Michi8

It depends on the situation, of course, and would need to be brought up delicately, that's for sure. If someone approached me because I had a fussy, skinny child who refused to eat because it seemed to hurt, and said, "You know, I was like that as a child and I have this disease, I was just wondering if it's after any certain food that your child gets tummy aches. If it is, she may have what I do ..." That's not accusatory in any way and it would have saved me years of health problems if someone had said that to my mom.

Some parents are working on what the issue is, some parents are not. Mine did not do a thing to see what was wrong with me and would just tell people I was a baby and had a low-threshold of pain. Even when I was in my room with bad diarrhea (I had my own bathroom in my room ), they would basically ignore me as if I were making it up and would act like I was putting them out if I needed anything.

I would be more concerned that a child go till they're 43, like I did, than that I unitentionally hurt someone's feelings. Of course, no one's feelings should be hurt if the topic is brought up delicately like I mentioned. Unless someone is oversensitive, then it's their problem in my opinion.

True, but it might enlighten them to the idea that it's a food allergy causing the problem.

I don't think the subject should be brought up at all. I view it as any other parenting issue. I do not want it pointed out and questioned by strangers in public. If my kids were crying and creating a scene in public (for example, having a tantrum a the grocery store,) I just want to minimize it and remove them from the situation as quickly as possible. The last thing I would want is someone who doesn't know the whole story giving their opinion of how I should handle it. Same goes for opinions about health issues.

Michelle

I was not implying he does have aspergers only you and your doctors could tell about that. Aspergers by the way does not mean lower intelligence or functioning on an educational level, in fact it is usually the opposite. My DS is a honor student who just won a full scholarship to a very good school and is also very talented in art, science, philosopy, and mathmatics and mechanics. His Aspergers effected his social understanding.

I am sorry if you were offended, this is a message board with a lot of people at various stages of knowledge and understanding about celiac disease. It is natural for people to comment on the things other people state. The whole purpose of boards like this one is to learn from each other and that takes communication.

I hope you find answers soon to your problems.

I appreciate the knowledge that other have on this board...its the reason I came here while I'm sorting through my own health issues.

Aspergers has touched a number of families I know personally, and it was top of mind for me (along with OCD) when my son started showing his sensitivies. But he isn't exhibiting the social issues that coincide with the disorder, and that has been confirmed by doctors and our psychologist. In both mine and my husbands families we have many family members who have the same brilliance...some in math & arts, and some more in languages...and along with the brilliance comes certain personality traits that we're seeing in my son as well.

Michelle

This is just a suggestion but you may want to consider the possibility of celiac. This is the same sort of thing that I used to see in my DS, (who also has Aspergers at a very high functioning level) and to some lesser extent in his sister. His taste buds and senses of touch and feeling were on hyperdrive. We didn't think much of it because I am the same way. It wasn't until after he was diagnosed and went gluten-free that we realized all the things that were being impacted. He did have growth problems but his sister who is also celiac grew normally and had a good weight until her teens.

Sigh. Again, I didn't ask for help. Trust me, I'm as in tune with my kids as possible, without being neurotic about it. My son does not have Aspergers. We have been to a psychologist to work through some of his sensitivies (which are similar to my sensitivies, BTW) and to help him develop skills to deal with stuff out of his control (eg at school.) We deal with his food issues as gently as possible, balancing it with everyone else's food issues. My son is brilliant in art and math. We are contemplating doing an educational assessment when he is a bit older. He is inquisitive, observant and healthy.

I am looking into celiac for myself right now (negative panel, bone density test today, skin patch testing in two weeks, edoscopy in Nov, colonoscopy in March.) I will be looking into it with the kids after that, because all three kids have different health issues that could be realted to celiac: 1st son has chronic constipation (being treated, and had negative celiac panel BTW), 2nd son is thin, but has no other health signs other than hayfever, daughter has head to toe eczema, allergies, and the start of asthma. The diagnosis of celiac will have to come with time. No other extended family members are willing to test, so I am the pioneer here.

Michelle

Given the extent of undiagnosed celiac in the general public, I think it is highly unlikely that these people have considered it and legitimately ruled it out.

But I believe it is inappropriate to approach a stranger in that situation. Being a thin, fussy eater does not necessarily mean celiac.

Michelle

I'm sorry if you were offended, but you brought up the topic. I was unaware it was off-limits.

If you had read my original post thoroughly, you would have seen that I used my son's fussiness as an example to say that if someone had approached me to tell me what they thought about his fussing, I would have been moritified and angry. Nowhere in that post did I ask for help.

Michelle

Why does the child cry or whine? Do you pester him to eat things that bother him?

I'm sorry, what are you accusing me of? You think I "pester" my children into eating?

You've hit a real hot button here. I am extremely sensitive to my children's needs, have been since their birth. I work very hard to be in tune with their individual personalities and health issues. I, myself, have had multiple food allergies since childhood and so am very sensitive to their food reactions.

I am not looking for a diagnosis, and don't appreciate anyone sticking their nose in to examine what it "appears" I might be doing wrong. MYOB.

