What could cause these symptoms? 7 yo with recurrent vomiting episodes, no fever.

[pehp]

I would love to see if anyone has some insight on this.  My 7 yo son has been dealing with two issues (I'm not sure if they are related or not) for quite some time now.  

 

The first is eyelid pain--he complains that one or both of his eyelids hurt from time to time.  This is particularly true when he's been outside, but can happen first thing in the morning as well.  In spring 2013 he had skin-prick allergy testing done, and is only allergic to cats (we have an outdoor cat and he doesn't have much exposure to her; his eyelids also hurt at various times when we are not near a cat at all). 

 

The second is recurrent episodes of vomiting that follow a specific pattern.  He will wake first thing in the morning, sometimes say he's hungry, and then realize he's sick.  So then he will vomit--usually at least once.  There are no other symptoms and every time he's just fine by noon or earlier.  I took him to the doctor and she advised keeping a food journal (I've been okay about this, not as consistent as I should be) and referred him to a pediatric GI.  I opted not to see the GI yet b/c I'm still trying to keep the journal.  The past 2 times he was sick, he had dairy the night before in the form of ice cream, but this morning he woke with his sicknesses and he'd not had any dairy yesterday.  These episodes were occurring every couple of months or so, but since spring he's probably had 4-5, with only about 1-2 weeks since the last episode.  He has no other symptoms--no fever, etc. although he sometimes complains that his head hurts a bit.  

He does sometimes complain of being tired or not having much energy. 

 

I had the exact same vomiting problem when I was in college and my early years of marriage.  The doctor said it was blood sugar related, and that I should eat a snack w/ protein before bed every night. I did that and the problem went away (but I was also on a medication that could cause nausea and I quit that around the same time, so who knows).  So I was thinking I should start giving him a protein snack before bed in case that is his problem.  My son's doctor dismissed the blood sugar theory, though; I can't remember her reasoning but she didn't think it was consistent w/ true hypoglycemia. 

 

ETA: He also had a period of time when he'd suffer from high fevers with NO other symptoms--nothing at all!  That finally got nipped last year when I took him in for one of the fevers and it turns out that he had latent, hidden strep in his body with no other symptoms (not even a sore throat).  His fevers have gone away. 

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on what in the world could cause this vomiting?  The fact that it seems to be occurring more frequently concerns me.  I'm not sure it's a true GI issue, either.  I'm just so puzzled! Any insights would be much appreciated!

 

Thank you!

[*Lulu*]

Is it possible some form of acid reflux?

 

Punk has problems with this and will vomit if not properly elevated when he sleeps.

[zoobie]

Abdominal migraines or cyclic vomiting syndrome

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

For the recurrent vomiting, make sure he does not have severe constipation. Also, I would see a GI doctor.

[unsinkable]

2 thoughts:

 

1. Swallowing sinus drainage during the night. My one son has this and he gets sick in the morning. He also gets nosebleeds at night and swallows that and gets sick in the mornings. Blech.

 

2. Seizures sometimes make kids vomit afterwards. If he is having early morning seizures, he could be vomitting from that. Many seizures happen after you first fall asleep or early in the morning.

[Amira]

It took me a while to realize that my son's vomiting was caused by migraines.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Abdominal migraines or cyclic vomiting syndrome

 

:iagree:  My oldest DD had the same problem your son had--she'd wake randomly at 6 a.m., calling for me in a panic, then throw up two or three times, then fall back asleep and be completely fine later. It last for several years, until the episodes finally starting spacing farther apart (like, from every 6 weeks-ish to every few months, to every six months). She eventually started waking up just feeling nauseated but going to the bathroom instead, and then just feeling nauseated for a little while before feeling better. We could never pinpoint a trigger, food-related or otherwise. She did often have "vurps" before an episode, so maybe there is a reflux component? Or maybe the increase in acid is a precursor to the vomiting? I don't know. But she does seem to have grown out of it now, at 12.

 

:grouphug:

[Lisa R.]

Sounds like it could be abdominal migraines. His trigger could be low blood sugar which is why this happens in the morning.

 

I'd try and recall what he's eating the day prior to this occurring. Is it heavy carbs or sugary? Light on protein? If so, watch the protein intake to make sure it's sufficient for his needs.

[mommymilkies]

I don't want to scare you but the fevers remind me of my dd. She had the vomiting and random fevers. Hers ended up being profound Hashimoto's. I would seriously look I to autoimmune issues ASAP.

[Hypatia.]

My daughter gets abdominal (and classic) migraines, often with vomiting.  She was having 4-5 migraines a week and daily visual disturbances (Alice in Wonderland syndrome).  She's been on a mild preventative for a few months now and things are improving, with typically about 2 breakthroughs a week.  Something she inherited from me, unfortunately.

