Can my daughter ever try gluten again?
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Can my daughter ever try gluten again?
Hello, my daughter Adelyn was diagnosed with lympocytic colitis at age 3. She would wake up almost nightly crying, screaming, thrashing around, and was inconsolable. She had a hard, bloated stomach and frequent diarrhea. As an infant she was very gassy and cranky. Her pediatrician had us try a gluten free diet after they took blood for a celiac test. We saw huge improvements and within the 3rd day she had a normal bm! I was shocked when the results came back negative for celiac disease. That's what led to a colonscopy and diagnosis of lympocytic colotis. Her gastro md had her take sulfasalazine for a couple years and we continued the gluten free diet. She had a repeat colonoscopy at age 6 and that was normal. We were able to discontinue meds and just stick with the diet. She has been doing well ever since and has not needed any further treatment/monitoring. However, she is now 12 and is wondering if we could ever try introducing gluten back in to see how it effects her? Is is possible that she no longer has lymptocytic colitis or gluten sensitivity issues. I don't want to cause any damage since she has been doing so well, but she has a long life ahead of her and question whether it could be possible that gluten doesn't bother her anymore. Thanks for any information you can provide!
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
welcome Jess
sympathies for your daughter and the digestion issues she has had.
the following are previous discussions on this topic.
long story short
- current celiac testing is not 100% accurate
- gluten is highly inflammatory for ALL people,
- there is science proving that you can be highly sensitive to gluten and not celiac
my advice (as someone who had digestion issues all my life, and tough teenage years with digestion issues, pain, fatigue etc) please DONT start gluten again. avoiding things like gluten now, will protect your daughter from having chronic health issues later in life. I have spent the last 10 years trying to recover from chronic health issues (I am 47) I may never work full time again.
some previous posts/articles/ discussions that may assist you in this decision
http://perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic ... ght=gluten
http://perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic ... ght=gluten
this 25 minute program has good information about why more people are reacting to gluten (ie due to changes in growing methods, processing, pesticides etc)
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4358631.htm
hope this helps
sympathies for your daughter and the digestion issues she has had.
the following are previous discussions on this topic.
long story short
- current celiac testing is not 100% accurate
- gluten is highly inflammatory for ALL people,
- there is science proving that you can be highly sensitive to gluten and not celiac
my advice (as someone who had digestion issues all my life, and tough teenage years with digestion issues, pain, fatigue etc) please DONT start gluten again. avoiding things like gluten now, will protect your daughter from having chronic health issues later in life. I have spent the last 10 years trying to recover from chronic health issues (I am 47) I may never work full time again.
some previous posts/articles/ discussions that may assist you in this decision
http://perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic ... ght=gluten
http://perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic ... ght=gluten
this 25 minute program has good information about why more people are reacting to gluten (ie due to changes in growing methods, processing, pesticides etc)
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4358631.htm
hope this helps
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Hello Jess,
Unfortunately LC is a lifelong disease, once diagnosed. However, yes she may be able to develop a tolerance for gluten. Even many celiacs are able to do that. The bad news is that her immune system will continue to produce antibodies to gluten if it's exposed to them even though the antibodies won't cause clinical symptoms (if she's successful in developing a tolerance for gluten). Statistics show that kids are better than adults at "outgrowing" an allergy or intolerance. However, research shows they don't really outgrow it. For virtually all of them, it comes back as they approach their 30's, and sometimes it comes back as other health issues or in addition to other health issues.
The problem is, no one can digest gluten. But for most people it just passes through the digestive system without notice. Some people say it passes through harmlessly. But that's not true. Research shows that it causes everyone to have increased intestinal permeability. And as it increases in severity, it eventually can cause various food sensitivities. It's a minor effect for most people, but for those of us who happen to have one or more genes that predispose us to gluten sensitivity, the problem becomes worse with continued exposure until finally it exceeds the tolerance threshold and we begin to react.
The bottom line is if she is willing to trade increased health problems and a lower standard of life when she reaches middle-age for the opportunity to eat gluten for a few years (maybe as many as 20 years) while she is young, then she can probably train her immune system to tolerate gluten.
