To ask if this might be appendicitis (5yo)

[Waiting111]

Firstly I have spoken to GP today who arranged to see DS on Monday and now I've just called 111, waiting for call back. So not really asking for medical advice! But I am sitting here googling and generally wondering and thought I'd ask for thoughts/experiences.

5yo DS has been complaining of intermittent tummy ache for a couple of weeks or more. He's not been especially distressed by it so we were wondering if maybe he has an allergy or intolerance. Then last night shortly before bedtime he suddenly became tearful, said he felt poorly and developed a fever within a few minutes. He said his tummy hurt worse than ever and he had a headache too. He wanted lights off and to go to bed. Put him in my bed to keep an eye on him and around 3am he cooled down and slept. He filled and leaked out of two nappies though which is unusual (he still needs pull ups at night). He seemed a lot better today, continued to say he had a bit of a tummy ache and wasn't 100% but didn't seem very ill either.

Then tonight again at bedtime low grade fever returned, just a bit warm to touch, and he said his tummy pain was very bad. He is asleep now but every now and then he is writhing and sobbing in his sleep, clutching his tummy. He is asleep with his hands wrapped round his belly and his knees up to his chest. He has been saying his belly button is where it hurts but then all around it too. He flinches a little if I touch his tummy. He hasn't eaten much. No vomiting or diarrhoea.

He isn't a child that makes a fuss and will often just silently look sad if things are really bad. So I'm finding it hard to work out how bad it is. He is asleep now so it can't be awful pain but then I've read appendicitis can be gradual and I'm wondering if he's in that stage. An (adult) friend was misdiagnosed for a week with a UTI before his appendix ruptured!

I guess I'm wondering what other people's experiences of this have been for their children.

Neither of my dds have had it but I have. It started as a tummy ache which gradually got worse. It was all across my tummy. I vomited a lot and didn't feel like eating. I'd say the pain got progressively worse and I couldn't really sleep. 111 were brilliant and the out of hours GP I spoke to at about 3am referred me to the walk in centre to be seen in person around an hour later. If you're worried push to be seen when 111 call back. Or just go to a&e.

My DS had similar. Turned out to be recurrent UTIs. If it is for yours make sure they do an ultrasound of his kidneys. They're meant to, but mine didn't til he'd had several and his kidney was damaged.

One of the tests they had my DS do was lie flat and lift his right leg. They said if that's too painful it's a sign of appendicitis, coz I thought the same.

111 sounds like the right call, hopefully you can get an out of hours appointment.

You said he wanted lights off - has he been adverse to lights since? If so get him seen quickly.

He needs to see a doctor, that said 12 Yr old ds2 got admitted 10 days ago - turned out to be mesenteric adenitis (swollen tummy glands caused by a virus). He was in a lot of pain for 4 days. It needs careful examination to differentiate it from appendix.

My DD has appendicitis at age 4. She had an intermittent fever and stomach pain in belly button area, very lethargic, vomited but only once.

Kept taking her to the GP for about 4 days straight (back when you could get appointments), one day I took her in the morning then to emergency GP in the evening but they kept saying it was a virus. GP said was constipation and gave me suppositories despite me saying it wasn’t!

Took her to A&E on the 5th day, had to wait 4 hours with her literally comatose until I started getting a bit loud and was finally seen. Action stations as soon as the doctor felt her stomach, and the room filled with nurses, she was intubated and blue lighted to a bigger hospital as they initially thought it was a stomach tumour. They actually left her for the night before they scanned her and still couldn’t see what it was so put a camera inside at point her appendix had just burst!

Luckily she was fine after a week in hospital.

I gather appendicitis is hard to diagnosis especially in children (and quite unusual so they tend not to think that’s what it is). Funnily enough DH’s nephew also had appendicitis a few years later at age 6!

I’d get your DS to A&E now OP and say you want it ruled out.

So by 6.30am this morning (8 hours since I called) 111 had still not called back. They sent a message with ways to cancel the call back 🙄by this point DS had slept for a couple of hours and his brother, 7, had woken up with a sore throat and tummy ache too. Which is making me think it's a virus. So I've cancelled 111 calling back because I can just take him to the walk in centre (or A&E) myself if needed now.

He seems a bit better again this morning, still says his tummy hurts but isn't as distressed... But this is exactly the same as yesterday. So I think I'll see how he goes today and if it repeats tonight.

I really appreciate your story @ChillyFingers so thank you for sharing. It is quite similar to how it's been for him. But in between his presentation is more normal and upbeat.

Also just for the person who mentioned when he was light averse I paid a lot of attention as I know someone who lost a child to meningitis.

It was nice to have some replies when I was sitting in there in the dark watching him.

@Waiting111 I was just wondering what the outcome was. My 6y/o son is having the same symptoms and I'm waiting for a call back. Was told 2 hours but would be more likely 4...
I'm trying to stop myself from falling down a rabbit hole.

Don't wait for the callback, just take them to A&E. My poor nephew spent twelve days in the RVI last year after a burst appendix. 111 was hopeless, as was the GP who just kept pushing antibiotics for a UTI. He was five at the time and was very poorly.

My dd had appendicitis when she was 3. She had a funny tummy ache on and off for about a week. I took her to the GP who mentioned appendicitis, but said it was unlikely. Eventually we took her to A&E where they did an ultrasound and discovered it was indeed an inflamed appendix. She was admitted to hospital and put on a drip which contained antibiotics. They didn't want to remove the appendix while it was inflamed. She was in hospital for a week, and we got a return appointment a few weeks later which is when they removed it.

It could be mesenteric adenitis (possibly spelled wrong). This presents similarly to appendicitis and a few years back we took DC to a&e as the online advice for such symptoms indicated possible appendix issues.
Apparently with youngish children, the adrenal and other glands in the stomach area can become inflamed, usually as a reaction to something viral.
However, this still needs checking, so hopefully 111 will be more productive if you are able to speak to someone there.

The doctor called me back. He basically said it sounds viral and if he's no better by the end of the week then to see my own gp! He also said if it is appendicitis then nothing would be done straight away...
I'm feeling very alone tonight. My boy has woke up but his temperature is back to 39.1. I'm feeling so out of my depth