My 4 yr old daughter has always had constipation issues, our doctor just keeps prescribing laxatives, but I think there is another cause. Has anyone heard of a food allergy causing constipation? Yes, yes yes. Celiac Disease is a HUGE misdiagnosed cause of many gastro symptoms. Please read the info below. Ask your pediatrican to test her blood for IGG, IGA and TTG antibodies. (Also known as the Celiac Blood panel.) If she does have Celiac Disease it is very simple, just eat a gluten free diet! No meds, no creams,!! awesome! I have been diagnosed 3 years and love livign gluten free--I have my life back! Please read below for more info and cehck out the sites I list!
Celiac disease (CD) is a genetic disorder. In people with CD, eating certain types of protein, called gluten, sets off an autoimmune response that causes damage to the small intestine. This, in turn, causes the small intestine to lose its ability to absorb the nutrients found in food, leading to malnutrition and a variety of other complications.
The offending protein, gluten, is found in wheat, barley, rye, and to a lesser extent, oats (WBRO). Related proteins are found in triticale, spelt, kamut. Refer to grains and flours Glossary for a more extensive list of both safe and offending grains.
Celiac Disease is:
* a genetic, inheritable disease.
* linked to genetically transmitted histocompatibility cell antigens (HLA DR3-DQ2, DR5/7 DQ2, and DR4-DQ8).
* COMMON. Approximately 1 in 133 people have CD, however, only about 3% of these have been diagnosed. This means that there are over 2.1 million undiagnosed people with celiac disease in the United States.
* characterized by damage to the mucosal lining of the small intestine which is known as villous atrophy.
* responsible for the malabsorption of nutrients resulting in malnutrition.
* linked to skin blisters known as dermatitis herpetiformis (DH).
* not age-dependent. It may become active at any age.
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Celiac Disease is NOT:
* simply a food allergy.
* an idiosyncratic reaction to food proteins (mediated by IgE).
* typified by a rapid histamine-type reaction (such as bronchospasm, urticaria, etc.).
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The Damaging Proteins
The term "gluten" is, in a sense, a generic term for the storage proteins that are found in grains. In reality, each type of protein - gliadin in wheat, secalin in rye, hordein in barley, avenin in oats, zein in corn and oryzenin in rice - is slightly different from the others. The "gluten" in wheat, rye, barley, and in a much lower amount, oats, contains particular amino acid sequences that are harmful to persons with celiac disease. The damaging proteins are particularly rich in proline and glutamine (especially the amino acid sequences which are in the following orders: Pro-Ser-Gln-Gln and Gln-Gln-Gln-Pro). As peptides, some such as 33-MER, cannot be broken down any further. In people with celiac disease, 33-MER stimulates T-cells to produce antibodies. The antibodies, in turn, attack the villi in the small intestine, reducing their ability to absorb nutrients. It is important to note that these sequences are NOT found in the proteins of corn and rice.
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The Nature of the Injury
The damage to the small intestine (the jejunum) caused by this disease is very slow to develop and is insidious. It is:
* almost certainly mediated by the immune system.
* associated with ANTIBODIES to gliadin, reticulin and/or endomysial (smooth muscle) proteins.
* probably not directly caused by the antibodies, though they may be signals for cell-mediated immunity.
* probably produced by the cellular immune system (T cells) - but only when gluten-type prolamins are present.
* reversible, in most cases, to completely normal bowel function, if the injurious protein is excluded from the diet.
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How Does One "Catch" Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease cannot be "caught," but rather the potential for CD may be in the body from birth. Its onset is not confined to a particular age range or gender, although more women are diagnosed than men. It is not known exactly what activates the disease, however three things are required for a person to develop CD:
* A genetic disposition: being born with the necessary genes. The Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes specifically linked to celiac disease are DR3, DQ2 and DQ8.
* A trigger: some environmental, emotional or physical event in one鈥檚 life. While triggering factors are not fully understood, possibilities include, but are not limited to adding solids to a baby鈥檚 diet, going through puberty, enduring a surgery or pregnancy, experiencing a stressful situation, catching a virus, increasing WBRO products in the diet, or developing a bacterial infection to which the immune system responds inappropriately.
