Veritaserum Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Dd10 has been throwing up since Sunday night last week (9 days). Mild right-sided abdominal pain showed up Tuesday. On Thursday her regular doctor palpated for appendicitis, checked for a UTI, and sent us home with phenergan. Friday night her abdominal pain was severe, so I took her to the local ER. They ran labs (showed no abnormalities on what they checked) and did an ultrasound of her appendix (5.8mm, <6mm is considered normal). They sent us home after not treating her. Her belly pain eased a bit, but it never went away. This morning it was worse again and she's still throwing up. I decided to drive an hour to the emergency room at the children's hospital. They did an xray and diagnosed constipation. After treating that her belly pain improved and she gained an appetite. They allowed her to try eating and she threw up. :-/ No one else in the family is having GI issues. She doesn't have a fever. We are still here looking for answers. The puking and the constipation could be linked or they could be two separate issues. What questions would you ask or what tests would you request in this situation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Has she lost any weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 Has she lost any weight? Probably, but she's super thin to begin with so it's hard to tell. I don't have any numbers to compare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth 2 Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 (edited) Tthis sounds exactly like DS8. He had vomiting every 10 days, and alternated diarrhea and constipation the rest of the time. He lost 10% of his weight off his slim frame in less than two weeks. We did the celiac test, allergies testing, but it came down to one test. We had a lactose digestion test. It's a simple, 3 hour test. They drink a lactose sweetened drink and test their breath every 30 min. The next day we put DS on a low FODMAP diet. He gained 25 pounds and 3 inches over the next six months. It was tremendous. Edited October 3, 2016 by Elizabeth 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Celiac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 My first thought was intussusception, but an xray and/or abdominal ultrasound should have ruled it out. I would take her back to the er if she has any more periods of intense pain and vomiting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 (edited) Celiac? Yes, this. I had a friend whose daughter had very similar symptoms and she was diagnosed with this. My friend's daughter was admitted to the hospital. She started feeling better, so they allowed her to eat. She asked for macaroni and cheese, and proceeded to get very sick again. Finally, they tested for celiac and that is what it was. Edited October 3, 2016 by mom2samlibby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 They gave us a referral to pediatric GI and sent us home. She threw up in the car. I pulled over to clean things up. We finished driving home. Now her stomach hurts again. 😩 She's apparently not in urgent danger, but this is really miserable. I'm hoping we can follow up with her regular doctor in the next day or two because it will probably take months to get in with the specialist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Just in case it helps, why not put her on a FODMAP or similar strict elimination diet for a few days/week? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth 2 Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Just in case it helps, why not put her on a FODMAP or similar strict elimination diet for a few days/week? This can interfere with a correct diagnosis, even with celiac. :( But, so you can get an idea of what may be coming your way, this blog is the best for FODMAP. http://blog.katescarlata.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 They gave us a referral to pediatric GI and sent us home. She threw up in the car. I pulled over to clean things up. We finished driving home. Now her stomach hurts again. 😩 She's apparently not in urgent danger, but this is really miserable. I'm hoping we can follow up with her regular doctor in the next day or two because it will probably take months to get in with the specialist. Can you ask her primary dr to have his office make the appointment for you. Generally that gets you in a lot faster than if you make the appointment yourself. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Can you ask her primary dr to have his office make the appointment for you. Generally that gets you in a lot faster than if you make the appointment yourself. Insist on this. When dd was so sick 2 years ago with similar symptoms, she lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks (weighed under 100 lb to start). Our dr office convinced the ped GI group at the children's hospital to fit her in within days. (Dd is intolerant to all forms of dairy, not just lactose intolerant. Once she was off dairy, she returned to a healthy weight, was pain and nausea free, and acted like a new person.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 Those of you with kids who have celiac and such, did the symptoms just suddenly appear? She's eaten dairy and gluten her whole life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Those of you with kids who have celiac and such, did the symptoms just suddenly appear? She's eaten dairy and gluten her whole life. The friend I mentioned her daughter was 5 or 6 at the time. They thought she had the flu. Then she got a little better. Then worse again. They sent her to children's hospital and that is where they finally diagnosed her with celiac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaplank Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 If she were my daughter I would insist on getting a prescription of Zofran to keep the throwing up to a minimum while they figure it out. After throwing up this much she's probably dehydrated and would need some IV hydration. That in itself can help with vomiting. My daughter has FPIES, and when she eats a trigger food she will vomit profusely. Many kids with FPIES are severely constipated as well. It might be something to consider, and I would definitely