First 2 Weeks of Gluten Free Diet--worse Not Better

Pollen is really bad right now.It may be the diet changes and it may just be the pollen

As for Kristy G's suggestion to give a detox agent. I am a bit shocked. We are commented on an 8y. NOT an 18y or a 28y, etc. Any method of or need for a detox should be discussed with his doctor first.

The thing is, your son has Seasonal Allergies.
Of which, it has nothing to do with diet or gluten/casein.

I have Seasonal Allergies. Have had it since childhood.
Because at certain seasons, the pollen/airborne things are more abundant. And it makes me have symptoms.
ie: Spring.
So, I take Claritin.
Also, having a child change their clothing and shoes when they come home, can help the allergies too. Because, pollen, unseen to the naked eye, can be clinging onto their clothing and it will irritate their allergies even once they come home and indoors. For example. Or have an air-purifier in the home or in his room. And have no pets in the home. That is what my parents did.

My parents, never had me on a restricted diet, per my Seasonal
Allergies. Because I did not have a food borne allergy. My allergies are due to SEASONAL particles in the air. Pollen. Dust etc.

Did your Doctor/Specialist/Allergist actually say.... to put him on a gluten/casein free diet?
If not, I would not do that. It is experimentation.

It might be a fad to go "gluten free" these days, and it kinda annoys me because I have a legitimate sensitivity to gluten. I have tested negative for Celiac, but oats and barley wreak havoc on my intestines. And I do feel systemically worse following consumption. I felt marked improvement--and my husband noticed, too--immediately upon eliminating the gluten from my diet.

Now, I don't know what this might have to do with your son, except to maybe produce a little trial and error. I have never had any allergies.

Suspecting the gums (guar, xantham) is my first thought. Xantham/Xanthan in particular is made from a black mold, which can be very allergenic.

It could definitely be something you are replacing the gluten with- look at potatoes, corn, soy, and rice as big suspects (corn being a biggie!)

The behavior is probably due to the cold or seasonal allergies and not the removal of ingredients, so do give it some time. You might also try Feingold, which eliminates preservatives and artificial colors, etc.-- this was our first "line of fire" in diet changes and it helped immensely! After doing much elimination, the things we react to are not at all things I would have suspected-- beef, corn, gluten, processed dairy (we're fine with raw) and white sugar! Of course NONE of these came up on allergy tests- it was all trial and error.

If you would ever like help converting a recipe, I love to help recreate old favorite foods for kiddos who are allergic. www.chickipea.wordpress.com if you are interested in browsing our food blog and seeing our journey too.

:) Hang in there!! It took us about 3 months to start noticing a change, but it was HUGE and worth it!
M.

If your child does not have celiac disease - a specific and genetic gluten intolerance, there is no reason to eliminate gluten from his diet. This is entirely a fad.

ETA: There is a difference between eliminating gluten and increasing fruits and vegetables in your diet.

First of all, I echo what S.H. has said. If a doctor has not told you to eliminate gluten/casein then you should probably check with your son's doctor before continuing this diet. Keep in mind that a gluten free diet is not a cure all/end all for every ailment there is. I get frustrated when people think eliminating gluten is the cure for everything...it's a fad diet and doesnt fix everything.

I recently went gluten free because I was diagnosed as gluten intolerant. It took about three day before I felt so much better. One thing my doctor told me though waw that I needed to be sure I ate a balanced diet and take a multi vitamin. The reason for this is because regular wheat flour is enriched with vitamins, and we get a lot of nutrients that way. Once we eliminate wheat from our diet, we eliminate a big source of vitamins. Is it possible your son is having behavioral issues because he isn't getting all the vitamins and minerals he needs?

I don't know about where you are, but where I am the pollens and alleregens are much worse this year. I'm wondering if that is the case where you live...my allergies are causing more coughing and mucus this year and me going gluten free has nothing to do with it...its had no effect. I'vd been gluten free for more than 6 months and my allergies are no better.

I hope your son feels better soon.

Hi,
A. My dad and brother had severe allergies and took a shot once or twice a month to control their allergic reactions.
Now as far as a Gluten-free diet:
1. Unless someone is suffering from Celiac disease a gluten free diet is not the answer to many bodily issues. However often a Dr. will recommend such when they know nothing else to recommend.
2. Gluten free diets are difficult expecially for a child! Thus I would recommend more whole grains over none at all. Whole grains are healthier for the body and help children to maintain focus for a longer period of time.
3. Make sure that he takes his meds before going outside to play and adventure his enviornment.

Finally are Gluten Free diets the answer to all issues disorders and medical problems--no!

My doc also put me on a gluten free diet in hopes of reducing my allergies in general. Although I don't react to wheat like I do soy (hives), he hoped it would reduce my allergy "load" and lower my reactions to environmental allergens that I can't avoid, like pollens. According to my doctor, my body can tolerate a certain amount of triggers without a reaction at all. But once I reach a tipping point with any combination of foods, chemicals, environmental factors, then boom, I have a major reaction that is way out of proportion to the last small item I was exposed to that "broke the camel's back".

Since you can't avoid allergens in the environment, eliminating known allergens in foods can give you a little extra room before your body is overwhelmed and has a full blown reaction. I'm guessing that's what you're trying to do for your son. And since he has gotten worse with the new diet, I'd wonder if there is an allergenic ingredient he is now getting in whatever food you are substituting for wheat.

I have read that it takes about 30 days to clear your system of foods. Especially if they were a main staple of your son's diet.

Stick with it. My kids ate very little wheat and liquid dairy as toddlers and have been very healthy. When they get too much dairy, they both get congested.

Not to complicate things, but what about dairy? My son's seasonal allergies are way better when we cut back on dairy, likely because dairy causes the body to produce mucous. Just a thought.

We did an extremely strict gluten free diet for my teen (hoping it would help with autoimmune stuff, not allergies). We stayed on it for 4 months and it was the worst 4 months she has had. It wasn't so much the "missing her favorite foods" as it was nausea, stomach upset, pain, etc.

It is very hard to research this online, because if you search for "feeling worse after going gluten free" then you mostly get articles and forums about how you may feel worse initially but you'll feel much better after a couple weeks or a month or two.

Our issue was not that. She really was feeling much worse. One doctor wondered if perhaps all the substitutes she was suddenly eating might be making her sicker. We don't eat processed food and I cook pretty healthy, from scratch, and all of a sudden she was eating xanthan gums, guar gums, different thickeners and different grains. Maybe she is sensitive to one of those?

After four months, the doctor took a look at her and said no more gluten free for her. By the way, I did the gluten free diet with her and made the whole house gluten free and it made no change for me. I didn't lose any weight or experience anything different except for a much higher grocery bill.

By the way, if you stick with this, a really good book is called "Cooking for Isaiah", about a mom whose son had to be gluten and dairy free, and it's filled with really useful info and recipes.

My kids had some pretty serious reactions when we went gfcf. They kept asking for their favorites, but we've since found new favorites. Gluten can stay in the system up to 8 months before being fully cleared. My son had some behavioral outbursts as he was going off the dit. My other son had some rashes on his skin. Each one has a different reaction. It should take about a month, but it could take longer. You may want to help him clear things out by having him take activated charcoal or using bentonite clay as detoxing agents.

Did your allergist recommend this diet? I would check in with your pediatrician if the symptoms don't get better soon.

Hope your son survives allergy season... (Hope you do, too!) :)

Our doctor just suggested the same thing. Are you referring to Dr. Bocks book? I am hoping my son doesn't get worse before better but know it's a possibility......We just started over the weekend so while I don't have an answer to your question wanted you to know we're going through it too! Good luck!!