DS has wheat allergy think now being affected by gluten :o(

[wangle99]

DS was diagnosed with a wheat allergy June 07 and has been wheat free ever since.

He was tested for coeliac (via blood test) and it was negative. Also, DS had eaten rye with no ill effect so even paediatrician agreed probably only wheat doing it.

On and off over last few weeks and especially in last few days DS had rather splatty poo (DS terms not mine!) and I have been struggling to think what could have done it then it clicked he has been eating cereal with barley malt in.

The paediatrician did say he thought DS might go on to develop coeliac disease (which I had never heard of someone going on to develop it )

anybody btdt? Thank you

bump for you

If you aren't eating much gluten blood tests for coeliac won't be reliable.

Gluten intolerance can be diagnosed at any age. There seem to be differences of opinion over whether people always had it but didn't have symtoms before or if there is a genetic predisposition but it's triggered by some event (pregnancy has been mentioned as one possibility - obviously not relevant to your son but sticks in my mind because I've wondered about myself).

BUT it's also possible to get temporary intolerance to milk after an infection - so consider if this could be a temporary milk intolerance.

When he was tested he had been eating lots and lots of gluten!

DS messed himself at school today quite dramatically but then poo'd later at home and it was semi normal (usually an indication that its not illness but rather food related).

He had cornflakes with gluten in this morning. Am going to do a few more days of giving him gluten but no wheat before try and get an appt with paediatrician I suppose or would it be better to see dietician? I really don't know what I should be doing.

I have heard people theorising that coeliacs may develop.

is he still eating rye? and was he eating barley-malt cereals before the last few weeks?

there is only a small amount of barley in most breakfast cereals, I know it doesn't effect my daughter quite that badly- seems to just make her irritable, although I don't like to suggest making him ill, maybe you could try him with barley juices as well, to see the reaction? we're planning on doing this anytime now with my dd(diagnosed wheat intolerant, but also has a huge problem with oats, and probably barley, was only tested for coeliacs months after idiot doctor put her on a gluten-free diet)

also, I doubt they could reliably blood test for coeliacs now he is already wheat-free. maybe discuss this with your doctor.

I don't know who you should see. Who seems to have been most competent at the coeliacs/wheat-free stuff?

don't know how reliable a coeliac test would be if he's wheat free, ask your doctor. I'd sea doctor first because if the test will still work you don't want to have him go back on gluten if he's off it. Mrs Crimble's cakes are good for testing if rye is a problem as some have rye but no wheat. Some are totally gluten free so check what you are buying.

I have spoken to DS dietician and she has recommended DS goes back on wheat and gluten products for six weeks. I am now wondering when he had the previous blood test whether he had consumed enough gluten to get a reliable result.

I phoned coeliac uk and they were really helpful, spoke to one of their dieticians and she said make sure DS has a good serving of gluten in each meal which I am pretty sure wasn't happening before.

DS is very excited to be able to have wheat again 'even though I will get bad poo and tummy ache' (his words () I feel so sorry for him in some ways especially when I know he'll have to come off it again eventually.

I'll let you know what happens!

when he has the test make sure they do total IgA as well as whatever the other bit is. If overall IgA is low the test won't be accurate. It's only low for a small percentage of people but they still ought to do the test.

Thanks tatt, last time they did it I was too afraid to ask what they'd done and what the results were, am more forceful now lol!!!

Am also going to ask them to do RAST test for wheat allergy.

fingers crossed we can finally get a result.