pay attention to what she's eating to see if there is a correlation. So sorry for your DD. I pray you find an answer and relief soon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkTulip Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 My son had pretty major GI issues last spring that did come on rather suddenly (but at the other end). We had a scope done and it turns out he is extremely lactose intolerant, like normal is 14-something on whatever scale, and he was 1.2 on the scale. He had been consuming dairy his whole life, but then started having problems several times a day, what seemed like all of a sudden out of the blue. We initially thought it was a stomach bug, but I guess his gut was so inflamed that it was the tipping point for major physical issues. I sent you a PM with a good GI recommendation - I think we live in the same general area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 If she were my daughter I would insist on getting a prescription of Zofran to keep the throwing up to a minimum while they figure it out. After throwing up this much she's probably dehydrated and would need some IV hydration. That in itself can help with vomiting. My daughter has FPIES, and when she eats a trigger food she will vomit profusely. Many kids with FPIES are severely constipated as well. It might be something to consider, and I would definitely pay attention to what she's eating to see if there is a correlation. So sorry for your DD. I pray you find an answer and relief soon. She can't take zofran due to another medication she's on, but we have a prescription for phenergan. That didn't work over the weekend, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scholastica Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Not to scare you, but Google "superior mesenteric artery syndrome". It is rare, but that makes it less likely to be diagnosed as well. My neighbor had it and it took a while to find the cause. She had surgery and is regaining normalcy now. She was 15 before they figured it out. Good luck to you. I hope they find out what it is and it is something simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Insist on this. When dd was so sick 2 years ago with similar symptoms, she lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks (weighed under 100 lb to start). Our dr office convinced the ped GI group at the children's hospital to fit her in within days. (Dd is intolerant to all forms of dairy, not just lactose intolerant. Once she was off dairy, she returned to a healthy weight, was pain and nausea free, and acted like a new person.) When my dd was having extreme anxiety and behavioral issues her dr referred her to the mental health department of A.I. when I called to make the appointment I was put on a waiting list that could take up to 2 months. I then asked my dr to call and see if he could get me an appointment. They got it scheduled for the following week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Indeed Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Gall bladder? My husband had similar symptoms when his gall bladder was going out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmaluv+2more Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Those of you with kids who have celiac and such, did the symptoms just suddenly appear? She's eaten dairy and gluten her whole life. I don't know about lactose intolerance and such, but Celiac is often triggered. My mom was diagnosed 8 years ago after suddenly becoming symptomatic just a few months prior. She can now look back over her life and see some less obvious symptoms, but none caused alarm at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertBlossom Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Those of you with kids who have celiac and such, did the symptoms just suddenly appear? She's eaten dairy and gluten her whole life. Celiac is an auto-immune disease. It can happen anytime. Dd is tested annually for it because she is at higher risk of developing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Those of you with kids who have celiac and such, did the symptoms just suddenly appear? She's eaten dairy and gluten her whole life. Bodies are so weird. My DD started having vague stomach pain around age 4, was finally diagnosed with Celiac at age 7. My sister was just diagnosed last summer at age 36, although she had been having some GI issues for years. (Not her whole life, though) My DS 11 who has been having strange stomach issues for the last two years just got diagnosed with a deficiency in the enzymes that digest sucrose and maltose. What the heck?! I really hope you can figure out what is going on with your daughter quickly. 😢 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Sounds exactly like me right before I had to have an emergency gall bladder removal, I was 22 but had been, in retrospect, having issues with it since I was 14. Children rarely have to have their gallbladders removed but gallbladder disease runs in my family. Both parents, grandparents, both sisters, all have had to have them removed. DS has recently started to have issues with his as well. So don't let them rule it out just because she's young. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Those of you with kids who have celiac and such, did the symptoms just suddenly appear? She's eaten dairy and gluten her whole life. In me, it did. As a matter of fact at 22yo, I was in the hospital with a story that sounds just like your dd's. Looking back, I had some signs before, but nothing like that health crisis. From what the docs say, it's a genetic predisposition that gets triggered, not necessarily something you are born with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RioSamba Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Not to scare you, but Google "superior mesenteric artery syndrome". It is rare, but that makes it less likely to be diagnosed as well. My neighbor had it and it took a while to find the cause. She had surgery and is regaining normalcy now. She was 15 before they figured it out. Good luck to you. I hope they find out what it is and it is something simple.Our niece had this. After many ER visits she was hospitalized and eventually transferred to