Tpn, Amino Acids & Gluten

[woodnewt]

Does anyone know if Ajinomoto Aminoscience LLC amino acids and amino acid mixtures that are added to TPN (Total Parental Nutrition) is truly gluten-free?

My brother has celiac disease, is in the hospital, and is very ill and unable to eat because of an intestinal-related problem. He is extremely malnourished and needs surgery VERY soon, but they will not do surgery on him until he is better nourished through TPN.

They have put him on TPN and he has started rapidly losing weight, with large volumes of yellow diarrhea and gas, and is feeling extremely ill. The hospital is assuring us the TPN is gluten free and they are beginning to suggest his symptoms are in his head saying the diarrhea is normal or that he should just take an anti-diarrheal medication. When he is on TPN he is SICK. Something in there is making him SICK. He looks sicker now than when he came in, and I know something is VERY wrong.

I am more concerned about cross contamination with gluten than I am about it being produced from gluten since the hospital has assured us the TPN mixture is gluten-free - though the hospital - spoke with 3 dietitians so far- does not seem to understand that cross contamination can make a celiac ill - we were even told not to worry because the ingredients are "sterile."

Looking up Ajinomoto Aminoscience, it seems they are a company that deals with vital wheat gluten in their medical related amino acids.

Open Original Shared Link

Does anyone know if their TPN amino acids are truly 100% gluten free?

[Wolicki]

I don't think I can be very helpful, but I did have TPN for about 3 weeks when I was first diagnosed. I did not have any reactions, but I was brand new at being gluten free. Can they try a different mixture of TPN from a different company?

[ravenwoodglass]

Can they try a different mixture of TPN from a different company?

Can you talk to his doctor and get them to change to a different TPN? If his doctor isn't willing to switch to a different one you may want to consider getting a second opinion from a different doctor or perhaps a transfer him to a different hospital. I would also keep a written record of his progress or lack of it and also take notes or record all conversations, with names, and perhaps contact a lawyer to advocate for him.

[woodnewt]

Just an update:

Still have not been able to find out if TPN amino acids is gluten-free, but it wasn't the TPN making him sick. One of his nurses was doing something to him, and we only found out after a serious incident. We filed a formal complaint with the hospital as well as had him moved to a different floor, and his health began to pick up a couple days after that.