<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I mailed this privately last night, but after checking the messages today I
thought it might be helpful to post it.

Dear "graham",

Please keep in mind that I am only a lay person.  I have no medical
training, although I have done a lot of reading.  THIS IS NOT PROFESSIONAL
MEDICAL ADVICE.

It is hard for doctors to deal with vague symptoms and problems they cannot
readily identify and quantify.  (And who can blame them?  Anyone who thinks
doctors don't pay the price for thier mistakes should look into the cost of
malpractice insurance!  No wonder they play it "safe"!)

However, parents have a lot more exposure to and familiarity with their
children's reactions and behavior than a doctor could hope to have.  I have
heard a LOT of anecdotal cases where a doctor has dismissed what seemed like
a mild complaint or fussy behavior, only to have the child get very ill.
(Remember, too, that all they have to go on is what you can tell them.  If
you leave something out, they might miss out on key information.)

If you are convinced there is a problem, there very well could be.  Have you
tried going to an allergist?  Have you considered getting a second opinion?

If these ideas are not an option,or even if they are, you might try keeping
a food diary.  Write down everything your child eats, and also note down in
writing any symptoms she has and when.  You may notice a correlation you had
not previously discovered, and having the information in writing, rather
than trying to convince the doctor while you relate it all from memory, can
be much more convincing.

You might also try an elimination diet - take away all the things you think
are a problem for several days, and note whether there is any relief, then
test by adding them back one by one.  DO keep a record, as this can also be
a good source of data for your doctor.  There is also an elimination diet
where you restrict the patient to only a couple of very non-toxic foods
(starting with rice, I think) and slowly add one food at a time.  I would
not want to try this except under a doctor's supervision.

Really, you are better off working with a doctor in any case, but for
various reasons (say, lack of medical insurance. . .) not all of us can do that.

In summary - either try working harder with your doctor or find another
doctor who will not dismiss your concerns out of hand.  Written records can
be very helpful in convincing your doctor and helping you notice patterns.
And keep your chin up - just by trying to help your daughter, you are being
a good mom!!!

(By the way, the foods you mention - wheat, eggs, beans, lactose - are all
very common allergens.)

Sherry Hintze in North Carolina

P.S.  After I mailed this to "graham", I thought of a book on allergies I
had read a year or so ago.  It is called "Is This Your Child" and it goes
into a lot of psychiatric and non-typical symptoms of allergies, as well as
newer methods of diagnosis than the scratch tests. It does talk about
elimination diets.
        Offhand, I do not remember the author or publishing info, but I am
pretty sure it is still in print in the U.S.  I will ask the friend I
borrowed it from for the info if it will be helpful - it is not about
celiac, but a lot of celiacs seem to have other food sensitivities as well.