To ask you to help me diagnose my daughter before I take her to the GP?

[BonjourMonsieur]

Before I get flamed… I’ve taken DD to the GP about the same issue multiple time’s and we’re getting nowhere with it. Im going back on Thursday with her and need some ideas of what could be causing these symptoms so I can push to have it investigated further.

Since December last year, DD has been suffering from persistent nausea. It started around the time of an increase in Covid cases and lots of isolations happening amongst her friends. We initially though it might be anxiety. Fast forward to now and it’s still going on. The main issue is nausea after eating and nausea preventing her eating her full meal. She has a small appetite now and seems worried to eat sometimes incase she feels sick. But on occasions where she doesn’t seem worried to eat, she’ll eat some and then the nausea will kick in. This was very problematic at the start because it would result in her spending half an hour with her head over the toilet. We gave suggestions like “try going to the toilet” or “let’s get some fresh air” and we’d take her outside to the garden to try and almost distract her out of it. She now believes that both of these things help, to an extent.

So she’ll only have a small breakfast, because otherwise she’ll feel sick and won’t be able to brush her teeth and then will be late for school etc. There are all these scenarios that she’s dealing with daily to try to mitigate it. And she shouldn’t have to. There have been time’s we’ve been about to go for a day out, to a place of DD’s choosing and then the sickness will come on after breakfast/lunch and she’ll say she can’t go. I know for 100% that she isn’t faking this in any way.

I’ve also noticed, on the odd occasion she forgets to flush the toilet, her stool is lighter in colour than I would expect.

So far, the doctor had put it down to anxiety. We’ve also been advised to give a daily actimel which we do. She says at school she goes to the toilet immediately after eating lunch and then straight outside to play (fresh air) and that stops it from getting too bad at school.

Can anyone help? What could be causing this? 😢

you mention her stool being lighter than expected and this can be a common symptom of coeliac disease in younger children. The fact that she's thin and that she is feeling nausea /
(severe enough for her to want cancel days out that she's chosen) after eating could also indicate coeliac disease.

Maybe it's worth asking your GP to to do a coeliac blood test to check for this, but she must have been eating gluten for at least 6 weeks prior to the blood test.

Anxiety can't cause cancer like undiagnosed celiac disease does, though.

Exclude the physical, treat the physical, then look to the psychological effects or causes.

You can't walk and talk somebody through their immune system responding to gluten as a dangerous substance. They need to not have gluten (and often oats and dairy) ever again and potentially take medication.

Hi MrJi, if you haven't already done so, ask for fecal calprotectin. These were my daughter's symptoms before her Crohn's diagnosis.

OP, ask about Crohn's. It can be in the stomach rather than intestines (can be anywhere in digestive system). It's the nausea immediately on eating that puts me in mind of it. My DD has it in the stomach and sudden nausea was very common.

Please have her checked for coeliac disease. Not thriving, feeling sick, pale stools, small in weight. A blood test intially but don't cut out wheat until you have a diagnoses as it mucks up getting it

I'm thinking gastroparesis. When the stomach muscles are weak and so the stomach doesn't empty properly, eating is difficult and can make one nauseous or sick. Maybe something to consider with your GP.

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. I feel prepared for tomorrow’s appointment and I won’t leave until we have a referral or at the very least, some tests being scheduled.

There are obviously a multitude of things that could be behind this and I’m not prepared to accept its psychological without a thorough investigation before hand. I understand that psychological conditions are equally as important, however, I don’t want to risk long term physical damage being done simply because no one has looked into it further. Also, if it does turn out to be psychological, I will ensure DD gets the support she needs to overcome this.

I will update tomorrow after the appointment. Thanks. 😌

Another thing to perhaps consider is abdominal migraine as migraines can present as abdominal pain in children rather than head pain.

Thank you MumofChronie . She is giving the GP a sample, I assume that is what they will check for ?
She is occasionally bleeding too, and very tired, really not well, but the GP wasn’t very sympathetic.
Excuse my derail OP. I should have started my own thread.

I never said you could.I was referring to if it was anxiety linked to eating disorder.
im aware of what celiacs go through and other physical diseases and wouldn’t tell someone to go for a walk or think it away thanks

Very real and very scary.

