13yo Suffering with Digestive Issues...What Could it be?

[LondonGrimmer]

I have an appointment for him for next month (takes four weeks to see a GP where we are), but am going to call the Reception Team in the morning to try and get a same-day urgent appointment, as he's so bad this evening.

Every now and then, perhaps every few months, my 13yr old ds would get an upset stomach and have to spend some time on the toilet. He gets stomach pains, clammy, pale and lethargic. For the past few weeks tho, he gets it almost every three days or so.

Anyone else experienced this and can share their ideas please? I know it could be a food intolerance (he had a wide and varied diet, no obvious triggers), or perhaps anxiety?

Ask your GP to test him for coeliac disease. This sounds similar to my DS who was diagnosed a few months ago.

This website has some useful information about the variety of symptoms it can present with https://www.coeliac.org.uk/home/

If you do think this sounds like your DS then don’t immediately put him on a gluten free diet as he will need to continue to eat gluten to get diagnosed.

Food intolerance is the obvious one.

I developed a lactose intolerance as a teen.

Thanks so much @Twotooto - just completed the free online assessment and have the email confirming he should be tested for Coeliac. He has always struggled with constipation in the past, but now it's the other way around. He also has hypomineralised teeth (had to have four out due to this) and some of the other symptoms. Fingers crossed we see a GP tomorrow who takes us seriously and refers us ASAP.

Thanks again!

Glad I could help. Good luck with the GP!

Thanks, saw one this morning and she was very blasé but has referred him to have a blood test next week. Really hoping it's not Coeliac.

I asked whether it could be dairy so she just said to try cutting it from his diet completely for six weeks to see if it makes a difference.

If not food intolerances, think about irritable bowel. Is he stressed anxious about anything

Yes, he's struggling a bit at school so I thought it was anxiety/IBS (I have IBS). I guess it'll just be a case of methods of deduction...will (hopefully) rule out coeliac and dairy intolerance and go from there.

Was he ever reflux or colicky as a baby? DD developed symptoms like this as a teen. They ruled our coeliac (definitely worth getting that ruled out). She is most definitely dairy intolerance, she can tolerate small amounts and cooked dairy is ok. But feed her things like ice cream or large amounts of milk and then she's not very well.

She had terrible reflux as a baby and I think she's maybe always had an issue but after weaning never drunk a lot of milk until she was a teen.

Lactose intolerance can often go hand in hand with coeliac, although from what I’ve read it can clear up once a GF diet is started. It’s worth getting him to start a food diary immediately to see if you can start to spot some triggers. I just bought DS this one Food Diary and Symptom Log -... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CN1H78MX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

as he has some secondary issues that we’re trying to get to the bottom of.

Try not to worry too much if he is coeliac, at least you’ll know the cause of his issues, and there are lots of resources to help guide you through starting a GF diet. Whilst not entirely straightforward it is a lot easier to be gluten free than it used to be.

Hi,

did the poster ever get answers for your son’s symptoms?

Hope you did get answers and it all taken care of.

Hello

So, my 13yo had a blood test to rule out coeliac, and a stool sample test to rule out IBD. We then saw a consultant in October who was very thorough, listened to all of the symptoms and issues, and looked at it in a holistic way. She's suggested it is a lactose intolerance, as his symptoms have eased since cutting out all dairy back in the summer (on the advice of the GP).

However, I'm now thinking it's a combination of lactose intolerance and IBS triggered by too much sugar, or stress. He can't even have one can of fizzy drink without having gas issues. If he has a takeaway or sugary treat foods, he pays for it (like today - was up a lot in the night with a bad stomach so was too tired for school first thing).

He does now have a very healthy diet, but I do feel for him having to be very careful about what he eats. The consultant did suggest trying small amounts of milk/dairy now and then to see how he tolerates things. Hopefully he'll grow out of it and be able to enjoy milk and cheese in small quantities in a few years.