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 Celiac.com!
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Child's Leg Pain Immediately After Going Gluten-Free

greenbeanie

Recommended Posts

greenbeanie Enthusiast
greenbeanie
Posted

My four-year-old daughter had her endoscopy yesterday, and we went gluten-free immediately afterward. Since she was not allowed to eat before the procedure, the last time she had gluten was about 36 hours ago. This morning she woke up with leg/knee pain so bad that she couldn't stand up. It's only on one side. Massaging it and one dose of ibuprofen helped ease it enough so that she can walk gingerly now, but it's still bothering her.

 

Is this a normal effect of her body cleaning out the gluten? She has had similar knee pain numerous times before. We were told it was toxic synovitis the first time it happened (after x-rays were normal), and that she'd probably be prone to it flaring up whenever she gets even a minor illness. Once we started suspecting celiac, I figured that gluten must have explained the pain. But now that she's just stopped eating gluten, it seems strange for it to flare up now. The nurse from the endoscopy unit said this is not something she'd expect as a lingering effect of yesterday's anesthesia. 

 

I know there was just another thread recently about knee pain after the gluten-free diet is well-established. What I'm wondering now is whether anyone else has a child who experienced this immediately after going gluten-free, and how long it lasted. I know weird stuff can happen as the body detoxifies, and I'm really reluctant to subject her to any more tests and procedures right now. If she's still finding it painful to walk by Monday, I'll certainly call her doctor back then. We're waiting for the results of her vitamin blood tests, so I'm also reluctant to give her any higher doses of specific vitamins and minerals until we get those results and talk to the nutritionist. They did test her B12, folate, and D, though not her magnesium or zinc. Meanwhile, we've started her on a high-quality children's multi-vitamin that does contain normal amounts of those vitamins.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


mmcc54 Contributor
mmcc54
Posted

My four-year-old daughter had her endoscopy yesterday, and we went gluten-free immediately afterward. Since she was not allowed to eat before the procedure, the last time she had gluten was about 36 hours ago. This morning she woke up with leg/knee pain so bad that she couldn't stand up. It's only on one side. Massaging it and one dose of ibuprofen helped ease it enough so that she can walk gingerly now, but it's still bothering her.

 

Is this a normal effect of her body cleaning out the gluten? She has had similar knee pain numerous times before. We were told it was toxic synovitis the first time it happened (after x-rays were normal), and that she'd probably be prone to it flaring up whenever she gets even a minor illness. Once we started suspecting celiac, I figured that gluten must have explained the pain. But now that she's just stopped eating gluten, it seems strange for it to flare up now. The nurse from the endoscopy unit said this is not something she'd expect as a lingering effect of yesterday's anesthesia. 

 

I know there was just another thread recently about knee pain after the gluten-free diet is well-established. What I'm wondering now is whether anyone else has a child who experienced this immediately after going gluten-free, and how long it lasted. I know weird stuff can happen as the body detoxifies, and I'm really reluctant to subject her to any more tests and procedures right now. If she's still finding it painful to walk by Monday, I'll certainly call her doctor back then. We're waiting for the results of her vitamin blood tests, so I'm also reluctant to give her any higher doses of specific vitamins and minerals until we get those results and talk to the nutritionist. They did test her B12, folate, and D, though not her magnesium or zinc. Meanwhile, we've started her on a high-quality children's multi-vitamin that does contain normal amounts of those vitamins.

My one year old was just diagnosed with celiacs...even though I don't have it im still breastfeeding so went gluten free also...I can tell you for a good 3 days I felt awful..my joints hurt, my stomach hurt I had head aches...but I now feel wonderful...I think it judt takes a bit for you rbody to rid the toxins and such..but as always call your Dr with concerns!! Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
frieze Community Regular
frieze
Posted

My one year old was just diagnosed with celiacs...even though I don't have it im still breastfeeding so went gluten free also...I can tell you for a good 3 days I felt awful..my joints hurt, my stomach hurt I had head aches...but I now feel wonderful...I think it judt takes a bit for you rbody to rid the toxins and such..but as always call your Dr with concerns!! Good luck!

Umm, you may not test positive, but you are.  If you had NO problem with gluten, you wouldn't react to its lack......

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

It could be her body's version of a withdrawal (just my guess). Withdrawal usually hits a few days into gluten-free and it can make you feel pretty ill.

 

It could also be her body's reaction to the procedure. Those sedative and the actual endoscopy might have felt very foreign to her body and perhaps it's reacting - just another guess though.

 

I hope she feels better soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pricklypear1971 Community Regular
pricklypear1971
Posted

My son's body and brain did not appreciate the anasthesia. Behavior and stomach problems for a few months.

That said, gluten withdrawal can do weird things.

