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AIBU?

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Original poster

Why can’t the doctors help with this?

181 replies

Buffalostance89 · 31/03/2022 19:12

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 🙏

OP posts:
Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 04/04/2022 21:45

Also, why didn’t she suggest probiotics, damn that’s the one thing I forgot to ask about, I had a long list on my phone!

OP posts:
greenbirdsong · 04/04/2022 21:52

Sounds really similar to my son who's 4.
Started last summer, he started complaining of tummy pains on and off. Tried keeping a food diary but couldn't see any patterns (to rule out allergy/intolerance).
He would wake at night screaming in pain at times. It was awful. Took him to the doctors and they said it was Mesenteric adenitis. They said it's glands in the abdomen swelling and is common in young children apparently and they usually grow out of it.

My son can be fine one minute and then start crying in pain the next. It's awful as I don't know how to help him. I'm not sure if it is Mesenteric adenitis or something else. I also seemed to get fobbed off by the GP.

He generally complains of tummy pain after eating.

Hope you get some answers about your little one soon. But look up Mesenteric adenitis and see if the symptoms match your little ones.

Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 04/04/2022 22:07

@greenbirdsong Aww, poor wee one, so sad to see them go through this. She’s had an abdominal scan, I’m assuming this would pick up any issues like that? I had read about it and wondered to.

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ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 04/04/2022 22:08

DS2 used to become lactose intolerant after a bad stomach bug when he was younger. He would have multiple poos in a day and could clear a room with his farts.
It used to take a month on lactofree before he got back to normal.
Temporary lactose intolerance is now medically recognised as a side effect of gastric bugs.
I wonder if it could be that?

Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 04/04/2022 22:14

@ChazsBrilliantAttitude I’m not sure 🤔 it seems to hurt her to poo (she shouts and screams when on the toilet for a poo) and always has to go back for another one as isn’t finished. So much gas though and it’s very watery type sounds at the moment

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ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 04/04/2022 22:21

I suspect it might need a bit of time for her system to settle before it’s possible to work out what is a pain symptom and what is a pain cause.
If she is getting stressed on the loo then bubbles can help. Get some bubble mixture and get her blowing bubbles. The deep breaths in and out help with pooing and the bubbles are a distraction.

Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 04/04/2022 22:55

@ChazsBrilliantAttitude I know 😥time isn’t the thing we have when she’s hurting so much though, surely something can be given

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Onthedunes · 04/04/2022 22:58

What type of laxatives are they op?

Yes one of my children had swollen glands in their stomach, also had frequent tonsilitis, so with the stomach pain they decided to operate and remove tonsils, stomach pain was cured, almost instantly.

Greengagesnfennel · 04/04/2022 23:39

I used to have this wind and cramps same as welltidy as a child. Have learnt to avoid too much white carbs as an adult and don't really get it now (white bread, pasta, pizza dough - can eat them all but have to be infrequent). Very occasionally as an adult, if I lie down, or even slouch on sofa too soon after eating - i get it - could it be that? Does she nap or lie on sofa, after food? I need at least 2h vertical (standing or sitting with v straight back) after eating. Ironic because once you have got it you don't feel like you can stand up at all. Trapped wind is really extremely painful! Having a warm bath helps. Hope you find out what is causing it Op.

Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 04/04/2022 23:50

@Onthedunes Will look at the name tomorrow, it’s a sachet to have in water once per day she said

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Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 04/04/2022 23:51

@Greengagesnfennel She doesn’t tend to lie down afterwards, but does come to cuddle, squash herself into a ball next to me often after eating

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MinesATriple · 05/04/2022 01:21

Maybe she wanted you to have a go at the stuff that is easy for DD to try before subjecting her to the blood tests that are needed to test for coeliac. With coeliac disease the blood test is only positive if you are eating gluten, so it's really important to carry on eating it until you've had the test(s). Blood tests are not nice, so it makes sense to me that she would start with less invasive measures first.

Don't cut out wheat yet.

Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 05/04/2022 09:44

@MinesATriple That’s true, I suppose I’m just impatient for this to be resolved

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Nyfluff · 05/04/2022 10:51

My coeliac blood test was a quick finger prick. I had a completely painless one for something else in a national pharmacy, they might do them too? Blood tests should be quick, especially if you stay calm and distract her. Any quick test that can rule something out is so worth it when you desperately want to fix the pain.

MinesATriple · 05/04/2022 11:38

Absolutely OP, of course you want her better, it sounds really distressing and potentially damaging her relationship with food. It's just what came to mind after our experiences.

It doesn't seem very likely to me that a GI specialist wouldn't think of coeliac disease. It's one of the most common GI diseases, and kids can really blossom once they're diagnosed.

But, she did give you her number. Do use it if the other measures don't work after a short while. I suspect they deal with quite a lot of nonspecific tummy aches that resolve by themselves, or with her suggested measures. It's absolutely your job to be the squeaky wheel if DD's doesn't.

Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 05/04/2022 12:28

@MinesATriple Yes, I’m wondering why she didn’t even mention it?

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Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 05/04/2022 12:29

@Nyfluff This is it, we could just do it quickly to rule it out surely?
Perhaps I should do it independently at a clinic ourselves? What is the name of the test do you know?

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Greengagesnfennel · 05/04/2022 20:52

Maybe try to take notice if she lies down, or is slouched after food and if you see it being a trigger for it happening. Definitely was with me. And then when I got it - strangely the only comfortable thing was to scrunch up/lie down too fart it out - Or have a bath with extra bubbles Blush

Ikeameatballs · 05/04/2022 23:24

I’m really disappointed for you in the outcome from your appointment. Your dd displays all the symptoms and signs of chronic constipation which should be managed through disempaction. This www.eric.org.uk/advice-for-children-with-constipation is a really useful website.

She may also have coeliac disease and should be screened for this.

Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 06/04/2022 00:38

@Ikeameatballs Yes, I’m becoming more frustrated too, been a really bad day for her today, I expressed how it is for her to the doctor. I feel like I’m not doing enough.
She had the new laxatives this morning, the doctor said only one sachet a day, but looking at the packet, it says you can give more, should I?
Dd had a small, soft/sloppy poo, but still wasn’t without tummy ache afterwards.
Dh was speaking to my sil also and straightaway she said about constipation, we’ve got her some fresh orange and put her potty back out for her, she’s been on a child seat put on the normal seat, we wondered if she was finding it harder to poo like that 🤷🏻‍♀️
I think I will find out the blood test details for colieac disease and take her to a clinic also.

OP posts:
Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 06/04/2022 00:38

*Coeliac

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Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 06/04/2022 00:40

@Ikeameatballs If it was constipation, wouldn’t she feel better after pooing?
Sil said could also be lactose? I’m not sure if just cutting out milk would help?
Annoyed that I’m paying for private appointments and getting nowhere!
Would a tummy scan have shown if she was constipated/poo backed up?

OP posts:
Original poster
Buffalostance89 · 06/04/2022 00:58

@Ikeameatballs I’m looking it up now, can’t sleep with all this. She’s on Macrogol 4g, the doctor told me to give one sachet per day and if she has diareah (sp) to skip a day 🤷🏻‍♀️
Worried to follow the protocol of 2 sachet, then 4, 6 etc it says online, as she hasn’t advised it, but is one sachet enough?

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Ikeameatballs · 06/04/2022 06:58

She would only feel better after pooing if she was passing all of the stool in her rectum. What is happening is that she has hard rocks of poo filling her rectum and sometimes a bit of liquid poo slips between the hard rocks and she passes that but the pain doesn’t go away as she still has the hard rocks sitting there. I can’t tell you how classic the symptoms you describe are!

Ikeameatballs · 06/04/2022 07:00

Read here about how to clear out constipation

www.eric.org.uk/pdf-a-parents-guide-to-disimpaction