Our Fructose and Sucrose Malabsorption Story

My beautiful little boy who is only 2 years old has been diagnosed with Fructose and Sucrose Malabsorption. What a ride it's been. He also has Milk Protein intolerance and Soy Intolerance. The milk and soy intolerance were easy to overcome, compared with the Fructose and Sucrose which has been far more challenging.

He was diagnosed through a Hydrogen Breath Test which was done at the Womens and Childrens Hospital in Adelaide Australia.

Before the test I knew something was very wrong. He was always getting stomach aches, not sleeping and whenever he got stomach aches his appetite would decrease. I suspected it was something to do with sugar. A mothers instinct is very strong.

We are now waiting to have a endoscopy and bowel biopsy. I will add more to our story soon...gotta go.

Support Group For parents of children suffering from fructose malabsorption, sucrose or lactose

Childrens Fructose Sucrose Lactose Malabsorption Group

Visit this group

What is Fructose Malabsorption

• What is Fructose Malabsorption
  
  
  Fructose Malabsorption is not to be confused with Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (HFI), a condition in which the liver enzymes that break up fructose are deficient. In patients with fructose malabsorption, the small intestine fails to absorb fructose properly.
  
  Symptoms include:
  
  Typical symptoms of fructose malabsorption in children or babies may include:
• Bloating (because of fermentation in the small and large intestine)
• Diarrhea and / or constipation
• Flatulence
• Abdominal discomfort Stomach pain (due to muscle spasms, which can vary from mild and chronic to acute but erratic)
• Irritability and tiredness due to lack of sleep
• Night Waking
• Fatigue
  

Treatment
There is no known cure, but an appropriate diet will help. However, it is very difficult for undiagnosed sufferers to see any relationship between the foods they eat and the symptoms they suffer, even if they keep a daily diet diary. This is because most foods contain a mixture of fructose and glucose. Foods with more fructose than glucose are a problem. However, depending upon the sufferer's sensitivity to fructose, small amounts of problem foods could be eaten (especially when they are not the main ingredient of a meal).

Links
Nursing Education Resources Medi Smart - Carbohydrate Malabsorption in Infants
http://www.medi-smart.com/peds-cho.htm

Acknowledgement Wikipedia