Why can’t the doctors help with this?

[Buffalostance89]

Dd, almost 4, has been having tummy ache on and off since October. Wasn’t very regularly at first, but has become worse the last month or so.
She now has tummy ache after everything she eats, regardless of what it is, there’s no pattern to the food. She has excess gas, poos fairly regularly but says it’s hard to loo sometimes. I’ve used gentle laxatives, gas drops…she’s had a stomach scan, poo analysis and urine analysis-all clear.
It’s getting to the point where she’s worried to eat now and is hungry 🥲
Her behaviour is becoming affected and she jumps around, is hyper, bites cushions etc, so obviously in pain.
I have another appointment on Monday where I’m going to go nuts if they fob me off with saying stomach aches are normal at this age etc and tests are clear.
Has anyone had similar to this, so awful to see her like this, getting desperate now 🙏

*Hard to poo sometimes

Blood tests-ask then to test for coeliac disease

Have a look at abdominal migraine. It took months and months for this to be diagnosed in my son. Doesn't fit in with the constipation issue though, I think.

@chilledteacher Which blood tests should I be asking them to specifically test for?

@SuperMoonIsKeepingMeUpToo I’ve looked this up and she doesn’t tend to have the other symptoms. Her behaviour is becoming hyperactive and seems Adhd like, all I can think is the pain of it sends her like that 🥲
What other symptoms did your son have? She has a lot of built up gas and trumps a lot, she tends to feel better when she’s trumped, but not for long
How did they find out, what’s the treatment?

I've got a dd aged 2 and I've found that I've had to do most of the legwork when it comes to doctors. I may come across to them as the crazy, paranoid type but basically went in and said my daughter need a full panel of bloods etc and found out she's severely lacking in iron which was having negative effects on her health. I also told the doctor she was asthmatic and needed inhalers (I'm asthmatic so I know what it sounds like!) And we've got those which have massively helped the constant coughing. I have found doctors to be very dismissive but you know your child and you know what's normal. I think you need to ask for these things. Refer me to the paed dietician, I need a blood test referal. They're too busy to actually argue with you so at least you can have peace of mind. Also maybe try the long and painful approach of cutting out certain food groups to see if it improves? At least you can take that to them too to show you've tried yourself.

Hope you get some answers soon.

I'd just phone and say you'd like her screened for Coeliac disease. It's fairly common, they'll know the tests to do.

I used to get crippling stomach pain as a kid. Often be doubled over with it. It really was nothing more than wind, my mum used to rub it for me, and give me a small glass of whiskey (small amount), sugar and hot water to sip. It worked.

It lasted until I was in my late teens.

Not saying that this is what your child has, or that this is what you should do, but it isn’t necessarily something bad bad.

Mesenteric adentits is a possibility, but there is no specific treatment other than time.

You always have to push things with doctors. I remember my when my DD was 5 and had a massive asthma attack out of the blue on holiday in the Lake district and ended up in hospital on a nebuliser. We had been out walking kicking up leaves as it was autumn and as it had never happened before, the doctor advised visiting my GP with her once home. I was sure it was an allergic reaction to leaf mould but GP was adamant it wasn't. I pushed things and we got her tested. Lo and behold she was allergic to that and cats, dogs, horses and nuts!! So glad I stuck to my guns.

I’m just so tired of the almost shrug of the shoulders thing. It’s after every bit of food she eats now, that can’t be normal?! A lot of it is gas but would gas come after every piece of food? So sad to not be able fo help. Now when she eats, she’ll only eat on the sofa and squashes herself right up to me to cuddle whilst she’s eating 😔it’s obviously hurting her as she’s eating or immediately after, she can’t be left like this.
I’m usually laid back but am starting to get paranoid about other things she’s mentioning…she says her eyes hurt, she’s drinking a lot of water and saying she needs a wee and nothing comes out. This is why she had her urine tested too, but all was ok. She was fine until all this.
I just can’t seem to connect the dots as to what’s going on

@KaccyH Thank you, yes you definitely know your own child, and I’ve known something isn’t right for a while now. I feel like we’re letting her down, not being able to stop the pain for her and I’m worried now as she seems worried to eat, it isn’t right

@TroublesomeTrucks She’s had a scan of her tummy, would this rule it out?

@WellTidy Sorry you went through that. Yes, it’s a lot of built up gas, that’s definitely the main problem, but not sure what’s causing it all of a sudden and not sure how it can be constant? She wakes up with a tummy ache now and I’m not sure it would happen immediately as she’s eating/after she’s eating?
Need to get rid of the damn gas

Def get tested for coeliac disease.

@user1471428785 That’s awful, so glad you were able to follow your instincts. It’s getting to the point now that Dh wanted her to go to emergency as he says we’re just watching her suffer 🥲Monday seems such a long way away for appointment, I’m not walking out without some treatment plan for her

Lactose intolerance?

@Bairnsmum05 I’ve noticed it’s after any foods she eats? I’ve kept a diary and there’s no pattern with particular foods. For the past week or so, the tummy pains are constant. She doesn’t really have diareah, but so much gas built up.

Sounds not dissimilar to an older primary-aged child I know who has now been told they think it's long covid (having scanned and checked just about all his organs). I don't know if he's gassy but they did treat him for constipation for a while.

@Hankunamatata I can’t see a specific pattern with that either 🤷🏻‍♀️The food diary I’ve kept now has been for a while. I’ve tried days with no dairy etc and days with no bread etc, there’s really no difference between symptoms. I’m really at a loss

I don’t think going to a&e is actually a bad idea. They may actually be able to observe the pain she is in and also order and scans / bloods whilst you are there.

We went back and forth to the doctors for weeks with my DD, she had neck pain and kept getting really intense spasms. They fobbed me off with all sorts from an ear infection (but no infection present so no anti-b’s!), grinding her teeth, migraine, the list went on. We went to a&e and the GP’s about 6 different times over the space of 2-3 weeks. They eventually agreed to refer her for a CT Scan and turned out she had a subluxation of the top vertebrae on her spine!

@lanthanum Oh god, I hope not, how can they even treat that 🤷🏻‍♀️
We were all sick-vomiting etc in July, she was quite bad for a week or so, then she was also sick end of November. I’m wondering if the sickness has upset the balance of the gut or something. She started with occasional tummy ache in October. No idea why it’s become so bad this last month.

Have they tested her CRP levels? Most people with Crohn’s / IBD present with runs, but it can present as constipation especially if there is a partial blockage from inflammation.

@FawnFrenchieMum Oh no, how awful 😞 it’s worrying as you never know if something more serious is going on.
Am tempted to maybe go tomorrow, I mean she’s in almost constant pain and it’s true they get stuff done then and there

Acid reflux? my son has it he was a regular in out of hours for crippling stomach pain till we worked it out