7 year old chronic nausea, swollen stomach, pain after eating, always cold

[SuperAmoo]

Hi just putting this out there for ideas - DD has had stomach problems all her life that we've managed at home. Mostly recurrent stomach bugs, feeling sick ( rennies have helped the past), intolerance to gluten, dairy, eggs and soya that comes and goes. Extreme vomiting has a baby up to about 10 months. She had a stomach bug on 16 Dec and was very sick, she seemed to recover but since 31 Dec she has been at home with stomach pains, hardly eating, unable to lie down flat to sleep and, especially in the mornings, turning white as a sheet or even green and nearly vomiting. She says she can't lie down flat because the food in her stomach feels stuck and it hurts. I've put her on a gluten, egg, dairy and soy free diet but it hasn't helped, instead she's getting worse. She looks so ill. In the morning when she has to get dressed, she turns blue with cold and is the same when she has to go outside. Going to talk to doc on Monday. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Really worried.

[MumToOneMogwai]

Hiya this sounds awful, but no experiencing so bumping for more replies for you. You could always try reposting this in chat for more traffic? but hopefully more people will be along soon!

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Sounds like she needs extensive allergy testing. And blood tests to check iron , vitamin and hormone levels !! Your poor dd she sounds so ill :( how is her colour normally? Does she regularly turn blue? Is it just when cold?

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

To be honest if she's turning blue her says must be low not sure I'd wait till Monday. Is there a walk in clinic or ooh service near u?

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Says? Meant to say sats

[SuperAmoo]

Well I don't want to be dramatic - she's fine normally - I mean she went out in the snow yesterday with five vests and two tops and two jumpers, a body warmer and a coat etc. But it's when she has to expose her skin to the air, even warm air, and especially in the morning, her lips turn blue and she shivers and shivers. It's like her body isn't regulating her temperature at all!

[mammmamia]

No experience but bumping for you. Your poor DD, hope it gets sorted soon.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

I'm assuming she has lost alot of weight due to the bugs? A lack of body fat would mean she wasn't as insulated and would feel cold more. But poor oxygenation could also be indicative of a heart or lung or blood problem. Really not trying to scare u I promise and it's probably down to post viral fatigue or something but she could probably use a full work up.
:(

[cq]

How old is she OP? This sounds like it's been going on for a long time. Sounds like you need to make a nuisance of yourself until they get to the bottom of it. As well as a full work up I would ask for a referral to a nutritionist - a good one is a true healer.

[SuperAmoo]

She isn't exactly skin and bone but there isn't an ounce of fat on her so it might just be because of that. I'm just so upset at her having to sit at home and miss everything. If she starts vomiting at any point, I'll phone an ambulance, no question and if I don't think the doctor is going to rush some tests when we see them on Monday, I will take out a loan and go private. I guess I just wanted to share these worries somewhere because, although I have great friends, they don't really understand how bad it is and I don't like talking to them about it.

[SuperAmoo]

cq she's 7. She's had stomach woes since the minute she was born, literally. She's been tested for allergies already and they basically told me to go home and stop making such a fuss coz she's not allergic to anything but that was 5 years ago.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

It really could be something simple like anaemia but I would definately push for tests to rule out anything more serious. She could have a serious electrolyte imbalance with the vomiting and restricted diet. Have u tried dirolyte? Second a dietician get some balanced calorie laden meal plans etc. has she been tested for caeliac?

I don't thing hospital at this stage would be an over reaction poor girl sounds very ill? The stomach bugs she's had? Did it coincide with anything else? A holiday? School trip? Could be she's picked up a parasite or something

[MoreBeta]

Has she been tested for Chrohns disease?

[SuperAmoo]

It never really started - it's just always been there - sometimes she only has mild nausea and pain but lately it's got alot worse. She was tested for coeliac but she was on a gluten-free diet when they tested her - I did say at the time that wasn't right but noone listened. But there's no improvement in her symptoms when she gluten-free anyway.

[MoreBeta]

That was my next question. has she been properly tested for coeliac?

She very clearly hasnt. You need to really have a proper biopsy and a thorough ebdoscopic internal examination of the full length of her stomach, upper, middle and lower bowel.

Also how strict are you with the gluten free diet. I have extreme gluten intolerance that did not show up a 'classic coeliac'.

[MoreBeta]

ebdoscopic = endoscopic

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

I thought they had to have gluten in the diet before the test?

Definately time to start hounding your dr for answers! Can't believe they have been so dismissive about it all.

She clearly needs testing for some kind of metabolic disorder or somethin

[wannabestressfree]

Your description of your daughter reminds me of me as a child. I had lots of unexplained stomach pains and problems and they finally got to the root of the problem when I was 23 and had emergency bowel surgery. I have crohns disease. I have had three bowel resections since and am due to have a colostomy bag put in on March 18th.

I am not scare mongering but it is quite hard to get to the bottom of [excuse the pun]. Sometimes I can have no trace of the disease and then very quickly go down hill. My sister and my mum are also 'borderline' cases. I am not underweight by the way [far from it] but have been on steroids for seven years on and off.

It does make you feel terrible. I cope better now. But no one really paid attention when I was a child. And my mum feels guilty about it now. As treated it normally doesn't lead to surgery.....

[SuperAmoo]

I have looked into Crohns as between the age of 2 and 4 she had 5-10 episodes of explosive diarhoea every day - but it was dismissed as 'toddlers diarhoea. Thing is she hasn't really had diarhoea since - isn't that one of the main symptoms of Crohns?

[SuperAmoo]

wannabestressfree - I'm sorry to hear you've suffered so much with it - I really hope the procedure goes ok in March.

[wannabestressfree]

It changes....... sorry for TMI but when she goes does it smell?
Even with Crohns My poo chart [I know] can range it really depends on what I am eating. Not eating bread, pasta, milk will make it more solid.
At the moment I am between a 20-30 times a day girl :{

[wannabestressfree]

Do you know what I am over the moon its coming out.......... I will get my life back. I have accidents, can't go out without knowing where a toilet is, have been off work the last week due to pain and fatigue. Bring it on :}

I don't want to frighten you. Its perfectly manageable and lots of people do. I think mine was so far gone by then its caused other problems. My mum should have bullied [she knows that now] but was told I have grumbling appendix... colic [for years], attention seeking!!?

Anyway if I can help just ask :}

[florry88]

sorry havnt read al the replies , but my daughter has eosinophilic gasrointestional disease and her symptoms are very much as you are describing,( although of course could be many things) you maybe shoudl ask to be regerred to a paediatric gastroenterologist.

The only way to diagnose eosinophilic disorder is by a simple biopsy of the GI tract done by endoscopy.
sorry she is suffering in this way.

[SuperAmoo]

Poor you that's awful. She only goes once a day generally but it does smell bad and it takes her 20 minutes - it's usually quite loose I think. She has other stomach-related things that make me think it probably isn't that though. She has really bad breath even just after brushing her teeth. She has violent attacks of hiccups that reduce her to tears sometimes because they hurt and her stomach sounds like it's going to come out of her mouth. And she also seemingly can't burp - even after two hours of hiccups and her stomach is moaning and groaning with all the air in there, she can't physically burp.