My 7 Year Old Is Always Sick in the Mornings

She might be allergic to something at the school or on the bus. You might want to take her to an Allergist and have her tested. It's kind of rough but it might help you understand what is going on.

i did the same thing as a kid..everyone thought it was because i was nervouse to go to school. i wasnt. the teacher had no patience for me and would make me throw up in the little hand sink in front of the class, thinking this would stop her.finally my doctor found i had a small tube in my digestive system that was not fully developed. i had to stop eating certain hard to digest foods for 6 months to a year for it to grow properly..that worked.its been 35 years so i dont remember how the doctor came to that conclusion but i do remember the morning sickness feeling and throwing up in the mornings..good luck hope you solution is as simple as mine..J.

I would see a pediatric GI specialist. They will probably need to do an upper GI, barium swallow - not painful at all.

My son as a lot of stomach problems and reflux. He sees Analissa Drummond. There are very few choices here for Pediatric GI specialists (or so it seems to me, having moved here from Boston). She is a PA, not an MD, but she is great. She is at UNM Children's Hospital or Carrie Tingly. Her number is ###-###-####. Good luck.

Growing up I had a lot of stomach issues, usually triggered by stress. I missed a lot of school because of it. Try talking to her and see if anything is bothering her or causing stress. Is there too much school work, someone picking on her? What was going on when this started, any life changes? Maybe she has an ulcer. I could be completely off-base but it can't hurt. Does she eat something different on weekdays than weekends? Maybe she has an allergy like to dairy or something. I agree that it could be migraines manifesting in the stomach. Or maybe she gets hypoglycemic after not eating all night, try a snack before bed or crackers as soon as she wake up. Try the probiotics (those new yogurts) to see if that helps. I'd call the ped and lay it out.

There's a good chance her morning nausea is due to low blood sugar. I'm hypoglycemic (meaning I have low blood sugar) and this sounds like me. Give her juice first thing in the morning, before breakfast, and try high protein breakfast items - peanut butter or ham are my favorites. It seems very odd to insist on eating when food sounds and smells gross and your stomach is upset, but it's exactly what will help her feel better. She'll start to notice the difference on her own soon. Anything she can eat will help, but cereal, toast and other grain products will help the least, and leave her hungry in an hour or two (just when she needs to concentrate on school) because they digest faster than protein or fats. You might ask her teacher if she can keep a juice box at her desk, in case she needs it midway through the morning.

Hi L., I think something about going to school is worrying your little girl. Talk to her and ask her if anyone is being not nice to her, ask her if she likes her teacher or there is anything else that she is not telling you. It seems obvious to me that it is something to do with school as she seems fine on the weekends. Hope this helps. A. Wood (Australia)

I suffered from the same exact symptoms until I finally fixed it about a year ago. All the way through school (even at your daughter's age) I would wake up, feel extremely nauseous, usually throw up, sometimes to the point of dehydration, then I would be TOTALLY FINE after 11:30/12pm.

At first my parents did not believe that I was sick because it was happening so often and I would want to go out and play with all this energy right around the same time every day. The doctors never figured out what it was after blood tests and everything. The only thing they could tell me was they thought I had a form of GERD (see below) and that I had post-nasal drip that could be causing the nausea.

With a little help from the doctors and a lot of trial and error, I figured out how to finally live my life without getting sick all the time. This is what cured me, but I am not a doctor or nutritionist so if you are interested in these steps, I recommend you bring this information to a medical professional first.

1. GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease: I get frequent heartburn if I don't keep it under control. If your daughter is throwing up stomach acid, see the doctor about a GERD-friendly diet, positional therapy, and/or putting her on some heartburn medicine. I started with Zantac but now I take prilosec only when I think I might get sick from acidic foods, alcohol, or even raw carrots.

2. Gluten-Free diet: Out of frustration from being owned by this sickness, I decided to try going gluten-free and found out I am gluten-intolerant. Tetley's Tea or a couple Ritz crackers set me off with morning nausea, fuzzy brain, sore neck, blurry vision, fatigue, and post-nasal drip. It is highly recommended for people with gastrointestinal issues.

