Cyclical vomiting syndrome in toddler

[alibobins]

Ds2 had just spent a week in hospital with vomiting and tummy pain he has been really unwell and was seriously dehydrated :( after scans xrays and numerous blood tests we are non the wiser to what has caused it.
This is his 4th admission in 8 weeks all with similar symptoms he is loosing weight but seems well between episodes.
One of the medical doctors mentioned cyclical vomiting but did say he was a little too young.
Anyone have any ideas as to what this could be x

Anyone???

I posted about cyclical vomiting a couple of years ago (and didn't get any replies either!). It was a lot less extreme than yours - you don't say how old your DS is, but my DS was 2.5 - he was vomiting every few days and had tummy pain and bloating. The vomiting went away after a few months, but tummy pain and bloating remained. Also tiredness. A paed found he was anaemic, but it took another couple of years before anyone thought of doing a test for coeliac disease.

It turned out he is coeliac. He's now 4.9 and has been gluten-free for 6 months - he is a different child and so much healthier and happier.

This may be completely irrelevant to your DS's situation, but if a test has not yet been done for coeliac disease, then do push for one (the initial blood test is quite simple). General advice is that vomiting is not a symptom (in adults anyway) but I have heard several other mums of coeliac children say that vomiting was a symptom in their child.

Best wishes for you and your DS

Ds2 is 2.7 his last lot of bloods did include coeliac screening but they said we won't get the results for another week or so x x the only thing that has come back so far is raised ammonia levels do further bloods have been sent off x

for young children (under 4) the coeliac blood test is not always accurate as their immune system is still undeveloped, so even if that test is negative then don't rule it out completely. Haven't heard of raised ammonia levels before, so not sure what that indicates.

It's so hard tracking down things like this, I feel for you. In the end, for us, it was just accidentally gtting the right doctor on the right day that made the breakthrough.

Hi My lad is 12 and a half.He has just been verbally diagnosed with cyclical vomiting syndrome.He is presently under five hospitals.It took a few years for consultants to diagnose as they had to have evidence of the episodes and rule out all other syndromes.It was a real fight to get a referral to a hospital via my local GP took about two years of vomiting bouts.His symptons he would have a raised temperature flushed cheeks just whilst the vomiting is going on which incidentally had no prewarning or any indication of illness beforehand would just happen suddenly at virtually set times of the day or evening for a full on hour and other times for about three to four days at worst 3 to 4 times per week.Yet after these bouts of vomiting he will sleep for hours then be absolutely fine making you think you are going nuts as his appetite is unaffected and he can often even after these bouts return to school after a good long sleep.He suffers terrible headaches and gets very tired from physical activity and needs loads of fluids.He has to date had a MRI scan,Barium Swallow,Endoscopy and various blood tests which showed raised ammonia levels.My son was put on Pitzitifen for the headaches twice daily ,Domperidone alongside Onsanetron as when episodes happened for two days or so as needed.I was told the raised ammonia levels indicate a underlying significant problem that cannot be and is never ignored.My son regularly has repeated blood tests and also abdominal scans as he then developed faecal impaction basically constipation and the waste going back into the bloodstream can raise ammonia levels.According to the report the normal ammonia level is 200 0r something my boy was 280 then it went down to within normal levels.Ammonia levels can happen just the once I was told.Physical activity,anxiousness,excitement ,stress,change of routine he is autistic also can trigger and does an episode.I was once told originally that he had worms but mygut instinct as a mum told me that was scapp.Sorry hope this is of use.There is a specialist cyclical vomiting consultant clinic at Gt.Ormond Street and I was also informed that this syndrome is extremely rare and still be learned about as nobody really knows the causes.Hope this helps.

When I read your thread title, I immediately thought of coeliac disease. Before DD1 was diagnosed, she would vomit every two-three days - not to the extent of your DS - generally just the once and then she would seem fine and be hungry again. She didn't gain any weight for over a year and was also either suffering from awful diarrhoea or chronic constipation, which I've since found out are also symptoms. A new GP finally took some notice of my concerns and referred her and she was eventually diagnosed with coeliac disease.

As bedhopper says, the coeliac test can be inconclusive in small children, although I had heard that it had improved in the last couple of years. However even if the test is positive, your DS will need to have an endoscopy and biopsy of the intestine to confirm the diagnosis, so if you think this could be the cause, then it would be worth pushing for this even if the blood test comes back negative.

Hope you get some answers soon.

Just had his discharge papers and we have got a follow up appointment in a few weeks time.
I feel like I'm living on edge if he says his tummy hurts or misses lunch I panic that it is all going to start again :(
The consultant we are seeing is really good so hopefully he will get things sorted.
Thanks for all the ideas I'll chase up his coeliac bloods x x

Good luck alibobins.

Just one thing - if the coeliac proves negative, I would consider trying him on a wheat free / gluten free diet for a while and see if that makes a difference.

But DON'T do that before all the coeliac tests are done, as it will mess up the tests if he is cutting out gluten before they are done.

Wish you all the best.

Yes good luck with all the tests.Just wanted to say my lad was put on a wheat and gluten free diet for a number of years and I found no difference in his symptoTake care.ms and nor did the consultants when doing all sorts of tests and reveiws.

I know it's late but cvs is possible in toddlers & in fact more common! Hope everything is sorted now!