I'm looking for advice from other parents who may have experienced something similar with their daughters.
Since November last year, my daughter has had around 10 episodes or periods of illness involving various combinations of headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue and abdominal pain. My log records approximately 25–30 school days missed, plus several partial days when she was sent home or unable to manage a full day. This has had a significant impact on her wellbeing and education.
She's now on day 6 of persistent abdominal pain. She's had three particularly notable episodes of abdominal pain, in March, May and now October, each lasting several days. This time she has also experienced nausea and vomiting.
I've been keeping a detailed symptom log on the advice of another doctor at the practice earlier this year, including dates, symptoms, school absence and menstrual dates. I've noticed that the three main abdominal pain episodes have started at roughly the same point in her menstrual cycle, although I don't know whether that's significant.
We had blood tests and a physical examination, which were reassuring. However, I saw a male GP this morning who was “100% certain” that her symptoms were psychological and related to a gut–brain link. He said we needed to identify the external stressors causing them. I brought my symptom log to the appointment, but he didn't read it, despite it having been recommended by one of his colleagues.
I'm really struggling with this. I'm not saying psychological factors can't contribute, but no obvious stressors have been identified, and I don't feel the recurring pattern or wider history has been properly considered. I left without any clear advice about what to do if the pain continues or returns, or how long this can go on without further assessment.
Has anyone else's daughter experienced recurring abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting that turned out to be related to her menstrual cycle or another women's health issue? Or has anyone been told their child has a gut–brain link, and how was that conclusion reached?
I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, particularly if your daughter had repeated episodes over many months before getting answers. I 'd welcome some perspectives on what possibilities to discuss and how to advocate for her when I feel I'm not being listened to.