gastro thinks my 14 year old son has celiac disease - Celiac Disease Message Board

wmjsease · 05-26-2006, 03:12 PM

My son has been having a lot of stomach pain, very smelly gas, and constipation. His gastro did bloodwork, ultrasound, xrays and finally and endoscopy. The endoscopy showed a lot of irritation in the duodedem? He had to get the celiac bloodwork done yesterday. Is the blood test fairly accurate? I know that we are going to have to really change his eating habit and choices now if he does have it. Does anybody have any suggestions on ways for him to cope? The gastro said that he will have to be seen by a dietician if he has it. Any information out there that I can read to educate myself about the problem? Any advice would help.
Thanks.

Kathy287 · 05-26-2006, 04:38 PM

They thought my daughter had celiac, we tried the diet, but it changed nothing for her. She has just been diagnosed with Crohn's disease. My daughter is 16, and she was off of all wheat, rye, oats, and barley for 3 months. There are a lot of alternatives out there, you just have to know where to look. A friend of ours has a young daughter, I think she is 4, with celiac, and she helped us out some. Health food stores have some things. You really learn to read labels with it. There are hidden ingredients also, such as vinegar...at first I didn't even think of that. Well, good luck, I hope you get a definate diagnosis soon, and your son is feeling better quickly.
Kathy

wmjsease · 05-26-2006, 08:52 PM

Thank you for the reply. I appreciate the support.
I have been reading everything that I can on the net on the celiac websites. We'll know the results of the blood tests next week. Then we'll know for sure. Again thanks

rheanna · 05-26-2006, 11:04 PM

wmjsease,

If it turns out that your son does have celiac, then may I suggest something to think about for the entire family? Following the diet and learning to read labels is a major change. The cooking techniques are different, because non-gluten flours act different from wheat. Many people simply cook two different meals, have two sets of snacks, etc.

But I would like to suggest that it's possible for the whole family to eat very well on a gluten-free diet, with perhaps a basket of wheat bread on the table at dinner time for those who just can't give up their wheat bread. But everything else can be converted to cooking gluten-free, and that makes it easier on the main cook and shopper in the family, as well as making your son feel like more of a "normal" person rather than "different" which most teens are desperate not to be. I've managed to develop lots of recipes to duplicate the tastes (except for the "wheaty" taste, of course) of almost everything I used to love. And now that I eat more veggies and lots less junk food, I'm eating much healthier as well.

Just some "food for thought". I wish you and your son well.

--Rheanna