persistent tummy pain in 4.10yo...lactose?

[CappuccinoCarrie]

Hi there...

My 4.10yo DD has been complaining of tummy ache for months. We had a new baby last August, and she started school in September, and she has taken both things in her stride (in fact she loves both very much), but we thought the tummy pain could be 'nerves' or excitement or similar. She's also terrible not very good at knowing she needs a wee and has frequent accidents so when she complains of tummy ache we often send her to the toilet thinking its maybe that. She's had a few uti's in the last 6 months and we've been referred to the enuresis clinic about the wee issues. But even when she gets the all clear from the uti's, the tummy ache is still there. We know she withholds poos until she's at home and can go in her own time, so sometimes the pain could be constipation. She eats really well (sometimes too well...pain could be indigestion) but equally sometimes the pain could be hunger.
We've taken her to the doc several times and she's been given a once-over and declared to be fine.
She walks/cycles to school and does swimming and generally has bundles of energy, and sleeps well at night.
But school have started commenting on how often she complains of tummy ache, and she still often tells us at home, in a very matter-of-fact way, not attention seeking at all, that her tummy hurts.
My mum has been staying for the last few days and commented on how often DD mentions her tummy pain, and suggested lactose intolerance or similar.
Its half term soon, and we're staying home so I can completely control her diet. If it was a lactose type problem what should I cut out (all dairy? just milk? yoghurt and cheese?) and what should I be looking for?

Thank you if you've got this far and if you've got any ideas!!

It could be gluten or dairy or a myriad of other things. I wouldnt cut anything out without consulting a gp first

I'm pretty sure its not gluten as there would be many other symptoms and her output is fine. I figure if I go to GP and they think it might be lactose or similar then first line of attack would be to cut it out for a week and see if it makes a difference, and I can do that without having to go to a GP first and in the long run, one week without milk isn't the end of the world.
Happy to consider all possibilities, and also hear from others whose DCs have unexplained tummy pain.

If it were sudden bursts of pain, lasting for a few hours and then days with nothing, I'd think Mesenteric Adenitis, but this sounds a bit too consistent to be that - you might want to google it anyway (although it's a diagnosis of last resort - you'd want to eliminate anything dangerous or fixable first).

DD had a long stream of acute stomach pain incidents around thay age - some of them she was probably malingering, some she definitely wasn't - GPs (and A&E in one case) could offer nothing more plausible than MA and she seems to have grown out of it.

I guess you can rule out appendix, given that she's been examined by GPs.

Ruling lactose in or out isn't difficult if you're not further along the path at half term and doesn't need a complete elimination diet, these days. Replace milk products with lactofree, which is made from milk with the lactose pre-digested (or fortified soya, if needs be) equivalents and read labels like crazy, avoiding anything with added milk products or actual lactose in the list.

Having a tummy bug can often cause temporary lactose intolerance for a while afterwards. DS1 and I are mildly lactose intolerant but it gets far worse if we've had a tummy bug. If that is her problem, she should feel a lot more comfortable within a few days.

Very helpful, thank you both. I'll google MA. Several different docs have had a feel around and there's nothing sinister going on that they can feel, and there are literally no other symptoms other than the pain, and the on going issue of not knowing when she needs a wee until its too late.
Very interesting abotu being temporarily lactose intolerant, or mildly so, and the alternatives available. Thank you for the ideas!