Questions About Side Effects Of Celiac

[LMM]

My 14 year old daughter is about 7 weeks gluten-free - just past diagnosis. Of course we are trying very hard to make sure she is getting no gluten. She was feeling much better around the 4 week stage. Got her period, and possibly a virus, we don't know, and we are back with symptoms. I am thinking she may be anemic but the symptoms are similar to her pre diagnosis except not as bad. SHe is taking slow fe but it may take awhile to kick in.

The hard part is differentiating between an illness and celiac. Fatigue is big, trouble sleeping soundly, stomach discomfort, no D or C right now, and headaches. Could she be getting unknown gluten, we are really careful,is it anemia, or should I take her in to the doctor again in case it is unrelated? This is very discouraging to her teen self as she thought she was on the mend! Any thoughts??

[RoseTapper]

Yes, you should have her ferritin level checked--when it's low, fatigue and trouble sleeping can be common. However, if she DOES have a low ferritin level, it's possible that oral iron will have no effect, since she may not yet have the ability to absorb it. When I first went gluten free, it took nearly a year for my anemia to resolve itself. Then, when I got glutened accidentally twice in one week, I completely lost the ability to absorb iron, so I had to have weekly infusions of intravenous iron at the hospital. If your daughter is anemic and the oral iron does nothing after two weeks, request that her doctor order intravenous iron--she'll begin feeling better immediately.

However, it is also possible that there's been some gluten contamination. Make sure that her shampoo, creme rinse, and makeup are all gluten free. She should avoid lipstick or kissing anyone on the lips who is wearing lipstick (sorry, Grandma!). Remember, gluten can be found in seasonings, in a toaster that is used by others, and in peanut butter, mayo, jam, butter, etc., that is used by others in the household (your daughter should have dedicated jars of these products). Lastly, while your daughter is trying to avoid contamination, it's easiest to simply go all natural. There's always the chance of contamination in processed products, even when they're supposedly gluten free, but if she's still exhibiting symptoms, all natural is oftentimes best. Once she's been free of symptoms for a while, you can probably safely introduce processed foods into her diet.

[Mari]

I have found several simple sleep aids which I use. Peppermint tea is very soothing and calms down the intestinal tract - add the mint to boiling water and let steep for 5 or more minutes. The amino acid ornithine also helps people sleep, available in capsules. The spice turmeric - which I used for years - find instrunctions online. When I was younger I used a product called SleepEase. Sometimes I eat 1/2 grapefruit before preparing for bed (Canned grapefruit or juice probably won't work).

[Skylark]

Anemia could make her feel that way. I agree about the risk of processed foods. I've even reacted to taquitos that were clearly marked "gluten free" but had a pretty long ingredient list so a high chance of CC somewhere in the supply chain. Also has she tried going off dairy as well as gluten? Sometimes newly diagnosed celiacs don't tolerate dairy well and get some symptoms. The dairy intolerance often goes away once the gut has healed. Soy is another to look at.

[LMM]

Thank you to all for your thoughtful replies. I am thinking the anemia could be the cause. I called the doctor to get her past levels that tend to fluctuate but she is on the low end of normal normally and dips down I believe because of heavy periods. We began the multivitamin with iron and a sublingual B supplement. She is already feeling better. I was unsure about telling the difference between being glutened and something different. She has no belly pain or bloating so I am beginning to think these may be symptoms to watch for in case of accidentally eating gluten.

Thanks A TON