My 5 year old son was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and coeliac disease at 2.5 years old. By 2.5 years old he had never had a solid bowel motion, before then doctors told me it was toddler diarrhea or just his normal, he had 1 day of 2 nappies with blood. He had a colonoscopy, endoscopy and blood tests to diagnose. He has always had normal frequency of 1 or 2 motions a day even before diagnosis. At diagnosis he was put on mesalazine 500mg once a day and a gluten free diet for coeliac disase. His bowel motions firmed up to normal consistency. The only times he has had diarrhea since diagnosis is when he has been glutened.

His calprotectin is constantly high and i have tried different natural methods to try and bring it down, in June I tried him on high strength probiotic vivomixx 450 billion similar to vsl3 but he started having tummy pains a couple of times a week and his calprotectin shot up from 500 to 1700 so his GI said to take him off it and double mesalazine, but once mesalazine was doubled tummy pains were happening daily so reduced back to his normal dose, and his calprotectin is now at 1000.

He currently takes a multivitamin, fish oil and thinking of starting on vit D.

I can't help but wonder if something else is going on, possibly allergies, I took him to an allergist but he refused to question the ulcerative colitis diagnosis. I'm also curious to see how he goes off the mesalazine but the GI refuses to allow that. He is verging on constipation and has also prescribed osmolax (which says not to take if you have uc) but the GI says its ok. The mesalazine also says not for under 12 year olds but he says thats fine too?!

I can't help but question the uc diagnosis.

Any ideas on how to bring calprotectin levels down and reduce tummy pains?

Thank you

it is tricky to diagnose UC in the face of untreated Celiac, but if the biopsies taken during the scope showed the crypt cell deformations diagnostic of UC, it is likely UC. ALso, it responded to mesalamine.

If you want a trial of going off mesalamine you should consider GI recommendation, but you are ultimate authority.

It is reasonable to wonder if there is an additional (or secondary to UC) allergy, but what makes wondering if he has UC at all so compelling?

There could be testing for allergies without throwing out UC diagnosis. Maybe you got off on wrong foot with allergist by asking to start by throwing out UC diagnosis.

It is possible mesalamine is no longer enough. It is hard to know if the right path is stronger UC meds, or therapy for alternate condition. Fresh biopsies would be useful.
good luck

As long as mesalazine is working keep him on it. It's one of the safest uc drug out there.

Thank you for the suggestion, i will ask about enemas.