3. Candida Overgrowth: If your daughter has had to go through antibiotics but did not get a healthy dose of probiotics after, or if she has had a high sugar/ high carb diet, there's a possibility that he's got a yeast overgrowth. This can cause gastrointestinal issues as well as a bunch of other problems. I had almost all the symptoms that point at did a three month Candida cleanse and it made me feel a billion times better. See http://www.thecandidadiet.com/

4. Post-nasal drip: I was getting post-nasal drip whenever I would get sick like this and my doctor thought it was just seasonal allergies. Turns out, though I do have that, it was also my allergy to gluten. Post-nasal drip will cause nausea, especially when you haven't eaten or had water in a while (like when you're sleeping). To help with this when I do have allergies, I take some decongestant medicine (12hrs or more) before going to bed. It is not good to take this stuff frequently, and though Allegra works great for me it might not be the right thing for your daughter, so I'd talk to a doctor about it if she's experiencing drainage.

5. Hydration: Make sure your daughter is drinking plenty of water all the time. If she's throwing up every morning, she needs that water back in his body so after 12 rolls around, pass her a bottle of water or electrolyte water like Smart Water but no Gatorade or anything with a ton of sugar or citric acid.

It might take some time to see results because some of these treatments take a little while to flush the bad stuff out, plus the anxiety of being sick in the morning and the insomnia from being afraid of going through it all again once she wakes up for so long will take a little while to fade away. That's what happened with me anyways.

So with these five things, along with a better understanding of what my body does/doesn't like over the years, I can get up every day feeling fine. Sorry there is so much info, but the combination of all these things is what cured me and though it took practice, research, and lots of trial and error, it was worth it because I can finally live my life.

I hope this helps! Sorry if I used he/him/his in there. I posted this same thing for a woman and her son in another forum.

Is there something (or someone) that she goes to school with that she deals with during the summer too? That could be the cause of the anxiety if she is anxious. Is she going to bed early enough, maybe she needs more sleep than others in your home? It could be separation anxiety too, she may want to be with you. Try talking to her and ask if anything is bothering her.

Hi L.,

Are you sure this is a stomach issue and not something going on at school? My younger brother had similar problems, but at the same time also had severe anxiety about his new teacher. He would get sick and many times my mom would have to pick him up from school because he was sick. Once he was home, he was fine. I have heard of some other children who go through the same thing, they foster that anxiety and it makes them physically ill. Have you tried talking with you daughter to see if there is something going on at her school? It could be a teacher, or a bully, or anxiety about friends. I can understand your concern because of her past health issues, but perhaps it is something else?

Good luck!
L.

There might be something going on at school if she only does this on the days she has to go to school. She might be getting bullied. Some of the kids might be telling her she is fat so she is trying to not gain weight. She might also have a stomack infection that can cause those kind of symptoms. Have her checked out by a gastrointestinal specalist. I would first check with her teacher to see what is going on at school before you take her to the specalist. Good luck.

Speaking from experience - I would definatley be at the doctor today...it could be one of two things - something physical. Poor baby has something wrong with her and she can't help if she is feeing sick. Could it be something she is eating - a food allergy? Does she take vitamins, some vitamins are too strong or their coating can make people sick.Make sure it is not IBS..

OR - it is psychological. She needs you now more than ever..her anxiety level is taking its toll! What is scaring her? Where is Dad? Take her first to the pediatrician and then if that does not work take her to a child pyshologist. Usually in just one or two sessions the doctor can determine what is causing her to be so scared? She had a really traumatic experience being in the hospital. Or she is scared you might die, leave or just not be there for her?

Try spending some time in her classroom - talk to ther teacher...

She needs you more than ever right now...

Good Luck!

you say this happens in the summer time too? I am asking because I have a child that got sick every morning and it turned out that a kid at school was being mean to her and so she didn't want to go and would worry and make herself sick over it. Make sure there is nothing going on at school that would worry her so much (the work even, not someone else). If it is really a physical problem I would look at how much sleep she is getting and maybe see if she has a blood sugar embalance.

