Published on 12, July, 2020
My son is 10 and has been diagnosed with ASD and motor/vocal tics. He has been suffering from bowel issues for about 3/4 years but only recently did I realise there is a link between ASD and the gut so his psychologist has only been focusing on the ASD and we have been seeing a paediatrician about is stomach. He suffers from chronic loose stools and can spend hours on the loo with an upset tummy. We are currently under the hospital but I'm getting frustrated that the consultants seem to dismiss the issue as trivial. We last had an app in Feb and the next one isn't until May! Has anyone else had issues with the NHS taking the bowel issues seriously? I'm definitely going to mention the ASD next time we go. I'm starting to lose faith in the NHS as it's been three years since I first raised it with my Dr and they have only carried out a handful of minor tests in all that time. They seem to think that because he's growing and putting on weight he's fine
Bowel problems and ASD are commonly linked but the problem is that there is no real good science that can help with working out why there is a link. Dr Wakefield was investigating this when he got into trouble with making up his data in the MMR scandal.
The stomach is a very physical thing and it responds to what is put into it but it also responds to our stress levels etc.
Possible causes of problems include
Diseases such as Crohn's
IBS due to stress/anxiety
Food allergies and intolerances - food that sounds healthy and good can actually be problematic for some people - I've discovered that I have Pollen Fruit Syndrome which means that I can't eat apples, tomatoes and other items that I've always thought of as simply healthy.
I would agree with Crystal in that a diagnosis of psychosomatic disorder can only be made after other more physical problems have been eliminated from the enquiry. I would be surprised if the gastro consultants will be interested in, or be able to do anything with, the knowledge that he has ASD.