To be really worried about my 5 year old

[Hyperemesishell]

DS has had tummy pain intermittently for 2 weeks. Periods where he is totally fine and then periods of extremely intense stomach pain - doubled over, crying etc.

We have been to the GP twice and A&E twice (as advised by 111) they have been great and ruled out appendicitis, type 1 diabetes, hernia etc. But 2 weeks on we are no further forward, he is missing a lot of school - even when I send him in I get a call to pick him up within a couple of hours.

His pain is localised to his belly button, doesn’t spread anywhere else. So far all we have had is treatment for constipation (lactulose & movicol) but to prove it’s not constipation I gave him sweetcorn last night which was in his stools this morning.

I have another GP appointment for him this afternoon and we are seeing a consultant privately next week (soonest we could get) but in the meantime, has anyone experienced anything similar?

We have Crohns, Coeliac & Type 1 diabetes in the family so cognisant it could be related but until someone does some blood tests, we won’t get much further with Crohns/Coeliac.

I have considered anxiety, stress, him putting it on etc but genuinely starting to think this is not the case

Has he had any scans?

does he urinate ok?

Have you had his urine checked?

Yes, urine checked twice - totally clear.

No scans yet.

My Dad, a retired GP told me that in children lymph nodes in the abdomen can react to a viral infection like a cold and cause abdominal pain when you wouldnt expect it.
Also abdominal migraines?

Stomach migraines?

How can they rule out a hernia and appendicitis without a scan?

I will have a read up about the lymph nodes & stomach migraines. Although they did say they’d checked his lymph nodes.

@SeaToSki well I thought the same but apparently they can - just on examination and how he presents - which is a totally well child (no temps etc) just with stomach pain.

Just remembeted what is called: Mesenteric Adenitis.

My 4yr old had very similar. They thought it was his appendix.

Turned out to be Mesenteric Adenitis. Glands in the abdomen swelling.
It flares up every time he picks up some sort of virus (cough/cold) and he starts complaining of tummy pain and sometimes is screaming in pain. It's awful. I've been told he'll grow out of it but it is horrible seeing him in pain.

Look up Mesenteric Adenitis and see if your sons symptoms match and mention it to your doc.

Hope you get answers soon.

Thanks both for mentioning the mesenteric adenitis.

Does it normally go along with temperatures etc? As he doesn’t have any symptoms like that.

Is there anything you can do to relieve it or is it a case of riding it out? X

Can he locate the pain and describe it - is it a sharp pain in his belly button, or is it lower down or off to one side?
Could you keep a food and a pain diary?

www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/pelvicpain/conditioninfo/describe

My 6 year old is the exact same!! I took her to A&E about a month ago in the middle of the night because she was like a woman in labour thrashing around the bed in pain. Waited 8 hours and gave up and left. GP also ruled out appendicitis based on pressing her tummy has ordered bloods which is a stupidly complicated system here (not in UK). I know there was talk of recurring stomach pain in children post covid and age had covid in February. It's not a food allergy because there's no common denominator in terms of the onset of pain. And same as you, I've had to collect her from school so many times.

Have you been keeping a food diary to see if there’s anything in particular that appears to set it off?

I would be pushing for a scan, I think they are fobbing you off. The pain has gone on for too long and is too consistent. Even if the scan just rules out obstructions, hernias and inflamed appendix, then you know you are not dealing with structural problems and then can move onto other possibilities. With things like persistent stomach pain its often a matter of ruling out the options one by one until you find the culprit as there are so many possibilities. Its great that you have a private appointment booked. I would keep a written diary of symptoms and times and dates (and food he eats and bowel movements/consistency) so that you can give it to the doctor. Also video him when he is in pain so they can see the severity as these things never act up in the doctors appointment.

When you see a doctor and they ask your dc does this hurt (or even just push on an area expecting the dc to just understand that they should say ow) translate for your dc before the doctor gets going. So “Johnnie, the doctor is asking you to tell them if it hurts when they push, but they also want to know if it burns, twists, aches, stabs, feels funny or just doesnt feel like it should do normally). Children are very literal and the number of times my dc has said to me but it doesnt hurt, it stabs or aches when we have got to the doctor’s office and they havent said ow at the appropriate point. I really wish trainee doctors were better educated on this.

Thanks everyone, GP has ordered bloods for next Friday for Coeliac etc but I am still going to keep the private appointment.

Thanks @SeaToSki some really good ideas there - like you say, they are always fine when Dr is around! I will push the private Paed for a scan as I know that it’ll a) be easier and b) be quicker so will pursue that avenue on Tuesday.

As everyone says, there are just so many possibilities I just want to get him sorted and back to normal ASAP

Hi there - I have a 15 year old and she had similar episodes when she was younger, including one where she was writhing around in her car seat, pulling at her belly with pain and screaming. When NHS Direct called an ambulance they checked her over and all was OK (she had calmed down by then) an later a GP mentioned Mesenteric Adenitis. However, when she was 13, due to anaemia, she got bloods done which showed she was coeliac. She isn't "typical" in that she doesn't tend to get stomach issues on eating gluten, but she can get bloating, and it impairs her absorption of iron and vitamin D. So the food diary wouldn't have picked anything up, but I do think the stomach pains when she was younger were likely to be gluten related. So hopefully the blood tests coming up will get you some answers. Good luck

My DS was very similar and diagnosed with mesenteric adenitis. Periods where he was fine, other times doubled up writhing around. Had a couple of vomiting eps but no fever.

Doc did say it usually doesn't last too long and his was gone within 2 weeks. He also said some kids presenting like that with Covid. You say you have a family history of coeliac/Crohn's etc so good they are being tested for as well!