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

New To gluten-free, Question About Cravings

brewstate

Recommended Posts

brewstate Newbie
brewstate
Posted

My 7 year old son and family are going on a gluten free elimination diet to see if we can improve his mood swings and depression issues. Both my mom and sis are allergic to wheat so its not a far leap to assume it hereditary.

I have read as much as I can but haven't found an answer to my question yet. DS has been gluten-free for about a week. We are experiencing a lot of the withdrawal symptoms that many have mentioned. One thing I have found alarming is since being off gluten (I'm sure not perfectly yet) my son has developed crazy craving for dairy. He has pretty much disliked and didn't drink milk for 2 years and now he begs for milk, cheese, ice cream, chips with cheese flavoring, anything he can get his hands on really.

Is this part of the withdrawal symptoms or do you think something else is going on here? I don't particularly want to pull him off wheat and dairy at the same time since I'm worried it would overload him but I don't know what to do.

Help!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Why not test him for Celiac? At least the blood test, before you take him off gluten? That way you could have a diagnosis for school, college, hospitals, military, etc.

When a Celiac person starts to heal and is finely absorbing nutrients they couldn't absorb before, sometimes they crave the vitamins they are deficient in. sometimes they crave them but get it mixed up, too. Like craving sweets when what your body is saying is it needs fruit. So, maybe what his body wants is vitamin D & calcium?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
1desperateladysaved Proficient
1desperateladysaved
Posted

A yeast infection may make you crave dairy if you cut back on other carbs.

I did experience hunger cravings when I cut out gluten. I don't think it is unusual or anything.

Diana

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Marilyn R Community Regular
Marilyn R
Posted

I'm not saying I'm normal, but I had and continue to have simalar cravings for dairy since going gluten-free. It drove me crazy when I had to give up dairy for awhile. During that time, I used coconut milk quite a bit in curries (Indian and Thai recipes.) Maybe he'd like curried fish (or chicken) over rice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
brewstate Newbie
brewstate
  • Author
Posted

We are working on getting a diagnosis but lately his mood had been getting so bad that he had begun threatening to commit suicide pretty much daily and also have crazy tantrums and mood swings. Honestly, I begin to worry that he might actually do it so per my mom's suggestion, I'm doing an elimination diet right now to see if it helps. Otherwise, probably my only other option is therapy/and or drugs which I absolute DO NOT want.

At first I thought he might have leukemia or be anemic because he had permanent dark spots under his eyes, had lost 6 lbs in 1 month (that's 10% of his body weight), was extremely lethargic, loss of appetite, was having crazy mood swings, joint pain, and stomach issues. Its only been a week but I *think* I see some improvement.

The vitamin D angle may very well be the case and I guess for now I should keep letting him eat dairy as it doesn't seem to affect his behavior besides wanting more than usual. This is all very new to us so its also extremely scary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Thats scary! Even more reason to get an official Celiac diagnosis, if that is what he has. You don't want him thinking he doesn't have a real illness so he can eat gluten in a few years. or schools or hospitals refusing to accomadet a gluten-free diet. You also don't want him on a bunch of drugs or with psych diagnoses when he really has Celiac.

Just an FYI - A wheat allergy isn't the same as Celiac.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
brewstate Newbie
brewstate
  • Author
Posted

Thats scary! Even more reason to get an official Celiac diagnosis, if that is what he has. You don't want him thinking he doesn't have a real illness so he can eat gluten in a few years. or schools or hospitals refusing to accomadet a gluten-free diet. You also don't want him on a bunch of drugs or with psych diagnoses when he really has Celiac.

Just an FYI - A wheat allergy isn't the same as Celiac.

