5 year old recurring diarrhoea

[southernbelles]

Hi all, I've turned to Mumsnet because I'm feeling really low about this today & GP won't see us until Thursday next week.

For several months my 5 year old has had recurring episodes of diarrhoea, every few weeks. They usually start after school, he'll go a few times in the evening & then go to bed & by morning he's fine. Each time I've thought perhaps he's eaten something that hasn't agreed with him (my DH has a sensitive stomach & is prone to diarrhoea).

This time however, it's been going on for 5 days with no signs of stopping. He's going 3-4 times a day. No pain, no fever, absolutely fine in all ways except this. Really hungry. Today for example he's been absolutely fine all day, & then has been twice since 3.30. Every time he goes he barely makes it to the toilet, it's really windy & very explosive (sorry for TMI).

I have been receiving therapy for health anxiety so this might be bothering me more than it would some people, but I just feel scared that there's something awful wrong with him, or that he'll never have a normal bowel movement again! I know that sounds dramatic.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? I've started a food diary this time around & noticed he's had baked beans every day, so stopped those yesterday.

Thank you for any help.

Food intolerance / IBS likely but could also be eg bowel infection or parasite

for us it was gluten

Speak to GP, you need a stool sample test and blood test

also check at night for worms

I’m having similar with my 6 year old but she has tummy pain with it.
agree most likely explanation is food intolerance, if it was something more serious (as is your worry) he wouldn’t be really hungry and fine in all other ways!
i am a fellow health anxiety mum so I completely understand 💞💞💞

Thanks for the replies. I think the lack of pain is what's really throwing me! I'm really glad he's not in pain, obviously, but I suppose I thought that if it was anything like IBS or an intolerance that he would have pain with it 🤷‍♀️

My 1 year old has developed a temperature this evening & cold symptoms, no idea if related though I don't think so.

I'm genuinely holding on by my fingertips this evening! The boys always get ill when my husband is out at work & I don't cope very well by myself though god I try. I am horribly emetophobic so I'm battling the urge to symptom check them, watching their faces, listening to their breathing, checking their temperatures. All in the most 'passing by' ways I can so they don't cotton on (so like I'll give them a kiss on the head but also be seeing if they feel hot). It is no way to live & evenings like this are torture 😢

I so so get this feeling I’m the exact same😞
word of warning - my 6 year old nearly and my 10 year old now definitely know what I’m doing when I kiss them on the forehead / stroke their hair off it and immediately say “don’t take my temperature” 😞I honestly feel like I’m mad sometimes with it all but I get so scared when they are unwell 😢

Thank you, and yes I suspect I won't get away with it for long. I struggle with anxiety in general which I have had therapy really successfully for. The things I can do now I wouldn't in a million years have thought I could do just a couple of years ago. But the illness thing won't budge. Even a little bit. It is utter torture. Evenings like this push me to feeling like I don't want to be here.

My therapist was able to identify causes & triggers for it which has helped with everything else but not this. Unfortunately my NHS sessions have run out now, & she is £100 an hour privately which is so out of reach it's unreal!

I so understand this, and am so sorry you feel it too. When mine are hot/ poorly and it’s night time I get so panicky I honestly feel I’d rather not be here and they pick up on my panic which of course doesn’t help.
like you I can’t afford private therapy but if there was a pill o could take I would. I’m making my children anxious too and I literally can’t stop it ☹️

Oh god when they're hot! My stomach sinks and it's like the world crashes down. Then when I finally take their temperature and it's normal the wave of relief is enormous!

It’s like you are reading my mind!

Lactose intolerance causes diarrhoea. Try swapping any milk he has to lactose free and see what happens. It’s quite common and easy to switch to lactose free, hardly any taste difference.