My 3 year old son has had crippling pain in the center of his stomach for three months. I've heard him cry over knocking a tooth out and 2 teeth back in and it was nothing like I heard when I was called to pick him up from his little preschool. I rushed him to his dr, they did a fecal smear that showed blood was present. We were then sent straight to a room in the hospital where they rushed us via helicopter to Atlanta. They had suspected insuseption, which was ruled out by ultrasound. They did no other tests and said it was constipation even though he had gone twice that day! His pain had subsided and we were scooted out.
A week or two later the screaming returned. In between this time he still complained his tummy hurt and never wanted to eat. Once again I rushed him to his dr who in turn sent us to the only pediatric GI in our small/not so small town. My son had a bowel movement that morning and at the GI dr's office. He agreed with me that it wasn't constipation. Thank God I thought. He ordered a KUB X-ray and a meckal scan, both came back clean. Then the dr told me he was probably constipated!! You can imagine my frustration losing the dr that was on my side. He said he didn't need to see him again unless there was blood in his stool.
That night, as if my son's body knew answers wouldn't happen otherwise, he had gas and said he had poopooed his pants. My husband checked not believing because he's been potty trained for a year and his undies were full of nothing but blood! Called the GI and he got us in for colonoscopy. He found nothing but swollen lymph nodes in his colon. Dr said it was nothing but did a biopsy anyway. Biopsy came back clean and dr said "it's nothing, he just has to out grow it."
I have no one on my side now. My son hurts everyday! He's 3 and I have to say you have NOTHING to grow out of! That makes no sense. I think his dr just gave up. I'm at a loss. I want to take him to Atlanta and find a dr that won't give up. Now he has started throwing up too.
Other symptoms that may be related: since he was born it has been hard to get him to gain weight. He was born in the 30% and was full term. In his first year he dropped to -15%. We finally got his weight up again and I'm scared he'll lose it again. Also, he has always had skin rashes (cradle cap that won't go away permanently with any treatment, and eczema that has never gone away)
In my heart I feel like all this is related and all the doctors just think I'm some crazy mom!
Has anyone else experienced this or have any advice?? I'm a desperate mom of a hurting toddler.
Thank you to all of you that answered! I started ridding my house gluten products as soon as read these. I will make an appointment with a specialist in Atlanta ASAP. It's nice to have support and I truly want to thank each and every one of you that responded. I am willing to try anything to help my baby boy. I will update as soon as we get more answers!
Another update---I have a friend who has a friend that is an Oncologist/Hematologist. He actually wants to help us get to the bottom of this!! He knew which dr treated us horribly without saying his name. I've sent him every record since my son was born and he' s already made an appt to see us! I'm seeing a light, even if it isn't the end of the tunnel, it's a light! Thank you all. I have been taking pictures of all his stool and documenting when he vomits or says his tummy hurts along with his daily diet. Crossing my fingers and praying hard for answers.
So sorry you are going through this Mama. Maybe he has severe food allergies or Celiac. Keep seeing doctors until you get a better idea of what is going on.
I would start eliminating foods in conjunction with taking him to a children's hospital. Allergies can play havoc especially since he has had problems with weight too.
Like the other responses, it sounds like it could be food related. Milk and wheat are the top suspects. The best way (or fastest) would be to remove both from his diet for 2 weeks or more. The add one in gradually for a few days. If there are no similar pains, add the other back.
When my daughter was about 13 months old, the gym daycare we visited insisted she had a cold because of her constant runny nose. They refused to let her stay. Tired of their complaints, we stopped giving her liquid milk. 10 days later no runny nose and it only comes back when she drinks too much milk.
I was reading this thinking I had no idea what it might be but the skin problems caught my attention. I know that both of my kiddos are allergic to milk protein and that it causes eczema on them. My son is also allergic to soy, and if they drink it at all, it will cause severe stomach aches. This was what their "colic" was from when they were babies.
I looked at the Mayo website, and severe milk allergies can present with blood in the stool, and a lot of other symptoms. It is the immune system reacting to the milk, and since like 70% of the immune system is in the intestines, it makes sense that it would show up as constipation.
Maybe try cutting out milk and anything with milk and see what happens. If you need something for him to drink you can use soy, rice, almond, etc, but none of these are good for very long. Really you need something like Neocate, jr if it is a milk allergy.
