Denisemomof4 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 She has been so sick for a week and a half now. She will start to get better, then get sicker again. I took her to the doctor today and nearly fell completely apart when we found out she's lost 12 pounds in the past week and a half! My 5'1 beauty now weighs 71 pounds. I'm SO worried for her! Has anyone ever heard of such a huge weight loss in a kid in such a short period of time? The doctor's didn't believe she lost that much weight and asked that I weigh her at home and call them with the results. Sure enough, she's lost 12 - 13 pounds, and her weight was in the 25th percentile (height 90th) to begin with. The doctor's are running blood tests and will run stool tests if they come back negative and she's not better in a couple of days. They asked if we've traveled out of state at all recently. I took the girls on a weekend away about a month ago and we went to Mystic Aquarium in CT. The doctor said if everything is negative they may put her on antibiotics in case she picked something up there while petting all the sea life in the petting tanks. I don't think I'm going to agree to that because she was well for over a week after that. Do you agree, that if she picked up some sort of bacteria that she would have gotten sick sooner? Also, both dd's touched all the same fish and only one got sick. I was also sick for two weeks, fever 8 days. Did I lose 12 pounds? Of course not.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Sheesh, Denise -- I am so sorry. Thoughts and prayers :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Please keep us posted. Unfortunately the only thing that comes to my mind is what dd30 is dealing with right now which is parasites. Did they give you the kit for the stool tests? That way you can get that done asap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 How scary! My sister got sick like that when she was 12. I don't know how much weight she lost but I do remember it was a significant amount. It ended up being a really bad case of food poisoning. She was really sick for about a week and a half. It was so sad to see her just laying there looking so miserable. She did recover completely, although after that she was a little more susceptible to having tummy problems. She had to be extra careful with her food. She is fine now and no lasting problems. I hope your little girl gets better soon. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 When my dd was about 11 or 12, she got sick for a week or so, then seemed a bit better for a few days, then relapsed for another week or so. We thought it was the flu or something similar. We took her to the doctor, and he said it was a "non-specific viral illness". She lost 15 pounds in that short time. That was about 4 or 5 years ago, and she's been healthy since, except for a cold or a 24 hour bug here and there. :grouphug: for you and for your dd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 What are her other symptoms? Did they rule out mono? (I have that on the brain 'cause ds11 had it a few months ago, and didn't eat for several weeks...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 Sheesh, Denise -- I am so sorry. Thoughts and prayers :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Please keep us posted. Unfortunately the only thing that comes to my mind is what dd30 is dealing with right now which is parasites. Did they give you the kit for the stool tests? That way you can get that done asap. they are running some blood tests first. The doctor believes she's fighting two viruses, one upper respiratory and one the creeping crud. I was just absolutely shocked when she undressed today. She is a bag of bones! She has been in her pj's for so long that I simply didn't notice the weightloss. My poor baby! If she's not better by Thursday we're going to test the stool. Would parasites cause a fever? She had a fever for 6 days. She also had vomiting and diarrhea off and on. Could parasites cause one to vomit? I guess it would make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abigail4476 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 My dd13 had a "mystery" illness when she was about 8. She went from 50 lbs to around 35 lbs over the course of about 6 weeks. She couldn't keep any food down, was salivating excessively (aka, drooling) and toward the end of the 6 weeks, she broke out in multiple fever blisters all around her mouth. It was the weirdest thing ever...and she was already thin, so she became so thin and fragile--it really scared me to death. We visited several specialists with pretty much no results. After about 6 weeks, it cleared up as suddenly as it had appeared, and her doctor said something vague like, "It might have been some sort of parasite." :confused: We never found out what it was! In the meantime, though...if your daughter is losing weight, go with the BRAT diet. Bananas, rice, [plain, unsweetend] applesauce and plain toast. Easiest foods to keep down. (You didn't mention nausea or diarrhea--I'm just assuming.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imprimis Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I hope she feels better soon, Denise. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 How scary! My sister got sick like that when she was 12. I don't know how much weight she lost but I do remember it was a significant amount. It ended up being a really bad case of food poisoning. She was really sick for about a week and a half. It was so sad to see her just laying there looking so miserable. She did recover completely, although after that she was a little more susceptible to having tummy problems. She had to be extra careful with her food. She is fine now and no lasting problems. I hope your little girl gets better soon. :grouphug: I will be putting her on a nutrient dense diet when this is all done. It will be good for her entire system, and hopefully it will help her gain back some weight! When my dd was about 11 or 12, she got sick for a week or so, then seemed a bit better for a few days, then relapsed for another week or so. We thought it was the flu or something similar. We took her to the doctor, and he