My son has done this for as long as I can remember. He will be outside playing and then suddenly come and tell me that he is dizzy. Within no time at all he is vomiting (probably only about a cup full at a time) and sleeping non stop. And he is one that I have to FORCE to sleep, so the sleep is abnormal. I've mentioned it to the doctor, but he always seems to sort of shrug it off.
The coincidence is always that it happens when he is outdoors. It happens only every few months or so. It's happening tonight and the last time it happened was the end of August. But I want to know what the problem is. Could allergies be the cause? Do allergies ever make someone dizzy or nauseated with fatigue?
I don't know what to do with him, but it's hard when he's like this. Any ideas?
It might be migraines.... my daughter used to get them at school when they went into gym (with light streaming in) for devotion first thing in the morning.
Just guessing here... it also happened on a trip once; the sun was right in her eyes, then she slept for half the trip & then threw up.
I'd say a 2nd opinion is definitely in order here!
Are you with him when these episodes begin? What exactly is your son doing when it happens? Keep a journal of what your son eats and his activities when these things happen and maybe you'll see a pattern more than just "he's outside when it happens."
For instance, is he spinning around or rolling down hills? Is he swinging on a swing and maybe getting motion sick? Is he doing a somersault marathon?
Could he be getting stung by something? Is he rolling around in grass or leaves and getting coated in pollen? Is he drinking enough fluids? Eating enough?
Take a really close look at what he's actually DOING physically. When I get dizzy from vertigo it always makes me throw up. There are several possible causes. When I was a kid it often was from rolling down hills. Migraines cause terrible vertigo for me. Sudden allergies from inhaling a wad of pollen or dust could do it to me. Being dehydrated causes vertigo. I also have reactive hypoglycemia, so I have to keep an eye on my blood sugar. If it gets too low too fast, I get vertigo. Ditto if it goes hyper. And as I mentioned, vertigo always makes me throw up. And throwing up always makes me want to sleep.
So you'll want to find out what's causing the vertigo: if it's play, if it's migraines or an inner ear problem, if it's something else going on... keep a journal from here on out. Talk to his pediatrician about how concerned you are and what could possibly cause vertigo in a child and how you plan to keep a journal. If he still doesn't seem to take you seriously, then change pediatricians. You also should ask for a referral to a pediatric neurologist.
I suggest getting a 2nd opinion. Depending on your insurance, ask for a referral to a neurologist/specialist from your Dr. You deserve to have some explanation to what causing your son to have these episodes. Good luck to you and your son.
My first thought was migraines also. My husband got them sometimes as a child. He would throw up, then sleep, then be fine. He outgrew it... but I don't know what the trigger was for him. I don't think he did either... they just happened sometimes.
vomit, sleep, be fine.
i would get him checked out sounds like seizures to me-good luck
It sounds like something with the middle ear. I have a friend with Meniere's disease and she has similar symptoms. Here's some info on it: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001721/ She's had improvement in her symptoms with a low-salt diet, but there's not really a cure.
Many things could be causing this. Allergies could certainly be one of them. My sister has Meneers Disease. It affects the inner ear. She has episodes of extreme dizzyness and often has to stay in bed and not move or she will vomit. Her allergies make it worse because the additional fluid in her ears.
Ashtma could also attribute to this. Is he out of breath when he gets dizzy?
Regardless, this is a pretty big deal. Do some reasearch on your own and head to the doctor with specifics that require him to get serious.
Good luck and I hope he feels better soon.
