9 yr Old DD & Stomach Problems - Help Needed Please - Ideas, Crohns experience in DCs, Giardiasis, or Other??

[rockinhippy]

Please excuse typos etc - using PC & I'm normally a MAC user, so finding it a bit difficult..

My DD has been very ill since NY day - ,initially off food, then Nausea, followed up by bad lower stomach pain, followed by explosive Diareah within half hour of every time she eats, too ill to go back to School, which she was really upset about as she loves School & was looking forward to it........ she's shaky weak, pale, dark circles, sometimes a bit of a headache, generally very unwell & now unable to eat practically anything - even the very bland diet suggested by GP -

she does already have IBS diagnosis, but she says this was different, also we know her triggers, shes eaten nothing suspect & was not stressed in anyway, quite the opposite

initially put it down to a stomach bug, but she wasn't improving &despite trying really hard to keep her fluids up, I noticed signs of dehydration, so I rang GP - after telephone consultation I was told I needed to take her in to be be checked over - which I did

GP agreed she was dehydrated, thankfully having GP tell DD that did help her realise how important it was to drink, nausea or not, so that bit at least has improved, but - we also discussed possible kidney infection, due to her complaining weeing hurt sometimes - test came back clear, lower intestines very battered & bruised, so could have been due to that - she describes colicky cramp pains, gurgling & feels hungry, but its become so painful & diiarreah is so persistent after food that shes now scared to eat any real food - shes had a bad year, with accidents etc & is verty stoic by nature, so its awful to see her struggling so much & getting so down about eating, as its just not like her, shes still bubbly & smiling as much as she can but is a shadow of her usualy tough & very stoicl self, its awful to see :(

after 3rd trip to GP I've realise I was getting little help & though by now GP agrees its gone on too long to be Gastritis etc, shes basically scratching her head, I just tells me i'm doing asll the right things & to carry on - does give me a stool sample pot when I ask for a stool check, but she reckons its unlikely as I'd already said we've eaten same things & also checked with others at NYE party to see if anyone else ill, or any other viruses around - there isn't - GP leaves it as - lets see how it goes over the weekend & bring her back Monday if no improvement''

so I hit the health shop & stocked up on things to sooth her stomach & build her system back up - Aloe, high strength Manuka Honey & Spirulina & start a holistic treatment protocol - this has helped a little & she managed to get out for a couple of hours on Sat & today (Sun) - but shes shaky as hell & still can't eat without pain & diarreah symptoms kicking in again - though not quite as bad, still too much - she's living on rice cakes & manuka honey & even with the spirulina - which seemed to go right through her, it can't go on - I'm very worried :(

Googling brings up 2 things - Giardiasis & Crohns - she has owned up to using magnetic fish tank cleaner at the Party, but insists she washed her hands because it felt slimy - this is the only possible source of Giardisis

I'm more worried about crohns, as he medical history fits that, at least seems to, but I'm not experienced in it, so hoping someone can advise on that ?? - I'm particulary worried having read a bit on it, that DD has pretty much stopped growing in the last 18 months - I've posted on that before - she was born tall, always tallest in class by far, through nursery & up until year 3 when her friends & most of herr clss mates have overtaken her - i've spoken with GPon this, but as DD is still within the expected centiles, she just wasn't interested - I'm average height - DH is exceptionally tall, so DD would be xpected top be above average height

She has complained of various aches & pains, is quite sensitive with clothing etc & is according to physio f0r leg injury hypermobile -

can anyone advise on how either of these 2 illnesses shows up in Kids

Thank you :)

It's too early to diagnose such things this soon. It still may just be a bout of gastroenteritis, this honestly can go on for a couple of weeks so give it time. Also, once a person is run down they can often catch 1 after the other which we misleadingly consider to be an on-going thing. Be careful reading too much on the net - it always gives worst case scenarios. Hopefully this will improve on its own. Try buying some dioralyte in the mean time to keep her hydration and minerals etc going but bear with it for now. Children often grow out of it in time.

Thank you for your reply sadie the longevity thing is reassuring, though differs from what the last GP we saw has said - but visiting the GP is often a source of picking up bugs, so a 2nd virus is a possibility, though odd the symptoms are the same, not impossible

Be careful reading too much on the net - it always gives worst case scenarios - yes, I know that, hence why I asked the question here, hoping to get some idea from people who have real life experience of Crohns or Giardisis or just some other ideas on what this could be & what else I can do for her

Try buying some dioralyte in the mean time to keep her hydration and minerals etc going but bear with it for now - sadly thats not possible - its full of the additives that we know are one of her IBS triggers, so that will only make the situation worse, but we are managing the best we can with crisps & sugary drinks for sodium, potassium & glucose & Spirulina is also a good source of potassium, though she's struggling to eat & drink them, she understands it important, so thankfully is doing her best & she's not obviously dehydrated now (GP agreed too)

My post above is a bit of an insomniacs garble, so apologies for that, but it been a tough few weeks & obviously with her history of quite frequent unresolved stomach problems, this longer & more severe bout has me worrying:( - & TBH, her growth pretty much stopping in the last 18 months or so, has puzzled & concerned us a bit, she's not particularly robust either, yet eats an exceptionally healthy diet - but as I said, she's had a bad year & we've had other things to deal with, so put it out of our minds, but this sort of thing does make you wonder

Poor mite is starving & very weak, so after managing rice cakes & manuka honey for breakfast, with only minor stomach ache & no diareah, we are trying her first proper food for a week - fingers crossed

Both my DDs had a similar bug before and over christmas.
My 13 yearold certainly had explosive diahrea (sp) the younger one did a bit too. Both were being very discreet as we had visitors. DD2 (10) was very unhappy for 5 days, ate almost nothing didn't even finish a bowl of ice-cream. This is unheard of!
After 9 days I'd certainly check, but I suspect it was pretty much 7 before my two, who normally avoid stomach bugs totally felt completely normal. DD2 was knocking back Calpol and complaining of really bad stomach pain and she doesn't moan.

Thank you Startail thats reassuring to know that there is a stomach bug around that lasting & week or more - sorry your DDs had it though.

We are still no wiser as to what my own DDs problem has been, but maybe a virus has then aggravated her IBS, unless test come back saying otherwise - but whatever it is, thankfully she's finally picking up & eating normal food bar wheat & diary, which we'll hold off on for a while longer, without too much of a problem - some discomfort, but MUCH less than previous & same with diarreah too - none so far today, so fingers crossed she can go back to School soon :)

Hello there.

I have extensive experience of giardiasis (used to live in the tropics). Typical symptoms include eggy burps, lots of foul wind and pale loose stools. Its not usually painful (compared say to dysentery) and can come and go a bit - so OK for a week, then sick again.

Bearing in mind that I'm not a GP and haven't actually seen your daughter, what you describe doesn't sound much like giardiasis to me. If it turns out to be though, it is easily treated.

I think your idea that it is virus plus IBS may well be correct. Something else you may want to consider (if she doesn't continue to improve) is coeliac disease but I'm guessing if she has a working diagnosis of IBS she has been tested for that already?