Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Stomach Stuff

Juliebove

Recommended Posts

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

My daughter is 13. She does not have celiac but does have a wheat allery and is also allergic to some other foods.

Last week on Thu., she came down with the big D. I kept her home from school. There was no school on Fri. I had a Drs. appointment in another city so I took her with me. We were there for long enough that she missed dance class. She didn't appear to be sick that evening. In fact I had to insist that she use the toilet. We had gone to lunch earlier with my parents and I knew she hadn't used the toilet in 5 hours! This hasn't been a big issue lately but it sure was when she was younger. The mere fact that I would tell her to use the toilet would make her not use it. It was a control thing. And she wound up with UTI's and bladder irritation because of it. As it turned out she did need to go. But there was no D.

We went grocery shopping in still another city. Came home. Had dinner. She had a salad that was going to expire that day. Perhaps not the best choice but her stomach seemed okay then.

Next day we celebrated my brother's birthday. We ate at the same place where we had lunch the day before. We eat there at least once a week and they are very careful with our food. We have never had any issues eating there, ever. We also do not order exactly as is from the menu. They make food special for us, no matter the issue. My mom has been on some wacky diets over the years. If all she can eat is chicken and spinach, they will make her that.

On the way out of that restaurant, we stopped into Garlic Jim's. Asked if their Taco Pizza could be made gluten-free. We were told that it could but that they couldn't put the nacho chips on the top because they contained gluten. So I went ahead and ordered one. We have had their pizza several tims before with no problems. Daughter even commented on how happy she was that they were being so careful with our pizza. We sat in there while they made it and the gluten-free part was mentioned severals times. We took it home to eat the next day. I now will not recommend this because they do put lettuce on it and it gets a bit wilted. Better to have it fresh. Anyway...

Sunday we did our usual shopping. Costco then Target. We did have a sample at Costco. It was Boursin cheese spread on gluten-free rice crackers. We bought a box of the crackers. At Target we had an order of French Fries (they're baked), nachos and popcorn. All things we've eaten before with no problem. And we didn't eat all of it. Just a little taste of each thing. Works out better when my husband is with us because he'll eat what we don't.

Came home and ate the pizza but quite late for us because we really weren't hungry.

Around bedtime, daughter began complaining of loud noises coming from her stomach. I couldn't hear it but she said it was bad. Then she grabbed the pukey bowl thinking she might puke. She didn't. Instead it came out the other way. She said it was the worst D she had ever had. Only then did she tell me that she had in fact had some D on Fri. and Sat. but it had been minor.

She moaned and groaned all night and said her stomach hurt. I kept her home from school on Mon. But I had to go for a mammogram. I took her in there with me and then we went downstairs to the Walk In Clinic.

Dr. there diagnosed gastroenteritis and said from the sounds of her stomach she was about to have D again soon. Which she did. Also said it was unlikely she could go to school the next day but she should be fine by Wed. If not she needed a followup with her pediatrician.

She thought she was better on Tues. Had a normal bowel movement. So we ate the rest of the pizza. But then 2 hours later she had D again! Part of me thought maybe it was the pizza but it would have had to be cross contamination because we were both sure the crust was the gluten-free one. But that wouldn't explain the D on Thu. because she didn't eat the pizza then.

I sent her to school on Wed. even though she wasn't feeling well. She had a math test to make up and the end of the semester had gotten changed due to a week of snow and subsequent school closeure. But then the math teacher had to go break her arm and need an operation so she wasn't there. The teacher's aid said Angela could take the test on Fri., tomorrow. I had told Angela if she got sick in school to go to the nurse and then call me to come home. Well she did get sick but didn't call me! She continued to have D all night.

And now today? More D. all day. I did call and try to get an appointment with the pediatrician but he can't see her till Mon.

She is still suffering. Complaining of stomach pain and nothing seems to help. The printout given to me by the Dr. said to have her eat her normal diet, perhaps adding starches if she wanted them. I looked on the Internet and they are no longer recommending the BRAT diet because it causes zinc deficiency. There was mention of something called CRAM. Similar but with added cereal. But most sources said to eat the normal diet, just avoid fried foods, spicy foods and foods with a lot of sugar. The Dr. did tell her to drink Pedialyte and the paperworkd she gave us said to drink watered down Gatorade.

