My 16yr old daughter is always sick. She has been tested for allergies, which she has and we are managing. Over the last 2 months she has been complaining of stomach aches, nausea (that comes and gos), headaches, extreme fatigue, sudden diarrhea and is having blackouts and dizziness. The family doctor we go to has ran all the blood work, the stool sample test and say they see nothing. This is not normal, she has missed tons of school and use to be extremely athletic...used to be. I know I should find a new doctor but should I go to another family doctor or should I go to a Pediatrician? Any suggestions or recommendations in the West MI Area, I need to make this change right away, she is home today...blacked out again!
Thank you, EVERYONE, for all the great comments! After reading them all, I immediately found a top rated Dr. at the Children's DeVos Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Lowery, who not only is an M.D. but specializes in peds, Migraines (Neuro) and internal medicine was my choice, so I called her office. I was put through to her nurse, who went through all the issues my daughter is dealing with and was going to pass the info on to Dr. Lowery. At this point, the first appt. I could get was in April. Within 2 hrs Dr. Lowery called me and said she wanted to see my daughter first thing in the morning!! I was shocked, first...that she called me so fast, second...that she called me herself and thirdly...that she was going to make the time to see her immediately! So, I took her in, 10 min wait at the most, total. She was extremely nice, thorough and is treating her for extreme migraines and IBS. She also wantes her to keep a journal, just like several of you have suggested. She will check her in 3wks to see if there is improvement. I am good with that and praying that this will make a big difference!
Please pray for my daughter, that this would be a positive change. I am so thankful for the help that some people are willing to give when needed desperately. Thank you, All and I will keep you posted :)
You probably don't want to hear this question, but could she be pregnant? It could explain all the symptoms, although it would be pretty extreme to have all those symptoms. However, if she doesn't know she is and isn't eating right, it could be that extreme.
Sorry to put it out there, it's just the first thing that came to my mind. Best of luck.
Has she had the Gardisil or similar vaccine? there are an awful lot of young girls having reactions to that vaccine similar to what you are describing
Start keeping a daily journal (I know, I've said this before. I think journals of symptoms can be such an eye-opener). Get a legal pad and take notes. When your daughter has a symptom, write it down, and write down what's going on around her at the time. For example: 9 am. Vomiting and headache. She just ate ____________ (note the food, drink, and time) and is in _________ (note the room). Describe what is happening around her in brief words.
You may notice a pattern, but even if you don't, it will be helpful for a doctor.
Some questions: what kind of allergy testing did she have? Has she had the Celiac testing (blood panel and biopsy)?
Does the blacking out happen when she stands up, after lying down or sititng? My daughter has a condition called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, where she gets dizzy and can pass out because her heart rate goes extremely high when she stands up. She also has Gastroparesis with similar symptoms as your daughter.
Have you consulted a Gastroenterologist (GI specialist)?
Don't stop searching! You are not alone.
Do you have a teaching university hospital or network near you?
I think for sure it is time to move on up the food chain--so to speak.
Something like a Mayo Clinic, etc. network?
I might look for a neurologist since she is blacking out.
I'm sorry--this must be really scary!
Someone else suggested it already but I'd push for a lyme disease test. It's one of those things that's often hard to uncover and has a myriad of symptoms. Sorry to hear this. If your doctor has only run the routine type tests, I'd take her to a hospital too for more in depth testing.
Sounds just like me when I was 15. Turns out I had a gluten sensitivity. You can order a stool test at enterolab.com to get tested. I tested positive with it, kicked gluten and now am 100% better. You can also get her a blood test from her doctor to test for celiacs disease. Good luck!
I have a friend whose daughter was always sick. When my granddaughter spent the weekend she always came home sick but gradually it would go away. No one could figure it out.
However when a wet bar, that was added to their house in the 70's was removed they found the plumbing had a very slow leak that contributed to mold growing under the wet bar over a period of time.
After everything was cleaned up, the strange illness went away. Have your house checked for leaks.
The first things that I would look into: blood sugar issues and/or celiac disease. I might also ask for an MRI of her brain (with the black-outs and dizziness) to see if there are any tumors or other problems.
