What Happened to Ben???

Ben is generally a happy go lucky boy. He has intense moments but is quick to laugh and easily distracted. This week Ben went missing. In his place was a tantrum throwing, screaming, pinching, biting, hitting and self injuring look a like. Monday evening Ben threw a tantrum for three hours. This is not a typo. From 4pm to 7pm Ben thrashed and screamed. He threw himself on the floor and hit his head purposely on the coffee table and walls. He was completely out of control and when he would let me hold him it would only last a moment before he started biting and grabbing my face and hair. I had to hold him back while also not allowing him to bang his head off anything. Jon and I just stared at each other. We remembered that same look from over a year ago when our sweet baby once honed in on his inner wild animal and put as much energy into his evening colic. That same newborn it seems had taken on toddler form and we were at a loss. We went through all our old tricks and finally strapping him in the car three hours later did the trick. He thrashed around only briefly until he gave into exhaustion and it ended abruptly leaving his parents more traumatized then he. The rest of the week has not progressed much better. Fortunately we haven't seen anything like that since however he will not transition, accept "no", eat, go to bed, play kindly with other children and on and on. These were all things he was fully capable of doing with a smile on his face a little over a week ago. I want my son back!!! Jon and I talked about what could be going on with him last night and realized his behaviour changes began around the same time we allowed wheat and dairy back into his diet. He used to get eczema and asthma from eating these things previously but after his allergist suggested we try them again at seventeen months we did so "successfully" with none of the previous symptoms. I know however that sensitivities can affect children in different ways and thought perhaps this was now being manifested in his behaviour.I did some reaserch like I tend to do and found and intersting article.

"As many as one in five adults and children, and probably one in three with behavioural problems, react allergically to common foods such as milk, wheat, yeast and eggs. The knowledge that allergy to foods and chemicals can adversely affect moods and behaviour in children has been known, and ignored, for a very long time. Early reports back in the 1980's, confirmed by recent double-blind controlled trials, have found that allergies can affect any system of the body, including the central nervous system. They can cause a diverse range of symptoms including fatigue, slowed thought processes, irritability, agitation, aggressive behaviour, nervousness, anxiety and depression"

We put Ben went back to soy and rice today and bingo my boy is back! WHEW!!!!!!