said it was a "non-specific viral illness". She lost 15 pounds in that short time. That was about 4 or 5 years ago, and she's been healthy since, except for a cold or a 24 hour bug here and there. :grouphug: for you and for your dd! Thanks for sharing. I have never heard of a child losing so much weight in such a short period of time. I've been a wreck since I found out. What are her other symptoms? Did they rule out mono? (I have that on the brain 'cause ds11 had it a few months ago, and didn't eat for several weeks...) she started out with a very bad sore throat/cold, which progressed to high fever/vomiting/diarrhea for three days, extremely weak and dizzy. Then back to the sore throat/cough/cold while still extremely weak and dizzy for a few days, then back to the diarrhea, etc. This has been her pattern. She can't eat much AT ALL. If she spends any amount of time on her feet, all color drains from her face, she gets very, very nauseous, and she's just so weak that a walk from one side of the house to the other forces her to rest on the couch for about 20 minutes. And she can't concentrate or do schoolwork for the life of her. Poor kid. I don't even know why I tried today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 :grouphug: I'll never forget when my daughter stood up and her panties slid right down. She was very sick and had also lost a lot of weight. It's a horrible memory. :grouphug: Hope you get some answers, and that she bounces back soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I am so sorry to hear that! Poor thing! And poor momma! :grouphug: and prayers for a speedy recovery!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 My older dd had a bug about two years ago and she lost about 15 pounds in under three weeks. She had stomach issues off and on and would seem to get better and then relapse. We did three ER visits and an overnight at the children's hospital but it was just a stomach bug that took forever to go away. I hope your dd feels better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Hope your daughter feels better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 thanks everyone. While I'm sorry some of you have had kids very sick and losing weight like my dd, it's comforting to know that kids DO experience this and will recover. I get so worried about her weight! I know she eats well when she's not sick, I just need to :chillpill: But until she's over this virus, I'm just going to worry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 That's scary, Denise! I will be praying for her to feel better soon! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 What are her other symptoms? Did they rule out mono? (I have that on the brain 'cause ds11 had it a few months ago, and didn't eat for several weeks...) :iagree: My first thought too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Oh Denise, I am so sorry! You must be terrified. I know I would be. Praying her good health and a speedy recovery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I did lose 15 pounds in about 2 weeks when I was your dd's age, severe intestinal flu. It was awful. I hope they will soon figure things out, I know you are worried! Young folks tend to bounce back quickly, I hope that will be the case for her. Sorry you also were ill. Not fun. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 How scary. Take care and let us know how everything goes. Poor bunny. That's a lot of weight on such a little one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 they are running some blood tests first. The doctor believes she's fighting two viruses, one upper respiratory and one the creeping crud. I was just absolutely shocked when she undressed today. She is a bag of bones! She has been in her pj's for so long that I simply didn't notice the weightloss. My poor baby! If she's not better by Thursday we're going to test the stool. Would parasites cause a fever? She had a fever for 6 days. She also had vomiting and diarrhea off and on. Could parasites cause one to vomit? I guess it would make sense. My dd6 is just now recovered from two weeks, two viruses, one bacterial infection. The first respiratory virus included pneumonia. I was getting really worried, fighting different bugs at the same time makes for a tricky diagnosis. There's a lot of junk going around here right now. Flu B, with exceedingly high fevers, the respiratory crud, and many cases of nontypical strep (kids don't feel super bad, they just don't get well 'til they get antibiotics in them). There's some nasty stuff going on around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Was she dehydrated? That can cause rapid weight loss. With vomiting &tc there's a good chance she's dried out. :grouphug: Normally, I'm against unneeded medications, but in this case I'd probably do whatever the doctor said. Not that it's right, just that I'd be scared I wouldn't do whatever the "right" thing was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Just wanted to let you know your daughter will be in my prayers! Please keep us updated okay? Best wishes!!!:grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virg Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 How Scary! We will be praying for you and for her recovery! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 My dd had something similar a few years ago. It was some kind of virus and it had the effect of killing her appetite even after the illness itself was gone. The pediatrician thought it might help her stomach to take prevacid for awhile to stop her stomach from producing so much acid...she said that extra acid production could be the result of the virus. I also had to mix Duocal into her food for awhile because of her weight loss and very poor appetite. It was very frightening because my dd was also very thin to begin with. