Loads of mild but on-going symptoms

[WorriedMumOfThree83]

I'll start by saying I am going to take her to the doctor, but I've been trying to keep a symptom diary so I have something a bit more substantial to take along.

My DD age 6 has been suffering with several mild but regular symptoms and I'm starting to get a bit worried. She gets headaches, they seem to come out of no where and she rates them as 5/6 out of 10. They aren't usually long lasting and disappear with a dose of calpol. She also seems to get a tummy ache most evenings. Always once she's laid down in bed. I don't think it is a stalling technique, although it does always result in a delayed bedtime so it's possible she's acting really well I suppose.
She's complained now and then of her throat 'feeling funny' she can't really explain the feeling but says it doesn't hurt and isn't sore. I've wondered about post nasal drip or even reflux.
Finally she's had a couple of times of suddenly saying she feels sick and has had to go and sit by the toilet for half an hour or so until it subsides. No actual vomiting.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas. They might all be completely unrelated of course...

My 3 year old has reflux and she describes in a similar way. I ask her if it feels like her tummy comes up to her mouth and she says yes. She has had reflux since birth that goes in and out of control. In January it was wildly out of control and she has a big increase in her omperazole dose and she went from complaining of tummy ache daily to once or twice a month in 2-3 weeks. It would be worth discussing reflux and omperazole with your GP.
My daughter gets headaches now and then too but all of the women in my family (4 generations) are prone to headaches and migraines. So I have always assumed she's going the same way. Her's are self limiting too and infrequent. I have mentioned them to her paediatrician but its not something they are looking into at the moment

That's interesting. The first time she said it she said 'my food is all the way up to here' and indicated her throat.

She's never had reflux at all - is it possible for it to have started suddenly aged 6 (almost 7)?
I suddenly developed it aged 36, but not sure about children...

What are her bowel habits like?

She does border on the constipated side. We had huge issues during weaning and as a toddler but she now goes most days.

My daughter is quite unusual to still have it at age 3 but I think it starts to not become common as they get older but less unusual. Especially if there is a family history. My sister had severe reflux as a baby and has it has an adult. My mum has severe reflux as an adult which doesn't respond to medication so is waiting on an operation. My mum finds a lot of foods trigger her reflux. She can't have meat or high levels of dairy (yoghurt and milk) but in hindsight probably has also had a mild dairy allergy. My sister almost certainly had a dairy allergy as a baby and has noticed an improvement since going vegan for social reasons. My daughter has a lot of food allergies but these are unrelated to her reflux. It might be worth keeping a food diary to see if she has any triggers

If it is reflux you might want to up the trips to the dentist. My daughter goes every 3 months for fluoride treatment as she has acid damage to her molars. Reflux in older children is often first spotted by dentists

Thank you. Definitely something to mention to the dr. We've not long been to the dentist and they didn't mention anything. But I will definitely keep that in mind.
I'll start a food diary too, one thing I know for sure is that she definitely gets more tummy aches when she has a lot of sugar.

I just can't help worrying that there is something serious going on.

It's always a worry isn't it.

Especially with girls where pain can be minimised. My sister had gallstones as a teenager, it took 3 years to get diagnosed as she was essentially classed as "hysterical" by a&e and her GP. She was diagnosed after developing sepsis and was acutely unwell for about 3 days. Prior to this my mum had been convinced of cancer and other nasty things. Things dramatically improved after diagnosis, she had to have her gallbladder out and the only lasting effect is getting smelly if she has a lot of fat. When things don't have a name or if your concerns aren't being listened too its easy for your mind to wander to all the what ifs.

We were in a state of panic at Christmas after my daughters paediatrician had run out of medication options and her reflux was out of control, she slept most nights with me holding her up (V shape pillows can help with overnight reflux as they keep you propped up a bit more). He referred us to a gastro specialist who was able to increase the omperazole to the highest dose for her age rather than the highest dose for her weight as the general paediatrician had been using. This relatively simple change got it back under control and she's sleeping through the night again. The trick is to get in front of the right doctor and be persistent if needed!

Constipation and reflux tend to go hand in hand. And honestly her going every day isn't always a guarantee that her bowels are fully emptying. I have experienced this personally. I would up fluid intake as much as possible. Does she have much fibre or acidic foods in her diet? Definitely worth a GP trip.

@Nogodsnomasters perhaps that could be it. She does eat a lot of fruit which I guess is mostly acidic, I'll have to look in to what foods are acidic. Fibre wise I think she's good, but she definitely could drink more. Do you mean to say that if we sorted any constipation then if it's reflux it could resolve?

Absolutely my constipation causes worse reflux symptoms and the same for my foster daughter who has chronic constipation when she's bad with it she will complain of nausea, feelings in her throat, throat clearing etc. when the bowel is not emptying correctly it doesn't leave much space for new food and can cause everything to be pushing upwards. Oranges, apples, strawberries are all quite acidic. Bananas are low acid.

Don't meddle with her diet before seeing a GP and asking them.

All the symptoms you've described could be something physical, something emotional, or just nothing really.

Worry is very common in her age and headaches, stomach upsets and tight throat could be that.

Could also be an allergy.

If you tamper with the diet unscientifically you may slow down the finding out. See the GP first for physical checks first.

@Nogodsnomasters thanks. She does eat a lot of apples. I'll have to keep a closer eye on her bowel habits. She's quite independent now so I don't always see.

@calligraphee absolutely, I won't change anything other than encourage more fluid.

Yes when they get to a certain age we do tend to stop poop-watching but maybe the next few bowel movements she has ask her to let you see before she flushes and if they seem dry or small then it might be a clue to what's going on.

@Nogodsnomasters thank you. I'm not sure what I'd do without mumsnet.

It's odd because it always used to be her sister who had the tummy aches and this one was always fine. Straight to bed no problem. Now they've switched.

My mum with the severe reflux has a mild laxative prescribed as she is only daily codeine for a fractured spine and this causes her constipation. As the bowel is full it encroaches on the space for the stomach and that makes reflux more likely....also why pregnant women are prone to heartburn/reflux but with the baby taking up all the room

I think monitoring her life closely for a week to come up with a lists of what is going on and heading to the GP is a good call

@Superscientist it does make complete sense. The only thing that doesn't add up
Is that her diet hasn't changed. I'm not sure why she would suddenly be constipated enough to cause this when she's been completely fine before

My daughter is the opposite and has loose stools and hers can vary wildly without obvious changes to her diet. I drove myself crazy trying to find connections. The digestive system is such a fine balance for some people. Emotional wellbeing can also impact on the bowels too so it's not just diet.

She has been a bit nervous about something. Which happened yesterday. So it'll be interesting to see if things improve now it's over

We went to the GP today and he said he can feel some poo and she is mildly constipated... so we're getting some laxatives and we'll see how she goes. He wasn't sure on the 'funny throat' and as for the headaches he said she might just be like me and prone to them. Basically if the symptoms are still a problem after a couple of weeks then we are to go back

Just out of interest, is her sister older and did it start at a similar age? If so that might be indicative of it being a worry response.

It is very difficult when you get a few disparate symptoms because the tendency can be to tie them all together, and sometimes that is correct but sometimes it is all coincidental... very difficult to know.

They're twins, so nothing to be learned!

It'll be interesting to see how much difference the laxative makes. I'm not sure about it being a worry response because it's continued in to the school holidays, plus pops up whenever, even if she's distracted etc