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

Hi everyone,

My first question was whether a child with Celiac could have as a major
symptom, irritability.  This was answered most vividly by one respondent who
said her son's behavior was so horrible that her whole family was afraid of
him, he had been placed in a mental hospital at one point, and the police had
been called a number of times because of his behavior.  He was diagnosed by
accident as he was being checked for a stricture of the esophagus and the
doctor took a biopsy and found classic signs of Celiac disease.  This
diagnosis was met with disbelief as he had none of the usual digestive
complaints.  In addition, the blood tests were negative for everything but the
IgG.  He was not tested for IgA deficiency, however.
After going on the diet, his behavior markedly improved and his follow up
biopsy showed vast improvement.

I had two respondents who said their children were irritable, one from being
constipated and the other from so much vomiting and diarrhea.  One respondent
said his child would become upset easily and the only symptom was anemia.
Another said Dr. Fasano diagnosed her son and his only symptoms were short
stature and irritability.  Another said the irritability preceded abdominal
symptoms in her 2 year old child.  A respondent who has an adult son said her
son had negative behavior, slow mental reactions and very close to
schizophrenic behavior and even though he has not been biopsied, when he is
gluten free, his behavior changes for the better.  Another respondent
described his wife's symptoms as a child being irritability, pallor, failure
to thrive, and diarrhea.  One respondent said to read Dr. Braly's Food Allergy
& Nutrition Revolution as he says children's behavior can be linked to
allergies even though they may not have Celiac disease.  She purchased it
through www.amazon.com.

Two publications were listed by one respondent regarding irritability in
Celiac disease.  They are:  Coelic Disease 1984, Churchill Livingstone, NY and
"Where have all the American Celiacs Gone?" Acta Paediatrica Suppl. 1996,
412:20-24 by A Fasano.

My second question was whether an asymptomatic Celiac could develop lymphoma?
One respondent said lymphoma is often accompanied by fever and enlarged lymph
nodes but diarrhea is not always involved.  Another said even though his
brother had not been diagnosed with Celiac, he believes he had it as he died
of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  He included a list of articles: Freeman, H. et.al.
"Primary Abdominal Lymphoma" The American Journal of Medicine 1977, 63:585
which stated that the associated celiac sprue is sometimes mild and may remain
undetected: Mathus, Vliegen E, et.al. "Malignant lymphoma in coeliac
disease:various manifestations with distinct symptomaology and prognosis?"
Journal of Internal Medicine 1994; 236:43-49 which says that celiac disease is
often overlooked even in the presence of typical malignant lymphomas; Hoggan,
R., "Considering Wheat, Rye, and Barley Proteins as Aids to Carcinogens"
Medical Hypotheses 1997; 49(3):285-288; and Egan et. al., in a letter to the
editor, November 1996 NEJM  said that testing for celiac disease would
constitute a cancer prevention program.

In answer to my question regarding taking activated charcoal for gas, one
person said taking charcoal is only treating the symptoms, not the cause and
and an elimination diet could determine the offending food.  Another said her
aunt who has CD and permanent damage to her intestines uses Nullo tablets
which neutralize the odor even though they don't stop the gas.

One person addressed the lack of knowledge of many doctors regarding Celiac
disease and recommended a good article for physicians published in The
Clinical Presentation of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases.  The number of the
Immune Deficiency Foundation is 1-800-296-4433.

Thanks again to all who took the time to answer.

Barb from NE Ohio