I know they are not the same thing. My mother has celiacs and also highly allergic to monosodium glutamate and my sister is gluten intolerant so I know the basics just not much more than that yet (it seems heriditary to some degree in our family). I do want to get him tested obviously but haven't researched where to start yet. I'm just hoping the medical industry will take me more seriously than that and won't just try to medicate him with prozac or some other mood stabilizers.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Takala Enthusiast
Takala
Posted

Go to a doctor and get him/her to draw blood sample and send to lab for full celiac panel before you skew the results by being gluten free for very long. Very simple. He's got the symptoms, insist on this test, emphasizing he has symptoms of stomach problems, weight loss, and lethargy AND a family history. The cravings are also a symptom, but I don't know how many regular doctors would recognize that vitamin and mineral deficiencies caused by malnutrition caused by gut damage = whacky food cravings.

I have had these big time and have successfully used a gluten free vitamin B complex, a calcium/D/magnesium supplement, and a gluten free multivitamin to combat it. (besides food selections). You know how some "experts" scoff at the idea of taking vitamins while on a balanced diet? This is when you ignore them, because they are not living in your damaged and non-absorbing body.

Unfortunately if it is celiac, that does also damage the part of the gut lining which can process lactose, the milk sugar in dairy products. Yes, pulling him off dairy might be overload, but at least knock it back down to lactose free dairy, such as yogurt and/or aged cheeses. If this doesn't help, then you may have to ditch dairy (at least temporarily for a month or several, during the healing phase) and go to calcium fortified, non dairy substitutes such as coconut milk, hemp milk, almond milk or other nut milks, rice milk, etc. You can mix more than one kind to get what taste and texture you prefer, such as taking a nut milk and adding some canned coconut milk to it. You can soak chia seeds in nut milks to make "puddings" or mock yogurt. (just don't use RiceDream brand, as it is made with barley enzymes). There is also a powdered milk substitute called Vance's Dairy Free, which is potato based. There are also non dairy cheeses available, such as Daiya. Some people make "cheese" out of things like cashews.

Craving dairy can also be a sign of craving "fat" in general as a response to losing the carbs in gluten products. This can be countered by eating a lot more "good fats" in the form of olive oil, nuts, peanut butter, avocados, eggs, coconut oil, chocolate, even bacon, etc. Don't be afraid of things like hamburger meat at this time.... growing children need fat in a way that adults do not, and if they've not real overweight, don't try putting them on a low- fat diet. <_< The other good thing to add to the diet is to make sure that somehow you are getting at least 2 servings/day of green vegetables in them, even if you have to do this by making a smoothie with a banana added.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Nacina's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      1

      14 year old with Celiac & EOE still suffering...

      It sounds like you've been through a lot with your son's health journey, and it's understandable that you're seeking answers and solutions. Given the complexity of his symptoms and medical history, it might be beneficial to explore a few avenues: Encourage your son to keep a detailed journal of his symptoms, including when they occur, their severity...
    2. Nacina
      - Nacina posted a topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      1

      14 year old with Celiac & EOE still suffering...

      Hello, I am a 45 year old mom, who was diagnosed at 29 with Celiac. My now 14 year old son was diagnosed just before his 4th birthday. Needless to say, we are old pros with the diet. He was experiencing some issues, overall health took a major plummet a year ago, and through a bit of work, was diagnosed with EOE. Tried diet alone, but his follow up endoscopy...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to Fluka66's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      Waiting for urgent referral.

      But if you have been off of wheat for a period of weeks/months leading up to the testing it will likely turn out to be negative for celiac disease, even if you actually have celiac disease. Given your symptoms when consuming gluten, we certainly understand your reluctance to undergo the "gluten challenge" before testing but you need to understand that the...
    4. Fluka66
      - Fluka66 replied to Fluka66's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      Waiting for urgent referral.