I'm not sure what would have been my choice when I was her age, because you tend to think that you are invincible and you are going to live forever, at her age. But given the choice now, I would never touch gluten again. It's poison to the immune system. But I'm old and set in my ways.
Tex
Unfortunately LC is a lifelong disease, once diagnosed. However, yes she may be able to develop a tolerance for gluten. Even many celiacs are able to do that. The bad news is that her immune system will continue to produce antibodies to gluten if it's exposed to them even though the antibodies won't cause clinical symptoms (if she's successful in developing a tolerance for gluten). Statistics show that kids are better than adults at "outgrowing" an allergy or intolerance. However, research shows they don't really outgrow it. For virtually all of them, it comes back as they approach their 30's, and sometimes it comes back as other health issues or in addition to other health issues.
The problem is, no one can digest gluten. But for most people it just passes through the digestive system without notice. Some people say it passes through harmlessly. But that's not true. Research shows that it causes everyone to have increased intestinal permeability. And as it increases in severity, it eventually can cause various food sensitivities. It's a minor effect for most people, but for those of us who happen to have one or more genes that predispose us to gluten sensitivity, the problem becomes worse with continued exposure until finally it exceeds the tolerance threshold and we begin to react.
The bottom line is if she is willing to trade increased health problems and a lower standard of life when she reaches middle-age for the opportunity to eat gluten for a few years (maybe as many as 20 years) while she is young, then she can probably train her immune system to tolerate gluten.
I'm not sure what would have been my choice when I was her age, because you tend to think that you are invincible and you are going to live forever, at her age. But given the choice now, I would never touch gluten again. It's poison to the immune system. But I'm old and set in my ways.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Welcome Jess,
I'll be 50 in three weeks, and I have LC that came out with a vengeance when I turned 40 but I didn't test for it for 8 years after the fact, I guess I put my family before myself at that point. .....and if I had known gluten could be my main issue while growing up (with a sensitive system for as long as I can remember) I would hope that I would have been encouraged to eat differently and not know any difference by now.
It's been hard on the emotions to have to learn how to choose new favorites these last two years. I don't wish this emotional roller coaster on anyone, besides the fact that our health can have other side effects from the gluten ie: migraines, arthritis etc....
I don't think Adelyn will miss the addictive aspects of gluten since there are so many great products on the market now days as compared to 10 or even 5 years ago. Eat Fresh made from Scratch
sure is working for me 
I'll be 50 in three weeks, and I have LC that came out with a vengeance when I turned 40 but I didn't test for it for 8 years after the fact, I guess I put my family before myself at that point. .....and if I had known gluten could be my main issue while growing up (with a sensitive system for as long as I can remember) I would hope that I would have been encouraged to eat differently and not know any difference by now.
It's been hard on the emotions to have to learn how to choose new favorites these last two years. I don't wish this emotional roller coaster on anyone, besides the fact that our health can have other side effects from the gluten ie: migraines, arthritis etc....
I don't think Adelyn will miss the addictive aspects of gluten since there are so many great products on the market now days as compared to 10 or even 5 years ago. Eat Fresh made from Scratch
sure is working for me To Succeed you have to Believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a Reality - Anita Roddick
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Hi Jess, I think gluten has been at the root of most of my medical problems and I will soon be 65 years old. I suffered most of my life with constipation until MC hit 7 years ago. I have a history of auto immune issues, endometriosis, eczema, thyroid etc. I just did my third Enterolab test and my gluten was still high (30, though it was 510 when I was first tested). HOWEVER, all my other issues (milk, eggs, soy and the rest of the food tests) are now normal. I think it is because I quit gluten (I think my current level is high due to an accidental glutening a few weeks ago.) I truly believe that had I identified the gluten issue many years ago I would have been spared many of the others that occurred. I am working hard to get my kids and grand kids off of gluten. I truly think it is harmful for everyone. My husband started having digestive issues a couple of years ago and figured out it was gluten as well. My kids are screwed. LOL.