Can't Figure Out What's Going On...

[lizbeth93099]

So we are going on almost 4 weeks gluten free. We have had up times and down times, and my daughter (9) is so much better then she has been. The past couple days have been rough for some reason. She has had gas, diarrhea, heartburn, stomach pain, her anxiety has been increased a bit and she has been extremely irritable. Theses are all things that were normal when she was eating gluten, but then gluten free she was a different child.

I've been trying to figure out what she may have gotten that had gluten and can't figure it out.

Is this what life is gonna be like forever? LOL. It is worth it, it really is, but I am frustrated because I can't figure it out.

[LDJofDenver]

Yes there can be ups and downs, but I'm thinking most likely cross-contamination. If not at home, perhaps at school, or a friend's house.

I mean, it's hard enough for an adult to grasp the level of diligence you need on this diet, let alone a child (easy to think that just one chocolate-covered-pretzel won't hurt much, when you're 9).

Is your whole household gluten free? If not, are you ultra careful about things like cutting boards, colander, toaster, the mixer you're using, etc.?

Sometimes, even though I know I've been very careful, something bites me -- often a supposed gluten free product that perhaps is processed on shared lines that also process wheat, etc. The more scrutinous I am, the less I get bitten.

Even if you are ultra mega careful, healing is a process and does take time.

[chiroptera]

Another thought is that perhaps she had developed another food intolerance. I have learned that sometimes gluten is not the only problem food for people: my daughter is also egg and casein intolerant.

[CeliacMom2008]

We're coming up on 2 years (WOW!) of gluten free. For us the first few months were constant ups and downs. I'd think we had the hang of it, and then I'd think he'd been glutened. I'd come on here saying I suspected this or that and we'd avoid products for awhile. Then somewhere along the line it all stopped being like that. I'm not saying that it ever goes away totally. Just this week my son had horrible D the day after we tried a new product. Then he started throwing up and I was googling like crazy to see if anyone else had a bad experience with the product. Then I talked to another mom from school whose son was also home with the same symptoms. Yep, I'm pretty sure it was just the flu! That part is hard, but it really does get better.

I know that doesn't really help you in any way! But I hope it helps you see a light at the end of the tunnel and to know you're not alone.

[amysmom]

I know how you feel,it is very upsetting. My daughter is also 9 and we have been gluten free since January. After we started the gluten free diet everything was improving and then she began having increased symptoms of reflux, heatburn, indigestion and since she is also diabetic her blood sugars were haywire. I did find out that until the small intestine and tips of the villi heal, she has been lactose intolerant. I kept her away from dairy products as much as I could, have used lactose free and lactaid tablets when necessary with great results. However, she was glutened this past weekend. My big mistake, we were out and I bought her french fries that I believed were in a gluten free fryer, but was wrong. Within an hour she began with bad stomach aches and was vomiting a few hours later. Then she was completely fine. I have learned from other members and by experience that after you go gluten free, when they are exposed the effects seem faster and worse than before. Maybe someone else could comment on whether or not that is the case, and if so, she may be getting small amounts of gluten somewhere.