the children's hospital. Does your DD experience any relief if she pulls her knees to her chest? I remember that was one of the clues. I'm so sorrry that you and DD are going through this. Hugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Did her gall bladder get scanned? My oldest dd had horrific belly aches off and on for over a year until the pediatrician thought to check her gall bladder. It was removed when she was a young teen and the tummy troubles stopped. Dang thing was long and thin and full of stones. It sucks when our kids hurt and we can't get it figured out and helped right away. Doctors are trained to look for the obvious, since most of the time that is what it is. I think the Hive has given you a few good ideas to insist she be tested for, too, now. Good luck, and hope she feels better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 She's still throwing up today. I called her regular doctor's office and the receptionist scheduled her for tomorrow morning. I'm really frustrated. Something autoimmune-related is a possibility. I have autoimmune thyroid disease. My mom and my sister have rheumatoid arthritis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I agree with the others that she should be tested for celiac. Please, do not take her off gluten until she is tested. This is a mistake I made myself. I probably have celiac, but I don't know because I went gluten free before getting tested. One thing that helps me when I feel like this (accidental cross-contamination causes severe discomfort/pain): a liquid diet for 3-4 days. I drink chicken or beef broth, drink juice, tea. I also drink jello that has not set -- right out of the microwave -- to get extra calories. (And it tastes good.) I hope that they find out what is causing her problems and I hope she feels better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 (edited) One thing that helps me when I feel like this (accidental cross-contamination causes severe discomfort/pain): a liquid diet for 3-4 days. I drink chicken or beef broth, drink juice, tea. I also drink jello that has not set -- right out of the microwave -- to get extra calories. (And it tastes good.) I hope that they find out what is causing her problems and I hope she feels better. This is helpful information for me! DD just had her first experience getting "glutened" since her diagnosis, and it was so sad watching her be in pain and unable/willing to eat or drink anything. Is there anything else you do/take when this happens? The GI was completely unhelpful on this subject. OP, I'm glad you're getting her in to the doctor. Hope you get to the bottom of it! Edited October 4, 2016 by Sara in AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Constipation can definitely do this. It seems extreme, but we dealt with repeated vomiting spells with ds until we were able to really, really clean him out. Also, he was reacting poorly to he formula (he's special needs, tube fed) that we had him on at the time. Has she had any bowel movements? Are they doing anything to clean her out? Is there a pedi GI on the case? Yes, it can definitely also be celiac related. Our friends' daughter just completely crashed one day. Her body couldn't make it another moment. She was 22 at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 When ds had these spells, bone broth was very important to his recovery. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splash Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 Per the instructions we received yesterday, I'm giving her large doses of Miralax mixed with Gatorade twice a day. Things are moving, but she's still throwing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 This is helpful information for me! DD just had her first experience getting "glutened" since her diagnosis, and it was so sad watching her be in pain and unable/willing to eat or drink anything. Is there anything else you do/take when this happens? The GI was completely unhelpful on this subject. OP, I'm glad you're getting her in to the doctor. Hope you get to the bottom of it! IME, no pain reliever helps with the pain. Sometimes the pain has been so bad that I've gone to the ER. Even morphine didn't touch it. :( I like to be left alone when I'm in that much pain. I shut myself in my room and read, watch movies, (and post here). :) I don't cook and I don't go to meals with the family. I don't even like looking at food. I prefer to eat as little as possible. Hunger pain is preferable to the intestinal pain. I do try to get several hundred calories a day, only through liquids. After a few days of that I will eat something really mild, like rice, to see how my body tolerates it. If so, I will eat light foods for a day or two. After all of that I am usually starving. Having a favorite gluten-free food/meal to look forward to helps a lot with the emotion of what I've just gone through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 She's still throwing up today. I called her regular doctor's office and the receptionist scheduled her for tomorrow morning. I'm really frustrated. Something autoimmune-related is a possibility. I have autoimmune thyroid disease. My mom and my sister have rheumatoid arthritis. I would call back and ask to be seen today. I would explain how long she's been throwing up, ER visits, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 I don't know, this seems quite serious. Did they evaluate her for diverticulitis? Did they do any blood work on her? Has she developed any fever? I know she didn't have a fever a few days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 She hasn't had a lot of tests. Thursday: I took her to her regular doctor (saw nurse practitioner) because she'd been throwing up for five days. They checked urine for UTI (negative). She had a physical exam with pain in the abdomen but no rebound pain. We were told to dose phenergan and return in a day or two if she was still throwing up. Friday night: Her abdominal pain was worse, so I took her to the local ER. They did an ultrasound of her appendix (normal). They drew labs (I'm not sure what) and those were normal. They sent us home with instructions to return if she worsened or didn't improve within 1-2 days. Monday: I took her