My 8yo son is struggling with episodes of gagging. This has happened on a few occasions over the last couple of years, he will have a period of months where it doesn’t happen at all and then it will start happening again and can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. We are currently in a time where the gagging is happening and it’s very unpleasant for him and disruptive for us as a family.
I have taken him to the GP who has agreed it isn’t caused by reflux as he doesn’t experience any other symptoms and the gagging doesn’t happen specifically after food. We have noticed the gagging take place around situations he is uncomfortable with like loud places or other people’s food when he doesn’t like the look or smell (he is very sensitive around food) but it can also start when he puts a T-shirt on even though it isn’t touching his neck. Other times it seems to start for no reason at all.
This caused great difficulty on a recent holiday, I couldn’t take him to any of the restaurants, the club house for evening entertainment or the swimming pool. I tried to persevere by taking him for an hour to watch the evening entertainment but on the way home he was gagging so much I thought he was actually going to make himself sick. We didn’t go back after that and only ate foods he would allow in the caravan.
its becoming very difficult to manage for us both and is causing him anxiety about lunchtime at school and putting him off doing things he enjoys in case he feels ‘gaggy’.
We have tried breathing techniques or trying to ignore it and carry on with our tasks but nothing is working. Has anyone else had this with their child?
He is otherwise very healthy and happy.