4yo constantly saying he feels sick…but isn’t

[Willow4987]

4yo DS keeps saying he feels sick, tries to be sick and then isn’t. Literally 30 secs later he’s fine and nothings wrong

queue going backwards between feeling sick or feeling fine constantly

he was sick a few weeks ago, had caught a tummy bug. But not there’s nothing wrong with him, he keeps saying he’s feeling sick but just isn’t sick

I don’t know whether he’s worked out there’s attention attached to sickness or genuinely feels sick without being sick

ive tried explaining to him about the importance of telling me the truth; that’s it’s ok to feel sick or poorly and to tell me but that it’s not good to say he’s feeling sick if he’s not

ive also explained that if he’s still feeling sick all the time we will have to go to the doctor to check he’s ok, which he then cries about as he doesn’t like the doctors. So then he says he’s fine (and then 5 mins later says he’s sick again)

I just don’t know if this is a phase for attention or something I should look in to

or can anyone recommend any tv shows or books that discuss the importance of honesty?

Might he be anxious?

Could it be constipation? My eldest says she feels sick when she is blocked up. Does his tummy feel hard?

At 4, it won’t be a case of lying, it is more likely to be a cse of him finding it difficult to understand and label his emotions and physical sensations. Anxiety can often feel like a sick feeling or a tummy ache at that age.

Migraine? You can have aura, feel sick, without a headache.

Why do you assume he's lying?

There's loads of reasons he might be feeling sick.

Does he eat okay?

Are his poos really big? Mine complained at 3yrs old for weeks, then started being sick all the time. Turned out he's coeliac so needed gf food.

Sometimes young kids say they feel sick when their throat hurts

well i wouldn't have told him it's not good to tell you he's feeling unwell if in your opinion just because he's not throwing up he's fine, he's probably got a bad stomach or is feeling nauseous but can't communicate that to you because he's literally 4

He eats fine, poos normal for him

his throat may hurt as his brother has a sore throat and I hadn’t heard they could confuse the two - but we have checked it and can’t see any obvious inflammation at this stage but will keep an eye on it

I didn’t say it wasn’t good to tell me he was unwell. I said it was important he always tells the truth and that it’s fine if he is sick, we will make him better, that he just needs to tell me when he is. I only said that to him today as he’s literally changing his mind if he feels sick every 30 seconds and his appetite is unchanged, rest of his behaviour is the same etc so I’m just not sure which is true

I think he may be confusing feeling unwell with feeling physically sick

he could be anxious as he is generally a socially anxious child, so we do keep an eye on him for that (we also have a 3rd baby on the way, he started school this year and I think he’s exhausted)

think we will just have to see how he is over the next few days and maybe take him to the dr if it doesn’t stop. I just don’t want to miss anything serious if he is unwell but apart from him saying he’s sick he’s acting normally so not sure what else to look for

So lots going on, started school, baby sibling on the way, just a suggestion but if I was in this situation, I would have his sight checked first, helpful for a check of his vision and general eye health and then see GP, as a GP will usually ask if sight test has been performed. Just to rule out any potential issues and put your mind to rest.

Your last thought should be that he is lying at such a young age. I would get him checked by a doctor and then keep trying to work it out.

Maybe he feels a bit sick, but not as sick as the time when he actually was sick. That is why he is changing his mind. Nausea usually comes in waves.

My 4 year old often says he feels sick too but when questioned further, it's his throat that hurts

I had nausea regularly between 4 and 5 and adults dismissed it as lying. In fact I really did feel nausea, though in hindsight I can tell the feeling was caused by anxiety.