Just Diagnosed

[mamarara]

Hi my almst 6 year old son was just diagnosed by his dr that he has Celiac. I am trying to do as much research on this disease as possible. i want to make sure that this is really what is wrong. I was wondering if anyone could give me some of the symptoms of Celiac? I do trust my Dr as she also has Celiac but i just want to make sure. i also was tested and will know the results by Wed or Thurs. my husband will not be tested as of yet because he is in Iraq still.

[lauradawn]

Im sorry to hear that. It's so hard to see little ones with such problems. Im sure during your research you will find that there are hundreds of symptoms that can be associated with Celiac. It depends on each person.

How did your Dr diagnose him?....

Im sure over a matter of time you will find quickly if that is his problem. most poeple after gluten-free begin feeling better very qucikly. I hope that is the case with your son.

Laura

[mamarara]

I brought him for his 6 year checkup and the dr noticed that his back teeth were black so i told her that the dentist told me his teeth came in without the enemal on them. I also have been battling constant constipation with him since he was about 2yrs old. He also complains that his tummy hurts. So she ordered a blood test and when the results came back she told me that he had Celiac Disease. She gave me some things to read and what I needed to do and not do. But I just wanted to make sure without going through the biopsy with him.

[Guest jhmom]

Hi Mamarara, welcome to the board! If your son already has a positive blood test there would be no reason for him to endure a biopsy through endoscopy.

First of all I would suggest surfing this message board under "pre-diagnosis, testing and symptoms" there may be some listed that are not on the list below:

Here are some links that have been helpful to me:

gluten-free Products List

Support Groups in US

Open Original Shared Link

What are the symptoms of celiac disease?

There is no typical celiac. Individuals range from having no symptoms (asymptomatic or "latent" forms of the disease) to extreme cases where patients present to their physicians with gas, bloating, diarrhea, and weight loss due to malabsorption.

In between these two extremes lie a wide variety of symptoms that include:

Diarrhea

Constipation

Steatorrhea (fatty stools that float rather than sink)

Abdominal pain

Excessive gas

Any problem associated with vitamin deficiencies

Iron deficiency (anemia)

Chronic fatigue

Weakness

Weight loss

Bone pain

Easily fractured bones

Abnormal or impaired skin sensation (paresthesia),

Including burning, prickling, itching or tingling

Edema

Headaches*

Peripheral Neuropathy* (tingling in fingers and toes)

Individuals have reported such varied symptoms as:

White flecks on the fingernails

Fuzzy-mindedness after gluten ingestion

Burning sensations in the throat

In children, the symptoms may include:

Failure to thrive

Paleness

Querulousness, irritability

Inability to concentrate

Wasted buttocks

Pot belly with or without painful bloating

Pale, malodorous, bulky stools

Requent, foamy diarrhea

I do hope some of this information is helpful to you and that your sons health begins to improve soon!

[gf4life]

Dental enamel defects are also a symptom of Celiac and it is recommended by the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center that ALL children with dental enamel defects be screened for Celiac Disease. I am glad your doctor caught on quickly. There really is no reason to put him through the biopsy. His symptoms and the blood test are enough and the real test is how well he responds to the diet. All three of my kids have lots of crowns in their mouth and the dentist was getting very frustrated with us until he found out that we are all gluten intolerant. Now he knows it is genetic and I am hoping we will all get less cavities now that we can all be gluten free.

Let us know how your test comes out. Are you symptomatic at all?

God bless,

Mariann

[DLayman]

Boy this must be tough with you dealing with this alone! I hope your husband stays out of harms way over there! My brother in law just came back.

A book that you will find helpful is Kids with Celiac disease by Dana Korn.

I found it very helpful!

Do let us all know if there is anything you need!

Denise

[mamarara]

Hi I just wanted to let everyone know that my test result was negative. That is a good thing for me but not my son. Now we are just waiting to see the results from my sister. I will let you know.