Gluten Challenge

[JennyC]

I have not posted in a long time, but I thought that I would come here to share my recent experience. My son was diagnosed with celiac disease three years ago based on clinical symptoms and blood work. When he went gluten-free all of his many symptoms went away. He has been under the care of a great pediatric gastroenterologist for the last three years. At his recent visit, she asked if we would be interested in doing a gluten challenge. I agreed because I thought that having a positive biopsy might make his life easier a later on. I started giving him gluten on Wednesday and he got SO sick. He is back to his pre-diagnosis symptoms, having D three times a day. He is also in a great deal of pain. He wants to go back to eating gluten-free, and I am not about to force him to eat gluten! So now we are going to get a tTG drawn. I feel so bad for him. I've been giving him Tylenol. The GI told me to give him Gas-X. Does anyone know if I can give him Pepto? He is nearly 7 years old and weighs 47 pounds.

Thanks for listening!

[ravenwoodglass]

Call your ped to ask about the pepto, that is the safest thing to do. If memory serves me Gas-X is not gluten free so do be sure to check into that. It doesn't sound like the challenge and biopsy are worth the pain he is in.

[Marz]

He is nearly 7 years old and weighs 47 pounds.

Aw shame, poor boy To have to go through this at such a young age... At least you know what the problem is. Hope he recovers from his glutening quickly.

Honestly, at such a young age, clinical diagnosis shouldn't need gluten poisoning and biopsies/testing. Symptoms and withdrawal of symptoms on a gluten-free diet, with perhaps a challenge showing symptoms re-appearing, should be enough to get you the firm diagnosis.

[ravenwoodglass]

Honestly, at such a young age, clinical diagnosis shouldn't need gluten poisoning and biopsies/testing. Symptoms and withdrawal of symptoms on a gluten-free diet, with perhaps a challenge showing symptoms re-appearing, should be enough to get you the firm diagnosis.

I agree, he was already diagnosed. If the GI wanted to do biopsies they should have been done after the positive blood work and before the diet was started. I would discontinue the challenge, let the doctor know what the results were and get him back on the diet. Did the doctor redo the blood work before the challenge was started? Having that become negative after diagnosis and adherence to the diet, along with his relief from symptoms should have satisfied that doctor. Recent research is also saying that biopsy is not needed when the blood work is positive and there is resolution of symptoms on the diet. Perhaps your GI is not keeping up with the research or needs a new boat.

[nora-n]

first the antigliadin gets positive, then when there is enough gut damage the ttg turns positive, and that should take a while back on gluten.

ttg is connected with lots of gut damage.

I wonder if it is worth it, and necessary, since the kid already has a diagnosis.

[jerseyangel]

I wonder if it is worth it, and necessary, since the kid already has a diagnosis.

I agree.

[katyd1d]

I'm so sorry! Poor little guy. It sounds like you've got all the confirmation the doctor should want!

[GFinDC]

At least now you know that gluten causes him a problem, regardless of medical testing or doctor opinions. He also knows and that is a good thing as it should help him stick to the diet.