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celiac?

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ageez

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
Hello again,
I seem to have lots of questions at the moment! We went to clinic yesterday with my nearly six year old son. He has been diabetic for just over a year and we have had our ups and downs. He has been suffering with tummy aches at school for a while, which always seem to occur when his teaching assistant arrives at 10am. I assumed that they were perhaps caused by anxiety (he is always worrying that he is hypo or hyper at school) and they don't seem to be particularly linked to his b.s, although they are more likely to coincide with a slight high. The consultant seemed to think that he might be celiac, although he tested negative for this six months ago and at diagnosis. Are these tummy aches likely to indicate celiac, bearing in mind that they don't happen at weekends? I am, as usual, worried and confused.
 
Hi,

I'm with you, anxiety = tummy ache in kids. I'm sure there are more severe symptoms with celiacs ? diarrhoea.

If there is a pattern like you suggest - 10am, weekdays then I wouldn't be convinced about backing celiac as cause. Surely it would occur across the day/week?

Our DSN suggested that a higher BG can cause some stomach discomfort, does he get a breakfast spike - could this be it? Millie mistakes hers for hunger at this young age.

It's difficult with little ones not being able to fully articulate more complex feelings, lots of guess work. If consultants plumping for celiacs a blood test would give the definitive answer I suppose.
 
My son, though much older (15, nearly 16 at diagnosis) had dreadful tummy problems a few weeks after diagnosis, with diarrhoea and pains each day, again Monday to Friday only, and very quickly it was put down to anxiety about leaving the security of home/mum even at his age.

The school nurse got in contact with our DSN who in turn got the psychologist on the team to agree to go out and meet him at school and give him some counselling sessions. Very quickly it settled down. I really do think it's that type of thing with your son, given that it's weekdays only. We all know how anxiety can feel in our tummies (dentist appointments spring to mind) so I bet it is that. I know nothing about coeliac by the way, but as you said that would be 24/7, so unless his diet is drastically different at weekends I would have thought you could rule that out. Only my opinion of course.

Tina
 
Hi all.

I know i posted on this same thing a few weeks ago. It was def the case for us.

Fayth, 6, had the same problems when she was first diagnosed (just after xmas) and was usually complaining of stomach ache during school times (or sunday evening)

I think that, no matter the age, it will be a worry for anyone and even more so for the little ones.

We (mum and I) speak with her daily about whats on her mind and try and help her to understand what is going on. We do not hide any thing from her and treat her as an adult. The last thing we would do is lie to her (in our opinion ONLY) this wouldn't be a benefit to her and like i said it seems to have worked.

No problems for a few weeks now.

I would really be lost without this forum and it has taken a lot of worry from my mind knowing there are people out there going through the same things as us.

Ageez, i hope the same goes for you and the worry subsides and your son can start to relax a little.

This forum has a wealth of knowledge and everyone is so helpful. Ask the questions. I had so many and even though they seemed stupid (to me) everyone here has helped me get through what your going through and come out the other side.
 
I'm a coeliac for 32 years, my daughter is type 1 but was tested for coelaic and it was negative.
Its could be anxiety linked but did they take a blood test? it's simple nowadays - if not go to your GP and ask for it.
 
Thanks for this. It is great to have a resource of sympathetic and knowledgeable people! Joseph did have a blood test six months ago and it was negative for coeliac. I do understand that it can develop at any time, but he is not showing any other symptoms at all. I think that it may be a post-breakfast spike, so I am considering splitting his breakfast insulin before school to try to deal with it.

This spike, in addition to his anxiety and constantly checking himself for symptoms, leads him to declare that his 'tummy hurts'. I think this could be a 'catch-all' phrase for just not feeling right. It is hard to explain your feelings when you are five.

I feel very sorry for his TA, because the class teacher is now saying things like; 'as soon as he sees you, he starts complaining about his stomach', as if it's her fault! I had to reassure her this morning that we don't blame her and that we are so happy to have her there. How many hypos would have been missed by the class teacher, who is not only busy with 29 other children, but who rolls her eyes at the mere mention of diabetes?

We do speak as honestly as we can to Joseph and help him to understand what's going on. He does have a good grasp of it all and yet he is still feeling the anxiety. Probably the negativity of the teacher doesn't help! I will keep soldiering on, administering Insulin and loads of love every day. Hopefully we will get there in the end!
 
It's great that there's a TA there! I would be worried leaving Carly at school with a teacher in a 30s children classroom! I'm dreading it in Sept when she will start.
Hope things will work out for you and you'll find a cause x
 
Best of luck with it ageez, let us know how he gets on 🙂
 
I was going to ask why he has a TA.

I'd be complaining about THAT teacher, no wonder your son is anxious, the whole setup is singling him out and making him feel 'different' because of his diabetes! Isn't that called 'disability discrimination'?

Poor little beggar!

Would give me the belly ache too, frankly.
 
TA's are very necessary, teachers just can't manage our young kids medical needs nor want to I'm afraid.. Much rather have someone dedicated to their needs, with patience, surely this will minimise anxiety rather than a fretful teacher who can't be bothered with it passing on their negativity?
 
I am delighted that he has a TA.

I had to attend school every day to give his insulin and also to deal with hypos. Having Mummy pop up every day made him feel less normal. Now, just like the others in his class, he sees Mummy at home time.

The teacher couldn't /wouldn't give him proper care and nobody wanted to take responsibility for blood sugar testing, let alone insulin. They didn't recognise when he was hypo and couldn't do anything for him as they didn't want to be involved. The TA works as a general classroom assistant, with special responsibility for my son. I feel very lucky to have her, as she used to be a paediatric nurse! She couldn't be better and I now feel that he is safe at school, under her care. I would hate to be without her!
 
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