Re: RE: JRA & Stomach problems--to Kim

[Guest guest]

Kim-

Hi! I cannot answer to the medications question, as my daughter has only

been on the meds for 1 month, but two other things come to mind:

1. Has Adrienne been tested for food allergies?

2. Has she ever been tested for celiac disease?

I know a lot about both of these, although I'm certainly not a physician.

My daughter has food allergies and we also test her for celiac disease once a

year. Celiac is an autoimmune disorder in which the body demonstrates an

intolerance to gluten and it causes serious damage to the intestines, whereby

food is not absorbed, nor are the nutrients, so typically, a lack of growth is

one of the indicators. Diarrhea and vomiting can also occur as does

bloating/distension of the stomach. However, there is a large percentage of

the

population who have " silent Celiac " in which they exhibit NO symptoms yet still

have the disease. Certain ethnicities are prone to it (Italian, Irish,

English, Danish, Swedish, and the Down syndrome population)Anyway, there's a

lot

to it, and it may not be what she has, but most pediatricians dismiss it and

are underdiagnosing it.

As for the food allergies, it is so easy to test for, and I recommend the

RAST blood test rather than traditional skin testing. Although allergists will

tell you that there is no need for the blood test and they will do the skin

test, it is no where NEAR as precise or accurate as the blood test. We had

been told this by my daughter's ENT, and sure enough, despite blood test

results that were POSITIVE for food allergies, the allergist we saw dismissed

them

and did the skin tests, which were NEGATIVE. We had suspected food

allergies, and removed those items from her diet, and the symptoms disappeared.

(The

blood test confirmed it and made all the difference to us).

Sounds like you suspect some dairy issues, and it's certainly worth

pursuing. Dairy is one of the things my daughter is allergic to, so we

substitute

soy milk, cheddar-cheese like tofu, and a frozen ice cream substitute known as

Rice Dream(rice-based). Luckily she is not allergic to soy, although we have

some friends who child is, so those products are not options for her.

Anyway, the blood test is very easy to do, and the results are extensive and

thorough, and they are what we use. Never again would we return to an

allergist who uses skin testing as the indicator. (Her pediatrician agreed to

do

the testing for us and has been super about it).

Realize that's a lot of info, and don't mean to overwhelm...just wanted to

share our experience with you. They may not at all apply to your daughter.

Best wishes on finding the answers that will help you help Adrienne!

Beth Sekelik