So I am frustrated. She doesn't want to eat. Not anything. She is drinking. She is overweight and if this causes some weight loss, it's fine from that aspect. But she looks so horrible. Black around the eyes and pale skin. And she feels miserable.

So what would you do if you were me? Keep her home and then take her to the Dr. on Monday? At this point I don't even care about the math test. I just want her better. My mom said I should take her back to the Walk In clinic tomorrow but I'm afraid if I do that they might wind up getting mad at me for not doing what they said.

I don't know what to think that it is at this point. She was in contact with my eldery parents, my brother and SIL, their son and his girlfriend. The only one of us who has had D is my dad but he has additional medical issues and my mom said he isn't eating what he is supposed to. Or taking his meds like he is supposed to. And when he fouls those things up, he gets D. I am used to that with him. So I don't think his is related. I am thinking if it were gastroenteritis or food poisoning, someone else in the family would have gotten it.

What to do? What to do?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Poor kiddo. I vote for the walk-in clinic tomorrow. She may be dehydrated with bad diarrhea going so long. Don't let the directions from earlier keep you from bringing her in for care. You can't feed a kid who is refusing food so it's not as if you could follow the printout. Even if they think you maybe should have done something different, they will look at her carefully and see if they can sort out what's going on.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author

Poor kiddo. I vote for the walk-in clinic tomorrow. She may be dehydrated with bad diarrhea going so long. Don't let the directions from earlier keep you from bringing her in for care. You can't feed a kid who is refusing food so it's not as if you could follow the printout. Even if they think you maybe should have done something different, they will look at her carefully and see if they can sort out what's going on.

Okay. Thanks!

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author

Well now today she seems fine. So we didn't go to the Dr. She ate a frozen meal. Chicken with BBQ sauce and rice pilaf. gluten-free and organic. So far so good. We're going to make a quick trip to the grocery store then have turkey breast and mashed potatoes for dinner.

The Walk In Clinic is open on the weekend so if it comes back we will go. And we will keep the Monday appointment just in case.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Great. I'm glad to hear she's feeling better.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,394
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    critter
    Newest Member
    critter
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • lehum
      4.5 years into diagnosis, eating gluten-free and still struggling: would love support, tips, & stories