      Thank you very much for your reply. I hadn't heard of celiac disease but began to notice a pattern of pain. I've been on the floor more than once with agonising pain but this was always put down to another abdominal problem consequently I've been on a roundabout of backwards and forwards with another consultant for many years. I originally questioned this...
    5. Moodiefoodie
      - Moodiefoodie replied to Moodiefoodie's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      9

      Joint swelling when ill even on gluten-free diet

      Wow! Fascinating info. Thanks so much! I really appreciate the guidance. @Spacepanther Over the years I have had rheumatologists do full lab work ups on me. They told me they had screened me for arthritis, lupus, and Lyme disease (all negative). In addition to joint pain and stiffness I had swelling in both knees that later moved to my elbow as well. I also...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      121,066
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Danyelhack
    Newest Member
    Danyelhack
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

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



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      14 year old with Celiac & EOE still suffering...

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      It sounds like you've been through a lot with your son's health journey, and it's understandable that you're seeking answers and solutions. Given the complexity of his symptoms and medical history, it might be beneficial to explore a few avenues: Encourage your son to keep a detailed journal of his symptoms, including when they occur, their severity, any triggers or patterns, and how they impact his daily life. This information can be valuable during medical consultations and may help identify correlations or trends. Consider seeking opinions from specialized medical centers or academic hospitals that have multidisciplinary teams specializing in gastrointestinal disorders, especially those related to Celiac disease and Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE). These centers often have experts who deal with complex cases and can offer a comprehensive evaluation. Since you've already explored alternative medicine with a nutrition response doctor and a gut detox diet, you may want to consider consulting a functional medicine practitioner. They take a holistic approach to health, looking at underlying causes and imbalances that may contribute to symptoms. Given his low vitamin D levels and other nutritional markers, a thorough nutritional assessment by a registered dietitian or nutritionist specializing in gastrointestinal health could provide insights into any deficiencies or dietary adjustments that might help alleviate symptoms. In addition to routine tests, consider asking about more specialized tests that may not be part of standard screenings. These could include comprehensive stool analyses, food intolerance testing, allergy panels, or advanced imaging studies to assess gut health.
    • Nacina
      14 year old with Celiac & EOE still suffering...

      By Nacina · Posted

      Hello, I am a 45 year old mom, who was diagnosed at 29 with Celiac. My now 14 year old son was diagnosed just before his 4th birthday. Needless to say, we are old pros with the diet. He was experiencing some issues, overall health took a major plummet a year ago, and through a bit of work, was diagnosed with EOE. Tried diet alone, but his follow up endoscopy didn't show the improvements his DR. wanted to see, so I tried the medication. (Steroid). He became extremely backed up, and they had him taking Miralax daily. His health plummeted. He is a straight A honor's 8th grader who plays club soccer very competitively. His health continued to decline and at 13 had a colonoscopy and another upper gi. (He was still compacted even with the prep). I finally pulled him off all meds and mira lax, after reading much negative literature online, and put him on a gut detox diet and took him to a nutrition response dr. Finally things have improved. However...over a year later and he is having relapse stomach pain, debilitating stomach pain. Missing a day of school a week, to three this week. This is where we downward spiral with him. He says it doesn't feel the same as when he has gotten backed up before. He is eating prunes, taking his supplements, drinking water...all of the things. Yet, he is feeling horrible. Pain is abdomen, headache, lethargy, diarrhea . He is on a strict gluten dairy, egg free diet. He has adapted well in regards to diet. But I feel like we are missing something here. He is too active, too outgoing to be feeling sick all of the time. His Bilirubin is constantly high. His white blood count always runs slightly low. His vitamin D was very low last time he ran tests, (last month) when he was sick for a week. His celiac markers show negative, so it isn't that. His last endoscopy showed no Eosinaphils in his esophagus.  I have taken him to multiple Ped. Gastro specialists. They run tests, and we get zero answers. I meticulously go through labs, hoping to make some sense and maybe catch something. Any thoughts or ideas would greatly be appreciated. 
    • trents
      Waiting for urgent referral.

