Constipation on a Gluten Free Diet - any ideas?

[Guest guest]

My four year old daughter has just been diagnosed with celiac disease. Her two

main

symptoms over the years have been severe constipation and a bloated tummy.

Since

going gluten free her constipation has actually gotten worse. She does eat a

lot of rice

products and probably not enough fruits and vegetables. But we are doing our

best to

make sure she is drinking lots and eating things like corn on the cob whenever

possible.

Any ideas how to get things moving with out medication? Has anyone else

experienced

this with their children?

Help!!

[Guest guest]

Corn actually doesn't have much as far as nutritional value goes.

She should be eating more fiber filled foods...lots of veggies and

beans.

>

> My four year old daughter has just been diagnosed with celiac

disease. Her two main

> symptoms over the years have been severe constipation and a

bloated tummy. Since

> going gluten free her constipation has actually gotten worse. She

does eat a lot of rice

> products and probably not enough fruits and vegetables. But we

are doing our best to

> make sure she is drinking lots and eating things like corn on the

cob whenever possible.

>

> Any ideas how to get things moving with out medication? Has

anyone else experienced

> this with their children?

>

> Help!!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

my 3 yr. old celiac daughter gets constipated quickly unless she drinks oj every morning. she too does not eat enough fruits and vegetables because of the toddler pickiness stage she's going through, but oj works. also, when she was recently sick with a throat infection and could not drink oj because of the acidity, I bought prune juice and cut it with water and she drank that with no problem and great results.

Constipation on a Gluten Free Diet - any ideas?

My four year old daughter has just been diagnosed with celiac disease. Her two main symptoms over the years have been severe constipation and a bloated tummy. Since going gluten free her constipation has actually gotten worse. She does eat a lot of rice products and probably not enough fruits and vegetables. But we are doing our best to make sure she is drinking lots and eating things like corn on the cob whenever possible.Any ideas how to get things moving with out medication? Has anyone else experienced this with their children?Help!!

[Guest guest]

My 5 yr old is on Miralax for constipation. That's what brought us to the dr. for testing that lead to the Celiac diagnosis. I can't find anything to help her but the meds. A lot of people swear by benifiber instead but I haven't tried that yet.

Any ideas how to get things moving with out medication? Has anyone else experienced this with their children?Help!!

Mom to 5 yr old Celiacsendn9112u@...Milwaukee, Wi.

[Guest guest]

When I was little I also had problems with constipation due to the

GF diet. And I was a VERY picky eater. My mom started giving me a

packet of raisinettes everyday. They worked. Sure they have quite

a bit of added sugar but if it help make your child feel better, it

might be worth it. Even in high school & college, when I would get

constipated raisinettes were my relief. I never was one to eat alot

of fruits & veggies. And this was an easy way to get some fruit

into me. (Now I'm better about what I eat. Fruits/veggies are a

more regular item in my diet)

Also try slicing apples and dipping it into honey or peanut butter.

Or carrots dipped in Ranch dressing. For kids that don't care for

fruit & veggies, dipping them into something sweet/tasty makes it go

down alot easier. Another great dip is Fluff & cream cheese mixed

together (sounds strange but its deliscious). Perfect for dipping

any fruit in!! My husband even likes this one!

Yes, these add extra sugar & calories that may not be necessary, but

think of all the nutrients & fiber your child will be getting by

finally getting the fruits/veggies in their system. Plus, the

constipation will disappear (hopefully).

~

>

> my 3 yr. old celiac daughter gets constipated quickly unless she

drinks oj every morning. she too does not eat enough fruits and

vegetables because of the toddler pickiness stage she's going

through, but oj works. also, when she was recently sick with a

throat infection and could not drink oj because of the acidity, I

bought prune juice and cut it with water and she drank that with no

problem and great results.

>

>

>

> Constipation on a Gluten Free Diet - any

ideas?

>

>

> My four year old daughter has just been diagnosed with celiac

disease. Her two main

> symptoms over the years have been severe constipation and a

bloated tummy. Since

> going gluten free her constipation has actually gotten worse.

