Is Food Aggression, Binging Associated With Celiac?

[megsybeth]

I believe my four-year-old has celiac and will be doing a gluten-free diet after his endoscopy in two weeks (I am recently diagnosed celiac via blood work but his blood work is inconclusive though symptoms are strong). For now he is still on gluten, which was good because we went to a gluten heavy Halloween picnic today.

One thing I've always noticed is that, while normally my son has a small appetite and increasingly narrow tastes, he has an almost obsessive way about sweet and starchy foods. I know I've always craved tons of sweets, sometimes binging, and I think it's because my body has been craving the nutrition and energy the celiac interferes with. But my son will dive on the floor to shove dropped gold fish crackers in his mouth, grab a handful of birthday cake if I don't watch him at a party. It's like he literally can't stop himself, and normally very sweet and happy, he gets really angry if you try to stop him. He's a distractible, immature four-year-old, but has decent impulse control in other areas (stops at the street to wait for a grownup, doesn't touch a hot stove, puts toys back on the store shelf, etc.).

Is this something you've noticed with your celiac kids? Is it something I can hope will get better after he starts to recover?

[Mdhriggin]

Both my kids were really young when diagnosed (<2) but my daughter especially was STARVING when eating gluten. Used to wake up at 3 am to have a full meal because she wasn't absorbing nutrients. Now that she is 2 1/2 years gluten free, she eats about normal. While his behavior maybe reinforced by his peers and his age probably contributes, I would bet the celiac is a strong factor

[NikkiP]

Both my kids were really young when diagnosed (<2) but my daughter especially was STARVING when eating gluten. Used to wake up at 3 am to have a full meal because she wasn't absorbing nutrients. Now that she is 2 1/2 years gluten free, she eats about normal. While his behavior maybe reinforced by his peers and his age probably contributes, I would bet the celiac is a strong factor

My son is sensitive to wheat/gluten and showed similar behavior to your son's. He also does this when he has a low blood sugar level ( he has diabetes too). I wonder if your son is experiencing episodes of low blood sugar from poor absorption due to celiac, and hence the "munchies" type behavior?

After going gluten free, my son's aggressive eating attitude, and constant hunger abated, and is rarely a problem now. His blood sugar profile has greatly improved too.

[deb445]

This does sound familiar.

And now my son (5 yrs.) seems to know what will trigger an episode.

3 years in, and he knows when he has the crummies.

Talk about being aware, and self regulating.

Going gluten free, and now grain free has truly been enlightening.

[megsybeth]

Thanks, Deb. The more I watch him through the lens of celiac the more I feel like he's just starving and the way he's shoved playdough, salt, flour, dough into his mouth so desperately might be a desperate attempt to get the nutrients he's missing. I may be reading too much into it but I'm recently diagnosed with celiac after thirty years of what are pretty clear symptoms in retrospect. I hope he gets the help he needs but I'm also feeling so sorry for not seeing that he was sick, for accepting, "he's sensory seeking" as an explanation for what might have been a cry for help. Sorry about the pity party. It's just a lot right now.

[Celiac Mindwarp]

It is a lot right now. It is great you are getting the testing done. I know it seems like an age but you are getting close.

I hope you get some answers. I had the crazy cravings before going gluten-free, and would regularly eat a full meal then eat a snack, I realize now my body was starving.

It looks like a gluten-free trial may help, whatever the test results are.

Keep us posted, this is the ideal place for a pity party

:)