Sounds like nerves to me-how is she at school? Her friend situation etc? Talk to her teachers, counselor, pediatrician etc. Maybe wake her up a little earlier in the morning, give her a morning breakfast "drink" ie-carnation instant breakfast, let her chill in front of the TV for awhile before school-let her watch a favorite program...If that doesn't work take her to a good pediatric gastroenterologist like Dr Stathos in Lonetree.
My son went through this when he started at a new school.

My daughter turns 7 next month and has the same issue. EVERYDAY of the week is an issue. It seems the earlier she is up the worse it is. Numerous times she has been sent home from school first thing in the morning and is fine the remainder of the day. I am absolutely convinced it has NOTHING to do with a psychological issue dealing with school. She is a SUPER social child who loves schools and will even cover up puking so she doesn't get sent home.

Hi, I don't have an answer to this, but am interested as my 9 year old daughter is having a similar experience. She was recently put on antibiotics for a few days that she did not need. During the time she was taking the medication she was extremely nauseous. It has been approximately 1 week since she stopped the antibiotic, bit she still feels ill when she eats breakfast. Could left-over antibiotics in her system be the cause. I have been giving her a probiotic, which seems to help, but she does not want to take it in the AM.

I don't want to make you worry, but my good friend had the same thing happen with her child at three. It turned out that he had a brain tumor. His brain would swell during the night, making him nauseaous (sp?) in the morning. By the afternoon he was fine. This happened everyday. She had to insist he get a brain scan. The doctors thought she was a nut for insisting. amd threatened to throw her out of the hospital. Actually she saved his life,and they were able to remove it (again after a big battle and her doctor's telling her it was impossible). Hopefully you have insurance. Go get her checked.

Have her adrenal glands ever been tested? The fact that she feels much better when she sleeps in and feels better on saturdays makes me wonder about adrenals...but only because I have the same problem. I don't throw up because of it but if I'm eating refined foods then it makes me sick because refined foods stresses out the adrenal glands. People with adrenal problems need more sleep to feel better.

Dear L.,

If you have checked with your doctor and there is no evidence of physical illness you might consider that your daughter is reacting physically to an emotional problem with her school, teacher or schoolmates. My daughter would sit in the car and refuse to go into the school or call me to pick her up because her stomach hurt. For years I couldn't figure out what was wrong until I finally took her out of school and put her in an at home schooling program run by the school district. All her symptoms disappeared during home schooling and she went back to regular school as a Junior in High School and finished with honors. To this day I don't know exactly what the problem was. I work at an elementary school and they can be harsh environments, middle schools are worse. It might help if you are able to volunteer in her class so you can see first hand what goes on at her school. Good Luck. R.

The symptoms your daughter is having sound like acid reflux, some of the signs of acid reflux in pediatrics are nausea, gagging, stomach hurting. I would definitely advise taking her to your pediatrician. Dr. Gablehouse in Wheat Ridge is a good pediatrician (Top Doc 5280 Magazine this year) She is very good a diagnosing acid reflux and can prescribe something like prevacid solutab (strawberry flavored) that should help heal the problem quickly. Hope that helps.

J.

About me I am a new mom to a 3 month old boy. I have acid reflux myself and I wish doctors had diagnosed it in children instead I have now been living with it on and off my whole life. If I take my prevacid 30 minutes every day before breakfast I am fine.

i also find it curious that it doesn't happen on the weekends. if you have taken her to the doctor recently for this very issue and she checked out fine i think it may be anxiety.
is she going to bed at a decent time so she can get enough sleep ever single school night? something that is cured with nap and juice...sounds like extreme tiredness or anxiety.
the human body needs a certain number of hours of sleep and for it to work best should really be on a schedule: same time go wake up, same time to go to bed.
If you haven't taken her to the doctor about her symptoms i urge you to do it, because you will know for sure it isn't anything physical and then you can deal with if it's behavioural. it's important to have that peace of mind that everything checked out fine first.