I hope it really is this simple, my ped. didn't recognize it either, I had to figure it out by myself. I feel so bad for your little guy! I truly am sorry.
Jaime:
Welcome to mamapedia!!
get your son tested for gluten allergies. Get him tested for food allergies - heck ALL allergies.
The skin rashes and eczema are signs of allergies. your pediatrician should have told you that. URGH!!! I hate it when doctor's don't LOOK and pay attention!!!
Write down EVERYTHING - rashes, cradle cap, eczema, blood in the stool, etc. GET IT ALL written down. Make an appointment with a NEW pediatrician. Make sure it's a LONG appointment - not just 15 minutes and then have your son examined AGAIN - and blood drawn for allergy testing.
you are your son's advocate. FIGHT for him. DO NOT give up. you aren't crazy.
Find a holistic doctor or holistic practice that will help you.
I would keep taking him to different doctors until you find the answer, but in the mean time consider getting him an allergy test and try an elimination diet. Some of the biggest culprit for bowel issues are often dairy or gluten. Try cutting all dairy and wheat/gluten from his diet, as well as sugar if you can. If it doesn't help it certainly can't hurt. But don't give up on finding a doctor that will listen to you.
Really sounds like Celiac. I would eliminate gluten asap. Then try a different type of doc. Maybe a naturapath. Regular docs do suck. If something does not come up on a test they can't figure out what it is. They can't look at symptoms and make educated guesses. I don't know if it has to do with malpractice or what but it's really getting annoying.
Take him to Atlanta and find a doctor that won't give up. "Outgrow" undies full of blood? That's absurd.
Take him to doctor after doctor, until one of them figures it out.
Have they ruled out an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis? His symptoms seem to indicate that to me. Have they tested for C difficile and other bacterial and parasite related infections? Have they tested the ESR and C reactive protein levels, which are markers of inflammation, suggesting possible IBD? Have they tested for the antibodies related to celiac disease? If it's not an IBD, then definitely pursue allergen testing asap with an allergist.
If your doctors haven't at least run the above tests, get him to a real doctor in a big city!
Sorry you are going through this!!! Take him to an allergist as well as another pediatric GI at large hospital (where a few of them can discuss his case). I am really thinking allergy though. Have they done blood work recently? If not, tell them to add the allergy panel while you wait for your appointment. Or don't want if you think he is that bad, take him the an ER of a children's hospital in the city. You're not crazy, this is not normal, yet sounds manageable once they figure it out. I know a few childen that allergic to things like chicken and wheat, etc and took a while to figure out.
Good luck!
Take a deep breath J.....you will get to the bottom of this.
Considering all the symptoms your son has and all the tests he has passed, consider that good info, but keep digging.
Before you leave the Peds GI doctor, did they rule out Crohn's Disease? That is an autoimmune disorder that seriously affects the bowels. Be clear on that before continuing.
Then, by all means, one by one, start figuring out what is bothering your sons' GI system. Could be milk, could be gluten, could be Celiac disease, allergies, sulphites, preservatives, food coloring, etc.
I would recommend an Doctor of Osteopath in conjunction with an allergist for allergy testing.
Ditto the great advice already....start a notebook or file with all his test results and symptoms, with dates, etc. Next time there is that much blood, please take a picture, or bring in the soiled underwear. The color of blood is important for diagnosis.
So sorry for your stress and your little guy, but hang in there and keep looking. Honestly, the tests he has had thus far are super important for ruling out very serious and life threatening problems. You've been cleared from those problems, so carry on with other medical experts. Western medicine does not know all.
Doc said it was nothing???!!!! And then left it at that, huh? That gets under my skin.
The first things that come to mind are gluten and dairy. I have a similar response to them--rectal bleeding, intestinal inflammation. To give him immediate comfort, give him two to four ounces of aloe vera juice. Cut those other things out of his diet and see how he feels.
I am so sorry that you guys are dealing with this. It hurts my heart.
Try to find a naturopath and have a food allergy/food sensitivity test done. That's the only thing I can think of. Best of luck to you and the poor little guy. Don't give up!!
have them test for salmonella. this is how salmonella poisoning starts out. if he has been around animals, reptiles etc o if you dont think he washes his hands enough have them test him for salmonella.
also test for food allergies. they also can cause this reaction.
