I’ve been feeding Zoey “healthy” foods that should “help” gut health, and now she’s back to this wild-eyed, angry stare, bloated tummy, and worsening constipation. Every time I add resistant starches (cooked and cooled rice or potatoes, or homemade bread made with potato starch and oats, but then frozen) or foods high in soluble fibers (beans, dates, prunes) or pectin (apples, applesauce), her mood goes downhill, and her insomnia worsens.
I believe Zoey has small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and that her moods are very sensitive to what I feed her because intestinal bacteria in her small intestine are producing gases that are affecting her directly.
Here is a handout to explain what I think is going on for Zoey, and may be happening to kiddos with MAND, in general. Please talk to your child’s gastroenterologist about this possibility. Zoey is only 14 years old. In the US, one of the major therapeutics for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is using motility drugs to move the small intestine forward, but this is used in adults. These drugs, such as Motegrity, are not available for children.
When she turns 18, I plan on asking for a trial of motility drugs. I am not a fan of drugs, but I do think that intestinal dysmotility is a key player in Zoey’s mood and poor health, as well as can determine long-term kidney health (bacteria in the gut love to produce uremic toxins that, over the long term, can damage the kidneys – this is worse when there is chronic constipation. Also, SIBO is thought to be a contributing factor to non alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The handout below explains why I think MAND leads to SIBO and worsening constipation. I list Miralax as an option in the handout, but I personally don’t use PEG products with Zoey, as she had a regression in cognition after being on it for one month during infancy. Might be different now, but I tend to be very wary of trying it after that scary reaction.