Daily stomach aches

[Hope]

DS was miserable again this morning. Poor guy. Complaining of a belly ache and "spider web" in his throat. He was just on Zithromax for high strep titers last week so the meds are still active in his body. I don't know what else we can do.

 

I am trying to determine if the belly aches are due to Strep or yeast overgrowth. I am still so new at all this and it all seems so overwhelming right now. Wondering if any of you have dealt with constant stomach aches?

 

I hate sending him off to school feeling terrible but I know when he is home and busy he deals with it so I am hoping he will deal with it ok at school. I will call the nurse and let her know what is up. He was out for 3 1/2 days before Easter break so she knows he was being treated for the Strep...

 

Our pediatrician doesn't do anything but treat the surface ailments. Wish I could call and ask for help but I know I won't get anything but bring him in and then they will say that he looks fine and just keep an eye on him. Can't afford to pay for that.

 

Environmental doc wants to start Nystatin like I mentioned in another thread but not sure if that will help or make things worse? Suggestions?

 

Thanks for letting me vent. I am so frustrated right now. I just want to help my little guy feel better!

[Caryn]

What is he eating?

What other symptoms does he have?

How long does the pain last?

What are his bowel movements like? How often does he have them?

[Hope]

What is he eating? We have cut out all dyes, artificial junk and gone organic as much as possible. I am going to eliminate dairy starting tomorrow. I have to get to the grocery store today to prepare for it first. I suspect dairy might be an issue. He didn't have much when he was sick last week and then I saw a bit more tics when he had milk again.

What other symptoms does he have? He mentioned the "spider web" in his throat. It amazes me that his throat still hurts after being on Zithromax! We are going to do another blood test for Strep titers next week and another culture. He does have a couple of small pimple-like dots near his nose. His sister had something similar around her mouth and I was worried about Impetigo but they went away as fast as they came. Other than that, he seems fine health wise.

How long does the pain last? Good question. There are days when it seems to last all day. Other days he doesn't mention it at all. He complained all through church on Easter. But was fine when playing with his sisters and cousins the rest of the day. I think he just notices it when he is bored and not involved in activities.

What are his bowel movements like? How often does he have them? Daily bowel movements. They can range from loose to hard. I would have thought they would be very soft from the antibiotics yesterday but he was constipated. I just can't figure him out! I am going to try the Candida Clear. He has had quite a bit of antibiotics and I bet they have messed withwith his belly.

 

Thank you so much for your support. This is just getting the best of me lately. Sometimes I want to stop researching and stop being consumed by it all but then I look at him and know I have to do all I can to find ways to help him be the best he can be!

[ilovedogs]

Hi Hope, Just wanted to let you know you're not alone. My ds goes through phases of stomach issues. Last time it was related to a bout of social anxiety that I just didn't recognize at first. Another time it turned out to be food poisoning and again I just thought it was his anxiety since that was the norm lately! Poor kid was always feeling icky.

Anyway, if they've been on antibiotics for a while kids can definitely have stomach trouble. As long as you balance out the gut I'm sure he'll improve. You've mentioned starting candida clear but I'd also get him on some kefir or probiotic to help rebuild the good bacteria. Also, if he doesn't react to fish oils(my son tics more on omegas from fish), the omegas help the gut issues as well.

Hang in there! I'm totally new to all of this and I keep reading and researching daily, too. There are many days I just want to throw in the towel but somehow I manage to keep going! Praying he's feeling better today!

Bonnie

[Caryn]

Hope,

If he burps a lot, if his throat itches, if he has skin rashes, if it hurts when he eliminates (pain in intestines, like a low ache-- unrelated to actually 'pushing' to get the movement out, but a physical pain of having something in there) then I would suspect it is a food intolerance, definitely.

I would recommend IgG blood allergy/intolerance testing if you can afford it.

I also wanted to mention that if you are giving him high vit doses that this too can upset the stomache. But if the pain is also in the colon and there are problems of loose and hard stools then there is something more that you need to get to the bottom of.

If you can't afford an IgG test, try a high fiber diet (fresh fruit and veggie) and cut out the milk and grains for at least 5 days. If he improves then you may be on to something. Reintro the dairy first and wait for a response. Then reintro the grains, one at a time to see if there is a response. This is the best way to get to the bottom of a hunch. They call this an elimination diet. It isn't 100% foolproof but it helps to pin point what might be giving that tummy an ache.

Caryn

[Hope]

I have heard that the IgG testing is not allowed in NY state. Does anyone know if this is true?

 

We live in NY state, of course.

[Caryn]

Hope,

I can't answer that question. Faith had the testing done too, and I believe she is from N.Y. Maybe she will pipe in. But if you are looking for testing covered by your insurance maybe you should check out Enterolabs if you run into problems getting the okay for an IgG test by your doctor. They have a gluten/casein test that you could try. Ask your ped or possibly see about getting in to a ped gastroenterologist on the basis of his stomach complaints.

We purchased our test through our chiropractor but Alcat will sell the test to the general public w/o a prescriptio (and they are not the only company) . The only thing is that it is not covered under the insurance w/o a doctor's order. Both tests have similar fees. Enterolabs offers a genetic test as well (more chance for a positive dx), while Alcat screens for up to 150 foods and environmental allergens (more bang for the buck).

For us the IgG was the key to everything. Our son stabilized with the new allergen friendly diet. He is now tic free since just after Christmas. I don't even need mega doses of vits anymore. I am so glad we did it.

Caryn

[JBC]

Hi -- My son has had serious stomach problems, too. He had a lot of gas after meals, and some nights would be rolling on the floor in pain from the gas. I did the elimination diet (if you google it, you'll come up with lots of advice on how to proceed with an elimination diet, which I found helpful). I also kept a journal of all foods eaten, as well as a 1-10 rating system after eating each meal as to how he feels. I found out my son is intolerant (can eat but gets a stomachache immediately) to corn and corn products, such as corn starch, etc. Eliminating this food has eliminated the stomachaches! Everytime he now gets one, I know it's because he had a corn related product in his food and, sure enough, each time I re-read the label, a corn product is in there. I think its really important to figure out what each child is allergic/intolerant of. Hopefully it'll just be a matter of finding and eliminating the problem foods to solve his continual stomachaches. I think doing the IgG testing is a great idea. Also, and it sounds like you're doing this, eliminating all artificial coloring, flavorings and preservatives might be helpful. I've found my son has much less ticcing as a result of the corn elimination and adherence as much as possible to no art. f/c/p. Hope this helps.

[Tracey111]

I don't have any answers or personal experience....but my nephew had this issue. He is 15 now, but I remember my sister always talking about his GI issues when he was little. She had to pick up from school all the time...thought he was faking it to get out of school/not go to school/etc. When he was finally diagnosed with TS she discovered that the stomach issue was a tic.

 

It was usually in the AM or while he was at school, I believe. I just recall the frequent stories about it and they came in waves....I hope this helps...

 

Is there something stressful at school that would increase his tics?