Going GFCF

After staying up all night absorbing all things autism related I decided to cut milk, dairy (casein) out of Isma'il's diet (Yes I know it's the very NEXT day. I wasn't kidding about wasting any time!)  I wanted to start slow and remove casein before gluten to monitor the reaction (if any) to the elimination of each. I knew milk would be a nightmare. Isma'il was nearly 2 1/2 and still taking a bottle before his nap and bedtime. His diet was filled with nothing but dairy and gluten. Just like the average toddler he loved mac n cheese, pizza, yogurt, pastas etc. This was gonna be H-A-R-D!

At night I filled a sippy cup with Rice Milk. He took a chug and looked at his bottle like I handed him castor oil and handed it back to me and cried. He whined and cried and we distracted him with a story. 

That night Isma'il slept through the night for the FIRST time in over a year and a half (when he first started cow's milk)! We are beyond shocked. We have been so stressed some nights my husband and I both on the verge of tears from Isma'il's screaming and erratic behavior. My husband was going to work incoherent in fear of losing his job from the inability to focus. This night was like a dream for us. Isma'il slept and slept like he hadn't in years. It hurt me to know all this time he was probably so exhausted himself but couldn't sleep as milk for many kids on the spectrum have compromised digestive systems "leaky guts" where the casein and gluten proteins leak from the intestines and travel to their brains creating an "opiate" drug-like effect.

The withdrawl went far better than anticipated. He cried and whined at night for a few days and that was the end of milk. Adios!