Gastrointestinal Issues

"could" be intestinal parasites or bacteria. You could request testing for as many parasites as possible.

Roundworm, acarias-the most common nematode, causes eczema and ravenous appetite. also could cause irritability, colic, lactose intolerance, insomnia, anorexia, anal or nose itching, dry weezing cough, twitching, alleries, eye problems, or more. roundworm- strongylodiasis, can live in a human 30 years. it penetrates skin through soil and ends up in the intestines. Ab pain, diarrhea, rashes on buttocks and waist. it mimics ulcers, chrones, or gallbladder disease, 70% of the time test shows negative even tho infected. A person who has this might get worse GI distress when put on antacids,because reducing stomach acid allows it to survive.

Many paprasites cause IBS symptoms. 50% of people who have IBS have blastocystosis. Blastocystosis causes tummy pain, constipation/diarrhea, skin rashes due to the secretions of toxic waste from the worms, gas, bloating, headaches, depression, fatigue, maybe arthritis, possibly more (look it up).
It is most common in california, and it is contracted thru ingesting something contaminated with feces.

some parasites are brought into our homes on shoes and eventually end up on our hands and in our mouths. Pets definitely bring parasites about.Dogs can transmit echinocioccus, a tapeworm spread from its anus onto it's fur.Pet feces spread parasites. Walking in the dirt with bare feet. contaminated tap water (guardia), lettuces and veggies not washed enough, undercooked fish or meats.Some even come in dry beans and rice.
Whipworm and pinworm are other parasites.

Bacteria, especially spirochette bacteria, can cause similar problems.

Here is a website for more info
http://www.appliedozone.com/parasites.html

Hi J.,

Both of our sons have/had GI issues and reflux due to food allergies/intolerances. Thankfully our 2yo did not have as severe issues as his older brother, and has already mostly outgrown it. Our 7yo had a VERY rough time as a baby/toddler. He started outgrowing it at 5yo and has gotten progressively better each year. We've been able to add a lot of foods back into his diet. But he does still frequently complain of stomachaches and has occasional diarrhea.

I certainly would recommend seeing an allergist and ped GI specialist. However, they weren't able to help us that much. He tested postive as allergic to most foods (nuts, seeds, eggs, soy and all other legumes, diary, wheat and most other grains, etc.) Most fruit and many vegetables gave him horrible diarrhea. He tested negative to Celiac and candida. They did an upper GI (barium swallow and x-ray) to rule out a physical problem causing the reflux. Reflux meds didn't help. Neither did probiotics or enzymes.

Over two years we saw 3 different ped GI docs (one at Packard and one at Oakland's Children's Hospital). We talked about doing a colonoscopy, but they didn't think it would give us any more definite answers/solutions. Basically, all the doctors could tell us was to eliminate the problem foods from his diet. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to figure out what foods are the triggers, especially if the reaction is GI and delayed!

When he was 2.5 yo, we put him on an "elimination" diet (with the approval of his doctors). I eliminated from his diet all foods he tested positive to, anything I suspected he had reacted to, plus he was self-eliminating many foods (refusing to eat things like bread and pasta.) What that left was: meats (turkey, chicken, beef, pork), oats, sweet potatoes, zucchini and other squashes, banana and olive oil. That's it. For the first time in his life, he was symptom free. (No eczema, diarrhea or reflux. And he started sleeping through the night.) We spent the next two years on mostly just that diet, because he seemed to worsen when we tried to reintroduce foods. Eventually we were able to slowly add back foods, always prioritizing improving his nutritional balance. When he was 5-6yo we were able to add a lot back. Now (almost 8 yo) his diet is pretty normal, with nuts being the only thing we have to absolutely avoid. (Life has gotten so much easier!)

Follow your gut. Don't be afraid to get a second (or third) opinion. There is an on-line support group for parents of kids with food allergies that I found very helpful: www.kidswithfoodallergies.org

I hope the GI doctor is able to give you a diagnosis.
Good luck!
-D.

