12 yo daughter referred to GI doc after 3 episodes

[JMClark]

Hi,
My daughter is a happy, "almost 13 year old" middle schooler who has had a "stomach bug" 3 times since the end of October (2015). During these episodes, no family members contracted the stomach bug and none of her friends were sick. Each time she has missed 3 days of school (9 total) more than she missed in all of elementary school. Each episode started in the middle of the night with stomach pain, hours later diarrhea and then nausea and vomitting. Vomiting started in each case about 12-15 hours after initial onset. Fever also came the second day of the event. If she had been running a low grade fever prior to this, I was unaware of it.

Today we visited the doctor and upon my comment that it seemed odd to have the stomach bug three times in about 3 months he said "I think she needs to be scoped" and then asked about family history of IBD. I explain that her grandfather suffered with ulcerative colitis for years and he decided to refer her to a pediatric GI doc.
I'm a concerned and worried not sure what to think now. Do these episodes sound like "flares"? I know everyone is different, but I was caught off guard today and not sure what to think. She does have a history of constipation from age 7-9, but outgrew it.

Signed, Worried Mom.

 

[ronroush7]

We have a section called Parents of Kids with IBD. You might want to check it out. I wish you the best.

 

[fuzzy butterfly]

Hi JM. So sorry you n your daughter are in this position. Ron has made a good suggestion in refering to the parents of kids section. It sounds as if it may be a form of ibd,ibs, hope it is just a bug tho. Best wishes and please let us know how you get on..hugs n support . Mandy

 

[my little penguin]

Big hugs
Parents group is here
http://www.crohnsforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

A lot of parents there
It's ok to post there even if your kiddo isn't dx yet

Ds was dx at age 7 and is now 12.

He has constipation with his crohns hardly ever diarrhea

We went into the scope for ds at age 7 thinking it was eosinophilic colitis
Left thinking he had food intolerance
Got biopsies a week later to find he had crohns

Gi stuff over laps a lot

Hopefully they will get to the bottom of it soon

Answers are better than limbo land

Tagging
Maya142
Clash
Tesscom
Crohnsinct
Jmrogers
Farmwife
Mehita

 

[Maya142]

Hi and welcome!
My daughter was diagnosed with Crohn's when she was 16. Her only symptoms were belly pain and constipation. Crohn's can be sneaky -- not everyone has the classic diarrhea and bloody stools symptoms. Some people have every symptom in the book while others are completely asymptomatic. It's difficult to say if it sounds like Crohn's because every kid is so different.

Given your family history of IBD, it's a good idea to see a GI. Check out the parent's section - lots of great info there about IBD in kids.

 

[crohnsinct]

Poor girl! Even if they are bugs, who wants to be sick that often?

GI illnesses, diseases, syndromes etc are really complex and as MLP said overlap a lot.

One of my daughters is not text book either. She is stomach pain and constipation.

Did they consider Celiac screening?

Also, there is a great test called Fecal Calprotectin which very specifically screens for GI tract inflammation. Normal levels usually point to a functional issues (IBS etc) and elevated issues more organic issues. IBD is only one of the organic issues so an elevated level there does not mean she definitely has IBD, just that it hasn't yet been checked off the list. This test can take up to two weeks to get back so I would have your family doc order it for you so the results come in before your GI appointment.

Does she have any other symptoms? Mouth sores, joint pain, slowed growth, anemia, vitamin deficiencies, weight loss (although with the recent events probably).

It is great that the doc fast tracked you to a GI. Try not to get ahead of yourself ...easier said then done I know!

 

[Mehita]

How's she been feeling lately JMClark? I don't have much to add aside from reiterating the tests that crohnsinct suggested. Scopes and blood work are a start.

Good luck to you! I hope you're able to get answers soon.

 

[Clash]

It seems the above posters have covered most everything. I hope you are able to find some answers soon.

My son was dxed at 15 and we spent 4 months going to the GP and each time he said it was something viral. Finally I asked is this the same virus because it seems he's getting it a lot! All his blood work was normal except that his ferritin was just a tad low, so GP sent him to GI.

After hearing of C's issues which weren't especially GI related, no blood, no D, little pain at the time, the GI felt it was probably CD and my son was dxed by a scope a few weeks later.

Hope you find some answers soon.

 

[user 413287]

Consider yourself lucky that they want to look into so soon,my doctors thought I had a bug for the better part of a year when I was 12 it took me passing out at school to get them to think something else might be going on & get me to a GI.Best Wishes.

 

[Farmwife]

Hi and welcome.
I just wanted to add my child never had diarrhea or your typical ibd problems at first.
I hope you find whatever the problem may be.