      By trents · Posted

      But if you have been off of wheat for a period of weeks/months leading up to the testing it will likely turn out to be negative for celiac disease, even if you actually have celiac disease. Given your symptoms when consuming gluten, we certainly understand your reluctance to undergo  the "gluten challenge" before testing but you need to understand that the testing may be a waste of time if you don't. What are you going to do if it is negative for celiac disease? Are you going to go back to merrily eating wheat/barley/rye products while living in pain and destroying your health? You will be in a conundrum. Do I or do I not? And you will likely have a difficult time being consistent with your diet. Celiac disease causes inflammation to the small bowel villous lining when gluten containing grains are consumed. This inflammation produces certain antibodies that can be detected in the blood after they reach a certain level, which takes weeks or months after the onset of the disease. If gluten is stopped or drastically reduced, the inflammation begins to decrease and so do the antibodies. Before long, their low levels are not detectable by testing and the antibody blood tests done for diagnosing celiac disease will be negative. Over time, this inflammation wears down the billions of microscopic, finger-like projections that make up the lining and form the nutrient absorbing layer of the small bowel where all the nutrition in our food is absorbed. As the villi bet worn down, vitamin and mineral deficiencies typically develop because absorption is compromised. An endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel lining to microscopically examine this damage is usually the second stage of celiac disease diagnosis. However, when people cut out gluten or cut back on it significantly ahead of time before the biopsy is done, the villous lining has already experienced some healing and the microscopic examination may be negative or inconclusive. I'm not trying to tell you what to do I just want you to understand what the consequences of going gluten free ahead of testing are as far as test results go so that you will either not waste your time in having the tests done or will be prepared for negative test results and the impact that will have on your dietary decisions. And, who are these "consultants" you keep talking about and what are their qualifications? You are in the unenviable position that many who joint this forum have found themselves in. Namely, having begun a gluten free diet before getting a proper diagnosis but unwilling to enter into the gluten challenge for valid testing because of the severity of the symptoms it would cause them.
    • Fluka66
      Waiting for urgent referral.

      By Fluka66 · Posted

      Thank you very much for your reply. I hadn't heard of celiac disease but began to notice a pattern of pain. I've been on the floor more than once with agonising pain but this was always put down to another abdominal problem consequently I've been on a roundabout of backwards and forwards with another consultant for many years. I originally questioned this diagnosis but was assured it was the reason for my pain. Many years later the consultant gave up and I had a new GP. I started to cut out certain food types ,reading packets then really started to cut out wheat and went lactose free. After a month I reintroduced these in one meal and ended screaming in agony the tearing and bloating pain. With this info and a swollen lymph node in my neck I went back to the GP.  I have a referral now . I have also found out that acidic food is causing the terrible pain . My thoughts are this is irritating any ulcers. I'm hoping that after a decade the outlook isn't all bad. My blood test came back with a high marker but I didn't catch what it was. My GP and I have agreed that I won't go back on wheat just for the test due to the pain , my swollen lymph node and blood test results.  Trying to remain calm for the referral and perhaps needed to be more forceful all those years ago but I'm not assertive and consultants can be overwhelming. Many thanks for your reply . Wishing you all the best.
    • Moodiefoodie
      Joint swelling when ill even on gluten-free diet

      By Moodiefoodie · Posted

      Wow! Fascinating info. Thanks so much! I really appreciate the guidance. @Spacepanther Over the years I have had rheumatologists do full lab work ups on me. They told me they had screened me for arthritis, lupus, and Lyme disease (all negative). In addition to joint pain and stiffness I had swelling in both knees that later moved to my elbow as well.  I also experience stiffness and pain in my neck and shoulders when it flares. I vomited fairly often growing up, but there wasn’t a real pattern to it and I didn’t know it wasn’t normal (thought people caught stomach viruses often).  I don’t usually have stomach symptoms immediately after eating gluten that I notice.  The only other joint condition I know of is fibromyalgia. Good luck! Hope you can get it figured out. I only assumed my joint symptoms were due to the celiac’s because it is under control for the most part on a gluten-free diet.  The rheumatologist also mentioned that some inflammatory/autoimmune diseases can be slow-moving and not detectable until they progress.
×
×
  • Create New...