Teenager who vomits & get diarrhoea for no apparent reason

[PenelopeFlintstone]

This has been going on for years, really. He'll have diarrhoea (like last Monday: had a tea in the morning, followed by a chicken burger at school canteen which his friend also got and was fine, and he often gets this, then got an attack of diarrhoea at school) and then be totally fine the next day. Then nothing until today when he's gone to his Saturday job, had just a tea beforehand, and has then thrown up at work and had to go home.
For years he has thrown up when no-one else has, diarrhoea when no-one else gets it, etc. He says, "Why is it always me, Mum?"
It's not my imagination. It's very clear to all of us in the family.
We thought he might be lactose intolerant as he did seem to be getting diarrhoea after milkshakes, pizzas, etc, but other times he eats and drinks those things with no reaction whatsoever.
I'm wondering if he's had for years some kind of low-level bacterial infection.
Has anyone else ever heard of something like this. He probably gets either D or V every 3-6/8 weeks - but usually just one 'burst' of either, not for hours or days.
Thanks

I would look at Celiac Disease when gluten has a toxic effect on the small intestine. Gastrointestinal problems are the most common symptoms. There can be lots of strange intermittent symptoms or no symptoms at all which is called “silent Celiac” until is gets extremely serious as an adult.

Talk to your GP and have your DS take a blood test (don’t exclude gluten yet) if the blood test is positive he should be seen by a specialist and have a endoscopy to confirm for sure a diagnosis.

My dad used to throw up for “no reason” and had a swollen gut area before she had a diagnosis.

Could be a build up of an allergy/intolerance. Could be lactose intolerant or even stress.

Keep a food diary so you can spot a potential trigger or pattern.

Is it certain days? Could it be anxiety based? Environmental?

Is it after visiting certain places? It's not always a good cause, there's a certain perfume if anyone wears it near me sets my IBS off.

Celiac

Abdominal migraine?

Is he drinking tea on an empty stomach? I can't and have often vomited when I've tried to. Otherwise agree with PP to keep a food diary and see if there are any possible triggers

Thanks everyone.
I'll go and read up more about celiac disease.
Is it anxiety related? Well, in the last two episodes it was his third and fourth shifts at Maccas - new job, so possibly. He didn't look or sound anxious but may have been subconsciously.

Yes, he was drinking tea on an empty stomach today. He has that every day though.

Not sure about the diarrhoea but DD has been diagnosed with silent reflux. This is stomach acid moving (I think!) up the oesophagus after eating. Causes her to cough and vomit, mainly at night but sometimes in the day after eating. She tells me she has some diarrhoea too but I think this is just on going to the loo in normal pattern, not the desperate 'run to the loo' sort. GP has now prescribed Omeprazole tablet once a day and she is much improved. As far as I know, there is no test for this, you just see whether the trestment works. Anyway, huge sympathy for your DS, I know from DD's experience that things that rumble on without a clear diagnosis like this are draining and can be very stressful for them.

DD also had the 'why me' feeling and I told her that people often have a medical condition or symptoms to manage that will be invisible to others...so it seems like you're the only one...but in reality in any group of friends quite a few will be managing or worrying about something. Not sure if that was helpful but seemed to reassure her for a bit.

Good luck!

I looked up abdominal migraine but he doesn't have any severe pain. It can be just a sudden feeling of imminent diarroeah or today was a stomach pain just 10 minutes before he spewed and he's just rated it at 6 out of 10 for pain. He then slept for 20 minutes in the car and the pain was gone when he woke up.

Thanks NewName - I'll read up on that too. Glad your DD has some relief now.

That sounds like migraine. Ask him if he feels odd at all. Mine started with feeling odd, then eventually throwing up, then sleeping.
DS2 appeared to have way more bugs than anyone else, but it was stress induced migraine.

I'd also query IBS. Have you heard of FODMAPS? It's a bit of an odd one but certain foods can cause this reaction, mine is onions. It's all to do with how your gut processes the natural sugars.

Could be multi factorial too - anxiety increases stomach acids + ingests something that is an irritant but doesn't always bother him, but the inc stomach acid speeds absorption = upset stomach.

Go to the GP. It could be Coeliac's disease, reflux, Crohn's disease, IBS. A food and symptom diary would be helpful to try and determine if there's a pattern. Good luck.

Definitely see the GP for investigation. We can only make our own wild guesses, and anything gut related can be potentially serious.

I wouldn't be surprised if inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) had to be ruled out by them on investigation. Among other things they can cause partial obstruction, the symptoms of which can be what you've just described. Pain and vomiting because the body can't accept any more food, diarrhoea because that's the only way for anything to pass the obstruction.

Go to the doctor.

Mr DH is a doctor and he said your DS could also have some kind of obstruction or stricture in the bottom of the esophagus, intestinal track or colon. Also possible that he has an infection as you mentioned, the main thing is frequent D and V is not normal and should be looked at. Please take him to the GP.

Look up dumping syndrome- that may explain sudden diahreea but not sure on the vomiting. As per pp best talk to the GP

Know a few teenagers with similar symptoms, including my own child . Various reasons, acid , hernia. It’s taken over a year to get tests etc . Keep pushing your gp for hospital appointment. My child now has daily medication and has recently been able to reduce the dose . From talking to other I have found that many teenagers get these problems and thankfully many grow out of them . The consultant we saw , on multiple visits, told us that often with teenagers they have these problems, never get an exact diagnosis and then the problem disappears.

Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome might be another avenue to explore .

Thanks all. We are going to the doctor but he's only here on Fridays.

Poor thing. Sounds horrid. Worth starting a food and stress diary today just in case your GP says that that is the first thing to do - you'll have a week's entries already, and you don't want to find that the GP tells you they won't take it any further till they've got seven days' entries.

Just to clarify, it's not that frequent - maybe once or twice a term - but the thing is that no-one else ever has it, only him. It still surprises us when it happens but we're noticing the frequency relative to the rest of us and wondering why no-one else ever gets it. Of course if he was having long or bad bouts of either I would've taken him by now but it's one random vomit, one random rush to the loo, etc. And he's not really debilitated by it, except now he had to miss two shifts at work.

Yes, Dolores. I'm going to start my food diary, and also his environment and anything that might cause anxiety too.