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Hello everyone! Thanks to all of you who sent me some wonderful ideas and
advice for my son (7 yrs. old). I reviewed over 40 messages and spent a good
amount of time today in my local health food store. I will try to condense my
summary for you, as I discovered there are many celiacs with a constipation
problem.

1.Discontinue apple juice. It is a binding agent and may make the problem
worse. Replace with other fluids, such as lots of water, grape juice or prune
juice.

2.Metamucil was mentioned several times and will add bulk.

3.Stool softeners(no laxatives added).

4.Increase fresh fruit, especially tropical fruits and prunes.

5.Rice bran crackers or just plain rice bran.

6.Senna tea or Smooth Tea(available in health food stores).

7.Colon Care, a herbal laxative. This got mixed reviews:some say it helps and
others say to avoid it.

8.Massage the intestines while lying on your back (or have someone do it for
you).

9.Go see a chiropractor for spine alignment.

10.Mineral oil.

11.Popcorn, nuts, and raw vegatables with dip.

12.A little bit of decaffienated coke.

13.Check for hidden gluten in foods being eaten.

14.Try going to the bathroom regularly, whether there is an urge or not.
Relaxation techniques are helpful ( warm bath first or reading ).

15.Perhaps going twice a week is normal, as long as the stools are not hard,
dry and you are not uncomfortable.

16.The nerves in the large intestine may be involved. Recommended Ped. Gastro.
appt. ( I have one in two weeks).

17.Magnesium tablets, Magnesium Citrate Oral Solution or Milk of Magnesia (the
plain, unflavored version is GF). Many of you mentioned that Celiacs often are
deficient in this mineral, which may make sense as to why many are suffering
from constipation and are relieved with a magnesium supplement.

18.Triphala, an ayurvedic herbal supplement. A very helpful woman in my local
health food store recommended this, as well as many of those who wrote me. She
said it will help stimulate the intestines to contract and move the stools. I
bought some and they come in 500mg capsules. Since my son is so young, she
suggested opening them up and mixing them with juice or a spoonful of peanut
butter. He did not like the taste, but I will continue to use this and I will
let you know if this helps. It seems promising.

I apologize for any errors in this summary list. This is my first time writing
and I am so grateful for discovering this site. I have only been using this
for one week and I have learned more from all of you than I have from any
doctor.

Andi
Carlsbad, CA