My symptoms started early in high school and were always quite subtle for about five years. The symptoms can vary quite widely but they are all due to autoimmune intestinal damage (my intestinal vili which normally provide the proper surface area for proper absorption can be viewed as a type of casualty from a war my immune system improperly wages against dietary gluten) and subsequent malabsorption and vitamin deficiency. I presented with the following symptoms (some of which I only realized as symptoms after seeing improvement once gluten free):
[The full comment has been published as an article. It is quite informative and interesting. See Celiac Disease: Symptoms and Diagnosis Case Study.
]]>Stop drinking beer and please be very careful about what you eat, read ingredients, don’t eat or drink anything if you don’t know exactly what’s in it, don’t assume anything! If brand X is OK, maybe brand Y has wheat in it.
It takes time to learn how to avoid gluten, so do the best you can, and over time you’ll get better at it, and hopefully start feeling better.
Good luck!
]]>I try to keep it as real as I possible can. His bread is GF whole grain, his pasta is Sam Mills-NON GMO, organic Corn Pasta. My son loves corn, so I thought I would stick with that to see how he does and he loves it. Some kids may like the rice, but my son is not a rice eater. As for desserts, I let him have his Peanut Butter cups– or fresh fruit whichever he prefers.
Keeping it real I think is the best way to go–going cold turkey, don’t prolong by taking things away slowly–kids adapt so much easier then adults.
]]>Hi Penny,
Great that gluten free is working for you, and a good idea putting your son on it too.
The challenge with him will be keeping him on the diet as he gets older, especially if he doesn’t see any real advantage to staying on it. I hope you can instill in him the need to avoid gluten in the long term! Can you share any hints with other parents about how he deals with being on gluten free?
]]>My son is currently Gluten Free as well because he has the extremely high Genetic markers for Gluten intolerance as well, they wont medically diagnosis him with Celiac Disease because he does not meet the tradtional Criteria for it But I know enough about what damage it can do without the traditional Criteria, that I knew taking him GF would be the best thing for him. I also know he is sensitive to dye-food coloring and certain perservatives. I try to keep as whole natural foods as possible, but him being 7, its very difficult.
I know with time he will be much better then he is now. My son suffers from Learning Disabilities, ADD and ODD–All Gluten intolerant conditions that the medical field wont acknowledge as “Criterias” for Celiac.
I am living proof of what neurological damage can do from Uknown Gluten Intolerance. Now we are waiting to see if can be reversed from being “Grain Free”–since Gluten Free has had no impact.
Thank You for sharing your story
]]>You have had a long and difficult journey with illness, and at last health. I’m so glad that you discovered the cause and have been able to reverse your problems.
When I read your story, I feel pretty certain that you have celiac disease, not a gluten allergy. In some ways it makes no difference because in both cases, eliminating gluten from your diet is the only way to handle the problem.
Celiac disease is associated with many symptoms, and everything you describe fits with celiac disease.
You must avoid all gluten, not only to avoid the horrible symptoms you’ve experienced in the past, but also there is a long list of other health problems that can develop from eating gluten if you have celiac disease, so you need to avoid those too.
Congratulations on your gluten free diet and new found health.
]]>