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15 year old full of "ailments"

14 replies

Primrose444 · 25/05/2025 17:04

My DS (15) has had a tough year when it comes to health. He had a full medical check up in January and nothing was found. The only comment from the doctor was that he is too skinny (1,79 m and 55 kg).
He lost 3 kg in the past month and didn't dare to tell us. He said he has no appetite, and goes to the toilet 3-4 times a day (more loose stools he says). He's happy in school, gets good grades, has good friends, nothing seems to be missing but he is constantly complaining about his health and every day there is a problem. Today, he got a mosquito bite. He is allergic and his arm is quite swollen. He got the proper medication for allergy but still, he is terrified. Two days ago it was a headache, he said it was a weird headache and that he was very worried. Every day he comes from school saying he is exhausted (his blood tests results were excellent so he is physically healthy). Sometimes he sends me a text when I'm at work to tell me he has belly cramps and he is alone at home and what to do. To summarize, I feel helpless. He got medical attention, he got a full check up, nothing was found. We saw the eye doctor and got a very expensive and thorough check up to make sure his headaches weren't caused by poor sight. His health seems to be the best!

On the other hand, he can't gain weight no matter how much he eats. When he finally gains a few kilos, he suddenly feels sick for 2 or 3 days and loses them. I'm slowly going crazy as there is no explanation for any of this. My husband tells me he is just anxious but I am very worried. A boy his age shouldn't have so many health issues of unknown origin, it seems it is more mental than physical and I wonder, what triggered all this if he has no major problems in life?

Any advice?

OP posts:
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MereNoelle · 25/05/2025 17:05

It does sound like anxiety is at the root of this.

Jujujudo · 25/05/2025 17:05

He might have Coeliac….

NoNewsisGood · 25/05/2025 17:06

Been checked for coeliacs?

Also, DC similar height and weight and not considered skinny. However, does not have the same ailments. Coeliacs might fit with the allergy aspect as seems to be part of the auto-immune bunch of stuff atopic people can suffer with.

babyproblems · 25/05/2025 17:07

I wondered if he has an eating disorder actually and you don’t realise. Of course there are other possibilities- allergies/intolerances etc.

Primrose444 · 25/05/2025 17:10

NoNewsisGood · 25/05/2025 17:06

Been checked for coeliacs?

Also, DC similar height and weight and not considered skinny. However, does not have the same ailments. Coeliacs might fit with the allergy aspect as seems to be part of the auto-immune bunch of stuff atopic people can suffer with.

Yes, he's been tested for celiac disease, lactose intolerance, seasonal allergies, food allergies, everything...

Interesting, one doctor told him he was too skinny, the other one said that since his blood works and physical tests were excellent, he shouldn't worry about his weight. His father was very thin too (still is).

OP posts:
Primrose444 · 25/05/2025 17:11

babyproblems · 25/05/2025 17:07

I wondered if he has an eating disorder actually and you don’t realise. Of course there are other possibilities- allergies/intolerances etc.

Unfortunately, I'm wondering the same. I will definitely call the GP next week.

OP posts:
Primrose444 · 25/05/2025 17:11

MereNoelle · 25/05/2025 17:05

It does sound like anxiety is at the root of this.

He seems to have many weird fears so I'm worried it is anxiety.

OP posts:
rivalsbinge · 25/05/2025 17:32

Assuming they have run full checks for blood cancers etc and other serious diseases first before saying anxiety?

Does he have any hormone issues? Have they checked his testosterone levels etc.

if nobody else in the family is particularly anxious if suffers form health anxiety it’s unusual for a 15 year old lad to start down this path, has there been any issues marriage breakdowns any recent deaths in the family?

Orangemintcream · 25/05/2025 17:44

Well he very obviously does have anxiety - because it sounds as though there may be something that’s not being addressed and he’s worried about it.

Has been to a dietician ? Done a low fodmap diet ?

Has he had any other input from gastroenterology ?

I would want a bit more than a blood test before labelling it all a mental health problem tbh.

Octavia64 · 25/05/2025 17:56

I have a DD who was like this. After a few years of “ailments” she was diagnosed with hashimoto’s thyroiditis which means she is on medication for life.

we didn’t trust the GPs “full medical checkup” so got a second opinion privately. We asked him to do all available blood tests, he also did an MRI as she’d previously been diagnosed with juvenile arthritis.

his report was 37 pages of blood tests alone.

NHS GP will not have given him a full medical checkup. They can’t afford it.

they’ll have looked for the things that are most often wrong.

NoNewsisGood · 25/05/2025 18:15

Coeliacs is quite hard to diagnose. Blood tests seem to rarely be of use.

On the skinny front - yes, would see it more that if it is out of line of his parents' genetics. If you consider his weight 'normal' for your family, it probably is.

Togatuga · 27/05/2025 16:36

When did the health issues start? There’s clearly something going on.

Hatty65 · 27/05/2025 16:42

I suspect the GPs have only done the basics and there are things that don't show up. If he's constantly exhausted then it's perfectly possible that he has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or even that he's had glandular fever and it's wiped him out. This won't show on blood tests. If he's ever had Covid (and you may not have tested) this is fairly common.

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