Not sure where to put this Need help with sons Bowels

[cysterls]

I hope someone has some advice as I am not sure where to turn.

My son is 6 and has Autism and ADHD. He has had digestive issues Right from the start reflux, bad diarrhea and colic. He is still having these issues. As of four he was below normal height for any child his age he also hadn't gained weight for a year. we had allergy testing done and it came back fine. We decided to take him off wheat and Dairy (not gluten and casein) and his reflux went away instantly and his bowel habits did improve but now at six he still isn't potty trained for BM and he has anywhere from five to six lose foul smelling poops a day. He cant have any milk wheat or oats or he has big time diarrhea.

The doctors won't listen to me and just think I am trying to cure his Autism but he seems really unhealthy now. He is tierd and pale with Dark circles around his eyes. He is rarely happy either. His BM,s scare me too!

Can anyone give us some advice. What could be causing this. HE was tested a bout a year ago for Gluten anti-bodies but it came back negative.

Thanks

cysterls

[cysterls]

Anyone have experience with this??

[Lisa S]

How hard would it be to go all the way casein and gluten free for his diet? It seems like you are so close and even a little gluten and casein can be harmful if the child is sensitive to it. These frequent loose stinky poops sound a little bit like celiac disease. Do any of these other symptoms of celiac disease look familiar?

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/

What are the symptoms of celiac disease?

Celiac disease affects people differently. Symptoms may occur in the digestive system, or in other parts of the body. For example, one person might have diarrhea and abdominal pain, while another person may be irritable or depressed. In fact, irritability is one of the most common symptoms in children.

Symptoms of celiac disease may include one or more of the following:

gas
recurring abdominal bloating and pain
chronic diarrhea
pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool
weight loss / weight gain
fatigue
unexplained anemia (a low count of red blood cells causing fatigue)
bone or joint pain
osteoporosis, osteopenia
behavioral changes
tingling numbness in the legs (from nerve damage)
muscle cramps
seizures
missed menstrual periods (often because of excessive weight loss)
infertility, recurrent miscarriage
delayed growth
failure to thrive in infants
pale sores inside the mouth, called aphthous ulcers
tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis

If the strict dietary change is completely impossible, could you try some digestive enzymes that assist in the digestion of the gluten and casein proteins like Houston Nutraceuticals?

[cysterls]

Lisa S;

Thanks for your reply. I did think it was celiac but my son was tested for gluten anti-bodies and theirfore told he could not have celiac because it came back negative?? Not sure what else it could be. Meanwhile we have gone totally gluten and casein free and have started giving him probiotics. Any other suggestions or simialar experieces would be most welcomed!

Thanks
cysterls

[shed1234]

Hi, A regular Dr. will not beleive you and not beleive in the diet. These types of places are the places to be. My son also has problems with rice, also there is a website that will also tell you about hidden glutens. I'll have to find it and put it here in a little bit. My son was tested also and it came back negative but I had a good Dr. that said "Although the test is negative, his blood does show he is sensitive to gluten but we cannot call it an allergy so we have to say it's negative" maybe this is your case too. It takes about 3 months to totally leave their system, and any amounts of hidden gluten cause problems. We have also found rice, maltodextrin and sugar to be a problem with him. Also if you are using some of the alternative milks, read labels some of them have Barley malt and barley has gluten. Hope everything works out well for you and your son.

[shed1234]

Here are the lists, they are long, so I am sending the link
Here is the whole website: http://www.gfcfdiet.com/

http://www.gfcfdiet.com/unacceptable.htm

I don't seem to be able to find the acceptable list but it use to be there, if you can find it, it's great. Anyway look at those two, might be of some big help.

[StrictNon-Confo]

What you describe may also be the result of an inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's. Please follow this link:

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/index.htm

I've known of kids that have had it, and suspect it in myself, based on symptoms, and I'm going to get checked out for it soon. You're only too young to have it if you haven't been born, and only too old to have it when you're dead.

[autmom]

Have you tried enzymes?

[cysterls]

I have not tried enzymes with my son. I wouldn't know where to start.

thanks cysterls

[autmom]

I have not tried enzymes with my son. I wouldn't know where to start.

thanks cysterls

Here's a site that helped me:

http://www.enzymestuff.com/

My son takes Houston chewable enzymes with every meal. Some people use them in place of the cf/gf diet. Many use them along with the diet. If my son gets a little casein by accident, his behavior would be off for 4 days. With the enzymes, the reaction would not be as severe.

[sharon]

I Am Glad To See Your Post. My Son Also Suffers From At Least Moderate Reflux...it Is Very Bad. And I Do Not Feel I Am Getting The Help I Need. It Has Truly Taken Over Our Social Life, As We Can Not Go Anywhere Without Being In A Major Mess. I Wonder What Your Diet Looks Like?, I Know You Said Dairy Free, But What Exactly Does That Mean?, What Have You Cut Out?