Hi L.,
I am the oldest of 3 girls in my family and my youngest sister went through this from about ages 5-7. She threw up on the way to school every single morning without exception. It turned out to be a nervous stomach and despite many doctor's visits nothing else was ever found to be wrong. My mom went back to work just after she started Kindergarten and that may have had something to do with it. My middle sister and myself were in charge of dropping her off at school and picking her up after school. Eventually she grew out of it (she has never once thrown up on the way to college! haha). Has something changed in your daughter's life recently? Have there been any problems at school that may make her nervous? Another possible explanation could be abdominal migraines in children. Here is a website that explains what that is:

http://www.dentalplans.com/Dental-Health-Articles/Can-Sto...

Hello-

My sister and I had a similar thing when we became lactose intolerent as young girls. On school mornings we would have cereal with milk, go to school and throw up. We felt fine after that. Just as idea. As a teacher I would ask if there is something at school that stresses her out? That can cause kids to throw up during the week. Good luck!

My daughter had migraines and would often be sick becuase of them. In children sometimes they can have migraines w/o the pain an adult experiences. Also, if she has anxiety about school that can cause it, it can be a bully, or a subject she is struggling at, or even her teacher. Be inquisitive, and get her checked for migraines, there are some allergy medicines that actually help to cure them in children.

Here is another perspective. I often felt very sick and sometimes even threw up in the mornings and it had nothing to do with anxiety. I found that it was my sinuses draining into my stomach while I am sleeping. Your daughter may have sinus problems and something as simple as Claritin or Zyrtec taken at night could help. Both of these products are sold over the counter now. Does your daughter snore? It is something to consider. Good luck!

Has your doctor checked her for acid reflux or an ulcer?

You will probably have to consult your pediatrician, but it may 2 things that I know my friends in the past have experienced. It may be psycological, either she is being bullied at school, or a sort of seperation anxiety about being away from you. Is this her first year in school? Or it may be physical, maybe a hernia. My nephew had the same issue and ended up having a hernia where his stomach and esophagus meet. He was addicted to juice as it seemed to be the only thing that soothed his stomach.

Hope it gives you a few ideas about what to try.Good luck!

After her infection did you give her a full spectrum probiotic? Not just yogurt, but something to replace all the good bacteria in her gut? The strong anti-biotics would've completely thrown her digestive system out of balance. It also sounds a little like low blood sugar. Have you tried giving her a snack before bed? Something with a little bit of protein to help balance her through the night. Have you tried something other than western medicine? An alternative doc may have ideas that a traditional one would not.

Just some thoughts---hope you find out what's going on!!!
J.

I would try taking her to a physical therapist who specializes in "Integrated Manual Therapies." It's off the beaten path, but people who do this have amazing skills in perception and palpation. They can literally feel your internal organs and check out what's going on.

Best of luck!

I personally get sick if I don't get enough sleep. I'm not one of those 8hr people, I need at least 9. It's just the way my body works. If I don't get enough sleep I get nauseus and if the lack of sleep continue I end up throwing up. Maybe your daughter has something similar. When I was little I also had my appendix out because of something similar to your daughters. It's far fetched, but maybe they are related. Her stomach might be more sensitive because of the surgery. I'd talk to her doctor just to be on the safe side.

I personally acted like this at this age and so does my 7 year old daughter. In both of our cases it was a huge case of nerves. School is a stressful place, I think especially for girls. There is a lot of social pressure even at this young age. It's sad but true. My daughter ends up in the nurse's office almost 3 days a week after lunch and I'm pretty convinced it's because of recess and that she doesn't want to go. Now, I could be totally off and it could be something medically related. I always check with my pediatrician if I'm concerned. I hope it's just nerves though and that it may pass. Good luck

Most likely, your child is far from having a positive school experience. This could mean that her learning style differs from the school or teacher's teaching style, that she is having peer issues (left out by a group of friends or even is bullied), and/or that she has learning issues that are keeping her from enjoying school fully. You might rule out a physical cause with her pediatrician, but the fact that she doesn't exhibit these problems on weekends means that she is having some real anxiety.