Michelle

If you are in the US then yes....

If you are elsewhere then it depends what it is made from.

I believe it applies to Canada as well.

I have one of those thin kids who cries or whines at (almost) every meal, and it's not because eating causes pain (he's old enough to tell us if something is painful or uncomfortable for him.) He is an extremely fussy eater, and we suspect that he's got a very sensitive palate, especially to bitter tastes (eg veggies) and mushy textures (eg mashed potatoes.) It goes along with his sensitivity to touch, smell, sound and sight. Unfortunately, his food fusiness sometimes becomes more pronounced when he's eating away from home, and has a limited selection of foods (like with a continental breakfast...BTDT.) My son could have celiac, but there is nothing about his growth and health that indicate it directly at this point in time.

It is an embarrassing situation for parents, and I would be absolutely mortified and angry if a stranger approached me to give me suggestions about what could be causing the crying. Personally, I would trust that the parents of the child are well aware of the issue, and could very well be looking into diagnosis with their doctor already.

Michelle

I was about a month premature, due to preeclampsia.

All three of my kids were "past due," a good weight, and had malpresentations (#1 breech - 8lbs 6oz, #2 asynclitic - 9lbs 8oz, #3 compound presentation - 9lbs 12oz.) They all have different builds & health issues too, and all are clearly allergic children. They were all breastfed for about 2 years each, and all spat up a lot (projectile) and had troubles with gas as babies.

Michelle

I've eaten them before, but am not a big fan. I find their meats to be kind of "fake" tasting, and have an odd texture. Of course, YMMV.

Michelle

Just curious...

Does anyone have trouble with eating chic peas? I love them and eating them a lot. Im gluten free for about 1 month but still feeling cr@ppy so I am trying figure out what else could be causing it.

Chick peas (aka garbanzo beans) are legumes, and so can cause the same gas problems & allergies as any other legume. What kind of "reaction" are you having? Are you allergic/sensitive to any other legumes (peanuts, beans, soy, etc?)

Michelle

As others mentioned, it could definitely be Braxton Hicks contractions. I started feeling them very early in my 3rd pregnancy.

Michelle

Does anyone have any good Indian chicken dish recipes? I have been dying to try Indian food but I am afraid to go to a restaurant and I am actually not sick of cooking yet.

Thanks!

Patak's makes a variety of gluten free curries and sauces that are readily available for cooking indian foods at home (from their Canadian website): Open Original Shared Link Their tandoori sauce is perfect for chicken & their pappadums are gluten free too.

Michelle

Hi there,

Just had a visit with another dermatologist who will be doing my patch testing (one of the many tests I'm going through to uncover what is going on with my health.) When going over my history, I had mentioned that I was diagnosed with eczema many years ago. After going over my "eczema" symptoms, the dr said it sounds like it is actually psoriasis (though I'm not flaring right now, so had nothing to show him.) Totally floored me. My eczema diagnosis was by a GP, and I had just assumed that's what it was all these years.

Did a little looking online and found this interesting article on the possible connection between psoriasis and celiac: Open Original Shared Link

Michelle

My four year old daughter was complaining that a couple of pimple looking things wouldn't quit itching....she seems to be ok when distracted though. She has had these bumps before. This time they are under her chin but they are usually on her face and somtimes on her upper arms. When we took her to her family doctor she was pretty sure that it was chicken pox. However they came back a little over a week later (this was back in June) and now they are back again. They start out looking like a red pimple but end up looking like a blister. Could this be dermatitis herpetiformis? If so what do I do for it and where do I take her....can her normal physician take a sample in her office?

It sounds like what my daughter had last summer (and still comes and goes). We had her tested for chicken pox (negative), plus the bumps/rash continued for a month or more. They started as tiny pimply-looking blisters (itchy too) that would burst and crust over. Dermatologist figures it could have been molusca. Of course, he didn't see her when she originally had the rash, because it took forever to get an initial consult with him. I haven't bothered to take her back in for further diagnosis, because this particular Dr is useless anyway...apparently she might have had molusca, and otherwise just has a chronic case of eczema (head to toe) that will forever be treated with topical creams and steriods (because eczema is "not" caused by allergies or intolerances ) So much for finding the cause of the skin problems rather than just treating the symptoms. I'm waiting to hear more about my own health, before pursuing other types of testing for her.

Michelle

I hate artificial sweeteners...they have tons of side effects and in my opinion are way worse than the regular sugar

I agree. I started drinking diet drinks again after many years of avoidance. I have to start avoiding it again. I will not give my kids artificial sweeteners at all.

Michelle

Just a thought...the Diest Sprite thread brought this to mind...do you ingest any artificial sweeteners? I sometimes get bloating and migraine-type headaches when I have aspartame, and sucralose makes me instantly nauseated.

