General advice needed for my daughter :(

[natthewife]

Hi everyone I seem to have found my way onto this forum doing some research into problems my daughter is having and could use the advice and reassurance greatly.
My daughter is 10. Around a year ago (maybe longer) she started having headaches and occasional stomach ache. She had a bad bout of irritable hip also which has left her with chronic pains in her upper legs. I've become worried lately noticing that the stomach ache causes urgent need to go to the toilet with diarrhoea and it's starting to affect her during the night. Her appetite has never been great but it is starting to suffer. Her headaches also continue. All this doesn't just happen after food, it's at complete random times day or night but apart from headaches and leg pains she's troubled more by tummy pains and diarrhoea. We went to her gp a few days ago who has ordered an X-ray of legs for bone disease but that is all. She never seems to run a fever but tires very easy, can sleep in car on way home from school but she has missed a good few days due to symptoms. Should I ask the gp to look into possibility of Crohn's?

 

[DEmberton]

Did they not do a blood test? Tiredness and headaches could well be anemia and/or other vitamin and mineral deficiencies which are quite likely with crohns or other digestive issues. Might even explain the leg pain. Make sure they check B12 as that can cause all sorts of problems.

 

[natthewife]

No other tests ordered but I'm taking her back today so I will mention that. Would deffencies affect her stools. It's common for them to be very pale, clay coloured. Thank you for your reply

 

[DEmberton]

I think that's an effect of not fully digesting things - fat probably, and if that's happening then malapsorption of nutrients, vitamins and minerals could well go along with it.

I hope you get some answers soon.

 

[Farmwife]

Hi and welcome.
I have a 5 yr old with IBD and Juvinile arthritis.
Know keep in mind I'm just a mom and not a doctor.
The pale stool could indicate a problem with her liver.
At the very least I would push for her blood to be tested.
Levels such as her..........
Wbc,
SED,
CRP,
ALT & AST
Her vitamin levels like Calcium, Vit. D, Zinc and Magnesium might also shed some light on her situation.

My beautiful babe went undiagnosed for some time before a doctor took us seriously.
I wish I had pressed harder to get her help.

Please feel free to join the parents section. Lots of Parents to help.

 

[DustyKat]

I’m sorry to hear about your daughter natthewife. :ghug:

Since any diagnosis is more often than not a process of elimination then I don’t think it is unreasonable to have Crohn’s included in a list of possibilities. All the symptoms you have listed have the potential to be IBD related as it not only affects the intestine but also extra intestinally as well.

I would request the some non invasive tests be run as a baseline and move on form there if required.

Bloods: These are basic tests.

FBC (Full Blood Count). This covers both red and white cell counts
LFT’s (Liver Function Tests)
UEC’s - This covers electrolytes and kidney function.

Then ask specifically for:

CRP and ESR (C Reactive Protein and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) These are general inflammatory markers.
Iron Studies - This is a more extensive study of potential reasons for anaemia.
B12
Vit D

Faecal tests:

Do a sample to rule out any bacterial and parasite infection
Have a Faecal Calprotectin (FC) done. This test is specific to intestinal inflammation.

Negative tests doesn't necessarily mean that nothing is wrong. With paediatrics it is not an uncommon phenomena to have normal tests.
With this in mind I would also commence a diary of her symptoms and other daily observations. We have one in our wiki and you can find it here…

http://www.crohnsforum.com/wiki/Diary-Inclusions

When you are dealing with symptoms over a long period of time it isn’t hard for the lines to blur and what was once abnormal starts to become normal and you don’t think to mention at doctors appointments etc. Keeping a log of things allows you track tends and takes the pressure of relying on memory alone, particularly when you are in stressful situations. It can also be an invaluable tool for health professionals in piecing things together.

Good luck and welcome aboard. I hope you soon have solid answers and your daughter finds long and lasting relief, bless her. :heart:

Dusty. xxx

 

[UnXmas]

I dont think you need to ask your GP to look specifically for Crohn's. The non-invasive tests mentioned in previous posts should give the GP an idea of her general state of health and whether further tests and/or a referral to a consultant is a good idea, and if it is, whether other specialists besides a gastroenterologist should be involved as your daughter has symptoms besides those affecting her digestive system. If your daughter does end up seeing a gastroenterologist, the gastroenterologist will probably consider Crohn's even if you don't ask about it, if her symptoms and initial test results suggest it could be a possibility. Crohn's is familiar to doctors, so unless a person's symptoms would be very atypical for Crohn's, they will usually consider it until further testing suggests otherwise.
Also, many of the tests which can diagnose Crohn's can pick up and rule out many other digestive conditions, so a general assessment of the digestive system will usually detect Crohn's if it's there.

At this stage I would only be concerned if the GP does not seem concerned about investigating your daughter's digestive symptoms (or any of her other symptoms) at all, rather than worrying that a specific diagnosis should be considered. There are a lot of digestive conditions out there!

One other thing: if your daughter is missing school sometimes, have you talked with her teacher about what she's going through? Getting as much support as possible from the school can make a big difference if this does turn out to be an on going problem. Though I hope you will be able to find some successful ways of treating or at least managing her symptoms very soon.