Ds2 suffering terribly with his bowels - does this sound like coeliac disease?

[dreamingofagreenlawnchristmas]

My poor ds2 (age 4) is suffering very badly with tummy cramps after eating and uncontrollable wind/loose bowels. My GP suspects coeliac disease due to the fact that his poo is yellowish and very foul smelling (sorry TMI). He's being referred for some tests.

The only thing I don't understand is that ds2 hasn't always been like this - I'd say he's always had a tendency to tummy trouble (looseness really) but its got a lot lot worse in the last few months. I'd assumed he'd inherited my sensitive tum. Can coeliac disease come on that suddenly? His growth has always been normal, though I've noticed recently his tummy has started looking very bloated and he says it hurts to poo. I thought coeliac disease caused nutrition/growth problems?

We tried cutting out all wheat/gluten over the weekend just to see if it made any difference, and for the first time in a couple of weeks he didn't have any accidents. But I'm reluctant to really start cutting stuff out unless properly advised on what's going on.

If anyone can help I would really really appreciate some advice. TIA!

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(((bless)))

My husband is coeliac, it did come on quite suddenly when he was 40 - cramps, loose tum, pale floaty stools - tmi but true.

Don't cut out gluten until after the tests as you need to have gluten in the diet for the body to have the reaction.

The first tests will be blood tests which will show an indicator through antibodies.

If it is coeliac it is soooooo manageable through diet. It's second nature to us now.

xxxx

First of all, don't cut out gluten until he has had the tests. One of the tests will be a blood test to see if the antibodies coeliacs have which fight gluten are in the bloodstream. The antibodies won't be there if DS isn't eating gluten.

Just so you know, the other test which confirms coeliac is an endoscopy (tube down the throat)but it's done under sedation and DS won't even remember it.

I was only diagnosed in 2006 at the age of 26 and some people aren't diagnosed until their 50s and beyond, so it is possible that it may have been missed until now. I also had tummy trouble as a child (and very occasionally as an adult) but doc always diagnosed as colic.

Good luck with the tests.

Thanks so much for the info, I guess we'll have to wait and see - feel so sorry for him though, he just doesn't understand why he can't control himself anymore, which obviously then leads to him being anxious - at least from what you've said though a diagnosis means knowing how to treat things.

Try looking on the coeliac society's website (google it). They have a section for kids. I'm sure I recall something that helps to explain them having a special tummy. We looked into it for ds2, but then found that he has type 1 diabetes (which came on suddenly too, typical presentation of major thirst etc). There is a link between coeliac and T1 diabetes, just to be aware for the future or any familial link. xx

Thanks bramblebooks thats interesting - my gran was/my mum is diabetic (though mum is type 2). I'll look at the website too - thanks.

I would second everyones comments that you must NOT cut out gluten until diagnosed one way or other. My dd reacts very violently to even the tiniest but now she has been GF for 3 years. she had always been short and pale, but it was not until she went to school that she went downhill.

In the long run it is better for your DS to carry on suffering for now, though that goes against ALL you maternal instincts. You may also find temporary improvement if you reduce/remove dairy, as dairy intolerance also is common with CD, but often this is temporary, caused by the damage gluten has done to the gut. It made a big difference to my DD, so much so we thought that was IT, but went on to find out it was coeliac.

Would add that you say YOU have a "sensitive tum", and coeliac disease is known to have a genetic link, so could be YOU have it too and have not known all along. You would be amazed by the stats re: average age of diagnosis etc - more diagnosed over 60 than anything else!

If DS is diagnosed coeliac, you SHOULD be offered the blood screen too,as should yr DP/siblings of DS, DO NOT be put off by any GPs who tell you "you would have known by now" etc etc. MAny sufferers ahve NO symptoms, or vague irregular ones, but that does not mean they are not suffering long term damage that can lead to gut cancers and osteoporosis.

It was not until my DD was diagnoseed coeliac at age 5, that my MIL finally KNEW what her "IBS" really was, and she had been fobbed off by a series of GPs for 30 years!Coelaic UK helpline is EXCELLENT for all sorts of advice.

good luck

Thanks loobeylou, you know I'm starting to get a bit of a penny dropping feeling here - I actually took milk products out of ds2's diet because I'm completely dairy free (gives me tummy cramps and diarrhoea) and things did get better for him, but within a week he was back to being in pain again. My sensitive tum is that I seem to also react badly to fibre - eg wholemeal bread or bran flakes - now I'm starting to wonder if its not fibre as such but gluten. I've always assumed its just one of those things, I've never even thought to see a dr about it ... I was shocked to look at the website and see the ages people are when they get diagnosed.

Oh well even if its not coeliac disease its been a very interesting learning experience - thank God for mumsnet!