3 ms·

Sorry, maybe OT: Does anybody here has empirical experience with ADHD and the supposed connection with gluten sensitivity [1] ? I have a kid with severe ADHD a

by fasteo 12y ago

Sorry, maybe OT: Does anybody here has empirical experience with ADHD and the supposed connection with gluten sensitivity [1] ? I have a kid with severe ADHD and I have been always reluctant to try a gluten-free diet, but the truth is that the evidence is getting stronger everyday. Thanks. [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184556/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184556/

newobj 12y ago
email me (in my profile)
- fasteo 12y ago
  thanks. check your inbox.
joshrotenberg 12y ago
I also have a kid with attention issues. We recently did some testing for Celiac which was negative, but he clearly feels better, both in terms of focus and gastrointestinal issues, when he lays off the gluten/wheat. Try it out, worth a shot. Also, it definitely makes it easier when you give it up as a family and, in my experience, pretty much all of the gluten free bread products taste like crap, so find ways to avoid things with bread in general.
- newobj 12y ago
  Has your child had any genetic testing? Any mutations in A1298C or C677T?
  - fasteo 12y ago
    Nope. Worth doing ? Incidentally, I did the 23andme test and I have just checked mine[1]: A1298C: no SNP of MTHFR C677T: heterozygous for MTHFR [1] http://blog.stickyrice.net/archives/2013/decode-23andme-for-mthfr-genes/ http://blog.stickyrice.net/archives/2013/decode-23andme-for-...
    - newobj 12y ago
      Mainly asking you for my own data, but I certainly think so (given how easy/cheap it is now). My son was non-verbal till he was 3 and as we later discovered, mutated on both 1298/677 due to bad genes from both my ex-wife and I. When we gave him an injection of methyl-b12 (the primary course of supplementation for these mutations), he literally started talking the next day. I've heard this story so. many. times. in the autistic community. So at this point I always ask people about it.
- fasteo 12y ago
  Actually, we did try GAPS for a couple of weeks with no results at all and the burden and family stress was just too high. My son - as many ADHD kids due to their lack of impulse control - had an extremely sweet tooth and it was just impossible to stick with the diet. Now, 3 years later, I have slowly managed to reduce his cravings and we could give it another try. thanks.
ericabiz 12y ago
Really interesting. I have been diagnosed with both ADHD and Celiac (actual diagnosis on the Celiac side was "gluten sensitivity, likely Celiac, but would need a biopsy to confirm" and I opted to not do the biopsy due to cost.) I had no idea there was a link between the two until I read your post. I went gluten-free "hardcore" for 2 years and now I supplement with probiotics and can eat gluten on occasion. I feel much better with gluten out of my diet, but by no means is it a "cure" for ADHD, and I still use my ADHD medication (methylphenidate in my case) even when I'm 100% gluten-free. I would definitely try gluten-free with your child, but don't mistake it for a holy grail of eliminating all symptoms. Rather, it will probably help your child focus better and feel better in general (it is hard to concentrate when your stomach is killing you.) Feel free to email me if you'd like to speak more; I've been public about my diagnosis with both of these.
- fasteo 12y ago
  Thanks for sharing your experience. I don't expect a miracle here, but everything counts. In this direction, Omega-3 supplementation was great to reduce the "hyper" side of his ADHD. Sadly, it did nothing for his focus. He is also on methylphenidate (20mg). It is working well for him.

by fasteo 12y ago

newobj 12y ago

email me (in my profile)

fasteo 12y ago
thanks. check your inbox.

joshrotenberg 12y ago

I also have a kid with attention issues. We recently did some testing for Celiac which was negative, but he clearly feels better, both in terms of focus and gastrointestinal issues, when he lays off the gluten/wheat. Try it out, worth a shot. Also, it definitely makes it easier when you give it up as a family and, in my experience, pretty much all of the gluten free bread products taste like crap, so find ways to avoid things with bread in general.

newobj 12y ago
Has your child had any genetic testing? Any mutations in A1298C or C677T?
- fasteo 12y ago
  Nope. Worth doing ? Incidentally, I did the 23andme test and I have just checked mine[1]: A1298C: no SNP of MTHFR C677T: heterozygous for MTHFR [1] http://blog.stickyrice.net/archives/2013/decode-23andme-for-mthfr-genes/ http://blog.stickyrice.net/archives/2013/decode-23andme-for-...
  - newobj 12y ago
    Mainly asking you for my own data, but I certainly think so (given how easy/cheap it is now). My son was non-verbal till he was 3 and as we later discovered, mutated on both 1298/677 due to bad genes from both my ex-wife and I. When we gave him an injection of methyl-b12 (the primary course of supplementation for these mutations), he literally started talking the next day. I've heard this story so. many. times. in the autistic community. So at this point I always ask people about it.
fasteo 12y ago
Actually, we did try GAPS for a couple of weeks with no results at all and the burden and family stress was just too high. My son - as many ADHD kids due to their lack of impulse control - had an extremely sweet tooth and it was just impossible to stick with the diet. Now, 3 years later, I have slowly managed to reduce his cravings and we could give it another try. thanks.

ericabiz 12y ago

Really interesting. I have been diagnosed with both ADHD and Celiac (actual diagnosis on the Celiac side was "gluten sensitivity, likely Celiac, but would need a biopsy to confirm" and I opted to not do the biopsy due to cost.) I had no idea there was a link between the two until I read your post. I went gluten-free "hardcore" for 2 years and now I supplement with probiotics and can eat gluten on occasion. I feel much better with gluten out of my diet, but by no means is it a "cure" for ADHD, and I still use my ADHD medication (methylphenidate in my case) even when I'm 100% gluten-free. I would definitely try gluten-free with your child, but don't mistake it for a holy grail of eliminating all symptoms. Rather, it will probably help your child focus better and feel better in general (it is hard to concentrate when your stomach is killing you.) Feel free to email me if you'd like to speak more; I've been public about my diagnosis with both of these.

fasteo 12y ago
Thanks for sharing your experience. I don't expect a miracle here, but everything counts. In this direction, Omega-3 supplementation was great to reduce the "hyper" side of his ADHD. Sadly, it did nothing for his focus. He is also on methylphenidate (20mg). It is working well for him.