* A diet: containing WBRO, or any of their derivatives.
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Summary
Celiac disease is life-long and currently incurable. The only known treatment at this time is strict adherence to a gluten-free lifestyle, free of WBRO.
Selected Bibliography
*
Trier, JS, Celiac Sprue, New England Journal of Medicine, 325:1709-1719, 1991.
*
Marsh, MN, Gluten, Major Histocompatibility Complex and the Small Intestine, Gastroenterology, 102:330-354, 1992.
*
Marsh, MN, ed Celiac Disease Methods and Protocols, 2000.
*
Maki, M and Collin, P, Coeliac Disease, Lancet 349:1755-1759, 1997.
*
Sturgess, RP et al, Cereal Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Toxicity in Coeliac Disease, Gut 32:1055-1060, 1991.
*
Sturgess, RP et al, Wheat Peptide Challenge in Coeliac Disease, Lancet, 343:759-761, 1994.
The medical information on this page was last reviewed/updated on January 1, 2004.
What are the symptoms
of Celiac Disease?
The symptoms of celiac disease (CD) vary so widely among patients that there is no such thing as a "typical celiac." The amount of intestinal damage that has occurred and the length of time nutrient absorption has been abnormal seem to be the factors that determine the type and severity of symptoms experienced. It is interesting to note that some people with CD report no symptoms at all.
"Celiac disease is one of the great mimics in gastroenterology in particular and medicine in general. Of 100 patients with CD, just over 10 percent present with classical overt symptoms of malabsorption such as weight loss, diarrhea and nutritional deficiencies. About 10 percent are incorrectly diagnosed for some length of time, in some cases years. Forty percent present in an atypical manner, which leads to lengthy delay in diagnosis. About 33 percent of patients have clinically silent disease and 7 percent have latent CD (no symptoms or small bowel lesion but will develop CD later, or had disease at an early age and resolved)."
C. Robert Dahl, MD, "Celiac Disease: The Great Mimic Presentation," CSA Annual Conference, September 2000,
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A. The Patient's Physical State
What are the symptoms? How long have they been present? How often do they occur?
* Abdominal cramping/bloating
* Feet (Reduced fat padding)
* Abdominal distention
* Flatus (Passing gas)
* Acidosis
* Gluten ataxia
* Appetite (Increased to the point of craving)
* Mouth sores or cracks in the corners
* Back pain (Such as a result of collapsed lumbar vertebrae)
* Muscle cramping (Especially in the hands and legs)
* Constipation
* Night blindness
* Decreased ability to clot blood
* Skin (Very dry)
* Dehydration
* Stools (Loose? Hard? Small? Large? Foul smelling? Floating? Clay, Light tan or Gray-colored? Highly rancid? Frothy?)
* Diarrhea (See Stools below)
* Tongue (Smooth or geographic - looks like different continents)
* Edema
* Tooth enamel defects
* Electrolyte depletion
* Weakness
* Energy loss
* Weight loss
* Fatigue
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B. The Patient's Emotional State
What is the patient's emotional state? Is it consistent throughout the day? When and for how long do the symptoms occur?
* Depression
* Disinterested in normal activities
* Irritable
* Mood changes
* Unable to concentrate
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C. Additional Conditions
What else is involved? Other diseases? Other organs?
* Amenorrhea
* Iron-deficiency anemia
* Bone disease
* Hyperparathyroidism
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D. Symptoms in Children
How is the child developing?
* Slowly
* Not gaining weight
* Losing weight
Under age three:
* Growth failure
* Diarrhea
* Projectile vomiting
* Abdominal bloating/distention
Older children:
* Crankiness
* Difficulty concentrating
* Irritability
* Personality changes
* Poor memory
The medical information on this page was last reviewed/updated on January 1, 2004. Food allergies can cause almost anything. I would talk to a nutritional supplement person. Another possible cause that may surprise you is that you might want to talk to a chiropractor. There is an area in your back which, when out of alignment, can cause all sorts of digestive problems. |
