suspected celiac

[rosielee]

my son has not had a normal tummy day for so long now- i am talking about years- dont ask me how ive let it goon for so long- you just do you cut out certain foods and it doesnt make a difference then you realise it wouldnt if he was a celiac as everyhting he eats practically is everything he is allergic too. as i have said, its not confirmed yet but i have a very striong suspicion it is gluten that his body objects too- i will soon know if there is a dramatic imporvement within a few weeks, i will know for deffinate because he always, always has d. so the one time he doesnt will not only be a miracle for his body but will be confirmation its is celiac, for him not to suffer with it will be worth any amount of hassle. anyway my question is this;

 DO FOODS ALWAYS SAY GLUTEN IN THEIR INGREDIENTS LABEL, I HAVE BEEN TOLD ICE CREAM HAS GLUTEN IN IT BUT ILOKED AT MY TUB OF ICE  CREAM IN MY FRIDGE AND IT DIDNT SAY GLUTEN IN THE INGREDIENTS SO I GAVE IT TO HIM, DOES GLUTEN COME UNDER ANY OTHER NAMES? SOMETHING REALLY UNRECOGNISABLE. ITS REALLY IMPORTANT I GET THIS INFORMATION FROM SOMEONE AS I NEED TO BE COMPLETELY GLUTEN FREE AND DONT WANT TO GIVE HIM WRONG STUFF EVEN THOUGH IT DOESNT DECLARE IT ON LIST- DO ALL FOODS DECLARE WHETHER THEY HAVE GOT GLUTEN IN? NOT TALKING ABOUT THE OBVIOUS PASTRY FROM BAKERY WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY FROM FLOUR I MEAN THINGS THAT I CAN GET CAUGHT OUT ON- THINGS THAT HAVE GLUTEN IN BUT COME UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME, WHY DID SOMEONE SAY ICE CREAM HAS GLUTENAND THEN F0R IT NOT TO BE WRITTEN IN MY ICE CREAM TUBS INGREDIENTS LIST- DO SOME PRODUCTS HAVE IT AND SOME NOT? SO HAVE TO GET THIS RIGHT AS MY SON HAS SUFFERED FOR SUCH A LONG TIME- ESPECIALLY IN EVENINGS HAVE NOTICED, THEY ARE WORST FOR HIM AND THE LAST THING BEFORE HE GOES TO BE- CAN BE FOUR OR FIVE VISITS TO THE LOO- does this sound familiar for sufferers beforeb they changed diet? any help and support apprciated- he has had problem for lifetime it seems. but especially last two years.

grreatly appreciated help

[the sensible celiac]

Hi Rosielee,

Gluten often appears under various different names in ingredient lists.  Any food that contains wheat, barley, or rye has gluten in it, and any food that contains any ingredient derived from wheat, barley or rye is very likely to contain gluten.

Some of the ingredients that are likely to include gluten are malt, malt flavoring, soy sauce, and many more.
Here is a page about hidden sources of gluten:
http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/gfcf-diet/hidden-sources-of-gluten.htm

All vegetables and fruits in their natural state are always gluten free.  All beans are gluten free.  Rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet and teff are gluten free grains.  Meat that has not been marinated or had any broth or other liquid added will be gluten free.
Potatoes and all other root crops are gluten free when they come out of the ground.  The less a food has been processed and the closer it is to it's natural state, the more likely it is to be gluten free.  Factory food is much more likely to have things added that could give somebody digestive problems.

The produce aisle in your supermarket is a great source for gluten free foods.

The easiest way to be sure you are giving your child gluten free food is to make it yourself from basic ingredients that are always gluten free.

Here is a link to a page that lists some gluten free foods:
http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/List_of_Gluten_Free_Foods

A company named Triumph Dining offers books that list gluten-free grocery store items
http://www.triumphdining.com/

Another company that publishes lists of GF foods is Clan Thompson:
http://www.clanthompson.com/index.php3

I never use these lists myself, but I've been gluten free for over 10 years, so I know by now what to avoid.

Your son might be getting ill from eating ice cream for reasons other than celiac disease or gluten.  Many times when a person  is suffering from intestinal disorders they also become intolerant of dairy products.  The human body has not evolved to drink cow's milk, many humans can not tolerate it.  People who do have celiac disease very often go through a period of lactose intolerance.

One of the best foods to calm an upset tummy is rice, it is the least allergenic of the widely used starch sources, of course it is not so great for nutrients, but a small serving of plain white rice can often calm an upset tummy, it works for me at least.

Very young children do need more fat in their diet than adults do, it is essential for brain development. If he can not have dairy foods you might add olive oil or some other vegetable oil to his foods, or give him some fatty meat once every day or two.

Young kids love sweet snacks, you can find lots of them online.  Just yesterday I tried some gluten free rice bars that are like the famous brand, but gluten free:
http://www.sensibleceliac.com/store/index.php?k=marshmallow+rice&c=AllGlutenFreeFood&x=0&y=0

It is impossible to say if a person has celiac disease based only on symptoms.  The symptoms of celiac disease vary widely from person to person.  From what you have said it does sound entirely possible that this is his problem, but a Doctor should be the one to say.

I suggest that to get him stabilized you concentrate on well cooked vegetables and rice as much as possible, with some fatty meat too so he gets everything he needs nutritionally.  Peanut butter is also a great food for youngsters.  I'd avoid dairy products until he is stable and you can tell for sure if they bother him.  If he can eat corn, then a combination of corn, rice, and beans gives a well balanced nutritional profile.

Please keep us informed on how things are going with your son.

Steve