Does she show any signs of an anxious personality? Very emotional? Worries a lot about things, from small things all the way up to worrying about dying? I go through the same thing with my 9 year old. She just recently saw a gastroenterologist and he believes that it's her anxiety causing IBS.
Unfortunately, you can't "talk away" anxiety, but my daughter has gotten a lot of help by going to see a therapist.
Good luck!

You might be seeing "school phobia." Talk privately with your daughter's teacher- does the day begin with a subject she finds difficult? is there conflict with other students? what behaviors does the teacher see? The next step, I believe, should be a three-way conference with your daughter, you, and the teacher to brainstorm changes that would help her gain confidence. A complete physical would rule out any illness and your pediatrician, especially if he/she relates well with your daughter, might gather new information.

My 15 year old daughter experienced this too and still does sometimes. When she was ten and I took her to the Dr. they kept asking me if it was possible that she was pregnant.( I was horrified) not to mention it was quite the awkward conversation with her asking if she had been molested or if she was having sex. We had already had the sex talk so at least she knew what I was talking about. However, the Dr's never gave me a definate explanation. They thought maybe her stomach acids are bad in the morning because she hasn't eaten all night, and like your daughter she won't eat in the morning because it makes her feel sick. The only thing that I think might be significant is that she had reflux as an infant and had to be on medication. But other than that I am still lost as to why it happens also. I do notice that if we can get her to eat even something small in the morning it is a little better. Try foods that are not breakfast type food. Those seem to make my daughter feel worse. Good luck.

I have no idea what might be going on with your daughter, but I'd definitely recommend seeking professional help -- doctors in case it's a medical condition and therapists in case it's an emotional/psychological condition.

Good luck!

If you're positive it isn't anxiety, you should get her digestive tract tested. It could be reflux, ulcers, gall bladder problems, or like a friend of mine, a combination of failed gall bladder and failure of her stomach to empty properly. She now has a pacemaker implanted to help her stomach let food pass into the intestines.

Don't let doctors tell you that your daughter is too young to have digestive problems. Insist on a second opinion if you get that response.

Hi! My youngest son who is now going to be 22 has had the same problem for the past 12 years. We went to doctors to eliminate any serious problems like GERD. Have you done that yet? A lot of it for him is GERD and anxiety. Does your child have any social problems at school or problems with a teacher. I would have her checked out and investigate what is happening at school. Blake ended up through high school just having to go no matter how he felt. The rule was if he did not have a temperature and was not throwing up over and over again his doctor said to send him. If he felt bad he would go lay down in the nurses office an have juice there and go back to class.
Hope this helps a little.

is she getting enough water during the day?
i'm NOT a morning person by any stretch, but i feel particularly bad when i don't get enough water the day before.
you might want to try putting a bottle of water by her bed and having her drink it if she wakes up in the night or in the morning thirsty.
also - probably not a bad idea to be sure her breakfast is mostly protein and carbs - leave the fruit and sugars till later in the day.
that helps a ton with morning blahs.
if she doesn't feel like eating early, you could pack her a snack for later - when she gets going and feels hungrier.

try having her get more sleep.

Hey L.! Me and my cousin used to be like this and I still am when i wake up earlier than what my body is used to or if I don't get enough sleep. (I'm 16 now by the way). My mom calls it "tired tummy". I, too, throw up sometimes. What I suggest would be setting an earlier bedtime for your daughter and to make sure she doesn't eat anything too heavy before she sleeps. I really hope i helped! :)

First of all, I'm not a doctor or schooled in the medical field in any way whatsoever, just a parent who feels terrible about your poor daughter. It sounds to me like she may possibly have some school related anxiety. Have you spoken to her teacher about what may be going on at school? From what I understand, when there is anxiety, it could manifest itself as physical symptoms. It may or may not be related to what happened in the summer, but it may be worth talking to her doctor about her current symptoms being psychosomatic. I hope you're able to help your daughter and get her back on track. Good luck!

Lucy,
I have a son who would do the same thing! I came to find out that there was a bully at school who was horrible to him and his nerves where causing the problem! It took a lot of love and in depth talking to get that out of him. I contacted the school administration and coveyed my conscern, as well as his teacher. The thing that changed everything was a music cd created by a company called BRITE MUSIC (they are online) called the safety kids and personal safety! It empowered him with the skills to say no to a bully and to speak up when someone is doing something that makes you feel uncomfortable (a great one for children against sexual predators!). I hope your daughter isn't experiencing the same thing, but this has helped my son a lot! No more throwing up!

