My 11 Year Old Was Glutened For The First Time

[sahm-i-am]

When I was diagnosed with Celiac I had my daughters tested. Both bloodworks came back negative but my younger daughter wanted to try gluten free to see if it cleared up her GI issues. I am not ready to go through a biopsy with her and a gluten-free diet was the answer anyway so why not? So, she has been voluntarily gluten free for 4 months and feeling much, much better. Yesterday we were at a local farm and they were giving away ice cream. She asked about the cone (good girl!) but didn't think to ask about the lemon ice cream (awww!). I wondered out loud when I saw her eating it but most was gone. 3 hours later poor little thing was feeling it! It didn't last long but she had a strong reaction, which confirms her decision to be gluten-free. It is interesting because her reaction to gluten was SO much stronger than mine (I get mild heartburn) and I'm the one with all the positive bloodwork and lazy villi!! Go figure!

I have a question for you experienced GFers - would sudden consumption of gluten cause a reaction in all people that ate a gluten-free diet, regardless of diagnosis of celiac disease or GS/GI? Do you think perhaps that gluten can cause a reaction in everyone if they went gluten-free for a while? Just wondering, curious if it is toxic to all, not just us. And I do think my daughter has GI because of all her digestive issues, but wondering if so many people's bodies are 'addicted' to gluten.

Thanks for listening!

[ravenwoodglass]

I have a question for you experienced GFers - would sudden consumption of gluten cause a reaction in all people that ate a gluten-free diet, regardless of diagnosis of celiac disease or GS/GI? Do you think perhaps that gluten can cause a reaction in everyone if they went gluten-free for a while?

Thanks for listening!

No gluten will not cause a reaction in those who are not intolerant of it. If people reacted to food just because they hadn't eaten it in a while we would react to a lot of stuff we only have on holidays or seasonally. People who are not intolerant to gluten can add it in and out all they want with no reaction. That is the reason why eliminating gluten and then challenging with it is a good diagnostic for gluten reactions.

[cassP]

i agree with Ravenwood! i do NOT think everyone on a gluten-free diet would react to being glutened.

i do think with 30% of the population carrying DQ genes- that it is POSSIBLE for 30% of the population to be sensitive to gluten... with a subset of that group being intolerant or celiac.

i think there's even more than 30% who might have sensitivities to Wheat Germ Agglutin and other grains, etc..

im very impressed with your daughter- deciding she wanted to try the diet anyways!

also- i think its very possible that she had a reaction because of the dairy..???

and again- i agree with RW-> there's a misconception out there about allergies & intolerances... and that if we havent had something in awhile- then we just need to desensitize to it. there are certain foods that i never even tried till i was almost 30- and i never reacted to them

[T.H.]

Don't believe it causes that reaction in people with no gluten issue, nope. I can say that I've seen no issue with my husband. Our house is gluten free, so he's been gluten free with the rest of us who HAVE to be. When I was making him lunch for work, he didn't get gluten for maybe 3 months straight. Then I stopped for a couple weeks and he had gluten during lunch with no issues at all, you know?