She does eat a lot of rice

> products and probably not enough fruits and vegetables. But we

are doing our best to

> make sure she is drinking lots and eating things like corn on

the cob whenever possible.

>

> Any ideas how to get things moving with out medication? Has

anyone else experienced

> this with their children?

>

> Help!!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I had this problem and my nutritionist told me to add more fruits to my diet. I always thought it was vegetables, but she told me that it's the fruits that will help. Plums, peaches, Nectarines, strawberries, blueberries... with breakfast and lunch. I find that if I add them to supper or as a snack after supper it helps. Apples tend to produce a lot of gas, so I avoid them,

Good luck!

Carol

-- Carol M HeppnerUpdated website: www.carolheppner.comNew Paper Arts Book: INKING by Carol Heppner (Sterling/Chapelle) 2006

[Guest guest]

Prune juice!

Nan

[Guest guest]

, I would remove the corn from her diet, my 33 year old daughter,

not Celiac, has never been able to tolerate corn, I assume you mean

canned corn or corn on the cob, not just corn flour products. The corn

kernals seem to constipate a lot of people.

My 6 year old grandson also had constipation problems before he was

diognosed and for a while on the gf diet, my DIL would give him a four

ounce glass of flavored Kefir every morning and that solved the

problem, he doesn't drink it every day anymore, she does, but he has

developed a healthy bowel. Give it a try.

>

> My four year old daughter has just been diagnosed with celiac

disease. Her two main

> symptoms over the years have been severe constipation and a bloated

tummy.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

We have found when all else fails, a little mineral oil mixed in juice

or applesauce can help as well-or even by spoon. My son was also on

medication until another doctor suggested mineral oil instead. It's

pretty tasteless and it does seem to help without any harsh side

effects. It's also not habit forming.

[Guest guest]

Editing to add: My son was constipated all his life until we took him

off gluten around age 11! Prune juice was the only thing that would

jump-start his bowels. Now that he's gluten-free, he has no

constipation.

Try adding ground flax meal to your child's foods. You can sprinkle

it on cereal, yogurt, etc., and add it to your home-baked goods. It

adds fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Nan

[Guest guest]

" Since going gluten free her constipation has actually gotten

worse. "

Hi ,

I have an idea. My son had constipation and we tried everthing!

The bottom line ;-) was that he had an additional food allergy that

caused it! He had a blood test which showed he had the smallest

reaction to egg. The doc said it was too small a positive to worry

about, but anytime he ingests egg, the constipation comes back. It

has been 4 years since we figured it out--and have accidentally

tested it many times... :-P

My idea is to have her checked for food allergies. Everyone has

their own unique set of no-non foods, and even a small allergy can

cause big problems!

Since going GF, what foods does she eat more of? That would be a

good place to start.

I hope others will benifit from our experience as well!

Connie

[Guest guest]

Please, be very careful with mineral oil.. Its

oiliness is what cures the bout of constipation, but

that also coats the lining of the digestive tract and

prevents food from being absorbed. Really not a good

idea, especially for celiacs!

Barbara in SoCal

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks Barabara! I had no idea.

>

> Please, be very careful with mineral oil.. Its

> oiliness is what cures the bout of constipation, but

> that also coats the lining of the digestive tract and

> prevents food from being absorbed. Really not a good

> idea, especially for celiacs!

>

> Barbara in SoCal

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Listmates:

Increase fiber is critical factor in managing constipation. The

fresh fruits & veggies are great. Do keep an eye on the amount of

fiber in baked goods and cereals. Many GF products are low in

fiber--using low fiber flours as such as white rice, tapioca.

Try using alternative grains for baking at home. Read labels and try

those with more fiber. A cereal with good source of fiber is Perky's

Nutty Flax (7g fiber in a serving). The general recommendation for

fiber in cereals is to buy those with 3 grams of fiber, or more, per

serving. For commercially prepared breads Glutino makes a Corn Bread

(4g fiber in a serving) and a Flax Seed Bread (don't have any in my

freezer right now for the fiber content).

About prune juice--for those who don't like it try mixing it with orange juice.

Betsy in DC