Have you tried a gluten free diet?

Hi J.,

Sorry to hear about all you're going through. We had similar issues with our little one. She ended up having celiac disease and actually has problems with all grains (including rice). If you want to learn more about this, just google "allergic to all grains" and you will find plenty of information on the subject. She also has a really hard time digesting most bean products, as well as soy, peanuts, milk, corn and citrus. We just have her meals consist of different meats or eggs, vegetables and nuts, and give her different fruits for snacks. It is a lot of leg work for me when it comes to cooking, but it is worth it to see her well and see her skin clear up. Also, one would think such a diet would cause her to loose weight, but she actually put on 4 pounds in 3 months when she started eating this way because she began to digest her food properly again.

On a side note, Sorghum flour is related to corn, so you may want to look into that. Also, grain allergies are at their worst if the immune system is already overwhelmed by any type of exposure to mold (which can even be outside in more humid areas). We lived in Texas for a while, and the level of mold in the air there made it so hard. There is a cross-reaction that occurs between molds and grains. If you google "cross-reaction mold grains", you'll find some interesting things out about it.

I hope you find the answers you need, and if anything know you are not alone.

M.

I would recommend you see Dr. Shaw in Los Altos, CA. He's FANTASTIC. Expensive (his office doesn't submit to insurance and it's P.O.S.), but fantastic at getting to the bottom of the nutritional issues. My daughter saw him twice and he hit the nail on the head...on the first visit. The second visit confirmed his thinking.

I also recommend Dr. Torrano for Allergies (Allergy and Asthma Clinic of Northern CA) in San Jose (on Moorepark).

Good luck,
Stephanie

Hi J.
I don't have some of the issues you list, but I have had an over-abundance of yeast which if left undiagnosed, can possibly lead to leaky gut syndrome, which as you noted, your son does seem to have symptoms. They can do a stool test to determine if he has an over-abundance of candida in his system. Additionally, while you have cut out the obvious culprits that can contribute to allergic reactions.. some others to consider that are often over-looked:
mold -containing and mold supporting foods such as..
pickled, smoked or dried meats, fish , poultry and yes, peanut butter.. esp, the longer u keep it around. you can't see the mold, but it's there...
cured foods such as bacon.
also, concentrated sugars: honey, maple syrup, dried fruits. Yeast love all this stuff and will thrive on it...
in addition, I have found that preserved foods can ignite a candida attack...... best to keep it clean, simple and fresh.
I wish you the best of luck on all this!!

Hi J., I am a mom of 4.. grandma of 2 and a Nutritional Consultant.

I work with children/ adults.
I would encourage you to watch: www.sharethecause.com/live and to go to www.ewg.org... children/ body burden umbilical cord study.

Basically, ALL children today are born with more than 287 chemicals running thru the umblical cord in utero. This is causing a host of toxic body burden challenges that have a huge effect on overall health, ecspecially digestive and learning issues. I work with kids in the add/hd/ autism spectrum and stomach issues are widespread and have to be dealt with to deal with the other challenges. By the time a child has allergies, they are on toxic overload.. the organs kidneys and liver are stressed and over working. The skin is the largest detox organ and what the body cannot handle goes out the skin.. ie rash, eczema, etc.

I encourage you to watch the 9.5 minute documentary and if you want more info on how I can help.. fill out the comment section. There are very safe effective natural means that can be used with babies, pregnant moms and all ages.

