<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Thanks to everyone who gave their input on my "self-limited diet" query, regarding my son. Sorry it took me so long to summarize, but I kept getting more and more replies! Anyway, this is the gist of it: Most of you commented that excessive thirst could point to diabetes and recommended we have him tested for this, pointing to a high incidence of co-morbidity. A few also linked the thirst to anemia, which he does in fact have. He will be tested for diabetes as well though. One mention was made of a child who literally didn't feel the hunger sensation and was given an appetite stimulant, Periactin. One mention was made of intestinal yeast, and yes, we have already tested him for this, despite its controversiality, because of his autism. Most of the medical approaches for treating autism aren't considered mainstream because doctors still have it in their heads that it is a psychological disorder because its noticeable manifestations are behavioral, rather than physiological disorder. Funny then how physiological treatments (GFCF diet, anti-yeast regimens, nutritional supports, some drug therapies, secretin injections, etc) can ameliorate some of most of the problems associated with it. I have to remind myself how long doctors used leeches and bleedings to treat illness when I start to favor "medical opinion" over overwhelming parental reports. But that is neither here nor there. According to his tests he had no evidence of systemic yeast infection or fungal metabolites - which was a big relief to me, since we had done a trial of Nystatin previously and it affected his appetite so negatively - he actually stopped eating for a few days, other days he would eat a grand total of one french fry. Hardly enough for a growing boy. One person mentioned Vitamin A deficiency and Cod Liver Oil. That is something we are looking into regarding his autism treatment as well, but I am proceeding with extreme caution on that one because Vit A is one of the ones you can overdose on, and he is one so many supplements as it is (DMG, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, a GF multivitamin, Vit C, flax seed oil for the essential fatty acids, aloe vera juice - I think I got them all there). But that will likely be something we try. One mom mentioned that her celiac daughter is extremely picky and she believes it is due to her realization that some foods make her feel sick, so she is overly wary of food. This makes a lot of sense. But the quandary for me is: does this mean there is some other offending food in his diet that is still making him feel this way, or is it his memory of how it felt to have gluten and casein in his diet? Hm. One mom sent a very helpful report on her son and their use of pancreatic enzymes with him. Since secretin is a pancreatic hormone, and it has been very helpful for some (though not all) autistic children, and there is clearly a gut-brain connection, the success of this enzyme with her son is not surprising. I believe digestive enzymes will be our next step in treating his bowels, but I am concerned because it is my understanding that you cannot break open a capsule and pour it into a drink or on food since it will begin digesting the food on your plate and can digest your mouth and esophagus as it passes through each. There is no way Ben can take a pill. I'd be interested to hear from anyone with experience giving a very young child digestive enzymes safely. This mom also recommended a stool fat test, which I will be asking my son's doctor to order as soon as I get offline. She also has her kids on the Feingold diet, which we partially follow in that we have eliminated all artificial colors, and most preservatives from his diet, relying on natural foods to reduce the detoxification burden his body is under. We might all be healthier this way, eating only what our bodies were meant to consume! What a concept! Her remark that, "I think the excessive thirst is a clear signal that the body is trying to achieve a balance or rid excess "toxins" of some sort," made a lot of sense. It is interesting that while his increased urine output (due to his increased liquid intake) diluted his amino acids test, his CBC tests tend to show normal values, indicating that despite dilute urine, he has normal levels of these things. Could it be that he would have dangerously high concentrated levels of these elements if he did not flush his system as he does? Food for thought. Many, many of you offered your thoughts on the children you regularly deal with and their penchant for picky eating. It is true that toddler-hood is known for its selective diets and power struggles, however this does go beyond that. Way beyond. I have a neuro-typical, non-celiac daughter also and she was our "normal" picky eater, still is. This is an entirely different ball game, and there are dire nutritional, and therefore developmental, implications. It isn't merely about variety in the diet, it's also quantity. One french fry a day, or one cookie a day, or one handful of popcorn a day, or nothing to eat at all a day, for days, even months on end isn't healthy. As I said, since taking him off of casein he has increased his quantity and selection of foods, but it is still way below the number of calories he needs to grow and very low in fat, which young brains really need. But I thank you for the good will behind your suggestions. One mom of an autistic son sympathized as she had difficult mealtimes as well, and all the well-meaning advice of friends and general pediatricians just didn't apply to her situation either. Thanks for the note. Several of you indicated that additional food intolerances might be at work here. While that is the last thing I wanted to hear, it is also highly likely to be true. The hard part is doing the elimination diet to figure out which one it is, and praying it isn't corn or soy, as some derivative of corn or soy seems to be in everything, even many natural foods. One mom detailed how they extend dinner time over two hours, not because of a power struggle but because of an awareness that her daughter's stomach really takes that long to handle what is being put into it, taking a few bites, then waiting about 10 minutes, throughout the whole meal. Wow, what patience! I have noticed my son eats slowly, he could be self regulating if this is his problem. I will watch it more closely. I had noticed a while back that on some days when I allow him to snack and run all day (usually very busy days for me) he would eat as much as he would have at a meal, and there was a lot less heartache and struggling. And since nutrition, not proper manners is the goal here, those days are becoming a lot more frequent:) One mom thought it might be cross-contamination. I found out a couple of months ago that a brand I used a lot of, Bob's Red Mill was cross-contaminated so I eliminated it right away (lots of money down the drain). But that was a couple of months ago. One mom said that it takes a year for the body to eliminate all gluten - I had previously heard up to 3 months. This first poster also said that the only truly GF brands out there are Jowar and Authentic Foods. This can't be right, can it? (Feedback please.) I just ordered a whole bunch of Ener-g and Glutano flours from a GF-only store. In any case, I don't think there is any remaining cross-contamination. But it can't hurt to look more closely. I heard from one autistic adult, thank you. She reminded me of the possibility of it being a sensory issue. And she brought out the fact that his stools may never be completely resolved - not exactly comforting, but realistic. I guess there is some individuality to everyone's stools, its just not something that comes up in conversation very often, unless of course you are a celiac :) ! It was encouraging to hear from someone with autism in particular. Wow! Was that long enough for you? Hope I didn't forget anyone, and thank you for your input. I will let you all know how the tests/diet trials come out. Catherine