I’ve not talked about this in a while but as it’s become a problem once again, it’s time. Gavin is losing weight after maintaining for a most of the year.
He’s not losing crazy amounts of weight but he’s lost all he’s gained.
We have an upcoming GI appointment and we’re going to discuss the issues with his current labs (Bilirubin) and what, if anything we need to do. This will be done remotely since the labs were already done and it will be safer for Gavin.
For his entire life, gaining weight has always been a problem. For much of this year, he was maintaining at 140 lbs and today he’s down to 130 lbs. This wasn’t overnight but it’s where we are today. We’ve been tracking this forever and we’ve been to countless doctor’s appointments over the years in regards to his weight.
Aside from the weight-loss and problematic labs, he’s asymptomatic. He’s feeling fine and acting normal for himself. That’s a positive thing.
As soon as I know more, I’ll share more. And yes, Gavin eats. He eats whenever he wants and has a relatively balanced diet. That’s not the problem but we need to figure out what the problem is.
Rob, We’ve had the same exact problem with our 36 year old son for years. He eats actually more than I do but he drops weight because of his gastrointestinal problems. He was 145lbs and now is down to 128lbs. We have taken him to local gastroenterologist and also to specialist in Philadelphia and so far, after tests, we still have not gotten an answer what is causing his weight loss. Of course we are aware that a large percentage of people with autism have varying degrees of gastro problems. And like Gavin, except for bouts of gastro discomfort, he acts fine and also normal for himself. I’ve read many articles by the few specialist in the country that focus on gastrointestinal problems in people with autism-from mild to serious. There are many different theories from mutated cells in the digestive tract to overabundance of bad digestive bacteria, problems with Serotonin levels to other theories. But no one really has the answer. Here’s one such expert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lTnKmUaFLk