2 y.o. very tired after re-introducing gluten

[AngelDog]

I've just done a two-week gluten-free trial for my 2.2 y.o. to see if it had an effect on his eczema. (I know his eczema isn't caused by dietary problems, but it does flare up if he eat nuts, which he is allergic to.)

I did one before and his eczema flared up when he had gluten again, but he was coming down with a cold (which usually makes his eczema flare just beforehand) so it could have been coincidence.

This time, he already had a cold when I reintroduced gluten, and had just recovered from slapped cheek disease. His eczema flared up 24 hours after having gluten, but it's back under control (it's pretty well-managed nowadays). It's unusual for his cold-related eczema flares to start after the cold symptoms have appeared.

He had a couple of days (while still gluten-free) at the start of the cold when he needed to sleep more than usual, but then seemed to be back to normal. Since re-starting he's been really tired again. He is currently sleeping for 2 or 3 hours a day more than usual (he normally sleeps 11.5-12 hours total). I would be surprised if it were just due to the cold, which is much improved now. Does it sound like a possible reaction to having gluten?

As far as I can tell, he has no digestive problems and isn't in any pain, although he's been extra stroppy (which is probably just due to feeling under the weather).

We have his first appointment at the allergy clinic next Thursday to discuss his newly-diagnosed nut allergies so I'm going to ask them to test for gluten problems. The gf trial has been done with the 'permission' of the GP but without any other HCPs being involved.

Any thoughts?

If the gluten is causing this it is likely to be an intolerence rather than an allergy so less easy to diagnose / spot. Gluten intolerence can indeed trigger eczema, reduce the effectiveness of the immune system and appear worse if the immune system is already under pressure from illness. DS1 went from being a quiet lethargic boy to a normal toddler when we excluded gluten. (among a whole host of other foods and built back up his gut and immune system using supplements - I think we needed to do it all to see an improvement) At one stage I inadvertently used what I thought was GF bread but wasn't and I could see him droop before my eyes over the space of a month and his immune system suffered. Once I figured it out, he improved.

Definitely speak to your consultant about it though if the wish to do a coeliac test your child will need to be on a full gluten diet so best not to exclude before that as it can be hard to reintroduce once you have taken it out for a period of time.

Thanks for the reply. :) I'll talk to the consultant about it and make sure he continues to have gluten in the mean time.

DS is still sleeping more than usual 2 weeks on from the start of the cold, napping 2 hours earlier than usual, and is still not eating normally, although his appetite is better. He had constipation yesterday, which he's only had once in his life so far (he breastfeeds often, which usually keeps things moving).