Help! Wheat Free/Gluten??

[Netix]

Hey everyone. Not sure if this is in the right place, feel free to move it!
I am still looking for solutions to helping Steph stop screaming uncontrollably. The acupuncture is helping, but over the last couple of days she has been going super-troppo (as in really uncontrollable, painful sounding screaming, sometimes for more than two hours at a time ).
I went to the local naturopath (sp?) today who suggested some commonly allergenic foods which Steph may be getting through my milk, and vegies to avoid eating as they seem to give lots of wind. As a starting point, he suggested to avoid anything with wheat in it, like bread and pasta (terrific-not, I love pasta).
Now, I am confused, and have looked at a couple of places on the web, and am still confused. My sieve-like brain is not coping very well at the moment. Everything is difficult to comprehend.
Does avoiding wheat mean avoiding things with gluten in it? If not, whats the difference? On a web page I found with gluten intolerance stuff on it, it said "Gluten is also present in all baked foods that are made from these grains: bread, pies, cake, breakfast cereals, porridge, cookies, pizza and pasta. There are thousands of processed foods which contain Gluten". I don't understand. Porridge? I thought porridge was made from oats, not wheat? (ah-ha, just saw on that site that wheat, rye, barley and oats all contain gluten. So why would naturopath just say to avoid wheat?).
Anyway, why/how would Steph being sensitive to wheat stuff make her go troppo? Wouldn't it just make her sick?
Hmm, thanks everyone. I am just so lost as what to do to help make her comfortable.

[Pandora]

this is probably only going to confuse you more, but all I could find was this from the vegetarian society website

a gluten-free diet is not the same as a wheat-free diet, and some gluten-free foods are not wheat free.

wheat is one of the most common allergens, and if she doesn't think its a gluten allergy then she might be starting with just eliminatind wheat to see how it goes?

[GIDGET]

NO, wheat contains gluten but no all things containing gluten are wheat - if that makes any sense. Rye, oats and barley are the other common grains that contain gluten, but they are not wheat.
Wheat is a common allergen but there are others. Did the naturopath say anything about dairy, eggs, nuts, amongst others?
Intolerances can cause behavourial problems and make you feel yuk!! may be why the Naturopath suspects an allergen causing the behaviour.

GOOD LUCK.

[Netix]

That does make some sense (about things being gluten but not wheat, etc).
He did mention the other common ones (nuts, dairy, eggs), but I think suggested wheat as a starting point.
I can't remember if I realised allergens caused behavioural problems. Maybe I did.
That really is a help.
So, if I stay off wheat stuff, how long would it take for it to have an effect (or no effect, if that's not it)?

[GIDGET]

Hi Netix,

Not sure how long for it to have an effect.

Did the Naturopath give any indication?

I usually find that if it is going to make a difference the effects are pretty immediate but it can take some time for the body to heal. In any event, I would hope you would see a difference in 1 to 2 weeks. For adults, I think the recommended time frame is something like 6 to 12 weeks to really confirm a difference. From personal experience, I usually find that 1 to 2 weeks gives a pretty good indication whether something is going to work and the longer timeframe just confirms it.

Could the painful screaming could be related to ear pain, like an ear infection? I understand that naturopaths believe that wheat causes fluid in the head and leads to things like ear infections, which of course can be really really painful, and would cause screaming. I am guessing but this maybe why wheat was suggested as the first course of action. I suffered really bad ear infections as a child (and as an adult), but only as an adult did I discover the wheat connection and get a dramatic improvement in health.

ALL THE BEST AND I HOPE YOU FIND ANSWERS SOON.
GIDGET

[Netix]

The naturopath didn't give an indication on time.

Tuesday just gone was an absolutely horrible day. Non stop screaming for hours, it drove me beyond crazy, and I ended up taking Steph to the Royal Children's. She was even screaming as I wheeled her pram up to the emergency counter. The woman behind the desk asked "how can I help you?". "ARRGGHH!!" I thought to myself, burst into tears and just held my hand out in the direction of my screaming bundle of devilness.
We spent 6 hours there, just for the drs to tell me that she is a fine, healthy looking baby. FINE?!?! WTF???? DOES SHE SOUND FINE, OR LOOK FINE WHEN SHE IS SCREAMING HER HEAD OFF????? AARRGGHHH!!!!! Hey, she maybe fine, just unsettled as they say, but that doesn't help me.
I won't vent anymore in this thread, as its about food, not going insane over a screaming baby.

[christy]

Netix *hugs* maybe join us up in the colic/reflux forum. I'm sure some of us can help too. It sounds all too similar to me who has had 2 reflux babies. Matilda I never tried an elimination diet for her or worried about what I ate but...

