Gluten Attack, He's 4

[DylansMom]

Dylan has been gluten-free for about 3 weeks I guess now and sure enough he is acting like he got gluten. I am just unsure where. I am retracing my steps and have a call into his preschool. I am betting it was cross contamination, not something he actually ate.

My question is because he is only 4 and does not understand (and I even feel guilty cuz I am NOT a celiac) does anyone have any handy 'tricks' to ease the pain and discomfort. Thankfully he is sleeping now but I can tell it will be a long night. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Poor guy...and all of you who have this. As I said I don't and feel the pains and discomforts of it and it in NO WAY compares to what you all deal with.

[Canadian Karen]

Jennifer,

I hope poor Dylan doesn't have too rough of a time with it....... There is no worse feeling as a mother than that helpless feeling you have when your child is sick and you want nothing more than to just take it away and you be the one sick instead......

I can't really offer any advice since I am the one with celiac and so far my 4 children (12 yr old girl, 7 yr old girl, 4 yr old twin boys) have tested negative (keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it will stay that way!)

The best thing you could do is just be there for him, snuggle up with him, or as my 7 yr old used to call it "Mom, please come huggle with me......" Just being there to comfort him will help him get through it......

I will be thinking of you and your son and hope the gluten reaction is minor and will be gone in the blink of an eye!

Hugs.

Karen

[Carriefaith]

Maybe try a hot water bottle or ice for the pain if it is localized? Ice would be good because it would kind of numb the area.

[Canadian Karen]

My heating pad is my saviour when I am glutened.... (or my hot water bottle)....

I hug it up against my tummy, sit on my bed, rock gently, hum ever so slightly, breath in through the nose and out through the mouth and that puts me in a happy place! I almost go into a trance.....

I have seen up here at Regal (a distribution store up here in Canada), a water bottle that has a cover that goes over it that is of a soft wooly cloth cover and has a lamb's face etc..... it is the cutest thing for kids!!!

Karen

[DylansMom]

thanks for the ideas. I thought heating pad too, but he wants nothing off it. Unfortunately it is midnight and we have been up for 2 hours with vomiting, abdominal pain and now liquid bowels which he can't control. As a tantrum (from me) my husband, who is their step-father is lying in bed totally disassociating himself to the situation. How can a grown person be so self absorbed and heartless. He has no compassion for Dylan. (Well really anyone) GRR/

Well that is my rant

Dylan is hurting more again

thanks

[Guest nini]

When my daughter has a gluten attack (she's 5), she usually responds well to a 1/3 of a Pepto Bismol Chewable tablet. I get her to take that, then she curls up on the couch with some water to sip... it usually helps the cramping part pretty quickly on her, then sometimes I have to give her another dose to stop the vomiting and diarrhea.

Sorry to hear he's feeling lousy. It's hard when your kiddo is in pain.