Does gluten intolerance cause behavior problems? No way! (Not to mention bipolar type behavior, ODD behavior and others).

Acknowledging the problem.

Little did I know how much food itself (and gluten intolerance) would become a major turning point in our lives. I heard about gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance causing symptoms of upset stomach, IBS, etc… but psychological issues and bad behavior? Now that was a new concept!

How it affected us.

This is my 3 year old daughter, Emily. She was always a challenge. My first daughter, who is now 6 years old, was the perfect baby. Always smiling and always a pleasure to be around. So when Emily came along, I assumed it was the classic case of one nice/easy kid and one more demanding kid. I definitely didn’t think she would be sensitive to gluten.

Emily still got up at least once a night until she was about 1 1/2 years old. She sometimes couldn’t settle herself to sleep and other times she just woke up in the middle of the night in the worst possible mood for no apparent reason.

What were we doing wrong?

We always limit sugar for girls, especially before bed. We were even careful to give our girls artificial colors and sweeteners, as they had been guilty of other family members’ behaviors, such as causing hyperactivity. He showed no celiac symptoms, so we ruled him out early on.

So what was going on? We thought that once she was able to speak and express her irritation, she would say it and then just get over it.

Wrong.

As she grew older, Emily’s tantrums literally became too much to handle. These were some of her symptoms and others that some people have.

Tired,

food cravings,

Eczema,

unexplained rashes,

allergic dark circles (dark circles under the eyes),

Red face/ears, stomach aches,

loose stools or diarrhea

Constipation,

Alternating diarrhea and constipation,

mucus production,

Congestion,

Immune, inflammatory and autoimmune reactions,

abnormal pulse,

high blood pressure,

Headaches,

migraine,

Ringing in the ears,

Tingle,

Dizziness,

tics,

Depression,

Mood disorders,

Anxiety,

Panic attacks,

Assault,

sleep disorder,

ADHD symptoms (decreased attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity),

humor changes,

Irritability,

Autism symptoms (poor eye contact, social withdrawal, decreased language, obsessions, repetitive behaviors)

Where are we now?

Much better, thank God. Emily has no symptoms.

Children may show behavioral and psychological symptoms early on and stomach problems may emerge later in life. However, babies can have stomach problems early on. The colic could actually be caused by sensitivity to the gluten in the formula you are consuming.