Jovie is intolerant to milk products & soy. I had to go on an elimination diet to find the answers and I went on a diet given to me by a lactation consultant. Through the diet we found she reacts when I have anything with dairy in it or soy.

[Netix]

Thanks for the hug Christy. I have been floating in and out of the colic/reflux section. I have just started Steph on Brauers Colic Relief yesterday, so waiting to see if that has any affect.
We have actually all just got home again from RCH, but not for screaming this time, thankfully. Instead a bit of blood in Steph's nappy, which is now making them think that she may not be unsettled just for the sake of it, and that she may actually be allergic to the proteins in cow's milk. I don't remember exactly what the dr said (I like this one, he seemed to be a bit more helpful, and willing to consider there could be a problem, but it may have just been from the nappy).
Anyway, this brings me to my next question.. Is being allergic to the proteins in cow's milk (I am sure that is what the dr said) the same as being lactose intolerant? Or is it the same as dairy intolerance, which is different to lactose intolerance?

[blackbird]

Hi Netix. More hugs from here too. All the bubs on DH's side are sensitive to dairy with some gluten sensitive too. Their reactions vary from ratty behaviour, constipation and screaming (my bub). It took about a week to make a difference when I went off cow's milk (goat and sheep is fine) but when I reintroduced milk, the screaming came back at the next feed. I can't remember the exact explanation, but lactose is the sugar component and if different to the protein. It was definitely the caseine (protein) that one of Angus's cousins had the problem with. I've been able to have A2 milk with great success. No more screaming! The other thing that has affected bubs in our family is preservatives - 202, 211, 220 etc. Same screams and so on.

Are you in Melb? We've had great success with an allergy clinic that does non invasive testing so you can work out what to avoid til bubs is 6 mths and can be treated. Let me know if you'd like any info.

Thinking of you!!

[Netix]

Thanks Blackbird, I am actually in Melb, so any info you could give me would be fantastic. What is A2 milk? I am looking forward less to cutting out dairy than I was wheat. Oh well, if I want to see if it makes a difference, then I have to do it.
Hmm, I just asked the Man if what the dr said last night was that I could try avoiding dairy, but the Man said no, not until we have more evidence. I will give it a go though. Hopefully I can do better than last week when I was trying not to have wheat. I only lasted about three days.

[Pandora]

caseine is normally the protein that causes (prob not the right word) dairy allergy. I always thought an allergy was to a protein, where an intolerance can be to anything.
Cutting out dairy, if/when you go there is not that hard, I was vegan for 4 years and there are ways to maintain adequate dietary intakes without eating things that taste gross. Also a lot of babies who react to dairy also react to soy so thats not always a good substitute.
I would go for the non invasive allergy testing if you can afford it.

[blackbird]

Sorry, had mastitis and off line for a couple of days. A2 milk (google it for more info) comes from different cows and has a different structure to 'normal' milk. It comes in full fat and low fat versions and seems to be pretty widely available although I hadn't noticed it til I looked for it. My Coles has it but the Safeway doesn't but then the safeways in the surrounding suburbs do stock it. It tastes the same as normal milk to me. I use Nutlex instead of butter/marg and olive oil in most cooking.

I'll PM you with the allergy clinic details. I hope your bubs is doing OK.

ETA Oops just realised I can't PM you. If you google allergy elimination within dot au you should find it. The clinics are in Kew, Moonee Ponds and Williamstown. I'm about to make an appt on Tuesday to start treatment.

[christy]

Sorry I missed this again too.... I trialled A2 and while my toddler got better (she's always had runny poo's until we went on A2) Jovie didn't. I think Jovie must has more of the intolerance because I can't even eat a biscuit with dairy without her reacting (really sucks!!!). I am taking Jovie & Matilda to an allergy clinic in a few weeks time and I can't wait to determine what exactly is the issue. I've been on an elimination diet since January after trialling A2 for all of December.

The A2 is good for the protein intolerance. For Jovie its obviously something else, she reacts to goats milk as well, and soy so I suppose for her its more.

Jovie's reactions include: screaming, rash on the face within an hour of feeding, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.

[Netix]

Well, I've been dairy free since last Friday, and no apparent differences yet. Haven't tried A2 milk yet, and I'm not taking soy either.

[Carrie]

Hi Netix- I would think that if you have eliminated ALL dairy from your diet then there should be an effect by now (I have been off dairy for 19 yrs due to allergy).
Re: Wheat and gluten - in the health food isle of the shops you'll find lots of wheat/gluten free foods and pasta, flour etc.