PinkTulip Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I'm hoping the collective wisdom of the Hive can help point me in the right direction here. I apologize if it gets a little long: My 14.5 yo DS is 5'2" and weighs 90 lbs. At his last pediatrician check-up, the Ped. said he hadn't started puberty yet, so ordered blood work, a bone age scan, and sent us to an endocrinologist. I don't know exactly what the tests done were, but I do know they tested for Celiac, among other things. We were told everything came back normal, although I don't have exact numbers. The bone age scan came back at 156 months, or just barely 13 years. It is just barely in the normal range with 154-196 being normal. The endocrinologist said DS in fact has barely started puberty, with slight underarm sweat and a very small amount of groin hair cited as evidence. He said as long as DS is not bothered by being smaller than his peers, he was inclined to let nature take its course and DS would just continue growing at a later age than his peers. So all of that as background to address the digestive issues DS is having. He has pretty bad diarrhea 3-4 times a week, and it doesn't seem to be related to anything I can pinpoint, but has been going on since about October. He is an extremely picky eater and would eat only sweets if I allowed it. If you were me, would you put him on a Whole30-type diet (no dairy, grains, or sugar)? Or something else? I feel like this could be food-allergy related, but I really dread eliminating things, as there is so little he will eat as it is. But of course, if changing his diet will help his digestive issues and help him grow more, I'm all in. Thanks in advance for any insight or advice offered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 What has the doctor said about his digestive issues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Even if he doesn't have celiac (and the test could be a false negative), he could still have gluten or other food intolerance. Whole 30 for a month (or even a few weeks) would be a good place to start. Maybe you'll get lucky and the GI symptoms will decrease or stop within a few days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkTulip Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 He thought it was related to Celiac or some other issue, which the tests showed it was not. The Ped wasn't sure and thought the Endo would address it, but he didn't. Should I go back to the Ped, or back to the Endo, or someone else? I'm not sure what to do here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I'd go for allergy testing. It's not perfect but it can be very helpful. My friend had a digestive problem which seemed wheat related. She did not test positive for celiac but decided to go ahead and get allergy tests, and it turned out to be a straightforward wheat allergy. All her symptoms were digestive, and not the typical allergic reactions one would expect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I feel stupid asking, but have you tried probiotics with him? I have a history of digestive issues and probiotics have helped a lot. Also, seasonal allergies affect my gut. Strange but true. Seasonal digestive problems have been helped by claritin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkTulip Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 I'd go for allergy testing. It's not perfect but it can be very helpful. My friend had a digestive problem which seemed wheat related. She did not test positive for celiac but decided to go ahead and get allergy tests, and it turned out to be a straightforward wheat allergy. All her symptoms were digestive, and not the typical allergic reactions one would expect. Sorry for my ignorance, but what kind of doc do we see for allergy testing? (And thanks so much to all of you for offering helpful ideas!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Sorry for my ignorance, but what kind of doc do we see for allergy testing? (And thanks so much to all of you for offering helpful ideas!) An allergist, MD. Often their practices have names that include asthma. We seem to have a lot of allergy and asthma practices around here. Not sure if it's that way all over the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I'd absolutely put him on an elimination style diet with high, high fat to compensate for what he isn't eating. That's not normal and combined with his size I'd be seriously suspicious as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I feel stupid asking, but have you tried probiotics with him? I have a history of digestive issues and probiotics have helped a lot. Also, seasonal allergies affect my gut. Strange but true. Seasonal digestive problems have been helped by claritin. Both true for me. I have been dxed with IBS, but IBS is very much a catch all. Going GF doesn't do anything for me, but watching my sugar intake certainly does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Honestly, with diarrhea and low weight gain I'd take him to a gastroenterologist. He could have some stool checked, see if he's digesting fats properly, etc. Could be many things. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyOwn Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) I'm hoping the collective wisdom of the Hive can help point me in the right direction here. I apologize if it gets a little long: My 14.5 yo DS is 5'2" and weighs 90 lbs. At his last pediatrician check-up, the Ped. said he hadn't started puberty yet, so ordered blood work, a bone age scan, and sent us to an endocrinologist. I don't know exactly what the tests done were, but I do know they tested for Celiac, among other things. We were told everything came back normal, although I don't have exact numbers. The bone age scan came back at 156 months, or just barely 13 years. It is just barely in the normal range with 154-196 being normal. The endocrinologist said DS in fact has barely started puberty, with slight underarm sweat and a very small amount of groin hair cited as evidence. He said as long as DS is not bothered by being smaller than his peers, he was inclined to let nature take its course and DS would just continue growing at a later age than his peers. So all of that as background to address the digestive issues DS is having. He has pretty bad diarrhea 3-4 times a week, and it doesn't seem to be related to anything I can pinpoint, but has been going on since about October. He is an extremely picky eater and would eat only sweets if I allowed it. If you were me, would you put him on a Whole30-type diet (no dairy, grains, or sugar)? Or something else? I feel like this could be food-allergy related, but I really dread eliminating things, as there is so little he will eat as it is. But of course, if changing his diet will help his digestive issues and help him grow more, I'm all in. Thanks in advance for any insight or advice offered! If your son is willing, I would give it a try. I can see where you may have a challenge getting your son on board at this age though, particularly if he us a picky eater. Maybe you can get him to commit to just even a week or two and see there is any benefit, Edited January 8, 2016 by OnMyOwn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Honestly, with diarrhea and low weight gain I'd take him to a gastroenterologist. He could have some stool checked, see if he's digesting fats properly, etc. Could be many things. I agree^^^ . I'd take him to a GI doctor, then to an allergist if needed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 I agree^^^ . I'd take him to a GI doctor, then to an allergist if needed. I also agree that this is the best plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Crohns should also be ruled out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom@shiloh Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Following. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkTulip Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 Thanks everyone - I will research a good GI today and make an appointment. I knew you guys would have advice and help me see this clearly - this board is such a blessing to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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