Coeliac Disease anyone?

[RachelG]

My DS is just 2, and he's being tested for Coeliac Disease.

It's come as a bit of a surprise to me, as I always thought it presented with diarrhoea and weight loss. I'm a GP and this has been my experience of patients with it.

However, my DS has chronic constipation, and also vomits very readily (usually when he's constipated or if he's upset about something). The paediatrician said Coeliac can sometimes present in this way.

I can hardly believe it because my DS is a lively chubby little boy, not my impression of a child who can't absorb his food properly at all!

Has anyone had a similar experience?

Thanks

[BarbieGirl]

My friend was diagnosed with Coeliacs about a year ago and he did loose a lot of weight prior to Diagnosis. He also had Diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Like you. I thought these were classic Coeliacs Disease symtoms.

Could he have Hirschsprungs Disease - its just that what you have described is exactly the same symptoms as my niece (diagnosed at aged 3 weeks - now aged 5) has.

[Tiggiwinkle]

My DS1 was diagnosed with coeliac disease a couple of years ago in his early twenties. He was not diagnosed as a child as he did not display all the typical symptoms-no diarrhoea, for instance. He was always a thin child (but the GP told me he was just one of those wiry kids whenever I expressed concern about it!)
Apparently coeliac disease can sometimes cause partial destruction of the lining of the intestine-as in his case-and not cause all the symptoms. He did however become anaemic several times and always ate a huge amount of food!

[cmotdibbler]

I'm coeliac, and presented with atypical symptoms, which it seems are actually the most common now - the classic failure to thrive and diarrhoea is actually only one picture, and normal or even excess weight and constipation are very common. I was always a chucker as a child and teen, and developed cyclic vomiting syndrome as and adult prior to diagnosis.

[flamingtoaster]

As cmotdibbler has said the symptoms can be very varied. Often overweight adults are told by doctors they cannot possibly be coealic - but they can be, and subsequent tests prove them right. If your DS is diagnosed you'll find a lot of help here:

members2.boardhost.com/glutenfree/

Several posters on there have small children.

[orangehead]

my ds2 may have coeliac we are awaiting for appt for bowel biospy. Can anyone tell me what to expect for the procedure, he is 4

[tangarine]

Hi RachelG and orangehead,

My ds1 was diagnosed with coeliac aged 6. He has had T1 diabetes since he was 5 and the coeliac was picked up by routine screening. He's always been on the 90th percentile and had slightly dropped below it just before dx. But we only knew that because he gets weighed and measured when he sees the diabetes consultant every 3 months and she updates his charts. He was completely asymptomatic. My ds 2 has lots of tummy troubles and was tested for coeliac a few months ago but it came back negative. We took him off dairy for a couple of weeks on the GP's advice and that did seem to help - and we have re-introduced dairy without a complete return to the earlier problems.

orangehead, The biopsy is a straightforward procedure. My ds had a general anaesthetic, though in some hospitals I unerstand they just sedate children rather than knock them out. There's a balance between the risks - however slight - if a GA, and the unpleasantness of having a tube shoved down your throat when you are awake, and ds's hospital prefer to make it easier for the child. I was allowed to go with him to the theatre and was with him while they put him under. He was in theatre for 20 mins or so and I was taken back to him when he was in the recovery room. He was up and about and eating within a couple of hours and went home that afternoon. He had to go in the night before, but that was because of the diabetes and managing his blood sugar levels/insulin while he was fasting. The samples they take are pin-head sized, for my ds they took 3 from different parts of the stomach/bowel.

You probably know this already, but you need to keep giving your ds on gluten until the biopsy as otherwise the bowel will heal itself and you won't get the right dx.

Hope all goes well!

[orangehead]

thanks tangerine