to the children's hospital ER. They did an abdominal xray and treated her for constipation. They didn't draw additional blood, but they reviewed what was done on Friday. They sent us home with instructions to return if her vomit turned green or bloody or if she worsened (fever, increased pain). They gave us a referral for gastroenterology and gave me instructions for continuing to help her body evacuate waste. They told us to follow up with her regular doctor within 1-2 days and to use the phenergan from last week. Dd vomits whether or not I give it to her. Tuesday (today): I called her doctor's office when they opened. I explained the situation to the receptionist (day ten of puking, been to the ER, etc.). She scheduled us for tomorrow. Dd isn't lethargic and she doesn't have a fever, but it's been over a week since she's kept down any food. I'm worried she's going to crash. I'll try calling her doctor again to talk to a nurse. I really think if the nurse practitioner we saw last week or our actual doctor knew what was going on, they'd want to see her today. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 I would want her examined today by her doc with more tests run. Is the vomiting improving at all since yesterday's ER visit? Is she keep fluids down? If not, I would consider pushing for hospital admission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 The vomiting is worse (5x/24 hours instead of 2-3). I called the pediatric GI clinic. They're not scheduling November appointments yet, so we are on the list for that. We're also on the cancelation list for October. I called back her regular doctor and spoke to a nurse. The nurse is going to talk to the provider we saw Thursday. I'm waiting for her to call me back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 The vomiting is worse (5x/24 hours instead of 2-3). I called the pediatric GI clinic. They're not scheduling November appointments yet, so we are on the list for that. We're also on the cancelation list for October. I called back her regular doctor and spoke to a nurse. The nurse is going to talk to the provider we saw Thursday. I'm waiting for her to call me back. Yikes! I think I would push for an admission if she's worsening or insist she be squeezed into the GI doc within the next few days. I don't see why in this situation they can't do that. Ugh, poor girl! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 (edited) IME, no pain reliever helps with the pain. Sometimes the pain has been so bad that I've gone to the ER. Even morphine didn't touch it. :( I like to be left alone when I'm in that much pain. I shut myself in my room and read, watch movies, (and post here). :) I don't cook and I don't go to meals with the family. I don't even like looking at food. I prefer to eat as little as possible. Hunger pain is preferable to the intestinal pain. I do try to get several hundred calories a day, only through liquids. After a few days of that I will eat something really mild, like rice, to see how my body tolerates it. If so, I will eat light foods for a day or two. After all of that I am usually starving. Having a favorite gluten-free food/meal to look forward to helps a lot with the emotion of what I've just gone through. 😢 Wow! This sounds so miserable! 😢 And it gives me a better picture of what my daughter is feeling and how to empathize and help her. Edited October 4, 2016 by Sara in AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Intuccessption is what I thought of too, or ulcer perhaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 (edited) A young girl in my parents' church was diagnosed celiac after this exact set of symptoms. It was the GI doc that found it. The family physician was not proactive, so after two weeks of messing around with the GP and not getting a referral which she needed for her insurance, she waited until after the local After Hours clinic closed, and then drove her dd to an ER. Once appendicitis and bowel obstruction were ruled out, she was referred to a GI in the hospital who decided to admit her and get the testing done then since she was losing weight, getting really listless, and was dehydrated. She is putting on weight now that they know. Edited October 4, 2016 by FaithManor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 😢 Wow! This sounds so miserable! 😢 Yep. I'm glad it doesn't happen often. I wish you and your daughter well. Hopefully the glutening incidents will be minimal. OP: Sorry for the tangent. I hope that your daughter is able to be seen soon. The more posts that you make, especially about the vomiting, the less it sounds like celiac (ime). I hope that you have answers -- and solutions -- really soon. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: for your dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 I'm sorry this is happening and I hope you can find the cause soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 We're up to 7x in the past 24 hours. The nurse called back to suggest BRAT and fluids, but we've been doing all of that. She offered zofran, which I reminded her dd can't take. I'm supposed to get another call back after she talks to the provider again, perhaps with another antiemetic option. We have an appointment in the morning. I just want answers so we can fix this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkTulip Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 I am so sorry you are going through this - I'm sure it is very stressful for you! Hoping you can get some answers quickly and not the continued run-around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 We're up to 7x in the past 24 hours. The nurse called back to suggest BRAT and fluids, but we've been doing all of that. She offered zofran, which I reminded her dd can't take. I'm supposed to get another call back after she talks to the provider again, perhaps with another antiemetic option. We have an appointment in the morning. I just want answers so we can fix this. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: For you and your poor dd. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Poor girl! How miserable. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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