What to do when your Celiac child gets “Glutened”

If your Celiac child accidentally or intentionally ate gluten and is now feeling awful, there are things you can do to help them to recover from getting “Glutened.”

Signs your Celiac Child got Glutened

Some common signs that your Celiac child ate gluten are bloating, diarrhea, constipation, excessively smelling stools, pale colored stools, abdominal pain, headaches including migraines, fatigue, rashes (Dermatitis Herpetiformis, Eczema, Psoriasis, Alopecia, and Chronic Urticaria) Depression, Anxiety and joint or muscle pain or brain fog.

My son was diagnosed with Celiac at 18 months. If he accidentally gets gluten, many of the gut issues he struggled with before going gluten-free come raging back and his eczema, which went away when he went gluten-free, comes back. For more information on my son’s story and ideas to help you parent your Celiac child, please read my article https://naturalconstipationsolutions.com/is-gluten-causing-your-childs-constipation/

It can be obvious that your child accidentally or intentionally ate gluten if you saw them eat something that they shouldn’t have or if they tell you that they ate a cookie or cupcake at a friend’s house knowing that it wasn’t safe but didn’t want to be left out. Unfortunately, being a child with Celiac disease can be hard. They are often left out of food treats at school and at friend’s houses and can be tempted to eat something to not miss out or stand out. But it isn’t always obvious that your child ate gluten until they expereince side effects.

Cross-contamination can cause side effects in your Celiac child

But getting gluten is not always obvious. Cross-contamination can gluten your child. Cross contamination is when your gluten-free food accidentally comes in contact with gluten. This can happen if fries are gluten free but fried in a fryer that fries chicken nuggets or other breaded foods or if your child’s milkshake is made in a blender that was just rinsed after someone made a cookie dough milkshake or just from flour in the air in a commercial kitchen or at home.

To avoid cross-contamination when eating out, let your wait staff know that your child has Celiac disease and that it isn’t just a preference. Ask the waitstaff if they have dedicated fryers, a special gluten-free menu, and how educated the staff is on gluten-free food prep.

I am also Celiac and have been glutened twice when I ordered gluten free pasta out in restaurants. The first time I was glutened I found out after that they had cooked my gluten free pasta in the same water they cooked regular wheat pasta. Now if I order gluten-free pasta I always ask them to cook it in fresh water. I have been shocked and pretty horrified at how many times I have been told that it will take longer because they will need to heat up a new pot of water! The second time I was glutened from “gluten free” pasta we were eating at one of our regular restaurants. We had been going there for years and I felt safe. My mother in law and I ordered one of their specials, grilled tuna steak with a side of pasta. When the meal came I confirmed with our regular waitress that the pasta was gluten free. She assured me that it was. It wasn’t. I wasn’t even half way home when the symptoms hit me.

My stomach started to swell up and cramped. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it home. I rushed in the door and spent the majority of the next 12 hours in the bathroom. After these experiences, I have decided that ordering gluten free pasta out is just too big of a risk for me and I no longer order it.

Steps to take when your Celiac child eats gluten

1. Get the Gluten out of their system

There are supplements that can help to get the gluten out of your child’s system quicker

Activated Charcoal (Link to product on Amazon) Activated Charcoal works by binding to the toxins. It helps to reduce gas and bloating. Increase your child’s water intake when taking this supplement to avoid constipation.

Digestive enzymes help speed up the breakdown of gluten. Be sure to take an enzyme that includes dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP-IV), like Enzyme Medica Gluten Ease (Amazon Link) which helps break down gluten specifically.

Drinking water and other hydrating fluids like coconut water or my Electrolyte Drink recipe can help to move the gluten through your child’s system. Coconut water and electrolyte drinks help to replenish any loss in electrolytes lost through diarrhea or vomiting. Fluids will help flush your child’s system as well

2. Reduce inflammation from your child’s gluten exposure

When your Celiac child is exposed to gluten, it causes inflammation in their system. There are things you can do to help reduce their inflammation quickly.

Ginger is very anti-inflammatory and will help settle there stomach. Ginger tea(Amazon Link) is an excellent option. You can give it to them hot or iced, depending on their preference. Ginger kombucha is a fermented ginger drink that is fizzy like soda. If your child likes ginger ale, ginger kombucha is a good option to try. If your child is able to swallow pills, Fermented ginger pills(Amazon Link) are an option, as well.

Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. Fish oils, flax and chia seeds are full of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Smarty Pants makes a Fish Oil Gummie (Amazon Link) that my son will eat. Many kids like Barlean’s Organic Strawberry Banana Flax Oil.(Amazon Link) Flax oil is also very good for constipation if your child develops constipation from getting glutened. Chia seeds are a great source of Omega-3. I have more information on chia seeds in my article Chia Pudding for Fiber and Constipation Relief.

3. Heal the Damage Gluten Caused Your Child

Collagen (Amazon Link)contains the amino acids glycine and proline. It protects and heals the mucosal lining of the digestive tract which is injured by being glutened. I take collagen daily to heal my gut. It is virtually tasteless and can be mixed into any drink your child likes. This makes it easy to get it into your child.

