Mystery illness

[Kiwi98]

My daughter is a healthy 6 year old and never had any previous health issues.
She is in my care 4 days a week and her dad’s 3 days.

For the past month she started to complain a little about stomach ache around her belly button, which gradually then turned into every day.

Alongside this she has started to drink excessive amounts of water all day, and has a lot of gas and burping. She goes to the toilet regularly and it can go either way. Sometimes constipated and sometimes softer although now she wipes herself and shares time between house’s it’s a little harder to keep track of.

It’s gotten to the point now where when she is at her dad’s house she is crying to come home to me. He managed to console her the first few times but unable to do so now. There is history of stomach issues (chron’s, ibd) on her fathers side.

As this has progressed quickly over the Christmas period she hasn’t seen a GP yet, as I’d planned to keep a food diary and take her in the new year. But I’m going to take her as soon as they are open.

Does anybody have any advice for me please or any idea what this could be? Currently just using calpol and hot water bottles. She is ok in herself apart from that.

Thank you in advanced!

Could be anything from a food intolerance to anxiety to ibd and anything inbetween. It's really one for the doctors. Likely she will need blood test and might even be referred to a gastro consultant

I deal with awful tummy trouble, I remember being little around her age and my mother thinking I was just trying to avoid meals. It’s really good you’re taking it seriously.

Around 13 I was taken to the doctor and of course ignored and told it’s period pain as most young women with abdominal issues are told. Hopefully with her being so little this won’t be the case.

Any bright yellow in her poo? it’s a sign of fat malabsorption and they will probably ask for a stool sample.

I’m now 22 and prescribed codeine phosphate 30mg, allowed up to 8 a day for my pain after eating. It’s no way to live.

Bringing it to GPs attention at a such young age will help this being taken seriously massively so i’d do it asap, even if it calms down i’d still go.

If there is a history of IBD in the family then make sure you share your concerns with the gp. Unfortunately some gp’s do not have the knowledge of IBD so you may well need to push for blood tests/stool test etc. IBD can come on very slowly like with my daughter which was over the space of a year.

get her checked for diabetes

Hi thank you for your reply and insight. There’s no yellow in her poo. I quizzed her about it today as she has been at dads for 3 days, and then inspected it today once going to the toilet here. I have rang 111 for advice as she did start having bad stomach ache and acid reflux for a few hours which has calmed down. Its been 7 hours but I’m waiting for a call back to speak to the out of hours gp and hopefully get to the bottom of it 🙂