Maggie: Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Original Symptoms & Diagnoses:
Irritable Bowel Disorder (IBD), Colic, Chronic Diarrhea, Chronic Sickness
Before:
Maggie developed colic-like symptoms shortly after exposure to the antibiotics. It was at this time that I began to do some research on the possible causes of colic. I learned that people in many other countries use probiotics to address colic and also to restore gastrointestinal balance after exposure to antibiotics.
After:
Today, at 5 years old, she is happy, symptom-free and thriving. She went from being a chronically irritable and miserable child to one that laughs, sings, plays and enjoys life.

Because of my experiences with my older daughter who had Sensory Processing Disorder, allergies and eczema, I caught my second daughter’s biomedical issues at a much earlier stage. My second daughter, Maggie, developed oral thrush within one week of birth. She was given Nystatin and unfortunately, she was also exposed to antibiotics early on (these were given to me to prevent an infection from breastfeeding with thrush).

It Began with Colic

Maggie developed colic-like symptoms shortly after exposure to the antibiotics. It was at this time that I began to do some research on the possible causes of colic. I learned that people in many other countries use probiotics to address colic and also to restore gastrointestinal balance after exposure to antibiotics. Against our pediatrician’s advice, we gave Maggie some infant-formulated probiotics in breastmilk and within a few days, the colic symptoms were completely gone. After this, all seemed well with Maggie’s health. There was no constipation or other signs of ill health.

Trouble After Medical Intervention

Shortly following her nine-month check-up, however, Maggie developed a 105-degree fever after receiving a routine medical intervention. Shortly after this, Maggie’s stools began to get looser and looser.

When I stopped nursing Maggie at around 13 months old, the loose stools turned into chronic diarrhea. Maggie had diarrhea everyday for months, and our pediatricians and gastroenterologist only suggested that we feed her less fruit and take her off of dairy (neither of these suggestions were helpful in stopping the diarrhea).

Maggie was also chronically sick with green running mucus and a cough. Luckily, for Maggie, it was around this time (when she was approximately 15 months old) that we began seeing functional medicine specialists for our older daughter and we were able to determine what was at the root of Maggie’s chronic diarrhea and immune dysregulation. Like her older sister, Maggie had diagnostic tests that revealed gut dysbiosis, immune dysregulation and food intolerances (to wheat, dairy, and a several other foods).

Crohn’s Disease

Further tests revealed that she had significant inflammation in her gut (obvious to the eye because her abdomen was severely distended) and had biomarkers predictive of Crohn’s disease. Her gastroenterologist could not believe that a child not even two years old could be developing Crohn’s disease (a disease traditionally diagnosed in teenagers and adults), but he couldn’t argue with the diagnostic tests she had been given. How could such a young child develop Crohn’s disease?

We immediately started Maggie on the same healing diets and protocols as her sister, and within a short time her chronic diarrhea was completely resolved. Over time, her distended belly and irritable behavior (another symptom) and cough and mucus went away. By the time she was 3-1/3 years old, most of her symptoms were gone and she was eating all of the foods to which she was previously intolerant.

A Happy Ending: IBD Recovery

Today, at 5 years old, she is happy, symptom-free and thriving.  She went from being a chronically irritable and miserable child to one that laughs, sings, plays and enjoys life.

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