6 year old sick in morning only?

[ginyogarepeat]

Posting here for more traffic than in health.

DS woke a few days ago complaining of stomach ache and early that morning vomited a small bit of undigested dinner from the night before.
Since then the pattern has been the same - improves during the day, eats and drinks small amounts. Sleeps fine but wakes early and dry heaves with only bile coming up. This happens several times in the morning and then he seems to improve. Saw GP yesterday and he checked him over and diagnosed good old gastroenteritis. Isn't it a bit odd to only be sick (even though it's not proper vomiting) first thing in morning, plus no diarrhoea?

Day 3 now and still the same! Never experienced a stomach bug like it.

Can't see it being constipation? His bowel movements are usually fine, normal size, he doesn't complain of stomach ache (other than first thing the last few mornings)...

None of those rule out constipation unfortunatly.

How would you know?! Why would it only be first thing in morning that he's affected and why would temp drop with constipation?

The temp can drop as a lot of blood is flooding to the bowel trying to increase movement. This makes the nausea worse too.
With my daughter she has a slow transit guy so wasn't what you would expect with stool consistency etc. It's just her body doesn't move food along quickly enough. It's why when she was laying down all night everything slowed down more.
Although obviously your son may have something else entirely

Thanks Seymour - hope she's doing better now. Am going to explore low blood sugar/acid first and if not then we'll have to consider something else....

How would you know?!

You can actually feel the build up in the bowel with your hand (or in some cases actually see the lump), if you know where it's located. basically it's below and to the right (his left) of the belly button and above the groin, most noticable when laying flat on his back.

Are they worrying about going to school. When I'm nervous I throw up. Only when really nervous

No he's not kidney - definitely not at all.

I'm pretty sure your gp would have felt tummy for impaction ?

My dd had this for 7 days in summer, it was a bug and the gp had seen loads of cases. Only sick in morning

Any diarrhoea cottonsock? What about eating and energy - all fine during the day? He's not even proper 'vomiting' - it's more just a bit of bile, or water if he's just drunk some.

My son had this, always at the same time of day. His bowels were impacted and although he was still pooing normally he was sick. Food made him feel better but then it would come back up. Couple of days of stool softener and some massive bowel movements and he was back to normal. Did they feel his tummy?

And yes, not 'proper' vomitting and he was normal otherwise

I honestly can't remember if she felt his tummy! He was on my knee, upset at stethoscope etc, and all I was concentrating on was consoling him

BlackInk - to be fair to stuckasachild this was my DS's first brain tumour symptom. If she hadn't have posted it, then I would. My DS was taken ill before the internet age so I had no resources to access or forums to post in. I would have given anything to have had an earlier diagnosis and not to have had all the back and forth from doctors and hospitals we endured with guesses - gastroenteritis, reflux, migraine - before he was eventually diagnosed. We were lucky. DS had surgery and radiotherapy and made a good recovery.

I quite get that we shouldn't leap to conclusions - and unnecessarily worry other parents - but sometimes some symptoms look so worrying to some of us who have experienced them that we want to ensure that other parents are aware and can seek the necessary medical advice as soon as possible.

It's clear that the OP is well informed and has done research regarding her DS's symptoms. But I would much rather risk worrying somebody about something they can get checked out than say nothing for the fear of worrying them and let a possibly life threatening condition progress.

Sorry OP, slight hijack of your thread. I hope you get to the bottom of your DS's health issue. It must be miserable for both you and him. Weirdly I dry retch every morning. I gag every time I clean my teeth and I only have to think about cleaning my teeth to set it off. Could it be something like that?

My ds who is 4 vomits when he hasn't pooed for a few days. He now has lactulose and movicol to keep on top of things , as soon his poo is starting to look dry or pellet like we dose him up with both and it gets him back regular, or else he vomits. With him it's usually in the night and is a one off. Doctors told me a tummy bug is usually 1-3 days of consistent upset tummy, vomit and usually loose stools.

Thanks deathbysnoring. I'm so glad that your daughter has made a full recovery; it's every parent's worst nightmare.
No, definitely not something like that. It's happened either whilst he's still in bed, or this morning as soon as he was downstairs and had a sip of water. Plus he goes pale, temp drops etc too so definitely not a case of retching over something he finds unpleasant.

Thanks too bobsters. Yes, this really is unlike any tummy bug he's ever had, or anyone I've known to ever have! Completely untypical. I'm fairly certain at this stage it's not gastroenteritis.

He's had two bowel movements today - one was on the hard side (unsurprising given less food and liquid over last few days), second was looser, but neither gave cause for concern or hurt him passing in any way.

Thanks ginyogarepeat

Someone else mentioned up thread whether he has a cold. I currently have the cold from hell and have been sick a few times because of the snot/mucus I've swallowed during the night. Deeply unpleasant and usually because I've had a drink of water or cup of tea first thing. Snotty stuff doesn't sit well in the stomach at all.

I hope you get to the bottom of it for him and you.

Poo's don't have to hurt or be infrequent to have an impaction. Looser stuff goes around the blockage, so sometimes you even get very loose stools.

It's totally different to short term constipation.

I keep reading symptoms of impaction but NONE of them hold for him, except the 'vomiting'. He does meet more symptoms of low blood sugar however, so going to rule that one out first.

Yes she was fine all day, ate normally and kept it all down. Only lasted a few nights though

Sorry but like other poster I have read this can be a sign of a brain tumour - so sorry to alarm you but I would get the opinion of another doctor.

blackink my son too had a massive brain tumour. Very very few symptoms, imbalance when walking, but he was sick in the morning. It's the tumour blocking the movement of fluid in the brain. He was at school one day, sick the next morning and in hospital by 11.00 am with a diagnosis of a brain tumour. Unfortunately for those of us who have experienced it it is frighteningly quick from seemingly well to seriously ill.

When anyone mentions their child being sick early mornings only it brings back the fear and a need to raise the possibility. Are there other symptoms? Walking with an unsteady gait?recurring headache in same place (my son admitted he had this but it was for only 10 seconds at a time and not that painful)? By the time we got to hospital my son could not walk in a straight line nor could he tap his finger to his nose. He had been at school the day before.

There is so little awareness of this type of cancer that those of us who have been through it wish to raise awareness in case another child can be helped just that little sooner.

We are aware that it could cause distress and fortunately in most cases it is not the cause of the sickness. We just want people to be extra vigilant.

I also have a friend who's little boy died from a brain tumour - after presenting with morning vomiting, and a headache in his case. 😥

I'm really sorry if I came across as dismissive and it's heartbreaking to hear of your LOs who have presented with morning vomiting that turned out to be something awful.

How's your son today poster ginyogarepeat?