Dd(8) abdominal pain, no idea what I can do next

[Sickofsquishies]

My dd is 8 and has suffered from stomach pain for about a year although it appears to be getting worse. It is in the top part of her stomach, just below her ribs and is a sharp
Severe pain. It will come in waves and she has had a bad few days in which the pains come on between every 15mins to every hour. She goes very pale and doubles over for up to 5 minutes until it passes. There is no vommitting, diarrhoea or constipation.

We have been under the GP and she has had blood tests, urine tests, stool tests and an ultrasound which have all shown nothing. We've tried ant-acids, food diaries, laxatives and mebeverine (muscle relaxant) but nothing has cured it. The mebeverine sometimes helps but not reliably. She has just been referred to a paediatrician so I don't know what other tests they will do but in the meantime can anyone think of any reason for her to get this or anything else I can do to help her. Has anyone else had anything similar?

She says it feels like claws in her tummy and it literally stops her in her tracks. Thanks for any help.

Sorry, meant to post this in chat and not sure how to get it moved

Have they mentioned gallstones at all?

Gallstones would be excluded by the US.

Please don't ask Mumsnet for medical advice.
She needs to see a paediatrician for a full history and examination.
Most likely to be functional pain but worth excluding exceptionally rare causes of colicky central pain- which I won't list.

Have they checked her gallbladder functionality? If it's dying, it causes horrible discomfort, just like having gallstones. This happened to me and I had it removed.

Take her back to GP for paediatric referral.

My dd had similar. It turned out to be related to anxiety.

Thank you. I know online is not the place to get medical advice but I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this and what relieved it. Just looking for any advice really as I don't know what else to try. She will be assessed by the peadiatrician so I guess the answer is to just wait but it's hard when she's doubled up in agony and nothing seems to help. Thanks

They looked for gallstones on the ultrasound but nothing else unless it's picked up in blood tests. At least that's a question I can ask the peadiatrician when she sees one. Thank you.

FFS
Gallbladder dyskinesia in paediatric patients ridiculously rare.
Please do not confuse Mumsnet for seeing a doctor.

FODMAP diet and peppermint will do no harm
And see a paediatrician

COI- Consultant gut surgeon who specialises in complex abdominal pain.

No, I definitely wouldn't do that. I am waiting for an appointment to come through, I'm not asking on here instead of a medical professional, just for some advice if anyone else has experienced this. I agree that would be dangerous, I suppose I'm just at my wits end with a year of this and no closer to finding out what's causing it.

Thank you for the advice. I will look into the FODMAP diet.

Have they checked her appendix?

Just by feeling her tummy. On a number of occasions they have pushed different areas of her abdomen and have told me that there is no pain over the appendix. Thanks.

DD12 had appendicitis (which burst followed by peritonitis) just before Christmas. Mumsnet really helped me ask the right questions and gave me the confidence to push. Her pain was always central. Her appendix was located behind her bowel. If you have a narrow build and are young I think this is probably more common.

So her pain was in a strip over her tummy button.

Things that really hurt were road vibrations and speed bumps.

Thank you for that, I was worried about appendix but they don't seem to think it's that. She is very slim so thatv would fit. If the pains continue tomorrow I will have to take her back and I will ask about that. She says the pain is getting less now so hopefully its passing for tonight. Thank you.

Has she had a scope? Have any blood tests indicated inflammation?

I have crohns and when I still had my large bowel the pain would come in waves like you describe. I still get them right in the same place you describe when I have a blockage in my small bowel. Might be worth a scope to see if anything going on there, although you mention no sickness or diarrhoea. Is she nauseous when the pain comes?

Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction

No, she's not nauseous at all. She hasn't yet had a scope, I would imagine that may be a test that they will look into once she sees the specialist. The only symptoms seem to be extreme pain and she goes very pale when she's having an episode of pain. Although I don't want anything to be wrong with her obviously I do worry that she'll go through all these tests and then be told she just has to live with it. Thank you for your advice.

My brother had similar at the same age - it was stomach migraine.

I used to be ill as a child with stomach pain top left, under ribcage radiating out to the back, felt like I was being stabbed by a cold knife. It was the beginning of gallstones too small to be picked up on ultrasound - 10 years later I had jaundice, still no stones - another 10 years later I had 40+ stones removed. There is a high family incidence of ineffective gallbladders in my immediate family.

I found a hot water bottle helped ease the pain. The GP had to come and give me a painkilling shot in the backside as I couldn't keep pills down.

Not saying this is what your DD has, but it's horrible not knowing, you and DD have my sympathies, and hope you get some answers soon.

Top right not top left - argh!

My DS1 (just turned 9) gets stomach pains not quite so severe, but I have read that they can be anxiety/migraine related.
They often do appear in times of stress for him, he is a fairly emotional child.

I used to have horrible pain like that at her age. Interestingly, I don’t ever remember my mum taking me to the dr but it was excruciating. I remember spending hours during the night clinging to the side of the bath because I’d gotten up to use the toilet and literally couldn’t make it back to bed. In retrospect, I learned it was likely an abdominal migraine, which I think fortunately is harmless but still awful.

When I was about 10 I had a pain just below my ribs. It was so bad I couldn't get up. Three doctors diagnosed me with gastroenteritis and told me to drink certain liquids. By day four I was getting weak. My mother didn't know what to do so she took me AGAIN to the doctor. The final and fourth doctor did another test and jumped up in excitement while announcing "kidney infection"! By this point I was too unwell to celebrate. The pain being under my ribs had negative tests apparently stumped the doctors. Anyway I had tablets and was alright in about 12 hours. I could feel the pain subsiding. It was amazing. I still suffer from kidney infections now and then.

Could this be her kidneys OP? I'm not a doctor so idk if a whole year would mean it isn't?