy test (she was appalled) but it was negative. She will see her doctor this Friday. She's only slightly spotting now but she keeps getting light headed and vomits occasionally. I asked her what she had to eat when this happens and she said 1/4 slice of real bread and another time she sampled other peoples desserts while having dinner and had diarrhea when she got home. She is the only daughter who has my symptoms of the 3 children that I have but she never listens to me. I went to my GI last week and I carry BOTH DQ 2 and DQ8 and he said all of my children will get one of these genes. I told her that and she is a little more impressed and is at least thinking about gluten. Dr. Lewey, my GI, told me that although it is only a theory of his, that people going on Atkins (which is what I did when I was mid 30's and thought it cured my IBS) are taking in very minuscule amounts of gluten and when they go back to gluten (and they are really gluten intolerant) their bodies go in to shock and if you carry the celiac genes it could possibly turn them on. This is what I am thinking in happening with my daughter but am also wondering about the bleeding?

I'm still in the process of getting diagnosed. My blood test came back positive so endoscopy is next. Before even going for my blood test, I began a gluten free/dairy free diet and the very first significant thing I noticed, besides feeling much better in general, is that my period was NOTHING like it was before going gluten-free! My periods were so heavy that on days 1 and 2, I couldn't go past 2 hours without changing a s+ tampon, and a completely soaked overnight pad (sorry to be so graphic!), or I would have a major mess. I lived with that for years and thought it was my normal cycle until I saw on a talk show a gyn doctor showing how much you should lose during your period and she showed 1 vial full, and said if you have more than that you need to see your doctor. Thats when I realized my periods were majorly abnormal! By the next cycle I had already started the gluten-free/df diet and the difference was amazing! It was so much less, that I actually thought I may be pregnant with #7!!!

Anyway, I know your daughter's situation is a bit different since hers began mid-cycle, but being new to all this, I couldn't believe what a difference just 2 weeks off gluten made in my body! I hesitate to do the endoscopy because I don't want to eat gluten for 2 more weeks, but I've gone this long, so I might as well get a proper dx. She should definitely dig deeper and get tested for celiac, especially since she already knows she is generically predisposed. I had the same experience with low carb diets. I felt good on them at first and then I would feel bad again, even after just having a little bit of carbs. All this time I thought it was carbs in general. I never thought it would be the gluten. Had I known then what I know now, I could have saved myself many years of pain and suffering. Your doctor's theory makes total sense to me. I have found that the hardest part of being a parent for me actually comes when they are adults and you don't have control over them anymore, when it comes to health issues like this one. Anyway, I hope she listens to you and gets some relief soon!!!

[ksymonds84]

Thank you for your insight mom26. I am leaning more toward her having a gluten problem with south beach then cheating on it. I will tell her that her period maybe better if she's gluten free and that might help. You are so right, once they are adults it harder to get them to do whats in their best interest. They decide on their own, hopefully sooner than later! Hope all goes well with your testing!