Dr. Hive - sleepy 10-year-old UPDATE Feb 2023

[EmilyGF]

Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out what is going on with DS10. Please don't quote as I will delete later.

For the last month (since being sick for 6 days at the beginning of November), he's been sleeping 1+ hour extra per day and wakes up tired. He got sick for another three days (high fever, came down with Tylenol) over Thanksgiving. The first illness may have been COVID but was not tested, the second illness tested negative. Other siblings had short illnesses of 1-3 days.

Before getting sick, he was sleeping about 20 min more per day, enough that I was sort of noticing it, but not quite sure.

Tests so far have all been normal: thyroid, complete blood count (normal), iron and iron binding, ferritin, c-reactive protein. We have a sleep study scheduled for January.

Any ideas of what to look for or push for? He's eating normal, has no complaints of aching or stomach pains, runs around when not tired, works hard around the house.

Thanks for any help. 
 

UPDATE Feb 2023: he got diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and got tonsils and adenoids removed yesterday.

Emily

Edited February 28, 2023 by EmilyGF

[Katy]

I’d assume it’s puberty and make sure he gets the extra sleep. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Did they test Vitamin B and D?

I was sure youngest DS had a thyroid issue but it turned out his Vitamin B had tanked and it was rough (took us a while to figure it out). 

[EmilyGF]

24 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

Did they test Vitamin B and D?

I was sure youngest DS had a thyroid issue but it turned out his Vitamin B had tanked and it was rough (took us a while to figure it out). 

I will look into B and D. We have not yet.

@KatyI hope this is puberty, but I don't remember the other big kids crashing like this. He either goes to bed before the 6-year-old or naps every day.

Emily

[Katy]

42 minutes ago, EmilyGF said:

I will look into B and D. We have not yet.

@KatyI hope this is puberty, but I don't remember the other big kids crashing like this. He either goes to bed before the 6-year-old or naps every day.

Emily

Are there signs of a big growth spurt? Most kids chunk up before a big growth spurt, then become really picky eaters who needed extra sleep while growing. 

[Junie]

We had the time change at the beginning of November.  Maybe he is still having trouble adjusting.

[Tanaqui]

Have you considered that he may be suffering post-viral aftereffects?

[EmilyGF]

6 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

Have you considered that he may be suffering post-viral aftereffects?

I've thought of that since the beginning of November, but he was tireder than normal before.

This kid resembles an ox in size, weight, and energy usually, so it really is odd to have him tired. Sigh.

[Ausmumof3]

Growth spurt? I’d be alert because of possible long covid but all of my kids slept more around prepuberty 

[Tanaqui]

Well, I suggested post-viral because it was the thing I thought of that nobody else had suggested yet. If the tiredness definitely predates the illness, that doesn't necessarily rule out a post-viral condition - he could've been sick sooner than you realized, with tiredness the early symptom - but I think the most likely answer is puberty / growth spurt.

Or it could be a combination of factors, of course.

[Starr]

Is he sleeping 10 hours at night or 14? If he sleeps without being woken is he rested? 

[J-rap]

mono?

[EmilyGF]

6 hours ago, Starr said:

Is he sleeping 10 hours at night or 14? If he sleeps without being woken is he rested? 

He gets about 11 hours per day of sleep.

[EmilyGF]

Alright, if everyone says it is puberty/post-viral, I'll relax. 

This boy physically is very different from his older siblings (stocky, extremely tall vs. medium tall, incredibly thin) so maybe the physical change just looks different for him, too.

ETA: Not trying to minimize post-viral stuff, just recognizing that it takes time and rest, not intensive doctor's visits and medication.

Emily

Edited November 29, 2022 by EmilyGF

[Starr]

It's extra difficult when there aren't clear answers. Hugs for you.

[Ann.without.an.e]

3 hours ago, EmilyGF said:

Alright, if everyone says it is puberty/post-viral, I'll relax. 

This boy physically is very different from his older siblings (stocky, extremely tall vs. medium tall, incredibly thin) so maybe the physical change just looks different for him, too.

ETA: Not trying to minimize post-viral stuff, just recognizing that it takes time and rest, not intensive doctor's visits and medication.

Emily

 

It def could just be puberty but if you can swing it financially, do a vitamin panel. We tested thyroid and also chalked it up to puberty after those came back normal. DS eventually got worse, started losing focus and having vision problems, eye twitches, and some muscles coordination problems too. I took him back to my dr who specializes in hormones thinking it was a thyroid problem that had gotten worse (3 of us have Hashimoto's) and she pulled vitamins too and the kid had practically no Vitamin B in his system. He is still recovering from balance issues months later. Hopefully the issues aren't long term. We aren't vegan, he eats good, he eats meat and eggs, etc so this made no sense. I think he may have pernicious anemia but not sure. 

[ktgrok]

I'd have them check for celiac antibodies, and also for the antibodies for mono. And a tick panel. 

[EmilyGF]

2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

I'd have them check for celiac antibodies, and also for the antibodies for mono. And a tick panel. 

Would you do that through a third-party testing company or ask the doctor to order that? 

Thanks!

[EmilyGF]

UPDATE Feb 2023: he got diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and got tonsils and adenoids removed yesterday. 

He had a large variety of blood tests that came back normal. It was the sleep study that provided answers. In retrospect, his voice sounded muffled from adenoids, but that came about so gradually that I didn’t notice until the doctors mentioned it.

Emily

[Starr]

I hope he's feeling better soon and is back to ten year old energy. 

[Hannah]

I'm glad he got the treatment he needed and hope he recovers quickly!

[Ottakee]

3 hours ago, EmilyGF said:

UPDATE Feb 2023: he got diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and got tonsils and adenoids removed yesterday. 

He had a large variety of blood tests that came back normal. It was the sleep study that provided answers. In retrospect, his voice sounded muffled from adenoids, but that came about so gradually that I didn’t notice until the doctors mentioned it.

Emily

Hope that helps.  It made a Huge different for my son.