To be concerned ? 5 year old with alopecia and not feeling well.

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My 5 year old has not been right for 3 weeks. Started with just being over sensetive crying at the drop of a hat and a bit tired. Then started having poo accidents for 6 days culminating with diarrhoea running down his legs in a park. After that no more accidents but a day later he threw up everywhere. He has since been complaining on and off of a sore tummy (I'm thinking wind) and has developed red rings around his eyes and looks very pale which just makes him look really ill ! He has also had really dry skin on his face and cracked lips. In between all this he has been running around and fairly normal but just not himself. I took him to the Drs who suggested a virus and hayfever together and gave him antihistamines.

We then discovered he has 4 small bald patches of alopecia and he just doesn't look right to me. This really freaked me out and o took him back to the Dr who was very through but says he thinks he has bad a virus and it has just taken a lot out of him and has also referred him to the demonologist for the alopica. He said to come back if he isn't better in 2/3 weeks.

I don't know why but I have got myself really worried. My husband had already said he just thought he is really run down and something has just hit him hard so he isnt concerned. I just have this horrible feeling that something isn't right and I should get it checked ASAP.

He is my middle child and I'm not normally to crazy when it comes to my kids it's not a PFB thing.

Can anyone resaure me that their kids took a while to get over viruses or tell me if they had something similar and I need to push for blodd tests or something more.

Not much advice apart from I'm a mum of four and I think you're correct to think this isn't right.. please go back and see a different Dr or even turn up to a&e. Bumping for you

I wouldn’t be happy with a diagnosis of “virus” given all those symptoms. I would want a blood test at the very least.

I think what you’re describing could quite easily be a bad virus or it could be something else. Follow what your doctor says, make sure he gets lots of rest and take him back if he’s not right in a couple of weeks.

I don’t think a demonologist will help much though

That’s certainly an odd combination of symptoms for a virus. I’d be requesting a blood test if not improved in the next week.

I honestly think some drs just say virus as a get out clause.

Get a second opinion op, with actual tests including blood work to see if there is actually a problem. Don’t let them fob you off. It’s cliche, but a mother’s instinct when it’s this strong really shouldn’t be ignored.

Id be going back and refusing to leave without bloods being done personally based on those symptoms. You know your child best. Better safe than sorry.

Btw one of my boys had similar when about 2, he had a couple of blood tests which were harrowing. As was when I got a call from the surgery to ask me to go up immediately only to find the test needed repeating .

It was viral, he’s totally fine now age 10.

This would concern me too. Bumping on the hope someone with more medical knowledge see this.

I think if your gut is telling you something isn't right then you need to trust that - you know your son the best.
I agree with pushing for a blood test at the very least. Just a bit of advice, if he does have a blood test, ask the Dr to prescribe (You can also buy it OTC) Emla cream, most blood test are done from inside the elbow but I believe with children they tend to do it from the back of the hand (please don't quote me on that) you rub the cream in about an hour or so before the test and it numbs the area for them.
I'm sure he'll be fine but I think you're right to push it a bit.

Personally I'd give it another week and see how he goes before putting him though the trauma of blood tests (what would they be testing for?).

Sorry, that should actually read

Personally I'd probably give it another week...

because only you know how much your gut is twinging

Don’t let a worry about blood tests put you off. My middle and youngest children have had blood tests aged 3 and 4 and it was absolutely fine. Do ask for the EMLA cream, as it makes a huge difference, although we have managed without on one occasion.

Go back and ask for bloods tests. They don't have to be looking for anything specific but the blood counts and other results are indicative and can prompt further investigation if necessary.

Had similar with DS2, took him back a second time and the blood tests showed low white cell count. I was petrified but it turned out that he did just need longer than usual to recover from a very nasty and persistent virus.

In the meantime I can recommend Floradix Kinder which is a liquid vitamin/mineral supplement made from fruit and vegetables. It's very easily absorbed and natural. Also as much sleep as possible, relaxed unstressed atmosphere and good nutritious food.

The accidents etc mixed with poor tummy then vomiting sound like impaction?

No idea how that ties into alopecia though, sorry. blood work sounds like a good idea.

Has he had bloods run?

Go back for sure. The alopleica sounds like a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
The other symptoms suggest some for of malbsorption ? sometjing like celiac perhaps

I thought of coeliac too, especially with the poorly tummy and the pale face with red rings round the eyes.

I would take the doctor at his/her word - give it a couple of weeks and then go back if things haven't improved. I don't think doctors are given enough credit - my DD had a bad cough, I got 'fobbed off' and told to go back if it didn't improve, so a week later I went back as instructed; the doctor couldn't have been more helpful and immediately ordered blood tests etc.

I've got five kids and two have coeliac disease, one was diagnosed around age 5, he had poo leakages down his legs from constipation, I'd follow my gut and get him some blood tests, but both of my kids came back negative for antibodies, diagnosed in another way
I do hope it's nothing more serious
Btw I got myself diagnosed around the same time to speed things up which definitely helped his diagnosis

Sudden onset coeliac disease? Speaking as someone with coeliacs I think it's a little early to jump to that conclusion.

Doctors always seem to say "it's a virus" for everything. A few times my DD has had a rash and rattly chest and they've said it's a virus, then a week later we are told she has a chest infection which goes away with antibiotics.

Has he had blood tests done? This isn't right, take him back.

Get some bloods done one of my dcs had alopecia spots, anemia, loose stools, vomiting, red eyes, fatigue, mouth ulcers he has was diagnosed with refractory coeliac disease. It took me bursting into tears at the gp saying nobody was listening to me to get a blood test, referal and diagnosis.

Was he sick before this?
When my dd was 4 she got a nasty chest infection in Nov. Got norovirus in Dec. Flu in Jan. Then for weeks in Jan/Feb she had no energy. Really lethargic all the time. In between had times of normality and activity like what you're describing but overall not herself. I spoke to her school to see if they had noticed anything and they said they had. Said she was speaking so low in school they could barely hear her. I was so worried. GP suspected it was taking her a very long time to recover from her previous recent illnesses. Said to leave her til April and to take multi vitamin and extra iron in the mean time. If she hadn't improved he would do bloods. He was spot on and she was better by April. To me it seemed an unusually long time to recover from straight forward illnesses but some kids must.

Came to say a colleagues daughter had alopecia & was eventually diagnosed as coeliac - I see other posters have the sane experience.
Worth going back to the docs.