Advice please

my 14yo child has just received an ASD diagnosis. The last few years have been extremely hard, with my child suffering severe anxiety. 

They are now receiving help and have been prescribed sertraline to help the anxiety, which is starting to work. But they are still suffering from liquid diarrhoea every morning and during the day. Their sertraline dose is still low (only 50mg) and we are going to up it to see if that helps, but any other advice on how to help their gut would be great. 

We have looked for links with food intolerances etc., but they have this diarrhoea every single day, it doesn’t come and go. It also only started as their anxiety got bad. But that does mean they have been living with an incredibly upset tummy for over a year now. 

Parents
  • There's a few things that can help the intestines - cut out dairy for a bit (the bacteria that deals with dairy is often the first to be lost after prolonged diarhoea) because the lactose ferments and causes things to move too fast - and try to cut out mass-produced (cheap) white bread - the emulsifiers and excess yeast don't help a fragile bowel. (The Chorleywood production method uses tons of yeast to make the bread rise fast but it only tans the outside of the loaf - the 'supersoft' white bit is not really properly cooked to kill the yeast and it can ferment in the bowel) - it creates gas that forces things around uncomfortably.   Grease & chocolate causes problems too - but pasta/spaghetti is good for soaking up excess liquid inside. Try to use the leanest mince possible.

    Beware of oranges and fibrous fruit like melon - use in moderation.   Apple juice is good.    I use small amounts of Lactofree milk in tea/coffee and occasional cereals - £1/litre in Sainsbury's own-brand - identical to the Arla stuff.   (some of the other almond/soya milks are GROSS!)   Wheetabix can be like eating a scouring pad - instant problems.

    For functionality, the Imodium (Loperamide) works well as a temporary measure - the Instants (dissolve on the tongue) are good for getting sorted in the morning as they act fast.   Some pain killers can be useful for anethetising the bowel to gain confidence - chat to the doctor..

    I'd really recommend seeing the doctor and getting referred - I started with a similar thing but it turned into Ulcerative Colitis - which is not very nice.

  • They live off of pasta but do eat soft white bread, we will try swapping it out. 

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