The Issue with The Stomach

I have this one kid. Child X. I've referred to each of my kids at one point in time or another as Child X.

Child X has had a stomach ache for close to a year. Child X has lots of anxiety, and so we all (a couple of doctors + parents = a team in my book) considered that it was a nervous condition and worked on behaviour mods.

Didn't help.

We took lactose out of the diet. Didn't seem to help, as in the stomach aches still continued, but oddly enough, grew worse when we reintroduced the lactose - so out it stayed and the stomach still hurt. Child X burped and burped and burped.

Child X had such a tough year at school with bullying and educational issues that I was just certain it was a emotional issue. Child X blew through two industrial size bottles of Tums.

Child X had other, lower, gastro related issues that waxed and waned - overly compensated at times, under represented at others. (I'm trying like crazy to be as clear as possible and not gross.) Child X would spend hours and hours in the bathroom - some vastly more productive than others, if that makes sense.

We tested for additional food allergies. Nothing.

We were told to try Prilosec. No help. Went to Prevacid - which helped somewhat. It helped a bit more when the allergist doubled the dose. Still the stomach aches continued. Finally, we were given a gastro consult. Five months away.

And so we waited. And endured. And worked more on behavior mod and kept a food journal and a bathroom habits journal and really tried to puzzle this out. We've got several upper and lower intestional issues in the family - Crohn's, IBS, hernias and ulcers and strictures and whatnot. I mapped it all out in a super handy chart.

I am super organized. Really, I am.

Gastro this week said it's probably one of three things. Celiac, an ulcer or Eosinophilic esophagitis. We went for a huge blood draw this week - oh, yay, that was heaps of fun for me but even worse for the kid on the receiving end of the Vampire squad - nothing quite so much fun as holding your kid down while the screams come in your ears and you know it hurts and burns, but it's super necessary.

Tomorrow is an Upper GI. Child X is RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED that tomorrow will be a glowing, radioactive day.

We've got a, um, containment specimen to obtain and have to double the prevacid AGAIN.

Hello, Child X, who reads here. You are fine. Don't worry about it. I promise. :) Tomorrow means no breakfast for you, but after we have the test, I think you should get a big bowl of lactose free ice cream. Or some cookies.

Answers would be really nice for me tomorrow.

Comments

[Megan]

I hope you get your answers! I've had terrible stomachaches in the past. I really feel for anyone who has to endure one for a year.

[Tara]

When my kid was age 6 she had a chronic stomach ache, which led to tums, then prevacid, then a GI consult, and then finally an upper GI. It showed . . .nothing. Maybe it was the prevacid that she had been taking for a year or she just had anxiety that manifested as a stomach ache. We never knew for sure. But it did resolve just the same. It would have been nice to have a definitive answer, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.

[Tara]

I want to add: good luck to you both tomorrow. I'll pray for you and Child X. Ice cream is definitely called for after that.

[Trudy]

I feel Child X's pain too. Have lived with stomach aches off and on for years. I was lactose intolerant for a very long time but am nolonger. I was diagnosed with esinophil esophagitis. One of the very first person's with it in my area and the first for my allergist. After having lived with it for nearly 5 years, it is 100% under control with diet and no more belly aches! Plus bathroom trips are now normal. Yay!

Ther is hope!

[Missy Cochran]

Someone close to me had similar issues for years, but found his troubles cleared up with Paxil! Addressing anxiety issues solved crippling, long-standing stomach issues. Just putting that out there in case your testing does not provide useful answers!

[desiree]

I've got one kid that was born with GERD. The meds that actually helped were pulled off the market--I understand why---they were risky. But the cocktail the doc had created worked. So, now I've got a 17 year old kid who really has never known a day of his life without stomach pain or heartburn. He's so tired of docs, tests and everything that goes with trying to figure out why---it has become difficult to continue to fix. Good Luck I hope you get some answers. We've been on a break this past school year---after reading your post I'm motivated to try again! Thanks

[lisa]

I hope you get definitive answers, I will pray for you!

[Camilla]

Had similar stomach issues for a very long time and found that it wasn't the lactose but the protein in dairy that was killing (or at least I thought it was trying). Being on a lactose free diet helped because it cut out so many of the casein sources but being even more strict I feel fabulous. This protein is added to things like "lactose-free" protein bars, sausages and endless other things. I don't know if this helps but I feel for your family-nothing is harder than watching a child suffer. Praying that you get answers and cures!

[Kay]

My son has this same problem. Each time I took him to the doctor, we got the same thing, constipation. He constantly had a stomach ache. Nothing we did helped. Finally took him to a chiropractor that specializes in children. She put him on a natural ProBiotic that we got at a vitamin shop. And she did an adjustment on the lower back that affects the intestines. What a difference! I know some people are reluctant to try chiropractic care, but it has eliminated the problem. Good luck to you, I hope you get some answers.

[Jen]

Good luck hon. We've been down this road so many times with our oldest. Went through 3 different GI docs in Denver. The leading specialists in EE are in Denver, and are wonderful. While it turned out he doesn't have EE, it was good to rule that out.
For him it's a combo of diet and reduction of anxiety that's helped. He's gluten and dairy free, is besties with Miralax, and his anxiety plummeted when I started homeschooling him. But I know it's likely to crop back up when I least expect it.
Hope you get some answers today. :)

[kyooty]

Has child x been tested for Pylori Bacteria? or Geardia?

[Maggie]

It took a long time to figure out my main problem was lactose intolerance, but like Camilla (above) I need to watch out for other milk products (e.g., whey, casein) that pop up everywhere. Also, I find Maalox Advanced tablets work much better than TUMS due to the addition of simethicone.

[Brandy]

I have nothing important to add other that I'll keep y'all in my thoughts and sending good wishes!

[Stephen]

Is child x ok?
I had an upper GI when I was a kid and I flipped out
Hope everything turned out OK!
-stephen

[charlene]

mine is IBS but wheat(gluten) has tendencey to kick it up a notch of bloating and other issues. No cealics so I just avoid the wheat and consider myself wheat intolerant. Also, it is noted that if you have a thyroid condition that adds to some stomach problems.