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Original poster

To ask for any advice, my daughter has had stomach ache for over 2 years

120 replies

Imsolucky1983 · 03/01/2017 22:17

I am at my wits end. My daughter started complaining of stomach ache and "sick" coming up her throat age 5. After a year of doctors visits I eventually went to a&e after being up for 8 hours with a screaming child. We were given a diagnosis of acid reflux. Gaviscon didn't help. Ranitidine helped about 50:/: we are now on lansoprosole which has helped about 75:/: but we are still having about 4 attacks of a "burning stinging" stomach a night, and about one episode of heartburn a day. My dd is now 7 and is so fed up, she asked me if she will feel ill forever Sad we are under a consultant they have done an ultrasound of her stomach, tested for a bacterial infection with a stool sample and done a blood test. We see them again in a month. They are not overly concerned though. My dd is finding the pain so upsetting though she has even had to have a few days off school when she has been awake with the pain at night. She has said it's hard to concentrate on her work at school when the pain is really bad. She was even in pain on Christmas Day. I've noticed it is worse in the hours before she does a poo. We are currently trying a dairy free diet as her younger sister has cows milk protein intolerance but so far it has not made any difference. We have tried probiotics which help with her mild? constipation, although her ultrasound showed a lot of poo but they were not concerned. We have tried movicol but that seemed to make the pain worse. She has been tested for cealiac. We have taken her to a cranial osteopath. We have increased fruit veg fibre and water intake. We have tried gaviscon in conjunction with lansoprozole. I am at a loss. Does anyone have any experience of something similar? Or any ideas of other things we can try?

OP posts:
BrownAjah · 04/01/2017 10:27

Pretty straightforward constipation can cause absolute havoc. My 2yr old got a 24hr mild bug and became constipated. We were given Movicol but not really instructed properly and we thought it had worked. It hadn't and she ended up with hideous diorrhea, awful nappy rash, etc. The doctors assumed it was intolerance, allergies, etc and we were referred to the hospital paeds who ended up x-raying her and finding she had a big back-up! Using Movicol properly has changed everything for her and we're now looking at long-term management through toilet training etc.

The fact your daughter is in pain is worrying and you should definitely push for further examination. Try different doctors, ask for specialists etc

Gileswithachainsaw · 04/01/2017 10:31

Are you using soya substitutes as you are trying dairy free?

If you are I'd switch to oatly or Koko.

If she is reacting to the protein in the lol nearly half those who do also react to soya as the proteins are very similar.

It may be worth trying dairy and soya free

LeadPipe · 04/01/2017 10:32

There is faecal loading and faecal impaction. Both caused by chronic constipation.

From Wikipedia:
A fecal impaction is a solid, immobile bulk of human feces that can develop in the rectum as a result of chronic constipation.

A related term is fecal loading which refers to a large volume of stool in the rectum of any consistency.

Impaction is the more serious of the 2 but I have had our paed GI use the terms interchangeably.

Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 10:34

No we don't use soya as my youngest daughter is dairy and soya free due to allergies. It gives her chronic constipation. Removing dairy and soya cured my youngest daughter, but not my oldest. My youngest had such bad constipation she did not poo for 2 weeks age 1 and passed out from all the straining. It took us 7 months to get a diagnosis of cows milk protein intolerance, and we were warned about soya too so we stay away from it, it gives dd2 sticky poos!

OP posts:
Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 10:35

Thank you leadpipe

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Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 10:36

I'm dreading her going back to school
Tomorrow as I hate thinking of her sitting there is pain. The teachers are at a loss what to do just like I am so they just offer her sips of water or send her to the loo. Maybe I should offer to go in and give calpol if the pain gets so bad??

OP posts:
Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 10:37

It would be a total pain but I hate seeing her so upset, she's always saying mummy will it ever go away Sad

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Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 10:39

I tell her she has to go to school even if she is in pain. Sometimes I wonder if I kept her off until this was sorted out they would do something quicker! She loves school though despite the pain so I think that would be a last resort she would hate to miss out

OP posts:
SciFiFan2015 · 04/01/2017 10:43

Have you tried the squatty potty theory? Look it up online. Encourage your DD to put her feet up on a stool when trying for a BM. It's easier and can help have a more complete evacuation. Obviously this would only be a small part of the solution but might help. Hope you find the answer OP.

Joanna0685 · 04/01/2017 10:53

One idea would be to give her loads of pillows so when she sleeps she is almost sitting up.

poohsticks13 · 04/01/2017 11:01

Hi,
Poor thing.

Not a cure, as you obviously have to try and get to the cause of the problem (and are) but Nexium might help? I found it worked better than the other PPIs.

Hope you get it resolved soon.

Joanna0685 · 04/01/2017 11:01

Also possibly try a stimulant laxative

wannabestressfree · 04/01/2017 12:27

I have crohns and really should have been diagnosed as a child. I had the worst severe stomach aches when I was younger which made me reluctant to eat and drink, severely sick etc. These episodes lasted a while then suddenly I was better. I was diagnosed as a late teen with crohns and lost most of my bowel........

lemony7 · 04/01/2017 12:39

Sorry I don't have time to read all the replies, but it sounds like she needs a camera down her throat. Be firm with the GP.

Also propping her up with pillows at night so she isn't "flat" and not lying on her left side should reduce the acid reflux at night.

user1470997562 · 04/01/2017 12:55

I would try cutting out gluten and see if it helps.

I have IBS and my Coeliacs test comes out negative. But gluten causes my symptoms to flare up (causing duodenitis at one point), so I remain gluten free. I can notice a difference within three days of cutting it out.

Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 14:19

Thank you I will ask about chrons, what are the main symptoms?

OP posts:
Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 14:19

I'm trying 2 weeks dairy free again at the moment, if no joy I will try 2 weeks gluten free afterwards

OP posts:
Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 14:34

She has just been for a poo putting her feet on a small stall which helped she has done a huge poo but is now screaming that her stomach stings Sad

OP posts:
DailyFail1 · 04/01/2017 15:58

The symptom you just described is what I had throughout my childhood OP re Chrons. Tummy ache worsens before and after poo. Constipation with either really hard or really soft poo. The bleeding didnt happen until much later.

Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 16:21

Yes her tummy ache is really bad before and after a poo too. She's in pain and feeling tired again so I gave her some calpol, the pain has gone now and she has perked right up. I wish I could just make her better. We've got until the end of the month to wait for the next appointment, they seem to space them 3 months apart for some reason.

OP posts:
DailyFail1 · 04/01/2017 16:27

Will she get an endoscopy? (Both for upper stomach/intestine)? Might help reach a proper diagnosis. Also suggest blood tests for vit b12, iron, vit d, calcium as IBD can cause all three to be lower than normal.

Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 17:42

She has had full blood tests but they didn't want to do an endscopy, they said she wasn't poorly enough.

OP posts:
WyfOfBathe · 04/01/2017 19:36

Does heat help, like a hot water bottle or one of those microwave teddies? If so, she could take that to school as well to provide some relief.

Original poster
Imsolucky1983 · 04/01/2017 20:19

I've never tried heat I will buy a hot water bottle and give it a try thank you

OP posts:
confusednortherner · 04/01/2017 21:58

Just read this and you have my sympathies. Ds is 8 and has suffered for years with tummy aches. After an emergency hospital admission we are trying dairy free which has helped a bit but still not 100%.
I'd avoid a hot water bottle for safety ( my friend was badly burnt when hers split) we like the heat pads that go in the microwave. I paid £4 in the factory shop and ds has used it at school as well.
Good luck, hope you find something that helps.