Of course.it’s rediculous to rule anything out if no tests have been done.
you could assume physiological based on symptoms.just like he could assume physical,it’s almost like they’ve just picked one side at random! Deff not before you’ve gone through all other tests or any bloody tests can you do this.so many mental and physical Illnesses can cross over symptoms.

Following this thread, as my 9 yr old dd seems to feel sick on a daily basis, to varying degrees.

DD had light poo, weight loss and was falling through the growth percentiles. She has coeliac and is really well now. Keep pushing for answers.

My child suffered similarly. Intense nausea, terrible loss of weight - the symptoms escalated to vomiting from the minute they woke until 2am … for months. Was told it was starting yr 7, they were asked if problems at home / school blah blah.

Numerous drs appointments, hospital tests (suspected brain tumour, adrenal problems), numerous hospital stays & 6 months off school it turned out to be an impacted bowel - first hospital failed to perform an x Ray . They were still pooing ‘normally’ throughout. The food they ate had nowhere to go & the body couldn’t absorb the nutrients from the food.

After diagnosis & treatment (they still take movicol as a maintenance dose) I took my child to the GP for another issue - they asked if we’d found the cause. I explained it was an impacted bowel - his response? Yes, nausea is the first sign - then why the f didn’t be diagnose - he was oblivious to the impact to my child’s education, ability to socialise, leave my side - and loss of income because I couldn’t work.

Do not accept what they tell you, you have to fight to get answers & advocate for your child- good luck.

It could be psychological, but you have to rule out the physical first and it seems like no progress has been made so far.

Things to rule out:

Coeliac (blood test, also endoscopy)

Lactose intolerance (blood test also eradication to see what happens)

H Pylori (easy stool test)

Gastroparesis (gastric emptying scan)

Gastritis / Ulcers/ Hiatus Hernia (endoscopy)

Gallbladder /billiary system (ultrasound, blood tests)

That’s your starting point. I wouldn’t mess about with this, your daughter is clearly having issues that need to be investigated. In the meantime I would suggest kefir every morning and a good probiotic - Actimel is rubbish. A capsule of mastic gum every night in water - take out of capsule and dissolve, does wonders for nausea. Ginger root chopped up in hot water is helpful as is crystallised ginger.

DM me if you need any more advice. I know quite a bit about gastric issues.

Ondanstron was a miracle cure for my daughter for this. Only prescribed by paediatrics but then go took on. Turned out to be dairy allergy. Looking back had it as a baby but thrived really re surfaced at 10

I thought Emetophobia too as a severe sufferer myself, it really has destroyed my mental health, can't believe the flippant comments above🤔

Another here with a daughter with similar symptoms. Dd 14 was constantly nauseous and had severe reflux . She was on adult dose omeprazole by last Christmas and very tired. DH finally got hold.of the good GP at the practice and fast trac to peads , peads gastroenterology are like unicorns. Hpylori negative. Was tested for coeliac which we didn't tell her. Test was negative but she herself stopped eating gluten as she had noticed sx were worse post bread. She is now symptom free off gluten and full of beans. Only time.she felt sick was when she had half a pizza on holiday. Head back down the loo 3 hours later. Discussed with peadiatric team who said stay off gluten they are seeing alot of gluten intolerance post covid. They will re test for coeliac in 12 months post GCSE'S as.she needs to be back on gluten for.6 weeks. TBH I'm not sure she will do it. Nausea reduced initially over about 5 weeks so possibly try a prolonged trial after she has been tested for coeliac.

Don’t take it to heart.what you have to fight is horrific.just keep fighting.it can get better.

i think she’s coeliac. The lighter stool is very typical

Definitely sounds like Coeliacs. Ask for the test, which will either show Coeliacs or eliminate the possibility.

Its more out there than the other suggestions, but one possibility is giardia.

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324582

This ^^.
Since GP hasn't been able to diagnose it's time they referred to gastric team for specialist investigations

For gallbladder problems or infection , some or all of these :-

• grey stools, whiter urine

-gassy stomach, hard after eating , some bloating -significant weight loss -nausea on eating, loss of appetite as thought of eating .. -heaviness or sharp pains in abdomen back R arm, but as gallbladder is under other organs so might be diffused pain -huger temperature, bath Brest or strange taste in mouth

• yellowish tint to skin (jaundice)

Sounds similar to my partner, he has something wrong that affects his spleen.

@MumofCrohnie I have sent you a Pm, if that is ok. I have looked up Crohns and I am v worried.