Michelle

As queenofhearts mentioned, many companies offer reimbursement for product dissatisfaction. Kraft is one company that does this. Anytime there is a problem with their products (missing product, quality issues, damaged seals, etc) they will send a cheque or coupons that exceed the value of the product. When it comes to issues of potential product tampering (damaged seal) they will also send a courier to pick up the product and take it to a lab for testing.

Michelle

I have heard about it, because my doctor suggested it as a possibility for my stomach pain. We're working through the process of elimination for all my ailments right now (celiac being one possilbility.) Wish I could give you more info on it...

Michelle

I can't explain it. I know Coca Cola says all their sodas are gluten free which should mean no risk of x-contamination either (unless somebody drops their ham sandwich on the way to lunch ) but I keep getting sick - burning, bloating - everytime I try to drink diet Sprite. My mother won't drink it at all. She's certain it's cc.

My question is has anyone else noticed something funny going on with Sprite?

Am I allergic to Lemon-Lime?

It may be the aspartame. I sometimes get bloating and headaches when I ingest it.

Michelle

You don't even have to take the chicken out, just add the broccolli in after the chicken's partially done (so that there's about five minutes left, and the broccolli has been cut up a bit). It won't make you sick, because you're cooking the chicken through (and hence killing any dangerous bacteria in the chicken).

I take the chicken out because it's easier to cook the veggies without over cooking the chicken that way...especially if you're cooking quite a few veggie ingredients...it also makes a difference as to which veggies get added when (some veggies take longer to cook than others.)

Michelle

if it's not iceburg lettuce (which really is mostly just water), however, it can still be a decent source of vitamins. looseleaf lettuce and romaine lettuce are good sources of leafy greens vitamins - paritcularly K.

Spinach is even better, and makes a great salad. My favourite salad: Spinach with broccoli, strawberries, mushrooms, red peppers and toasted almonds with a poppyseed dressing. You can also make a warm spinach salad with bacon and egg slices.

Michelle

should i clean the pan between the chicken and the veggies?

No need to. The flavour of the chicken will mix nicely with the broccoli (and the juices have been fully cooked at this point, so it is safe.)

im about to cook some chicken, could i throw the brocoli in the same pan with the lid? or would it make me sick from the chicken blood

Cook the chicken first and remove it. Then cook the broccoli in the same pan (maybe add some carrot, snowpeas and onion for a good stirfry...and add sauce/spice at this point too!) Finally add the chicken back in to reheat w/veggies.

Michelle

This is what the Eye and Ear foundation would say about it:

Open Original Shared Link

But maybe some ear candling would do you good

here's a little info just in case:

It is a simple, natural ear-cleaning technique using a hollow cone, which has one end burning, and the other end set at the opening of the ear canal. Smoke travels into the ear and loosens the ear wax, ear mites and the build up of yeast making the rounds inside the complexities of the inner ear, it comes back up the cone bringing with it wax and debris.

Benefits of Ear Candling

1. Removal of excess ear wax

2. Soothing and beneficial with ear infections

3. Release of head congestion due to sinusitis, allergies, colds and flu

4. Removal of Candida (yeast) and relieving itchy ear

5. Helpful with some hearing loss and tinitus-ringing in the ears

6. Beneficial for persistent chronic ear infections

7. Improves balance and equilibrium

8. Detoxification of sinus and lymph system

Sorry for the late reply to this post...I just found this thread.

Ear Candling has been proven to be a quack practice, and can actually be dangerous. There is a high risk of burns from the wax, and potential damage to the eardrum itself. Open Original Shared Link

In terms of itchy ears, it can be a sign of allergies and food intolerances. I have problems with my ears when I eat foods I'm allergic to....the itch can be so intense inside my ears. I also have problems with pain in my ears with wind, and changes in temperature (going indoors after being outside on a cold day.)

Michelle

Hi Michelle,

Thanks for your reply. I am very relieved to have an answer to my losses, however I'm not sure I will fully beleive the answer is correct until after I have another sucessful pregnancy. I am trying my best to be positive and deep down really do think I will be fine now but its really hard not to be nervous and a bit paranoid when things have gone so wrong in the past.

Its such a shame that you sisters wont take your advice and be tested. I know I would have done every test under the sun to get to the bottom of my problems. I had to practically force my gp to test me and even my ob didn't think it would be a link until he really investigated it so I know what you mean about the doctors. Even if the testing comes back negative for your sisters....at least they can rule it out then. Maybe you can pass on some of the stories here for a bit of added support?? Take Care Kelly

This site certainly is a great resource...I will be passing the URL along to those who could use the support. Just to clarify, the friends I mentioned earlier are not my sisters, but are sisters to each other.

However, I do have two brothers who show GI signs of celiac that are worse than mine and should definitely be tested. On top of that, one brother (and his wife) had a baby almost two years ago. The pregnancy was full of health problems, and the baby (my niece) had problems with breastfeeding, eating oats/grains and had a milk allergy (has now outrgown it?!) She is constantly sick too, especially since she is in daycare. I believe she may have celiac disease, and needs to be tested now to avoid future health problems. But, until I'm tested myself (biopsy), noone will believe that they need to test too.

Michelle