      By lehum · Posted

      Dear Community, I hope this won't get too long, but I'd like to share a bit of my Celiac story to see if anyone can relate or has any input from personal experience, because I have been struggling for awhile now.  I was diagnosed at 28 with Celiac. I had been having gut problems for years but it took me awhile to take the step to get medical support. At the point of my diagnosis, my antibodies were at 1,118. The doctor said that I must have had Celiac since childhood.  Upon starting the gluten-free diet, it seemed, at least at first, like my problems exacerbated instead of getting better. Throughout the course of the last 4.5 years, I have struggled immensely with food. In addition to the transition to the gluten-free diet, I began having numerous other problems, including dairy, histamine, and potentially more: I am not so sure. I have struggled with fatigue, headaches, nausea, gut problems, extreme brain fog, and more. After about two years of eating gluten-free, I got a follow up endocsopy. My antibodies were still a bit higher than they should have been, but my villi had healed. So, the structural damage had gotten better, but my symptoms continued. To this day, I eat strictly gluten-free (of course), dairy free, and low histamine. Bloodwork has shown that my DAO and histamine liberator levels are actually normal which should normally indicate not having a histamine intolerance, but my body reactions to histamine when I eat it, and even eating low histamine I feel a constantly feeling of allergy/inflammation, even though I don't have seasonal allergies. I mostly eat rice products, low histamine nuts, potatoes and sweet potatoes, low histamine fruits and vegetables, eggs, chicken, and simple spices and oils.  I have struggled with brain fog, fatigue, rosacea, and headaches. The headaches have improved some. The doctor also found some deficiencies like Iron, Omega 3, and coenzyme Q10, so I am taking supplements fot those now.  Another doctor found mold toxicity and I have been trying to take measures to detoxify as well.  The last time my antibodies were checked, they were at 8, though I eat very strictly gluten-free.  Stool tests have shown a slight gut imbalance, but they haven't shown anything extremely drastic.  I feel like I react to products, even certified gluten-free ones, with symptoms quite often.  My doctor suggested that I switch to grain-free earlier this week with the exception of rice and quinoa. I replaced my gluten-free oats with gluten-free quinoa flakes, and I reacted horribly, as if there were gluten in the product. The product comes from a very reputable brand known for their strict procedures and producing gluten-free products in a separate building, with consequent testing before sending out products. Why, then, I wonder am I reacting this way? I know it was the flakes because they're the only new thing I ate. After three days of eating them, I had several itchy bumps on my body, fatigue, diarrhea, gut pain, gas, instant neuropathy in my legs, and all the other things that go along with a glutening for me. I am curious if I am one of those people who reacts to products that have more than 10 ppm, since the product only guarantees being below 20 or if it is a cross-reaction with grains. I am not sure how to make this determination. At this point, I am not trying to figure out what the best is for me. Grain-free? Paleo? Just avoid these specific flakes? I think it is encouraging that my villi look better, but I simply don't FEEL better.  I have started working with a nutrionist who suggested that I do grain-free (with the exception of rice) for two weeks and focus on starchy fruits and veggies and after another week try and add back in a few fats like avocado or hemp seeds.  I follow instagram accounts of people with Celiac claiming how now that they are eating gluten-free they've never felt better, are traveling the entire world, etc. It is so easy to feel isolated and alone, especially when reading that most people feel remarkably better within 6 months to a year. This is not my story, though of course I sometimes wish it were. I don't need to travel the world, but I do travel a few times a year overseas to visit my family in the US (I live in Europe), and it's tiring. I would just love to have my energy, health, and life back. If anyone has any practical ideas or would like to share part of his/her/their story, I would be really grateful and happy to read it. Wishing everyone well on the Celiac journey, L 
    • lehum
      nuts.com -- no longer Celiac safe?

      By lehum · Posted

      Has this approach helped your symptoms to improve? Any tips for preparing food fresh and also managing a busy work schedule?
    • cristiana
      Has anyone ever had Low Ferritin with Elevated MCHC levels?

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @knitty kitty  Thank you, Kitty, and lovely to hear from you as well as trents on this one, I do appreciate your knowledgeable replies.  Haemoglobin A1C and HBA1c have both come back as normal, so I think I am OK there - although I'll freely admit that I love sweet things and if they ever design a test which shows consumption of carbs over time that would be very incriminating: I do need to cut back. The only fairly significant factor that has impacted my gut health recently was being stung badly by a wasp about about six weeks ago and  having to take flucloxacillin for a week - it gave me such a sore stomach and gut issues, and with the recent Oat Fest I haven't really been right since.  I seem to be a bit lactose intolerant again.  But I spoke to my husband this morning and he too thinks that we've radically cut back our red meat consumption, so I would think that might explain why I'm low on ferritin, at least to some extent. But the gradually increasing MCHC levels really ought to be looked at so I am very grateful that either my gastroenterologist or the lab have suggested the holocolbomin test as I understand it is much better at detecting the true B12 situation going on, maybe there has been a deficiency all along? Cristiana
    • lauramac
      COVID19 and getting glutened

      By lauramac · Posted

      Thank you! Thank you!
    • knitty kitty
      Has anyone ever had Low Ferritin with Elevated MCHC levels?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hi, @cristiana, @trents is correct.  Red blood cell size is important. High blood glucose blood levels can affect red blood cells causing them to bloat, then shrink which causes the iron to become concentrated, thus higher mchc.   Have you increased your carbs to compensate for reducing your meat?   All those oats?  Have you had an A1C test recently?   My blood glucose levels go up not only if I overeat carbs, but also when I have digestive issues and chronic inflammation like from eating something I thought I was doing okay with but turned out not so.  I think you're on the right track cutting out the oats for a while! 
×
×
  • Create New...