MRT For Food Intolerance?

You know, symptomatically, it sounds just like my child's symptoms when she is eating gluten. She has Celiac disease. A severe gluten intolerance can cause the same types of symptoms...if I were you, I would consider putting him on a GF diet immediately just to see if it helps.

I'm telling you, when my daughter was 10 months old she hadn't grown in over three months (not a cm, not a gram), had the worst dermatitis I have ever personally seen (some people might mistake it for eczema, but it's much worse and painful), had TERRIBLE tantrums ALL THE TIME...for hours on end, with thrashing and screaming (well, duh, she was in pain. I felt so awful!!!), and almost constant greasy, oily diarrhea.

Within a week of having her on a strict gluten free diet, her symptoms pretty much disappeared. I went from having what I thought was just the most difficult baby ever to having a normal, sweet child...it was like a miracle to me. I cried and cried for the time we'd lost and for the joy of discovery. Of course, I had to put her back on all the food for testing and that was another torture in itself...and it proved it to me right there, because the symptoms immediately returned.

You CAN do an easy gluten free diet for a week, just to see if it helps. If you would like help planning for a week and a beginner's guide on what to eat and what not to, please PM me and I would be glad to help. We've been (my youngest and I) GF for about a year and a half, now, and it's made so much of a difference for both of us.

Oh...and DOOO keep pushing the issue. I had so many people tell me, "Oh, it's a phase" and "Oh, she'll outgrow it." No, she won't. Ever. People had me feeling the same way...please show this paragraph to your husband. A mother KNOWS when something is wrong, and yes, something is wrong. Oh, and if the gf diet doesn't work, you are right to check into other food sensitivities.

Yes, they are different tests. I'll be ordering this test for my 4 year old soon. You can order it online, take it to your doc for approval, and then take it to a blood-draw clinic. They send it back to the lab and you get the results within a week. I found one for $120 but I can't remember where it is at the moment.

Skip your pediatrician and take your son to an allergist. They will do all the testing necessary to determine what's going on. If everything comes up negative, try a pediatric gastroenterologist. He may have a reflux problem or some other gastro intestinal problem. My money would be on food/additive sensitivites.

I can't recommend any docs in Fairfield, but please look around for a naturopathic physician (ND) or at least someone with a holistic orientation. Dietary intolerances just aren't part of the standard MD curriculum, but it definitely sounds like something's going on. My own son would be -- I don't know, some kind of huge mess by now -- if we hadn't had his dietary intolerance dx'd be an ND.

You need a pediatric gastroenterologist and a pediatric nutritionist. They work together, often in a children's hospital. They'll get to the bottom of it.

I live in CT and we use the pediatric gastro department at Hartford Children's Hospital. They were fantastic. They'll also do the nitrogen breath test to test for lactose intolerance.

I didn't read the responses, but I do want to suggest to do some research into the different types of food reactions: Igg, iga, ige. www.betterhealthusa.com does ELISA testing (I think it's igg) and you can find a doctor on their website. If there isn't one close, keep in mind that it is usually an alternative doctor such as a chiropractor who issues these tests, and not an MD. If you cannot afford the testing, I highly suggest to look into the Paleo/Primal diet and eliminate ALL grains (including corn, sugar, quinoa), all dairy, soy, legumes (including peanuts), additives of any kind. It is basically a meat & veggies diet, but needs to be 'clean' meats (grass fed/pastured), and keeps fruit to a minimum (1-2 servings a day, mostly from berries bc they are low in sugar). This isn't as impossible as it sounds, I promise. Takes some getting used to, but it SO worth it! Eat Like A Dinosaur is a great recipe book for kids :) GL!
Another great website is www.whole9life.com and their book called It Starts With Food (by Melissa and Doug Hartwig)