Re: a question about gluten-free diets and doctos

[Guest guest]

Never had a mainstream doctor suggest any kind of diet. In fact, the diagnosing

psychiatrist said that they 'don't work' when I asked. We pulled soy when we saw

it was problematic and went all organic, avoid all artificial colors,

flavorings, etc. AND...within one week my child dressed himself and stopped with

digestive/bowel issues.

>

> Hi everyone!

> I have a question that I hope some of you could help me out with.

> I seem to be having an 'onnline discussion' with a fellow student in one of

my graduate classes. She commented on how mainstream doctors suggest the

gluten/casein free diets for autism along with two other main diets.

> I thought it was interesting because I know that no mainstream/traditional

doctor has ever suggested the diet for my seven year old during the past five

years. So, here's my question...

>

> Have you had a mainstream doctor suggest the gluten free diet for your child?

>

> Thank you so much for your help.

> K

>

[Guest guest]

My son has been treated by three different Psychiatrists, two Psychologists, two

Pediatricians, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and no one as of yet has

mentioned diet as having anything to do with his PPD-Nos/Mild Aspergers.

Vickie

>

> Hi everyone!

> I have a question that I hope some of you could help me out with.

> I seem to be having an 'onnline discussion' with a fellow student in one of

my graduate classes. She commented on how mainstream doctors suggest the

gluten/casein free diets for autism along with two other main diets.

> I thought it was interesting because I know that no mainstream/traditional

doctor has ever suggested the diet for my seven year old during the past five

years. So, here's my question...

>

> Have you had a mainstream doctor suggest the gluten free diet for your child?

>

> Thank you so much for your help.

> K

>

[Guest guest]

Me and my Aspie kids have a messed up digestive system. There is definitely a brain gut connection and we are all on the SCD diet. http://www.scdiet.org/3testimonials/2002.html the pediatrician also asked me if I tried a diet for my kids.

[Guest guest]

>

> Have you had a mainstream doctor suggest the gluten free diet for your child?

No. Something to remember is that autism is diagnosed by symptoms. Those

symptoms can be caused by many different things. A gluten-free diet is an

extreme diet that should never be used casually. I would hope a mainstream

doctor would not recommend it off the cuff. Your friend is still a student, not

a professional! There are tests that can be done to determine whether the child

has something like a systemic yeast infection that will be helped by a

gluten-free diet. That is just an example. I don't really know any more

because my child does not show any symptoms of needing such a diet. But, as

this is only one small facet of autism, it is something to be investigated as a

possibility, not something a doctor would just offer out. I think normally one

sees a specialist for such problems, which I think is what you are getting at.

I have to say that, in other groups I'm in, more for the entire autism spectrum,

there are kids who have really been helped by these diets. It is only a subset

of the kids with autism though, probably a pretty small subset--and it seems to

be kids lower on the spectrum than HFA/Asperger, for the most part. It is very

expensive to get the diagnosing done since it is too new for most insurance

companies to stomach, and the diet itself is also very expensive, since one

can't eat normal foods on it. Anyway, that is probably way more than you were

asking for.

Since autistic symptoms can be caused by so many different things, small subsets

of parents have had successes with all kinds of dietary things. I think it is

worth checking out. This doesn't seem to be my kiddo's problem though.

I had an interesting experience myself though. I went on the South Beach diet,

which is close to starch/carbohydrate-free for the first 3 weeks, which in turn

means that it is close to gluten-free also. My anxiety symptoms that I take

medication for went away! I'm not willing to eat gluten-free unless I really

have to, but it inspired me to research it a little bit. I researched vitamin

therapies that are supposed to help anxiety--nothing expensive or fancy, just

plain vitamins. Anyway, I found a mixture that really seems to work for my

anxiety. I take therapeutic doses of all the B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium,

calcium, magnesium, zinc, along with multi-vitamins and omega-3. I was able to

quit my expensive Lexapro.

Ruth