I do think it's time to get other opinions.
Also, did she receive the Gardasil vaccine? I'm not saying that's what it is - it's just that I've seen people say their daughters had reactions to that series (sometimes not at first, but by the last dose).
I'm not a healthcare professional of any type - this is just my "mom" opinion.
PS: I whole-heartedly agree with Elena's journal suggestion.
Hope you can get some answers soon . . . that's no way to go through high school. :(
There is a nurse who realized traditional blood testing wasn't enough. She has a business that helps people (your daughter) just like you.
Her website is yourfuturehealth.com and her name is Ellie Cullen R.N. The contact information is in her website and she has a very knowledgable staff to answer your questions.
If you need further support or have questions, call me at ###-###-####.
Many blessings.
Have your pediatrician refer her to DeVos Children's in Grand Rapids. Or just take her to the ER there the next time she has a spell. Make sure to write down everything, like you did here....when you are in the moment, it is easy to forget something that seems to "non-important", when it could be the key to something. Our daughter has been bounced around from therapist to therapist with all sorts of diagnoses, and when we took gluten out of her diet, we ended up with a whole new child. Not saying that will be the cure all to your daughter, but definitely do not give up. Go down to DeVos and don't leave until they can figure out something :) If DeVos can't figure it out, they usually refer people over to Mott's Children's in Ann Arbor. Best of luck.
M., this same thing is happening to my sister's daughter who is 15. She took her for a bunch of tests like an M.R.I etc. I think a cardiologist ended up attributing it to dehydrations. He said she was passing out because of being dehydrated. So basically he told her to always carry a water bottle and eat salt snacks like pretzels. She too has many allergies food and environmental. A lot of the symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, diarrhea,dizziness. Is she eating enough food. I know my niece was really self-concious of her body and food allergies and would not eat. The first time she passed out leaving the doctors office after getting the HPV vaccine...they attributed it to low blood-sugar. If I talk to my sister tonight I will find out the exact name of the condtion.
M.,
So sorry to hear about your daughter's severe condition. It does not sound normal.
I highly recommend you get a referral to a Peds Neurologist and/or an Infectious Disease specialist.
There are incredibly bizarre viruses amongst us that could be causing some of the issues you describe. A Peds Neurologist will give you a thorough and inclusive neurology exam to look at brain functioning and responses.
And ditto One&Done...it's best to go to a teaching hospital or academic hospital where they are more up on dealing with unusual symptoms.
On a cautionary note, my husband sees a few patients a year like, where a normal, healthy teen develops debilitating problems. Some outcomes are good, some are not. There is way more to assess than just blood and stool samples. Please call for a referral right away.
I would go to a pediatrician than ask them for a MRI of her whole body or even better yet take her to children's n explain to them what's going on they may just right away do more. Definitely don't take her back to the dr. U was seeing h doesn't seem like he cares enough to run more tests for diagnosis. Good luck u can also try to put her symptoms in google n see what u come up with.
I agree with OneandDone's answer...see if you are in close proximity to a teaching hospital. How close are you to Chicago? The University of Chicago hospital is located south of the city and is very good (as are many of our teaching hospitals). Perhaps start with a cardiologist? Internist?
I'll keep her in my prayers!
blood work for what? did they test her blood sugars? I would def go to a different doctor because you are right that is not normal
I would go to another pediatrician - they are trained to look at things differently than a family practioner. I would also see a allergy specialist, not just test for allergies by a standard doctor.
Have her blood checked again perhaps she has lime disease or something similar. Also have her diet checked out too.
Definitely try another doctor and get to the bottom of this mystery. My prayers go out to you and your daughter.
Wow, that is serious! I'd take her to either an urgent care or ER today!
Did they test for celiac?
At 16 she could still be seen by a Pedi, but a family doctor can handle any age as well.
Hope you find out what's wrong. Don't settle for "all tests are normal". Best wishes!
I would call your medical provider and demand:
an MRI immediately
and
some blood work
After all that is said & done, I might look into changing her to a family practitioner instead of a pediatrician.