[Momofeat]

My ds had very similar symptoms. For a while he threw up every Monday morning--the day of the week that we needed to get up the earliest. He, too, was having abdominal migraines, and his trigger was lactose.

 

At the time, he was so sensitive to lactose that he couldn't even eat breads that contained milk, like biscuits.

[pehp]

Happily, he is definitely not constipated!!

 

My husband and I were discussing it this morning--my gut instinct is something neurological (like migraines) but it is so hard to tell!  

 

How did you all discover the triggers to the migraines?  

 

He has localized pain on one side of his head today.  That is migraine-like.  But he has no noise/light sensitivity. 

 

Mommymilkies, what were her other symptoms? My son does not have recurrent fevers now (the strep appeared to be the culprit there), and I don't know that he has any other symptoms of autoimmune issues. I am willing to look into it for sure, though.  

 

The only thing our food journal has shown is that this does tend to happen the morning after he has ingested some sugar (in the 3 times this has happened since I started the food journal, 2 of the times he'd had celebratory ice cream at an event the night before, and last night I gave him 2 peanut butter cookies (only ingredients are pb + sucanat + egg).  Otherwise we eat a very low-sugar diet.  So I'm thinking about the sugar being a possible trigger.  

[blondeviolin]

My 5yo does this. Hers is linked to low blood sugar so I try to make sure she's got some kinda good snack before bed (simple carbs and high protein). It still does happen, though.

 

We have pretty much settled on cyclic vomiting syndrome, which our GI tells is often seen in kids who are prone to migraines later in life. When she wakes up pale and sickly, I make sure she gets a good snack in with some ibuprofen and send her back to bed. She doesn't tell me light bugs her, but she does instinctively burrow into her dark blankets at these times. Once she falls asleep, she feels much better. If I don't catch her with the ibuprofen and snack right at first, she vomits often and prolifically until she passes out from exhaustion. When she wakes up, she eats nearly everything in my fridge.

 

I'd see the GI even if your food diary is not complete. :grouphug:

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

I'd make the appt for the GI doc, the wait can be long to get in. Keep your food diary between now and then.

[VeritasMama]

Our son had recurrent vomiting due to inflammation caused by severe acid reflux. It was finally diagnosed after 6 months of testing because we were finally able to get into a pediatric GI. The GI doc gave him a prescription for inflammation and the reflux, and it cleared up and hasn't flared up since. I would see the GI right away, vomiting on a regular basis can do a lot of physical damage.

[pehp]

Thanks all!  Fortunately the wait at our GI is only about a week--I discussed it with the nurse when they called to schedule his appointment (our doctor also referred us in case there was a long wait for an appointment!).  The nurse agreed that we should wait and said that we'll be able to be seen within a few days of calling.  So I may do that soon.  

 

We are starting our bedtime snack regime tonight!!!

[mommymilkies]

Happily, he is definitely not constipated!!

 

My husband and I were discussing it this morning--my gut instinct is something neurological (like migraines) but it is so hard to tell!  

 

How did you all discover the triggers to the migraines?  

 

He has localized pain on one side of his head today.  That is migraine-like.  But he has no noise/light sensitivity. 

 

Mommymilkies, what were her other symptoms? My son does not have recurrent fevers now (the strep appeared to be the culprit there), and I don't know that he has any other symptoms of autoimmune issues. I am willing to look into it for sure, though.  

 

The only thing our food journal has shown is that this does tend to happen the morning after he has ingested some sugar (in the 3 times this has happened since I started the food journal, 2 of the times he'd had celebratory ice cream at an event the night before, and last night I gave him 2 peanut butter cookies (only ingredients are pb + sucanat + egg).  Otherwise we eat a very low-sugar diet.  So I'm thinking about the sugar being a possible trigger.  

She was very small, though dh's side has small women.  And she was really grumpy.  Probably other things I'm forgetting.  Nothing that seemed to point to thyroid issues to the doctors until 3 years of us asking and one doctor took us seriously and did a wide range of tests. 

[myfunnybunch]

Both my younger sons had ketotic hypoglycemia. Their metabolism and thin-ness meant they did not have the body mass to manage the fast between a light dinner (usually a meal at which they'd eaten less than usual because it was something they didn't care for) and breakfast.

 

They woke in the morning with a headache, light sensitivity, and vomiting. Their breath would smell sweet from the ketotic reaction. They'd sleep then wake very hungry.

 

The solution was simple: Bedtime snack with protein. On the very rare occasions we forgot, a lollipop or Popsicle helped raise the blood sugar more quickly to the point that they could keep down juice then eat something light, then eat breakfast.

 

My boys were quite mild--apparently it is a condition that can be severe in a few children, but was not dangerous for mine. Watching their evening food intake pretty much took care of it. They've grown enough that the 11 y.o. No longer experiences it, and the youngest very rarely.

 

Cat