Can an 11 year old develop a gluten sensitivity?

[sapientia]

Maybe I should re-phrase that as, can a sensitivity be somewhat mild then gradually get much worse?
My 11 yo boy is showing some allergy signs and I'm going nuts trying to figure it out.

[JessicaS]

One can develop an allergy at any time.

I had extensive allergy testing as a child but developed a dairy allergy as an adult

[sapientia]

Thank you for the reply.

[kjbrown92]

The other thing is, symptoms can change over time, so that what was colic in a child, then ear infections in a toddler, then eczema as an adolescent, can all be the same thing, with different manifestations. Have you tried a food journal?

[meg-momto2]

absolutely. my 6yo became increasingly more gluten sensitive over the last two years. we've been on and off elimination diets and i think it trigger his reaction to the next step.

[mum4boys]

the more you are exposed to an allergen the more you will react to it so it makes total sense over time it has gotten worst.

[sapientia]

Oh it makes more sense now...No, I haven't kept a food journal but starting today I'm going to do a gluten free trial.
What got me thinking about it was this 'stomach virus' he has had for the last few days that has been kicking up-abdominal pain, but with constipation, and some vomiting. But he doesn't 'act sick' and no fever. His stomach does tend to bother him on occasion, but I just never connected the proverbial dots, you know?
He has gotten thinner over the last couple months (but he is very active in baseball and plays outside a lot). He has zero appetite lately, and the mood swings are OUTRAGEOUS. He also has allergy shiners.
It's just all clicked for me today that gluten intolerance might be the culprit...everything I've researched points to it, so I'm going to give it a shot. Anyone have any insight? I feel like the worst mom in the world for not seeing this sooner-esp. since I'm supposedly really well read when it comes to nutrition and natural healing. (bawl)

[kjbrown92]

Could be gluten, as it's the #2 (dairy is still #1 as far as I know). Is intuition telling you gluten?

You're not the worst mom in the world. I already had a kid with food intolerances, and I didn't see the signs with the next one until the doctor asked. Move on and move forward. Since he's older, he could keep his own food journal so he can have participation/responsibility.

[sapientia]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

Could be gluten, as it's the #2 (dairy is still #1 as far as I know). Is intuition telling you gluten?

You're not the worst mom in the world. I already had a kid with food intolerances, and I didn't see the signs with the next one until the doctor asked. Move on and move forward. Since he's older, he could keep his own food journal so he can have participation/responsibility.

Intuition is telling me food allergy-didn't specify-but I was in the shower this morning just praying/meditating about it all, wondering if I should just take him to the doc asap and it just jumped in my head-'food allergy'. I have a touch of medical empathy once I calm down and listen, so I'm thinking I am in the right arena...and thank you so much for your help, I feel better. But I do think I will elminate the gluten and dairy and see what happens-how long before I notice a change do you think?

[kjbrown92]

Could be a couple days, could be a couple weeks. Some people say it takes dairy 2-4 weeks to get out of your system, and they say that gluten takes a month or more. My dd2, who's got/had food intolerances, started waking up every night recently. I realized that she'd been having eggs every day (2-4). I stopped the eggs, and the first day without them, she started sleeping through the night again (it's been 4-5 days). So it could be fast, could be a little slower. Be patient.

[Narmowen]

It's absolutely possible. I have a gluten intolerance (dermatitis herpetiformis) that didn't show itself until my late teens.

[dannic]

I'm reading The G-Free Diet right now ,cuz I like books, lol. Anyway, it talks about how celiacs can manifest itself at any time and often after and illness or trauma ect.
DD is undiagnosed, but has been gf for 3 yrs now. Hers became apparent after I weaned her.
For some, a gf trial can take 3 mos, depending on how much damage (if any) there is to the digestive tract.
I'd think, tho that you'd begin to see improvements well before that (we did).
I'd also rec Healing the New Childhood Epidemics, Bock.

[sapientia]

Dannic, thanks for the book rec. !

Well, he had a gluten free dinner and morning-and so far no stomach pain, and his attitude has improved so much!

Get this-talked to my mom this morning and mentioned the possible gluten allergy and she proceeded to tell me she wasn't surprised-that my brother has a gluten allergy (???!) When we were small I remember him getting allergy tests and having to go to the doc every week-but when I really think back I remember a couple years of dietary changes...she told me we were gluten free for awhile but as he got older his sensitivity waned. (I don't know about that, I think my dad probably got sick of restrictions.) It makes sense now, thinking back. Wish I had known this sooner.
It also makes sense cause DS has always been a 'picky' eater and , instinctively avoids a lot of foods...never much of a pizza or bread eater, now I know why.

[dannic]

You know, we've been gluten free for three yrs and it wasn't until last yr that I found out that my grandma had tested positive to a wheat allergy (but still eats it)! Crazy, eh.
Yay for no tummy aches!