Has she been tested for vitamin deficiencies? She may need some supplements, especially as she learns to eat gluten-free. Sometimes we inadvertently skew our diet when we start. If she's deficient in something that could contribute to aches/pains.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
greenbeanie Enthusiast
greenbeanie
  • Author
Posted

I'm happy to report that the leg pains are gone, the withdrawal seems to be over, and I have a calm and cooperative child! After just three days! I sure hope I'm not celebrating too soon, but this is truly amazing. My girl has never been this calm in her life. Phew! So glad that ordeal is over.

Biopsy results and vitamin tests aren't back yet, but with three strong positive blood tests and this response to the diet, I'm sure she really does have celiac. For clarity, I do hope the biopsy comes back positive. But the GI supports our decision to go gluten-free even if the results are equivocal or negative, rather than waiting for more damage to develop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Brandiwine Contributor
Brandiwine
Posted

So happy for you!! I too had a complete turn around out of my son, I realized that he was acting the way he was then because he just didn't feel good. I found myself asking him all the time "what's wrong?" And he would just start crying and say "I don't know." My poor baby! So happy our children are well and active now!

*Cheers*

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      121,033
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Rahma
    Newest Member
    Rahma
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Manaan2
      Vitamin Levels and constipation

      By Manaan2 · Posted

      Thank you! This is great information and perfect timing because we have our first appointment for a second opinion tomorrow.  
    • trents
      Doc says I have celiac, despite no GI symptoms?

      By trents · Posted

      Bright blood in the stool would indicate bleeding down at the lower end in the colorectal area as opposed to the small bowel below the stomach where celiac manifests damage to the villous lining. Are these blood stools persistent? It's not unusual for this to happen once in a while to most anyone when a small surface vessel breaks, kind of like a nose bleed. As Scott Adams said, you must continue to consume regular amounts of gluten if the specialist will be doing additional testing for celiac disease, which could include an endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel lining.
    • Bev in Milw
      Gluten-free bread

      By Bev in Milw · Posted

      Checkouts gluten-free recipes at twww.redstaryeast.com We tried a bread machine years ago and weren’t happy with results. Bread machines have pre-set rise & bake times.  Unfortunately, the program doesn’t adjust to slight differences when measuring, relative humidity or temperature of ingredients & in kitchens.  Lots of efforts for ONE odd- sized loaf that hard to cut into useable slices.  College-aged son found best use for bread machine was as heavy duty mixer that ‘kept dust in the box.’  He would pre-measure ingredients for 2-3 loaves & use machine mix up individual batches.      Since gluten-free bread needs  to rise only once, each recipe of dough went into a loaf pan. Pans sat counter to rise—time dependent of temp in kitchen. Then, baked in oven until he, not machine, decided it was done.     Took ~10 min extra up front to measure & mix additions but adds nothing to rise & bake times.     Loaves are great for slicing (Slice extra before freezing!). One mess to clean up, saves time & energy since you need to bake  as is half as often (If  you plan to bake lots more than bread, opt for KitchenAid/ heavy duty mixer instead.  Cover with dish towel to capture dust!)     Personally, I’m sure I had as a kid since I’ve never been a fan  of bread. .  Have been wrapping corn tortillas around things for 40+ years.  Can still get a dozen 12-pks of tortillas for same or less than price as 1 load of gluten-free bread. PLUS. the tortillas have more nutrients!         
    • CelestialScribe
      Seeking Gluten-Free Advice for My Trip to South Korea!

      By CelestialScribe · Posted

      Welcome to the forum. You are lucky because in Korean food, many classic meals such as bibimbap without sauce, barbecue meats and some kinds of soups generally do not have gluten. But it is a good idea to confirm with the restaurant workers for safety reasons. Regarding certain locations, I enjoy going to places such as Plant in Seoul and Sprout in Busan. Moreover, using applications like HappyCow or TripAdvisor can assist you to discover additional choices in the regions you plan to visit. One big tip: it is good to know some important Korean sentences, for example 'I cannot eat gluten' (geulluteuneul meogeul su eopseoyo)  or 'Does this have gluten?' (igeoe neun geulluteuni deureo innayo?) because they can be very helpful. If you are considering getting a local guide, I'd suggest this one https://gowithguide.com/korea They were very helpful when I needed to find places with gluten-free food options because they provide tours tailored to your preferences. Good luck with your travels! 🍻
    • RMJ
      Finding out I’m coeliac whilst pregnant

      By RMJ · Posted

      It is concerning.  Unfortunately a lot of doctors don’t know a lot about celiac disease, even some gastroenterologists.  Here is an article for you: Celiac disease and miscarriage I hope you have a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby!
×
×
  • Create New...