Why is my daughter's weight so unstable?

[hsmom36]

My 16 year old daughter has been struggling with her weight. Last year, she weighed 90 pounds and maintained the weight. She exercised regularly and ate very healthy. Then that winter (2010), she lost 7 pounds over about a month for no reason. She was eating the same and still exercising regularly. Oddly enough, a month later she began gaining weight...she put on about 15 pounds in just a month. She is the healthiest eater and exercises.Many doctors automatically assume she is anorexic because she is still small with the weight gain, but she definitely does not suffer from an eating disorder. My concern is that when she does gain the weight, she literally looks pregnant that's how bloated her stomach gets.That's One thing that I've noticed is that she puts on "water" weight. And is usually after she consumes gluten and soy. She has been tested for Celiac disease before, but it came back negative. Could she be suffering from this and just have a false negative test? She does get stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, headaches, fatigue, etc. What could be causing this?

[hsmom36]

Thank you to everyone that responded! It is good to hear that the tests for food allergies can be negative because I believe this is the answer to all of her symptoms. The doctors thought it might be her thyroid, but the blood test came back fine. I find it odd that she could lose weight so rapidly and now she can't stop gaining. But she was accidentally "glutened" the other day, and the next day she put on 5 pounds. It's been a few days now since this happened and her stomach is going down, and she is losing the weight she put on. It is so crazy that food can cause such havoc on her body! When she eats gluten, she also gets an itchy rash (little red bumps) all over her thighs and lower back. She has been taking benadryl for her symptoms, and that seems to reduce the itching...I didn't know if that could possibly help the other symptoms. She is glad she isn't the only person going through this. She has been dealing with all of this since February, and doctors just say she has an eating disorder or she needs to eat healthy and exercise (which she does). We went to doctors for four years for her severe, daily headaches and come to find out, her headaches vanished with the gluten. We discovered this on our own after being fed up with the doctors. She now, only gets headaches a couple times a week. Thank you everyone again!

[FurballsMom]

I test negative for gluten, too, but I'm definitely allergic.  That test is not fully reliable.  If your doctor claims it is, I suggest getting a different doctor.  Only one doctor I've seen has ever suggested I was wrong.  She is a good ER doctor, but I would never have her as a regular doctor.  She refuses to believe that I can't eat gluten if the test is negative.  I have told her more than once to talk to my PCP, because the change in the eczema after quitting gluten and dairy was like night and day and the PCP (primary care physician) saw it for herself.  Also, the consensus online about eczema diet is to avoid gluten and dairy.  I have no idea why my PCP hadn't told me that before.  I discovered this after trying an elimination diet for the gluten and dairy for other health issues.  I haven't had any of those major flare ups like I had prior to removing gluten from the diet.  Funny thing is, all my other regular doctors believe me about the gluten, because it totally fits with my other health issues.

And, that's just my anecdotal for why that gluten test just can't be relied upon.  In fact, that's what the common thread is in the Celiac community.  I don't know if I am Celiac or not, but I still need to live with a Celiac diet.

And, there are just as many things that can be said about soy.  First, it is in the top of the common food allergies.  That's primary in this community.  Second, especially since we're also mentioning the thyroid, unfermented soy has phytoestrogens and are the last things that the majority of the population needs any addition to.  Yep, including most of us ladies.  Contrary to what some believe, tofu is not properly fermented, so it's still out.  Not for anti-vegetarian reasons at all.  Just so we get that straight.  Mercola talks about soy extensively.  Uh...soy sauce is evil.  It's not made in the traditional manner any more, so the traditional fermentation that would make soy safe is gone.  Traditionally, soy sauce didn't have wheat flour added to it.  Everything that is on the store shelf that doesn't say gluten free on the label has wheat in it.  The third reason soy is so bad is that the majority on the market is GMO.  GMO is bad for the allergy community.  GMO products change all the genetics around and actually stirs up allergies that weren't even there before.  And, that's the short version on GMO.

Mercola does speak about one or two soy products that are actually healthy, but only if you're not already allergic to soy.  One is called Nattokinese or Natto for short.  It's a traditionally fermented food originated from Japan.  It's linked to vitamin K2, a relatively newly understood form of vitamin K.  So, you would need to read the articles on Mercola's site on that.  I can't explain vitamin K2 well enough to even try to parrot Doctor Mercola.  This is one food made from soy that no one has tried to trick people about and that is actually healthy--so long as you're not allergic to soy.  Aside from this one product, simply avoid soy because it won't even matter that it's organic if it's not traditionally fermented.  It obviously doesn't matter if it's an allergy.

[TexasCutie88]

It could be maybe just start with an allergy test to wheat and milk. It took 22 years to find out what was wrong with me. Also if she is very active it could she has fast metabolism. Hope that help!

[Caryopteris]

It sounds like she is allergic to gluten and soy.  I react to gluten, nuts and dairy.  My Celiac test never came back positive, but since i respond well to the diet, my surgeon says I must have it.  So I went gluten-free and am doing much better.  It is tempting to not be religious about it when you don't have a lab test telling you she definitely has it, but the diet is worth it to me because I feel better.  She should eat lots of vegetables, fruit, meat, and ground flax.  She should go easy on gluten-free grains once her weight gets up because they are very dense and you can gain too much weight after your gut heals.  She needs to be tested for vitamin D deficiency and iron deficiency.  Also have her thyroid checked.