It could definitely be a food allergy. My daughter had stomach issues for 10 years before we finally got an answer. For her, it was a severe allergy to wheat, gall bladder, & appendix that needed removed.
This was just our experience though. Your son may be suffering from something completely different. I hope you find out sooner than later.
TMI warning - I just wanted to add that I have a major milk allergy that has progressed from being fine as a child, to lactose intolerant as a teen, to full blown severe intollerance as an adult. If I was to drink a glass of milk, I would have crippling stomach pain for hours, then diarrea and vomiting for several hours, then ending with bloody stools off and on for a few more hours. It is sincerly one of the most horrible experiences I can think of. I avoid milk/dairy like the plague now. But when I started having these issues, the doctors could not diagnose what was wrong. My primary send me to a Gastro and I did a colonoscopy and the whole 9 - and nothing. I tried an elimination diet, and finally figured it out after a couple years of suffering though my "episodes".
I am so sorry your son is going through all this. I think the advice below has been great. I would also just add - dont be afraid to be a VERY demanding mom in these situations. Dont let the doctors get away with blowing you off! I think a bloody bowel movement would be just cause for heading to the ER and then refusing to leave until they have answers!
the drs don't have a clue.. so you have to be a detective.. get a notebook and write it down.. write what he eats and how his bowels move.. (constipated. diahrrea.. normal)...
give him a normal diet.. then elimate potential allergens.. milk, wheat, nuts eggs... a very bland diet to see if his symptoms go away.
if it is diet ..you can figure this out at home..
not sure about the blood but otherwise it sounds like it could be food sensitivity. Possibly Gluten. because of the problems with weight gain, skin issues, and painful belly.
I am so sorry that your son has these problems and the doctors are being shortsighted.
I agree with a food allergy. Gluten, and milk top the list. Could be anything also. It took me a year of my son being sick with stomach aches, and ear infections to rule out an allergy to pears.
For his current stomach problems, talk to his doctor about starting him on a clear liquids diet. This helps clean the system out and lets the body heal while staying hydrated.
Start a food journal. Write EVERYTHING down. Write down any reactions.
My son also has eczema. We installed a whole house water softener that worked wonders.
I agree with the other moms that said allergies. I would see an allergist and ask about Celiacs disease. I have a close friend with that, and she has gotten seriously ill a couple of times from eating gluten. Hope this helps.
It is completely ridiculous to me that the doctors won't do further testing! I agree with everyone who has suggested food allergies. It could be celiac, it could be dairy.. You should call an allergist right away and have him tested. It could be just that simple.
If it turns out he's not allergic to foods, then you should take him immediately to a nationally ranked children's hospital like Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. This just isn't right and they need to get to the bottom of what's causing this!
Best wishes for restored health for your little boy!
Poor mama and baby! I agree that you have to keep trying to figure this out. I was kind of going with the constipation until you found that underwear full of blood.
Is there a Children's Hospital near you? We have one close by and any time the pedi seems to be blowing me off, I go straight there. And they have ALWAYS figured it out. Not one time have I really been the crazy lady; every time there really was something wrong.
Doctors make you feel like an idiot when they don't know what's going on. Keep advocating for your son. I wonder if it doesn't have something to do with his pancreas as that will cause severe stomach pain.
So sorry I have no suggestions but I just wanted to give you encouragement to keep going!
i agree with the allergies. My dd is allergic to everything and is always complaining about belly aches. They do get more tolerant as they get older. I would get some children's tums and have him eat those when he feels bad. Keep track of what he eats and see if there is a pattern of when his belly hurts the most. My dd is allergic to eggs and is always sick when she eats most baked goods. I send Tums with her when she goes to birthday parties.
Take him to docs until you find one who listens.
Do your own investigation. Take him off all wheat and dairy.
If the tummy issues stop, add one back in at a time.
If they don't stop, keep taking stuff out of his diet.
I wonder if they fed him something different at daycare...
LBC
I was thinking maybe Celiac Disease too...I would do the elimination diet thing at home and see how what you find out yourself from that. I would keep a journal with the results of eliminating certain foods as suggested by some other moms and find and bring it too the best gastro doctor in your vicinity! Best of luck...keep us posted!