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 (edited) Ok - I know this sounds nuts - but is there any posibility it could be malaria? She has all the classic symptoms - the cycling through the sore throat, fever stuff to the vomiting and diarreah and coughing..... Where do you live? Did she get bit by mosquitoes recently? If not malaria, then perhaps there is something similar in the US..... ETA - EH - you live in NH, nevermind..... I was thinking maybe if you lived in South Florida.... However, there are diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks in the US that can have similar effects.... Edited March 1, 2011 by SailorMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Oh this sounds scary :grouphug: I hope the doctors can figure out what is going on or your daughter starts to bounce back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Your daughter has been in my thoughts and prayers all thru the night! Please keep us updated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Hope she feels better soon. I have one dd who tends to lose around 15 lbs in 3 days if she has a stomach but. She tends to gain it back in a couple of weeks once she is over it. Freaked us out the first time. She has done it 3 times now. I guess it is just the way her body handles it. (Her normal weight is around 115-120.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda1951 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 do a parasite cleanse asap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Wow! How scary!! I really hope she starts coming around and feeling better very soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 While they are doing the blood work, make sure they do a blood glucose to rule out diabetes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I will be praying for her. In November my dd14 was extremely sick while on a missions trip to another part of Guatemala. She was gone 6 days (they were supposed to be gone 10 but came back early because of no medical care for her) and came back almost 8 pounds lighter. We took her to the emergency room and she had a severe bacterial infection (she was actually poisoned by the person who cooked for them) and went on cipro. It helped a lot, but, it took weeks before she was better. Keep us posted! I'll be praying for you too!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Praying! :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 thanks everyone, you're all so awesome! She has recently been checked for diabetes to screen out all kinds of stuff when she was having fainting spells. I'm not sure what else they're checking with the blood work. They did not check for strep, and if stool samples are taken, I plan to request for a parasite check. She was not dehydrated at all, although I'm sure her body could have taken some more fluids. The doctor did check her and said she wasn't dehydrated. She looks so much better today! I hope it won't be a bounce back day with her then feeling horrible again tomorrow. Today is day 12. While I'm going to keep her quiet and still most of the day, in the past week and a half she couldn't handle walking from one end of the house to the other, and she's done that today without issue. She's certainly not all better, but she looks SO much better! AND - she ate TWO burgers just now! I'm making sure all her food is nutrient dense (for the most part, she's also got sherbet in the freezer) so that every single calorie really counts. I bought her some organic, grass fed beef and once her tummy can handle it I'm going to get raw cheeses and such at the local HFS. She's got her organic whole milk yogurt waiting for her, too. Right now she is allowed to eat ANYTHING she wants. I do expect her to put this weight back on in the near future. Again, thanks everyone!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Our dd lost about 10 pounds in three weeks in 5th grade and it was not weight she could afford to lose. She had strep throat and then mono from being run down. Her first mono test came back negative, but the ped said that with her swollen spleen he was absolutely certain it was mono and tested again, sure enough it had been a false negative. Apparently, that is actually some what common. We put her on a huge vitamin routine and he gave her something for the nausea and bowel troubles so she would eat again. Once she came off the bland diet and didn't need meds to keep her stomach settled, she was put on a high, good fats diet. But, she was not allowed PE for six months, no rough housing, etc. Her spleen was so swollen that the doc made us even help her up and down steps for three months even though she had ceased being dizzy because he was that afraid of a ruptured spleen. Did your doc check her for that? What about Lymes? Have you recently visited some place in which the weather is warmer and the ticks are already out? The rash easily hides itself in hair. One of dh's friends had Lymes for two years. His bullet shaped rash was on the back of his head, hidden by thick hair which the doctors never checked and since it was the back of his head, he hadn't noticed it either. Because it went undiagnosed for so long, he still has health issues. As for parasites, I spent a month in Jamaica as a teen, got "Montezuma's revenge", returned home 10 pounds lighter and I only weighed 102 pounds to begin with, no appetite. The weight kept falling off. The doctor wanted to hospitalize me for anorexia, but my parents KNEW this was not the problem. It took a chiropractor with some world travel experience to cure me. He was certain it was parasites and since I wasn't getting any help from the doctors in the area, he put me on a strict parasite cleanse and then a special diet afterward. It was hard to gain weight but I did eventually get back up to 102 pounds. I credit him with saving my life. There are tests for parasites, she certainly could have picked something up when petting the sea life because parasites don't necessarily easily wash off the hands without a long wash and lots of friction, but they are largely not reported because if the beneficial bacteria levels in the gut are high, the person will successfully fight them off on their own and not be sick long enough to pursue testing for it. So, if people were getting "the stomach bug" from handling the animals at the aquarium, it probably isn't being reported because the majority of the people will either a. have enough bacteria to fight the parasite and never get sick or b. assume they had the "flu" and never be tested or treated. Parasites are wildly underreported in the US - most doctors are under trained and only look for the biggies like cryosporidium (sp?) which can sicken large groups of people through city water supplies. Praying here! BTDT and I know how frightening it can be! Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Praying she recovers soon! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in C-ville Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Denise, praying here for you and your dd AND for the doctors to have insight as to what's going on. Please keep us updated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Really, other than the nausea (which isn't unheard of) this sounds so much like ds' mono a few months ago... The sore throat, the achiness, the extreme exhaustion, the "just not getting better"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Unless they can identify what's going on, I'd take the dr's suggestion and do the antibiotics. We have a friend who spent a year in Haiti. While there, she got very sick, but had a hard time getting antibiotics. As a result, she has been sick for over a year and has lost a lot of weight - from size 10 to barely size 2. She has had every test and treatment, a variety of meds, special diets, but no results. The doctors have finally concluded that she had nerve damage from a bacterial illness that was not treated properly because of being in Haiti when it happened. They think she will eventually heal, but in the meantime, she has a lot of pain and digestive problems. So... if there's a chance that antibiotics will clear up whatever's going on with your dd, I'd do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 ok, so I'm not going to hesitate with antibiotics (thanks to everyone here! My local friends share the same opinion I did before I entered this note here) and I'm going to research mono and bring that up to the doctor if she relapses again. She's eating well today, looks better, but is still sick. I'm anxious to see how she is tomorrow, and I'm still concerned at how tired she is. ok, I just read the symptoms for mono and am concerned. I know the doctor palpated her belly and asked if it hurt. Wouldn't she have felt the enlarged spleen? Dd's sore throat is only hurting right now when she coughs. I will be paying close attention to this and again, I'm going to mention this when we get the call on her blood results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 I just read up on mono at the Mayo Clinic website. I have a feeling that's one of the things the blood work is being checked for, but I'm going to confirm that when they call with her results. Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lincap Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I didn't get to read all of the replies.. I had a mystery sickness like that a few years back. It was a rare bacteria Aeromonas Hydrophila ... normally in seafood they said but I hadn't eaten any seafood.. BUT my inlaws reuse plastic wrap and I ate their cooking a few days before getting sick and the docs think that the plastic wrap was used for fish, not washed well enough and hten used to wrap the ground beef. Because the 4 year expired cheese they fed me can back negative to this particular bacteria. My in-laws have given me food poisoning many times.. that was the last time. ANYHOO I had urgent bloody at times diahrrea about 3 times an hour around the clock. I was hospitalized for a week and lost 8 lbs in 2 days. I was put on antibiotics, the diarreah slowed to a few times a day for a few weeks, then went back to once an hour (URGENT) for 33 days. i had scheduled a colonoscopy but before that my hubby gave me some active manuka honey and I was better in 48 hours. HUGS and I will read rest of replies now if my toddler lets me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Oh Denise! How scary. I'll pray for both of you!! I had a ds who was sick like that. His was SO weird. He'd feel run down and he'd run a fever. Body aches, etc. It's last a couple days and go away. Then, a couple days later, he'd be down again. He was tested for everything - mono, arthritis, cancer (!!). I was SO scared. This went on for a while - months. But, he never lost the weight like your dd. Anyway, it went away. He's still our "sick" one. Whenever anything goes around - he gets it and gets it HARD. He's 14 and when sick, runs fevers of 105. Anyway, I hope you get it figured out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I'm praying for her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Peronally, if my child had lost almost 20% of their body weight in under a month with no clear explanation, I'd definitely accept antibiotics. The next step might be hospitalization. That is a huge weight loss. Hospitalization & more serious drugs & interventions are a much greater risk than antibiotics, even if they are 'just in case' antibiotics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 I took her back in today. The fast strep test was negative, and they are running an overnight culture on it now. They also called the lab to add a test to see if she may have mono. Her fever has returned today, it's low grade and I'm hoping it stays that way. And, she's eating!!!!! A lot!!! :hurray::hurray::hurray: up a pound and a half since this time yesterday. Thanks everyone! You're awesome!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 (edited) Did you get any new pets recently? If so, it could be a parasite from a new pet...like giardia. Otherwise, I am just not sure. Oh, and yes, I would do antibiotics if the doctor wanted to try them. Sometimes there is just infection in the body somewhere that needs to be cleared. Of course, meds for the parasites are generally different than the run of the mill antibiotics (i.e. the treatment for giardia is Flagyl), so it wouldn't help that. I think with such dramatic weight loss, I would demand a stool sample sooner rather than later. Sending up prayers that her doctor can get to the bottom of this FAST and get her well soon! HUGS! Edited March 1, 2011 by Tree House Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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