Need Major Help With Constipation

[MaZoodleTwins]

We have only been on the gluten-free diet for a little over a week now and I know it can take a while to heal and for symptoms to improve but I am just curious how long it took anyone who had constipation as a symptom of gluten to stop being constipated once going gluten free. They never had diarrhea, just constipation.

My girls are 3 1/2 and are constantly constipated, the only way they are able to go is with daily Miralax but even with that, they will still get constipated a lot of the time. And I don't like when my tiny little girls are screaming and telling me how bad their butts hurt and asking why their poo won't come out

And does anything work better than Miralax? Nothing ever seems to work, or it might work at first but then stops, like increased juice, coconut oil, raisins, prunes, some of that worked for a couple of days or maybe even a couple weeks but then it would stop working and we'd be back to constipated.

[Katie C.]

My daughter had celiac-related constipation too. It took her about a month or so to be back to normal in that area. Good luck!

[MaZoodleTwins]

My daughter had celiac-related constipation too. It took her about a month or so to be back to normal in that area. Good luck!

Thank You, I hope it only takes a month or 2 for my girls too. One of my girls have been dx with Celiac and the other has the same symptoms but neg. blood & biobsy and a pos. fecal gluten test from Enterolab. I THINK she has Celiac but want to wait and see if the gluten free diet clears up her constipation before eliminating other things from the diet.

[CeliacMom2012]

I have been hoping for several months that my sons constipation would clear up. But not yet, and were going on 6 months gluten-free.

[Finally-45]

I had the constipation problem too, maybe not as bad, since I'd eventually "go," but bad enough that people would wonder how I could drink so much grape juice, prune juice, and other things and not have loose bowels. Now I know what was wrong.

Anyway, my most reliable treatment has been sticking to the gluten-free diet of course, but before this, I always took fish oil capsules (or any oil supplement) 2-3x day. After a couple of days, worked like a charm. Laxatives would cause me pain, without reward. Glad to be able to offer someone else advice finally.

[Lfrost]

We have only been on the gluten-free diet for a little over a week now and I know it can take a while to heal and for symptoms to improve but I am just curious how long it took anyone who had constipation as a symptom of gluten to stop being constipated once going gluten free. They never had diarrhea, just constipation.

My girls are 3 1/2 and are constantly constipated, the only way they are able to go is with daily Miralax but even with that, they will still get constipated a lot of the time. And I don't like when my tiny little girls are screaming and telling me how bad their butts hurt and asking why their poo won't come out

And does anything work better than Miralax? Nothing ever seems to work, or it might work at first but then stops, like increased juice, coconut oil, raisins, prunes, some of that worked for a couple of days or maybe even a couple weeks but then it would stop working and we'd be back to constipated.

I am curious...did you cut the dairy out of their diets, too? My son has not been diagnosed Celiac (neg. blood test), but he did test positive to allergies (wheat being his highest food allergy). When we cut the dairy out (along with the gluten), the constipation issues were very much improved in about a week. (His poo still 'gets stuck' at times, but nowhere near like before).

I know all too well the feeling of the crying. My son used to sob and beg me to please take it out for him. We have been to the ER on days that he was literally 'giving birth' to his poo. We have had concerned friends of my son wondering why he is crying ("owie, owie") in the bathroom as he tries to go. Not fun at all! I hope your girls feel better soon! Hang in there, mommy. (((((((HUGS)))))))

[Bubba's Mom]

Have the girls been tested for bacterial overgrowth? It can cause constipation. Probiotics are very helpful. Culturelle makes a formulation for kids.

If your twins were born via c-section they may not have the "good bacteria" that babies pick up while going through the birth process. Just wondered, because they're pretty young to have the constipation symptom.

A lot of times you need to cut out dairy for a while too. Maybe try So Delicious brand coconut milk? It's high in the calcium little ones need.

[MaZoodleTwins]

Thanks for the replies everyone

I have not yet cut dairy out of their diet, I was wanting to see if just a gluten free diet would fix the constipation. Only 1 of my girls were dx with Celiac but they both have the same symptoms so I am still trying to figure out if the other twin has it as well despite negative blood & biobsy tests, she did have a positive Enterolab stool test.

Both of my girls LOVE dairy, milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream so I certainly hope that I don't also have to cut dairy from their diet, gluten is bad enough but both dairy & gluten, that would be horrible.

I take fish oil and it does help keep me regular but I know that is something that my girls wouldn't be able to swallow and they wouldn't eat it either, unfortunatly. They are very Picky, Picky, Picky so sneaking it into anything wouldn't work either.

My girls were born au-natural, lol, not c-section but that is very interesting about the bacteria overgrowth if born c-section. I can't remember when but I do remember a while back that our Pedi had my girls on probiotics, I can't remamber why though, probably constipation. They used to get sick so often I feel like we used to live at the Dr's office.

I guess that I'll just stick with the gluten free diet for another month or 2 and if I see no constipation improvement I will try cutting out dairy for a week or so to see if that helps.

