What can I get doctor to check dd for? Diagnose these symptoms

[Melinda S in TX]

Tomorrow, 3.9dd has an appointment with our doctor. I need help figuring out what to get the doctor to do for dd. The doctor will run whatever test I ask, but other than the basics, she isn't very aggressive.

 

Dd has had problems for about a year. She says she doesn't feel good, her head and back hurt. She always say the same thing, and always points out the same areas (the small of her back and the back of her head). She complains of her headache/backaches every day, several times a day. She will wake me up at night and tell me she doesn't feel good. They don't seem to cause severe pain like a migraine, but she is subdued and slightly whiney when she doesn't feel good. She does play and do things though.

 

Dd has blood sugar problems, but her HbA1c and fasting were ok. I check her blood sugar and I know she has blood sugar issues. I have to control the amount of carbs she gets or her blood sugar goes high. She has to eat immediately in the morning or it crashes. Her headaches and backaches do not correlate with her blood sugar.

 

Dd is more hot natured than everyone else. We can be under blankets and in flannel. She will be in a short sleeve thin gown with no covers and be warm to touch. She gets hot more easily than the rest of us.

 

Just in the last month, she has started burping quite a bit. She's never done that before. We're talking 6 or more times a day, for someone who rarely burped before. Maybe something is off with her digestion?

 

Things that aren't wrong-She sees a chiro for general care and he's not noticed anything that he can attribute her headaches and backaches too. We had her vision tested and that's fine. She's not constipated, doesn't eat, drink, or urinate excessively. Her weight and height are good for her age. We eat healthy with everything homemade due to others allergies. She looks healthy.

 

What can I get the doctor to check for? We have already done soem basics like urinalysis, regular blood tests, fasting glucose, HbA1c, and thyroid.

 

 

Melinda

[Pamela H in Texas]

Melinda,

 

I'm not sure....maybe the basics of an autoimmune workup. There are lots of things in that.

[Melinda S in TX]

Thanks! I'm just at a loss as to what could be wrong and what to test for. Our appt is at 1:15CST. I just want to get this figured out and get her better. Noone should have to deal with headaches all day every day.

 

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

Blessings,

Melinda

[Classical Katharine]

I'm not a nurse or doctor, but lower back ache makes me wonder about kidney/adrenal function. Impaired adrenal function can affect energy levels. Headaches would not surprise me either.

 

If she has bladder function issues, your doctor will want to know, as that could be a kidney clue.

 

You've already had your appointment, but as you follow up, I'd think about kidney and adrenal function tests and if basic ones are normal, maybe ask to see an endocrinologist who can run more sophisticated tests.

 

I hope you find a solution for your daughter soon.

Edited April 7, 2009 by Classical Katharine
fixed a mistake

[Susan in KY]

DS (now 9.5) had issues with similar pains, and it was worsening. It turned out to be a combination of problems including a reaction to his inhalation steroid for asthma and a fall off a horse that apparently jammed up something in his head. I don't even pretend to understand it, but we have been seeing a D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) who specializes in neuro-muscular manipulation or something of the like. It's a lot more subtle than chiropractic.

 

DS has been going for the past year—the headaches are gone, the back aches are mostly gone and other pains in his extremities have had nary a complaint since last year. I highly recommend trying it out if you don't get any satisfaction from your regular pediatrician. PM me if you want a referral in your area. Not all DO's do the same thing.

 

Also, the spine and the head are all connected, so it makes perfect sense that they could both be hurting at once.

 

HTH,

Susan

[Wyndie]

I would wonder about a delayed food allergy/intolerance.

[Ottakee]

Does she have any other neurological symptoms? With the headaches and small back pain, I wonder about a Chiari I with a tethered cord. With the Chiari I, there is not enough room in the back/base of the skull for the brain and it gets compressed. It can also impair the flow of cerebral spinal fluid. It can be linked to a tethered spinal cord as well. A CT or MRI could show you what is going on.

 

Headaches that last that long in a child with no clear reason should be worked up.

[LadyAberlin]

I'd say look at food allergies and adrenal problems.