Behavior Issues Related to Digestion? Blood Sugar? Help!

[homeinpdx]

I am not sure exactly where to post this question as I don't know exactly what the problem is. Your ideas and suggestions are welcome.

My son is 7.5. He was an extremely gassy baby and well into toddlerhood would wake up from naps hysterical and inconsolable until he pooped or got out a good fart. We have always joked about the "mood altering poop." To this day, he will be really, really difficult until he poops and then is like another person. Has anyone else encountered this?

The other issue is that his behavior falls apart when he is hungry. I have noticed that his behavior shapes up within minutes of eating protein, so needless to say, I'm slipping him protein snacks all the time. Eating carbs or veggies doesn't perk him up the way that eating protein does. I'm not sure if this could be a glycemic issue, a food sensitivity, an absorption problem. Any ideas?

At some point I realized that I am managing his behavior nutritionally all day and I'm wondering if there's something I could be doing that would allow him to be less roller-coaster-ish.

His doctor has scheduled a blood test to rule out celiac, Chrone's disease, hypoglycemia, etc. I truly welcome any ideas or insights.

[SallyN]

No answers but I think you're on the right path. I have a friend who shared her observation that her 4yo son has a major behavioral shift when he needs to poop. It helped me link some of my DD1's behavior with her needing to empty her bladder. Actually has helped us enormously with the nighttime wakings/tantrums... we put her on the toilet, she pees, and settles down immediately.

And hunger (blood sugar drop or nutritional need) has always been one of our main tantrum/behavior triggers!!

Great observations momma!!

[pbjmama]

The first thing I would do is start a probiotic to see if that helps.

[IntrovertExtrovert]

I don't have answers for you, but I am subscribing to this thread. I've noticed lately that my son gets "squirrelly" sometimes. I haven't connected it specifically to anything he's eating (and I've tried, because we're doing a slow egg-yolk introduction to gear up for a full-on egg challenge, but the squirrelliness is on egg days, egg-free days, before the egg yolk, etc.).

And the biggest change lately has been potty learning, so maybe that's it.

[morgand]

I'm subscribing as well. We're finding that 4.5 year old ds needs to eat about every 1.5 hours or gets really silly--and not in a cute way.