I have three thoughts that you might want to consider:

If she's so tired in the mornings have you tried putting her to bed earlier at night? (And you've probably tried this but I know how hard it is to get a kid to go to bed earlier. They don't fall asleep on cue!)

Next I would find out if something is happening at school that is bothering her - is she having trouble with the work, is someone picking on her, does she have friends? Talk to her teacher and find out how her behavior is at school.

Does she have any food allergies? My son was running to the bathroom a lot at school and constantly complained of stomach pains - turns out he's allergic to wheat and dairy.

Good luck!

Hi L.,
www.wholenourishment.com check out this website. When the doctors couldn't help my daughter, Debbie was the one who helped us diagnose her with her condition. Since then, Lauren is much better. I would call her an just set up a consultation. It is the holisitic route, but the only route that worked for us. The doctors and GI specialist never got anywhere accept giving Zantac for 6 months. The nutritional counselor figured it out in the first meeting with me. Good luck.

This sounds physiological to me. My son had problems on the weekdays and not on the weekends. Several issues, upset stomach, wouldn't walk, everything hurt, ect... His was all completely physiological. I bet something is happening at school or maybe at home. My son would have these issues during the summer as well, the closer it came to going back to school, or if there were any new changes in his life. He did end up with an ulcer as well.

It sounds like she may have some serious anxiety about school that comes out in the form of a stomach ache. Call her teacher(s) and the school nurse and find out if they have any concerns. Kids do not have a sophisticated knowledge of their emotions and do not always understand what the problem is or that there is even a problem.

J. M.

Obviously I don't know you or your situation, so take no offense of course! But I have read that emotional problems/stress in young children can present themselves as stomach issues. Just something to consider...

I unfortunately get sick every moring as well. I'm 14 and this has been going on for 2 years. What i believe could be the problem, is since your tummy has acids in it to help dissolve foods in the moring, acids may react differently to eating another acidy food in the morning then the afternoon therefore making you feel sick. Oddly when i dont eat i get sick from having an empty tummy too. The best way i deal with this is by staying away from fruits in the morning and finding simple things like bread to eat and take some sort of fruit with me to eat as a snack latter when i know my tummy can handle it. Your daughter sounds very brave, and strong. I hope she can begain to eat in the morning with out getting sick.
-14yo girl

Anxiety runs in our family. If my daughter has to get going early in the morning she gets an upset stomach. My daughter is five and starting kindergarten in the fall so I don't know how she will respond to that. What works best for her is for me to stay calm. It is best if I do not rush her or act excited--even if we are going somewhere special.
My husband had the same problem growing up. He would get sick on his first day of school or before a track race etc. He still gets an upset stomach if he gets up too early. Early morning plane flights do not work for him. What he has learned that helps him is to use relaxing breathing techniques when he starts to get anxious. I hope this is helpful. My husband didn't realize what caused his upset stomach until he was an adult. Now he recognizes the same thing in our daughter.

i had that as a child the only way that we helped the situation was by waking up early and eatting crackers or bread toast and then taking my time. It started when I was 9 and lasted through high school even now I can not get up and run with out being sick and I am 26. My mom would feed me a piece of toast and a couple crackers then I'd go to school she would send me with a snack and when I got hungry and it was recess I would go to the office or nurses office and I would eat my food. This was daily. I would try that and see if it works for her. The schools are usually workable. My 7 year old step daughter if rushed will get sick I have to wake her up 1 to 2 hours before we leave for school to make sure she doesn't get sick. good luck

It seems you need to take her into the doctors for a complete work up. Since there are various things that could be going on. It may have to do with her blood sugar levels being to low or to high. A virus. Also it could be Allergies and an infection in the sinus, the drainage can cause being sick in the morning. It can be not getting enough sleep. But it sounds like she needs a complete blood work up.