Take Care..L. Medina ###-###-####

Both of my daughters have the same thing. One more so than the other. I went the gastroenterologist route first, a specialist in Atlanta, Ga. I didn't get a conclusive diagnosis. They did blood work on both my girls for common food allergies, negative. Intolerences, yes. Several stool tests, showed they don't digest sugar. They cannot eat sugar of any kind or artificial sweeteners with sugar alcohols, nearly impossible to do. He said it thought it was toddlers diarrhea and that they would grow out of it by age 2 or 3 and that if I wanted a specific diagnosis to have a colonoscopy done. At the time I didn't want either of my daughters to have anesthesia, I was afraid of the risks since they were so little. They are now ages 4 and 2, and both still have it and haven't grown out of it. I want to know what the exact cause is but am still afraid of the procedure to find out. My oldest daughter who has it the worst since she was first started on solid food has a solid poo every two weeks and can have the loose stool sometimes up to 4 -5 times a day. Once my mother in law came for a visit and we went out to eat and she gave her about 10 bites of a chocolate dessert after I repeatedly told her it would make her sick, she told me to lighten up. She found out later just how bad it was, my daughter didn't have a solid bowel movement for a month(no joke, i wrote it down) after that. Needless to say it has been a trying time trying to potty train her when her bowels are so unpredictable. I have grown tired of explaining to all the unknowing and some knowing family and friends/strangers who ask why they aren't potty trained. I say to them can you control your bowels when you have chronic diarrhea from stomach bug? No then how do think a small child can who has even less control and has chronic diarrhea every day? Since I have recently moved here from Atlanta, I am not to familiar on how good the children's hospital and pediatric specialists are. I have more research to do before I decide my next step in finding out what is wrong. I hope you find out, good luck and let me know the outcome! P.S. I also give both girls probiotics daily at double and three times the recommended doses, and sometimes more per the specialist, I buy them in the refridgerated supplement section at Whole Foods.

I know you got tons of responses but just wanted to throw this your way. My 2yr old has a terrible time with artificial sweeteners. Gives him excruciating tummy aches. I figured it out when I was breastfeeding him and if I had a diet cola he would have a bad reaction. He still has a problem if someone inadvertently gives him something sugar free. There are soooooo many things with artificial sweeteners which we wouldn't heavily consume normally but now avoid altogether.

Hi J.,

There are natural solutions to help her with this condition.

If you are interested email me and I will share what I do with my grand daughter to help her with the same problem.

Good luck..

N. Marie
____@____.com

A cousin of my husband had issues for years as well. After much testing and research, they found it to be her liver that was causing problems. At times she could eat a ton and others not. Sometimes she would throw up whatever she ate. When you go to the gastro specialist have him/her also check the liver. After a successful liver transplant a couple years ago, our cousin is completely fine now.

Hi! Have they taken the ALCAT or ELISA food allergy tests? These test for delayed food allergy which the conventional tests don't. All it takes is a pin prick and a few drops of blood and you can identify over 100 foods. Not all doctors believe in the accuracy of these tests, but the ELISA test helped me identify my food allergies and my health improved after I stopped taking the foods that I react to. Some of my surprise allergies were ginger, apple, orange, chicken, coconut, leeks, in addition to all the other common allergens like soy, wheat, egg, diary. I also tested positive for leaky gut, but thought this test was unnecessary as I already knew I had leaky gut. I couldn't take any of the supplements to treat leaky gut, but got better by avoiding the problematic foods. However, my health didn't return until about one month into the new diet, so you need to be patient. Good luck finding a cure.

My daughter and I were diagnosed with Celiac three years ago, which is inability to breakdown the protein of wheat, barley, oats and rye. You said you are keeping wheat away but if he may have Celiac or gluten intolerance than you need to avoid the others too BUT not until after you see the Pediatric GI. If they want to test for Celiac and do a scope with biopsy for proper diagnoses than your child needs to keep eating the glutenous foods.
My oldest (11y/o in August) had AWFUL eczema to the point of bleeding and also megacolon - she lost control of BM's because supposedly during potty training she never fully evacuated so the BM remaining desensitized her feeling of need to go potty. We had to basically retrain and it took years. I think around 2 or 3 grade we finally got that under control. Her eczema just disappeared one day around 5 years old.
Sorghum does cause problems for a lot of celiacs too. I'm so sorry to hear about all this.
We love our pediatric GI doctors. Yinka Davies and Dr. MacDonald (I think that is his name. He's Dr. Davies partner)out of Sutter down by Sutter Memorial and Dr. Davies goes to Roseville certain days too.
Good luck!