L-Glutamine (Amazon Link) is an amino acid that helps repair damage to the gut. It helps the gut lining to regrow and repair and undoes the damage caused by gluten. If your child doesn’t take pills, try the one I linked to on Amazon as it is a powder that can be mixed into soft foods.

4. Magic Dirt Water by Restore to heal your child’s gut after getting glutened

The most powerful supplement that I use for undoing the damage caused when your child eats gluten is Magic Dirt Water by Restore4life (Link to Restore’s website) Magic Dirt Water is the child version of Restore. It is the same formula, just in kid-friendly packaging and with dosing for children. It has been so much help to my family. If you would like to read more about how Restore has helped my son please read my article Restore for Constipation in Children and healing the gut.

Magic Dirt Water has helped us when we have gotten accidentally glutened. It worked quickly on gut pain and diarrhea caused by gluten. It didn’t completely end either but it did minimize the side effects. I carry a small Travel Bottle of Restore in my purse at all time to be prepared if any of us get glutened so we can begin dosing right away to minimize damage and side effects. It is tasteless so it is well accepted by kids, even children with sensory issues or autism.

Restore works by tightening the tight junctions in the intestines and restoring cell communication in the gut.  It is a terrahydrate supplement made from ancient soil.   Dr. Bush explains how Restore works in this video: How Restore Works

Dr. Bush and his team have a new white paper on Restore and what is accomplishes in the gut and for your health. During their research,

RESTORE was shown in 2 weeks’ time to:

• Reduce glyphosate in the body by 23%
• Reduce the IL-6 inflammation marker by 17%
• Reduce Zonulin (a protein that causes gut permeability) by 12%

To read the paper, click the link below.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0354/2789/files/Restore_Clinical_Trial_-_White_Paper.pdf?166

For Restore dosing, start with 3-5 drops under the tongue before meals, preferably 30 minutes before but we often forget and do it as I am putting food on the table. It still works. You can increase your dose by working your way up to 1 tsp 3x a day or by doing 3-5 drops every hour. To work up to a full dose, double the dose weekly until a maintenance usage of 25 drops (1/4 teaspoon for under age 2) or 100 drops (1 teaspoon for over age 2) 3 times a day.

If your child is in school and you aren’t sure how to get in that dose during school time, you can add the 2nd dose of the day to your child’s water bottle that you send to school with him or her and your child will get it over the course of the day. Just make sure they drink all of the water in their water bottle so they get all of the benefits of the dose of Restore.

I really can’t begin to speak highly enough about Restore and Magic Dirt Water and how much they have helped my family, especially when we got accidentally glutened. My family gets a monthly subscription of Restore sent to our house. We save 20% by setting up auto-ship and we never run out.

What to feed your child after they have been glutened

If your child’s gut is irritated from eating gluten there are many things you can feed them to help. Bone broth is wonderfully healing and a good source of collagen. I would avoid anything that is hard to digest until they are back on track. Dairy, onions, broccoli and high fiber foods can all be hard to digest. Adding in fermented foods and drinks is a great way to repopulate your child’s gut bacteria.

How long until my child will be ok after bring glutened?

How long it will take for your child to recover after being gluten will depend on many things. How long have they been gluten free? If they have been gluten free for years and their gut is generally healed from the damage done pre-diagnosis, then they will recover quicker. How much gluten did they get? Your child will recover quicker from getting glutened from cross-contamination than they will if they eat an entire meal of gluten. Are you able to follow the steps to help them get through the process? They will heal quicker if you can follow the above steps but it isn’t always practical to do so. It is harder when you are traveling or when your child is at school or away from you for any reason. But doing as much as you can, will speed up the healing process.

I try to keep the supplements listed above on hand at all times so we can be proactive in treating a “glutening” I take Restore with me at all times and if we travel, I bring a small kit with necessities like activated charcoal, ginger tea bags, and Gluten-ease so we are prepared for the worst. Unfortunately, getting glutened happens to just about everyone who is Celiac at some point or other, especially when you are eating out.

My children’s book, Dash’s Belly Ache, is a book for children who can’t or won’t poop. The star of the book is Dash, a border collie pup who won’t poop.  His doctor gives him a special treat in the book that helps him to have a bowel movement.  The recipe for the treat is in the book and also in this article.  If your child is struggling with constipation, withholding or is resistant to pooping, Dash’s Belly Ache is a helpful tool to add to your arsenal to help them overcome their struggle.  You can buy Dash’s Belly Ache on Amazon.

Tracking your child’s bowel movements can help you to develop a regiment that helps you to find the natural regiment that gets them going regularly after being glutened.  To get a free bowel movement tracker please click Here.

 
Disclaimers
This post contains Affiliate links

*DISCLAIMER, I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR MEDICAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. ALL IDEAS DISCUSSED AND DESCRIBED IN THIS POST ARE MY OWN AND ARE NOT MEANT TO TREAT OR DIAGNOSE. IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION PLEASE SPEAK WITH YOUR DOCTOR.