To take my DD to the doctors

[Goalkeeperispoor]

As a bit of background, my DD7 missed a fair amount of school at the back end of last year (say 10 days over the last 4 weeks) as each week she vomited either on Sunday night or at school on Monday morning and so had to stay off for the next 48 hrs. Each time she was sick once and then fine afterwards. I’m pretty sure it’s anxiety related as get sick at stressful times myself.

Now, 2nd Sunday of the term - and yes you’ve guessed it - she’s been sick again so will have to miss tomorrow. If she’s not sick again I’m going to send her in on Tuesday as time off seems to make it worse.

If I ask her if she’s happy at school / worried etc he says she’s fine and I think she genuinely doesn’t get the connection or think she is stressed.

So - I’m really not sure what I can do about it. I’m pretty sure they school’s not going to want to waive the 48hr rule as Sod’s law she’ll turn out to have a virus and bring everyone down. On the other hand, we can’t start this term how the last won ended with her missing so much school.

I’m not sure there’s much a doctor can do about it either - but would I be unreasonable to make an appointment or will they just laugh is out the door. I’m also worried it will make it a bigger deal for her if we do see the doctor.

Help!!!!

Probably get flamed for this but if there is no temperature/aching/more sick and you 100% believe it to be sickness due to anxiety then it’s not contagious and I would send her to school and not inform them. Obviously if there is any signs of a bug I’d keep her off, but from what you’ve said it doesn’t look like it is a virus.

Is it possible she is making herself sick? If she knows she gets a few days off school.
Does she show any other signs of anxiety other than the one off sick?
Have school mentioned anything that could be seen as worrying in her behaviour?

I’m not sure with relation to her age but drs can prescribe meds’ for anxiety, there is counselling available. Also school should have a support system in place where she could be referred to.

I would probably first go with asking the school about her behaviour, and if possible monitor her in the bathroom on the Sunday to see if it is actual uncontrollable or forced sickness

Pizzalover thanks. I’m definitely sure it’s genuine not forced. It had happened in the classroom and when I’ve been talking to her.

If she’s not got a temperature and there’s no diarrhoea I would send her to school. From what you’ve described it sounds anxiety related not viral. Not sure what the doctor will be able to do but might be worth talking to the school to see if they are aware of any issues.

You need to send her to school. Catering to her anxiety isn't helping her.

I would absolutely take her to see a doctor. Whatever it is, it isn't normal. Vomiting due to anxiety on a regular basis isn’t normal. Hope you get to the bottom of it.

I agree with pizzalover.
but do consider taking her to gp.

what is her diet like on the weekend compared to during the week?
could it be reflux related?

I'd send her, this has happened repeatedly with no associated illness.
I'd go through the front door and speak to staff before school starts.
I think they'll want her.

Another one here who would send her in. But I would consider the GP too.

There’s a thing called cyclical vomiting syndrome, or similar. Try googling it and see if it fits. I know a child who has it.

She needs to speak to the GP.

What does she say when you talk about School? Does she seem generally happy and relaxed?

In this order I would keep her off tomorrow but call th me GP for an appointment. I would also call School to let them know that your are investigating and may wish to discuss the issue with them. Ask them if the teacher can consider your daughter’s presentation in class and whether they are aware of any issues which may be causing a problem.

Don’t worry about attendance figures. Stay in touch with the school and seek their support. Something is going on and it may need a little work to sort it out. A problem managed now will likely avoid a much larger issue later on in her schooling

I'd say send her to school and go see a GP. If she is throwing up due to anxiety, she needs treatment. It it's a virus/digestion/flu etc. She also needs treatment.

I was sick a lot in school, it turned out I had a bacteria in my stomach that was making me reflux and thus being sick. Heliobacter pylori I think. Worth a visit to the GP. It made me miserable.

i second having a googe of cyclic vomiting syndrome, although i think those affected tend to vomit more than once.

CBT might help her work out her thoughts/feelings?

When I was 16/17 I had months and months of being sick just once every month always on a Saturday or Sunday. I thought it was because I went on the pill so changed it. It turned out I had a grumbling appendix and a year later got rushed to theatre to have it removed.
It may well be anxiety but please take her to the doctors anyway.

My DD has cyclical vomiting syndrome. She often only vomits once. We've worked out that her trigger is tiredness combined with eating fruit in the evening.
Her school have a note and she only has to miss school whilst she's feeling unwell. (She often is a bit tired/lethargic the next day).

Migraine can also cause vomiting in children and can sometimes be alleviated by avoiding certain foods. Adding my voice to those saying worth getting her checked out.

Have you discussed with the school and suggested you think its anxiety? My dd suffers from migraines and is often sick. Last week she was sick in class but the school were happy that as it was a migraine the 48 hr rule didn't apply.

I think you should go and discuss with the GP and rule out any illnesses, then send her into school if it happens again with a note saying that she has been seen by the GP and they are of the opinion that it is emotionally triggered vomitting, not bacterial/viral

I googled CVS and although it doesn’t really sound like the description - I guess it could be. The description ‘emotionally triggered vomiting’ that one of the OPs used it more like it.

I never discussed it too much with the school last year as it started at the end of term and it was just about the last week when I really made the connection. I did however agree to send her in before the 48 hrs once and they kept a bin discretely nearby just in case.

I guess I probably need to talk to the school to see if I’ll need a doctor’s note to avoid the 48hrs thing if this does continue. I’m just worried the doctors will be very dismissive.

To meet her, you’d think she was super confident but she also has a ridiculously low level of belief in her own abilities and I wonder if that’s at all related.

I did consider whether it was weekend diet - but really couldn’t find any common different thread compared with weekdays.

I’ll email the teacher and hopefully she might read it before school starts tomorrow and might suggest whether she should come in or not.

I had exactly this for several months in primary. I'd be absolutely fine during the day, then have awful tummy ache and be sick every Sunday night. I loved school, but after testing and several other options (excluding dairy, stomach migraines for example) it was put down to anxiety, even though I didn't feel nervous or anxious in any sense I recognised. Eventually it stopped as quickly as it came on. My Mum used to send me into school on a Monday anyway as I was always fine (and the 24/48 hour rule didn't exist back then!).

As an adult, I have diagnoses of severe anxiety and major depression and so the anxiety theory would have seemed to be correct! It was definitely worth getting me checked out though and exploring other options too.

I hope your DD feels better soon!

I'm having this same problem with my nearly 5yr old DD. She started vomiting back in june/July. Never seemed to be any trigger. We kept a food diary to see if anything jumped out that could be triggering it but there was nothing. We counted in a 12 week period she was sick 15 times. Have taken her to the Drs and have an appointment to see a pediatrition at the end of the month.
She was worried about starting school and her father was in hospital as well so we started to think it could be anxiety but Dr wanted to rule anything else out as well.
Now she has started school she seems happy and hasn't been sick anymore . Will have to see what they say .