gluten-free Daughter, Frequent Stomach Pain

[Barganzs]

Question: My 6yo daughter was diagnosed w/celiac four years ago and has been (very) gluten-free ever since. However, for about the last six months, she has been complaining of stomach pain almost every night. Since she is a bit of a whiner by nature, we kinda shrugged it off for a while. However, we've talked with her about whining, and she has gotten better, but still complains about the stomach pain. Tonight, it concluded with vomit all over her bed and the floor...

Any ideas on what could be causing this? I know, since she is totally gluten-free, it is probably not her celiac, but I could be wrong and will take any advice or ideas!

Sidenote: we do have an appt w/ her GI coming up, but the wait is long and we cannot get her in before mid-July.

[mushroom]

Hello and welcome to the board.

I am sorry your daughter is continuing to experience problems. The one condition that comes to mind, that is often seen with celiac disease in children, is eosinophilic esophagitis which can cause the kind of symptoms your daughter is experiencing. Can you call your GI's office and get her on a cancellation list so that she might get seen sooner? To diagnose they will have to do another endoscopy and biopsy, if this is what it is. Obviously, I am not a doctor, but it does sound suspicious. At least google the condition and read up on it and see if it fits.

[Mizzo]

Have you rechecked every food item for changes? A while ago we used to use Ovaltine then out of the blue my DD was having Diarhea problems I noticed the label changed and sure enough it changed factories and is now being processed in a facility that processes Wheat.

Sometimes you just never know till you reread all the labels.

[Mom2J112903]

My son did this and we found out his *entire* GI system is malfunctioning. He has Dysphagia, GERD, DGE (Delayed Gastric Emptying) and Dysmotility of his colon which has led to chronic constipation needless to say megacolon. This all in addition to the Celiac. If the pain is bothering her to the point it is causing problems with daily life, call and get her GI appt re-scheulded.

[mommida]

Question: My 6yo daughter was diagnosed w/celiac four years ago and has been (very) gluten-free ever since. However, for about the last six months, she has been complaining of stomach pain almost every night. Since she is a bit of a whiner by nature, we kinda shrugged it off for a while. However, we've talked with her about whining, and she has gotten better, but still complains about the stomach pain. Tonight, it concluded with vomit all over her bed and the floor...

Any ideas on what could be causing this? I know, since she is totally gluten-free, it is probably not her celiac, but I could be wrong and will take any advice or ideas!

Sidenote: we do have an appt w/ her GI coming up, but the wait is long and we cannot get her in before mid-July.

WOW That is exactly the same timeline for my daughter too. Diagnosed Celiac at 17 months, and diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitus at 6. It is odd that young children with EoE complain that the "whole stomach hurts" and not complain of any pain in the esophagus area. EoE is very painful and the pain is worse at night. Is she a slow eater? Very thirsty in the morning and "gulps" down the first drink of the morning? Vomitting and "D" can develop and worsen.

For right now start keeping a food journal and add in seasonal allergy information. (There is evidence that there is a airborn allergen connection.) Keep in mind that Eosinophils are active for 12 days once activated.

There is a known connection between EoE and Celiac.

Testing will include an endoscopy with biopsy. Samples need to be taken in areas that appear normal. Eosinophils can be imbedded into the tissue under normal looking tissue.

If EoE is diagnosed, you should be reffered to an allergist (my daughter isn't truely allergic to anything), treatment will include a modified inhaler of steroids. (modified for the patient to swallow not inhale into the lungs. Make sure to rinse mouth thoroughly as to avoid an overgrowth of yeast ~ Thrush., Some Previcid may be prescribed.

The best treatment is to figure out what the "trigger" foods are. Be prepared to go through an elimination diet. In addition to eliminating gluten, the rest of the top 8, and peas.

Some brands that are helpful... Enjoy life, Cherrybrook Farms, The craving Place, Namaste. Look into vegetarian recipes (helps for avoiding eggs)

There are other possiblities for the symptoms. A previous poster listed some of them. The endoscopy can rule out H.Ployri, parasites, congenital defect, Celiac Sprue, and the list is quite long as for some reason a lot of illness presents this way for children.

Don't worry there is plenty of support here on the forum, no matter what the diagnoses is.

[GFinDC]

HI,

Celiacs react to wheat, rye, barley and some of us also react to oats. It only takes a miniscule amount of gluten to cause a reaction. So sharing peanut butter jars or butter, jam, mayo etc are enough to make us react. Crumbs from a knife used on regular bread and then stuck back in a jar of peanut butter will make us sick. Crumbs from a shared toaster will make us sick. Cross-contaminaiton of foods can make us sick. Pet food that has gluten and personal care items like shampoo with gluten are a bad choice. The immune system is very sensitive and doesn't need a whole lot to kick off a reaction.

We also sometimes have problems with other foods that have nothing to do with gluten. Some of the common food intolerances that celiacs have are dairy, soy, nightshades (potato, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant), corn, and eggs. Some of us also react to zanthan gum which is often used in gluten-free baked goods. But we can develop reactions to any food, there is no limit on that.

It may take some work to identify what is causing her to be "whiny". Unfortunately medical science doesn't have any way to test for most food intolerances. There are only a few they can test for. The first thing is to make sure the is 100% gluten free, and not being cross-contaminated. Then you can consider doing food intolerance testing or try an elimination diet. There is food allergy testing available but that won't detect food intolerances.

Here are some threads that might help:

FAQ Celiac com

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/forum-7/announcement-3-frequently-asked-questions-about-

celiac-disease/

Celiac Newbie Info 101

What's For Breakfast Today?

today/page__pid__726053__st__180#entry726053

What Did You Have For Lunch Today?

What Are You Cooking Tonight?

[deb445]

...for about the last six months, she has been complaining of stomach pain almost every night...

Any ideas on what could be causing this? I know, since she is totally gluten-free, it is probably not her celiac, but I could be wrong and will take any advice or ideas!

Are there any other symptoms besides the stomach pain? Teeth grinding at night? Itchiness? A cough that seems to come and go?