Gastric problems... does anyone else's kids suffer?

Post Reply New Topic

J has suffered with gastric probs all his life, he is constantly belching, has frequent diarreah and throws up at the drop of a hat.

I was wondering if anybody else's kids have the same problems and could it be a possible link with AS? Does anyone know if any research has been done into it?

Apologies if this topic has been covered before - I'm just curious...

It does seem that a proportion of people on the spectrum have gastric problems.

There is some research that has been done, and some that is still ongoing.

Some people have a theory that damage to the digestive tract allows toxins into the brain which causes autistic symptoms. Others say it is as a result of the brain being wired up differently to begin with that results in digestive problems.
So it depends which 'expert' you ask really.

Have you tried any dietary interventions for this? Such as feingold diet or CF/GF diet? They don't work for everyone, but I know that some people have achieved significant improvements from trying these diets. Going Gluten Free really helped me, for example.
Has you son had any allergy testing?

Thank you for your reply

J has never been allergy tested because I've always associated allergys from food with rashes/swollen throat etc, etc which he's never had - I suppose an allergy to certain foods could cause the gastric symptoms as well, it just hadn't really crossed my mind before and something I will definitely look into.

With regards to the Gluten Free diet, I really wish this had been something I had been aware of years ago. J's nearly 15 and only recently been diagnosed AS. It's only since visting this forum since June that I've heard how GF has had such a positive effect on so many people.

The issue that I have now is when I put it to J, he told me that that there was NO WAY he was trying some weird diet, he's QUITE HAPPY with his stomach thank you v much and gluten free stuff sounds DISGUSTING.

Does he know what gluten free 'stuff' is? Nope more research needed me thinks.......

Yes, my son has had all of the above...although we are not super good on keeping him on a diet, he does have more problems when he eats/drinks milk/milk products and gluten...Also, he gets rashes on his knees, etc...when he eats gluten...as well as dark undereye circles...

I have all the same, except at my age, nobody really bothered to see what was up...but again, everything my kiddo has, I have noticed that I also get...had many problems growing up...

My son was tested for allergies and he does have milk allergy...actually, around the same time he lost his speech was when he began drinking cow's milk...and almost 1 1/2 years later, they finally confirmed he was allergic to milk...

I know many people talk about kids who stop talking, etc...or regress...and I honestly feel that begining to drink cow's milk is a big contributor to this...of course, our government will never admit how harmful cow's milk is to us...

www.notmilk.com

hmmmmm J has always drunk lots of milk - it's never affected his speech though - the child does nothing but talk (when I can drag him away from the computer)!

You see, he's also suffering quite badly with insomnia at the moment and having 2 or 3 hot milky drinks before he goes to bed to try and help him sleep. Any suggestions on what he could have in it's place?

He can try Melatonin. It's a pill that contains the synthetic version of a hormone in your brain that makes you fall asleep. Ever since I first discovered it (at age 23), it worked wonders for me. I wish I could have known about it as a kid, since I had chronic insomnia for most of my childhood. The Melatonin pill contains a synthetic version of a hormone your body releases to make you fall asleep. Since your brain can't tell the difference, it's very effective and safe for children of any age (you just gotta adjust the dose).

Thanks Aspie1, I've never heard of that product before. I think a trip to the GP is definitely needed - poor sod is walking around like a zombie.

I'll ask the doctor if that's something we can get on prescription.

Thanks again

Actually, the milk affected my kiddo's behavior (tantrums, etc)...and his tummy...The gluten affected his speech/communication skills and also his tummy...

You might try switching him to goat milk. It has a distinctive flavor that some people just don't like, but I think it's delicious. So does my six-year-old son. (Although now that we're GFCF we don't drink it anymore ) My son also had some nasty gastric issues, especially constipation, but now that he's gluten-free he has no problems in that area. As for dairy: Humans are the only species that seek milk from outside its species. Is something that's intended for baby cows (or baby goats) really also intended for humans?

I think a lot of people on the spectrum do experience a range of digestive issues. For me, lactose intolerance as a child. For my husband, IBS. Our daughter is fine but our son also seems to have an irritable tummy.

One warning. My daughter has seizures that are controlled with medication. I tried melatonin on her and she had a seizure. I looked up melatonin and it's not something anyone prone to seizures should take. Aside from that problem, melatonin works for me.

You bet GI problems follow our Aspie son around....and some in his father's family, too. A definitive approach to what your child might be dealing with is an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy. That way, you can actually see what damage there might be to the GI tract. Skin prick testing and RAST testing might also be in order.

we use lactaid treated milk - that seems to help my daughter a lot - also keep the tablets on hand when she just has to have ice cream

I will say that milk allergy/lactose intolerance/casein allergy is just that. These aren't autistic traits. I read that most adult humans are lactose intolerant. There are many parts of the world that lactose intolerance is not a medical diagnosis because it's the norm. Infants produce an enzyme that digests lactose (a sugar) and stop producing it between 3-5.
There are some dairy products that don't have lactose or also have that enzyme that helps digest it, yogurt is one. Cheese I think is another.

I am lactose intolerant, my son and husband are not. My son may become later, since he's part Indian.