Tummy ache all day no other symptoms

[Towcat15]

My normally stoic 4 year old started complaining of tummy ache on the way to school this morning but he was happily playing and had eaten a big breakfast so I put it down to a stitch. Told the teacher just in case.

picked him up tonight and he’s still saying he’s got it, not in a moany way just a matter of fact ‘I’ve got tummy ache’ way.

I pressed it a bit to see if I could locate where it was and he said it hurt all over but then he ran off to play.

he ate all his lunch then had a healthy dinner (3 helpings) with pudding and been to the loo which was normal.

he seems to have gone to sleep alright but I feel like I should have done more I’ve not come across this before, especially with him as he only ever really gets colds it’s his brother who gets the sickness bugs and he’s always ill straight away.

any ideas/reassurance?

If my young child had a tummy ache but was eating and had no sickness/diarrhea I would consider nerves/worry of some type - this is very common in young children. Could he have been nervous or excited about school?

Sometimes when children can’t explain where a pain is or where they are uncomfortable their go to will be stomach ache. A friend who is a F2 teacher has said that so many children she deals with say tummy ache when it actually turns out to be something else entirely

Thanks, he’s usually very good at articulating how he’s feeling and not afraid to speak out so I’d like to think the pain isnt elsewhere.

I’m not aware of any worries at school he still ran in this morning with his friends - though didn’t want to run around the playground with them first like he normally does.

the only thing he could be anxious about (and please don’t judge me I’ve been feeling awful) but we finally gave up the dummy last weekend and whilst he’s handled it like a champ he has said he doesn’t think he’s doing very well.

it just seemed to come on very suddenly.

It def could be the dummy, he might have aching muscles if he is a bit tense.

Or have tummy ache caused by the emotional aspects related to the dummy.

My 4 year old had this before Christmas. She was fine apart from complaining of a tummy ache. 2 days later she had tonsillitis any by this point she was still complaining of tummy ache and general aches all over, so it is possible he could be coming down with something.

It could be his glands are up and he's fighting something off... may start with a sore throat soon.

Check the tonsils. Whenever my d’s has tummy ache I check them as it’s usually the cause! What’s the poo like?

Yes I'd also say he's probably coming down with something and it will become clearer in the next couple of days. I've also just had this with Covid. None of the usual symptoms, just a weird constant tummy ache that didn't evolve into anything.

Hope he is better soon and you couldn't have done anymore, don't worry! He clearly was happy and comfortable enough.

DD 6 had this on Thursday too, normally does not complain. She mentioned it in the morning and was crying at the end of the school day. I was all ready to get her ready for an after school activity so suspected she was trying to dodge that. Now I've read your post maybe there is a tummy bug going round...

Well he’s still complaining but it’s not stopping him doing anything - he went to school yesterday, swimming lesson and he’s happy to go out for activities today. Still eating normally (like a horse) and poo is normal.

he said last night it was from right at the top of his chest all the way down, but not on the sides, and that it’s inside - in his bones.

Did your child have reflux as a baby? My dd had really bad reflux as a baby but it seemingly went away as she got older, last year she started complaining of a sore tummy in the mornings and after eating certain things. I thought it was anxiety as that's how it presents in children and she is quite an anxious child, but it continued so we went to the dr she had blood tests to rule our coeliacs etc.

When tests results came back clear the dr pinpointed the pains to in the morning (after a long period of not eating) after certain foods etc then asked me if she had reflux as a baby. It dawned on us both that it was probably heartburn/acid reflux and low and behold she prescribed us some gaviscon and it seems to do the trick.