DD on and off belly pains for days

[Natsku]

DD (15) has been having pain in her belly, mostly at the bottom but also the sides and top, so basically all over her abdomen which doesn't help me figure out what it could be. Been going on for at least a week now, maybe 1.5 weeks, and will hurt for a while then go away then come back in a few hours. Paracetamol not helping. Its definitely not period pains as they started after her period finished. No fever or other symptoms.

We're on holiday in the UK so can't just take her to the doctor like we would back home and its not like its A&E worthy, so just trying to think what it could possibly be. Its not very severe pain, she looks uncomfortable but is able to walk etc. She is very tired but she's anaemic so the tiredness might be due to that rather than the pain (or both)

Constipation?

Could be a million things try some buscopan and if that doesn't work make her a gp appointment when your home

You can have a Drs appointment as a temporary resident. I’ve done that while I’m on holiday in Cornwall.

Contact 111. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Hope she feels better soon.

We're not British residents at all so not sure we can get a GP appointment at all. Didn't think of constipation, I'll ask her. Forgot about buscopan as its not otc in our country, I'll go to the chemists today and see if that helps.

Ask to speak to the Pharmacist. They will advise you the best and give you more options.

could be gas or constipation, or something more serious. My sister had an ovarian cyst at that age. Definitely get her checked out as soon as you can - yes you can access a GP here! And call 111 - it’s free for anyone currently in the UK. Your foreign phone may not recognise 111 so if you don’t have access to a landline then 111.nhs.uk should bypass any issues.

Thanks, going into town now so will ask the pharmacist.

Pharmacist reckons its upset digestive system which makes sense as she's not been eating the normal food she eats (not as much vegetables for instance) and drinking less water as she doesn't like the taste of water in England, even the bottled water tastes weird. Recommended peppermint oil capsules which she reckons have helped a little but still in pain, poor thing. I guess they take a few days to get the full effect.

Hopefully she will start to feel better soon.
Is she drinking lots still though? You can buy peppermint cordial to dilute if that's a possibility.

Trying to get her to drink more now, maybe cordial will make it easier for her to drink more but we're travelling for the next two days so will just have to stick to bottled water for now.

My brother who lives overseas gets this every time he visits. It's tiresome for him but not serious. Different bugs in water he was told.

This might be a silly comment but perhaps try cooled boiled tap water and see if she thinks that tastes better? Or other brands of bottled water? Drinking straw?

If she can tolerate fizzy drinks at the moment - Lucozade may help?

Oh that's frustrating for him. Does it start straight away or is it a delayed reaction to the water? She was fine the first few days we were here but she only tried the tap water on the first day.

Is she taking iron supplements for the anaemia? We’ve tried a few for my teen and they all give her stomach ache…

Not sure boiling it takes the taste away as my tea definitely tastes weird and almost slimy here, but we're trying different brands of bottled every time we go to the shop, will hopefully find a decent one soon. Must be that the soil is different in the uk, so even the spring water tastes different to what we're used to. She's been drinking elderflower presse at every opportunity because that tastes decent, might give lucozade a shot as that is of course a panacea.

No she stopped them quite a while ago as they did mess up her stomach (she'll be going back to the doctor for a follow up when term starts again, hoping she'll be offered an infusion)

Try bottled water from a different country perhaps like Evian or Volvic (i think they taste better but they are more expensive).

You can buy these in most supermarkets. If you’re travelling and don’t want to carry a big bottle of squash about? Just squirt it into the water bottle.

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Is she lactose intolerant? I love holidaying in Spain etc as lots of lactose free products are the norm.
I suffered for years until diagnosis. Lactaid tablets before dairy help massively.

Hope she feels better soon! X

I don't know, at home we use lactose free milk because my partner is intolerant and most ice creams etc. in our country are lactose free so wouldn't know if she was intolerant. She has been having ice creams and they're probably not lactose free here

So dramatic to say the water tastes bad and slimy. It’s most likely just hard water. You can get filter straws.

Ice CREAM isn’t lactose free in the UK no.

Could be the dairy she is eating. My pain moves all around my stomach as your partner will know. Is she has foul smelling wind as well it could be the issue.
Lactose free is rare in the UK!

Salads etc grow and are washed in our water. His diet is also very different in China. Happens when he goes back too because he stays for extended periods.