stress related tummy ache, or grumbling appendix? 9yo DS

[stealthsquiggle]

Since the beginning of term, DS has been getting up every morning complaining of pain "like you want to throw up, but you can't" in his tummy - when asked where, he points to the right place for appendicitis (halfway between navel and left hip) - but he says it is generally gone by ~10am, and he has been playing sport etc unaffected, so it's definitely not there by the afternoon.

Any thoughts? It's quite hard to watch him doubled up in pain and pack him off to school anyway. He is a natural born worrier, so stresses about everything, but I haven't been able to get out of him anything specific that is worrying him . I am loathe to take him to the GP again as we have been there before with similar symptoms (but not every day) only to get a "not much we can do, he'll grow out of it.." sort of answer.

[emilyofnewmoon]

We had this with ds2. Everyday he had stomach pains and often was sent home from school with them. Took him to gp and was referred to Paediatrican
who did a few tests, ultrasound, blood tests etc which were all normal. Never got to the bottom of the problem but pains did eventually go away on their own. DS2 is a worrier too. Does your ds get these pains on a weekend? My ds never did.
If you are worried though I would go back to your gp and asked to be referred to a paediatrican. I think my ds was reassurred that the tests were fine and that there was nothing physically wrong with him.

[stealthsquiggle]

Thanks, Emily. I am not sure about the weekend thing TBH - he has had school on Saturday and school related stuff on Sunday the last couple of weeks. I shall watch and see. I strongly suspect we would get 'no obvious cause' too, but the fact that he is consistently showing me the same spot is worrying me a bit (he knows nothing of appendicitis)

[QuintessentialShadows]

My son has had his appendix out, and he has been doubled up in pain now and then for the last three weeks. He has also gone to sleep with a bucket by his bed, as he as been complaining that it feels like he is going to throw up. We have taken him to the A&E two weeks ago, as it got so bad. They said it was a virus. It has been on and off since the second week of term.

[stealthsquiggle]

Interesting - thanks, Quintessential. I am currently wondering if it is just constipation - will be force - feeding DS fruit for the weekend. He says it starts early in the morning and wears off by lunchtime ATM.

[intravenouscoffee]

Your appendix is located between navel and right hip. The pain can begin on the left side and track to the right but usually only in acute appendicitis.

FWIW I had appendicitis when I was 9, preceded by several months of random abdominal pain/nausea which was put down to anxiety by my GP. Disappeared once the appendix did.

[Restrainedrabbit]

Dd (7) gets mesenteric adenitis, everytime she gets a viral infection. Could it be this?

[stealthsquiggle]

OK, that one I had to google

It looks like a bit of a catch-all for otherwise unexplained tummy pain. I guess that could be it. He has had colds and general bugs a couple of times in the last month or so. No tummy ache yesterday, and he didn't complain of any this morning (although I didn't specifically ask him). I think I will try and keep his fruit intake up, and keep an eye on it for another week before I think about taking him to the GP. Maybe I should start stuffing vitamins into him?

[Goldmandra]

I've learned a lot about tummy pain in the past few months as my DD2 has been admitted to hospital five times since July with suspected appendicitis.

I've seen a fair few children who had their appendix out in that time and they all seemed to have very different symptoms.

On the ward last Thursday night was one little girl who had fairly mild pain, no temp, no vomiting but an ultrasound had shown free fluid in her abdomen so she had her appendix removed. It was inflamed.

There was another girl who had had no typical pain and been diagnosed with food poisoning but her appendix had perforated and made her very, very poorly.

My DD has severe pain in exactly the right place but no free fluid, vomiting, temp, etc so she's been sent home this time with painkillers and a diagnosis of chronic abdominal pain. Before that we have also been told IBS, mesenteric adenitis, and anxiety.

My GP still thinks it's appendicitis.

It is a diagnosis they make on the balance of probabilities and ruling out other things.

I would see your GP and ask for an ultrasound just to check for free fluid which is sometimes leaked from an inflamed appendix. It isn't always there but, if it is, spotting it could prevent your DS from a very nasty experience .