[Lfrost]

There are so many alternatives to milk, almond, rice, coconut, etc. My son was a huge milk drinker and when we switched to almond the constipation cleared up quite quickly (less than a week) and he didn't mind. From what I heard, if your villi (they line the small intestine) are damaged (as with celiac) your body becomes lactose intolerant until the villi heal.

It's worth a shot. It is no fun having kids in pain as they try to do their business!

[Bubba's Mom]

Thanks for the replies everyone

I have not yet cut dairy out of their diet, I was wanting to see if just a gluten free diet would fix the constipation. Only 1 of my girls were dx with Celiac but they both have the same symptoms so I am still trying to figure out if the other twin has it as well despite negative blood & biobsy tests, she did have a positive Enterolab stool test.

Both of my girls LOVE dairy, milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream so I certainly hope that I don't also have to cut dairy from their diet, gluten is bad enough but both dairy & gluten, that would be horrible.

I take fish oil and it does help keep me regular but I know that is something that my girls wouldn't be able to swallow and they wouldn't eat it either, unfortunatly. They are very Picky, Picky, Picky so sneaking it into anything wouldn't work either.

My girls were born au-natural, lol, not c-section but that is very interesting about the bacteria overgrowth if born c-section. I can't remember when but I do remember a while back that our Pedi had my girls on probiotics, I can't remamber why though, probably constipation. They used to get sick so often I feel like we used to live at the Dr's office.

I guess that I'll just stick with the gluten free diet for another month or 2 and if I see no constipation improvement I will try cutting out dairy for a week or so to see if that helps.

Probiotics help the immune system work more efficiently. If the girls were on any antibiotics the probiotics help replace the good bacteria that gets wiped out along with the bad. It's good to take them together. Most Dr.s don't suggest them, so it's good yours is knowledable about that. They can also help with constipation. Maybe start them again?

[tarnalberry]

You've gotten a lot of good advice. Regardless of a strict dairy issue, calcium is binding, and can cause constipation. Reducing dairy or eliminating it may be a good idea. You could also try adding magnesium supplements (or high magnesium foods, but it's hard to get the higher doses).

You might want to try probiotics regardless. Not only do c-sections alter intestinal flora, but so do illness, antibiotic use, and stress.

[auzzi]

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[RiceGuy]

I second the magnesium suggestion, as well as keeping the calcium level from being too high. I'd not hesitate to remove dairy from their diets too. There are so many alternatives to dairy products, including milk, cheese, and the others you've mentioned. Even ice cream.

I've observed that people seem to LOVE the foods with which their bodies have difficulty. Ironic, but true. I suppose it's like the way powerful narcotics throw off body/brain chemistry, and removing the offending substance causes an intense craving. And, gluten and dairy can act as opiates, stimulating some of the same neurons in the brain as heroin (though generally to a far lesser degree).

As for how much magnesium, and what type, magnesium oxide would be the most effective against the big C. A teaspoon or two of magnesium oxide powder mixed into a glass of orange juice can work wonders. If your kids aren't keen to taking capsules, then the powdered form may be easier to get them to take. Although, even at their age, if you tell them it will help them go, I'd think they'd gladly accept it. However, when mixing the powder into juice, it must be consumed immediately afterward, because there is a natural reaction between the powder and most juices. It won't taste good if it is allowed to sit for more than a few minutes. Citrus juices like orange, lemon, pineapple, and grapefruit work best. The more acidic it is, the more effective it will be. Especially when it is high in citric acid. Avoid darkly-colored juices like grape, all berry juices, pomegranate, etc. Unlike many laxatives, magnesium is said to not induce dependency. It works by drawing water into the intestines. Therefore it is VERY IMPORTANT to drink plenty of water after taking it. An 8 oz glass of water every 30 minutes for about 2-3 hours after taking the magnesium should be sufficient. So it is definitely NOT something to be taken at bedtime! As far from meals as possible would be my recommendation.

<EDIT>

I'm not sure how much magnesium very small children should take, or how much water should be consumed afterward, but I'd think it'd be less than an adult.

Hope your children feel better soon!

[1desperateladysaved]

I take fish oil and it does help keep me regular but I know that is something that my girls wouldn't be able to swallow and they wouldn't eat it either, unfortunatly. They are very Picky, Picky, Picky so sneaking it into anything wouldn't work either.

I just wanted to say that Nordic Naturals have put out a chewable, flavored, fish oil softgel that some children really like. It is small and easy to swallow if desired.

I like my almond and cocunut milk. You might try beginning to use some subs especially where it is just an ingredient in something. My family likes cold water to drink.

[tarnalberry]

Honestly, my daughter prefers (now that she's old enough to tell us) the almond/coconut milk blend better than whole cow's milk.

[Awalls]

My son has celiac disease (neg blood work and pos biobsy tests). He has always been constipated. He is 7 years old and has been on a gluten free diet for almost 2 years and still gets constipated if I dont give him 2 to 3 tablespoons of mineral oil every other day. I put the mineral oil in his choc milk or v8 splash and he drinks it just fine. He is also a very picky eater and doesnt gain weight well. If he gets glutened at school I know to up his mineral oil or he will bleed when he goes poop and it hurts!! Hope this helps. Good luck!!