Dehydration for a 5 Year Old

Have you taken him to the doctor to have a test for juvenile diabetes? That is an important thing to eliminate as you seek the answer. If he has it he'll need treatment.

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My first thought would be a migraine too. I got them as a child. Maybe he has the headache for a while & doesn't say anything until it gets really bad. I would do that. Then I'd vomit & nap too. Then I was okay. I grew out of them I guess. I've always drank lots of water & other drinks too. I have to practically force my daughter to drink things. My husband is like that too. Sure hope he's okay! I'll say a prayer it gets resolved! :)

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How... do you even know, it is "dehydration"?????????????
It may not be, that at all.
Has he been actually diagnosed, for Dehydration?

I would, take him to a Doctor.
To make sure, it is not something else.

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Four times in two years doesn't sound like he gets dehydrated easily. But, still it's too often. I, too, suspect it's more than dehydration. Sounds like he's drinking enough liquids. Also, I doubt that a dehydrated person would usually vomit. There wouldn't be much liquid in the stomach either.

I suggest you call the doctor and ask their advice.

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Dehydration in kids shows in lots of ways. Constipation, dry mouth that has little saliva, headache, lots of things can be a result of it. I would say if he's drinking a couple of glasses of water each day he can't be dehydrated unless he has a chemical imbalance that requires a physician to treat.

I think it sounds like something else but I am not a doc. Call them next week and ask for a consult.

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Is it dehydration or could he be having migraine headaches? My daughter (9) has had several migraine headaches in the last two years. She gets a headache, then vomits, then naps, then is fine again. This may or may not be influenced by dehydration. With my daughter, it seems to be a combination of being tired and having low blood sugar from not eating right. We have encouraged her to drink more water, since she also has had a few UTI's and the doctor said drinking more water regularly might help keep those away.

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My 4 1/2 year old just had an episode like this that I attributed to dehydration or overheating. We had been out in the hot sun, then he fell asleep on the couch in a warm house. He hadn't had much to drink before falling asleep. When he woke up, he said his tummy hurt. I tried to get him to drink, but he refused. We went outside and he promptly threw up. I was pretty sure it was heat and dehydration related because of the unique conditions of the day. We hydrated with gatorade because he hates pedialite. He was fine within a couple hours. As a preventative measure, I always try to have water with us in the car, because this seems to be when they acknowledge their thirst. During play time they don't seem to want to take time out for drinking.

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I dont think Id call it dehydration if hes not asking for drinks, and it has only happend a few times. Maybe its just from running and playing after a meal, or the sun gives him a head ache, like it does me. 10 minutes in the sun doesnt dehydrate me, but I get a head ache. I wouldnt suspect diabetes since it would cause him to be extremely thirsty and begging for drink all the time. You might ask his Dr for other ideas.

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Check with your pediatrician. This could be very serious. Especially the headaches. I am thinking migraines too--me being a chronic migraine sufferer. Migraines do start in childhood for some. This does need to be diagnosed by a doc. Don't give him any pain meds for the headaches, they only cause rebound headaches.

In the mean time I would give him lots of fruits and vegetables that are juicy for the dehydration--this is important for migraine sufferers. Grapes, pears, applesauce, oranges, jello, pudding, yogurt, popsycles, etc. -- anything that has liquid in it, solid or frozen. Give them to him at meals and in snacks (frequently).

Stay away from chocolate---yep, it does cause migraines for some. (sigh)

But call your doc. That is really important.

I haven't experienced it, so I can't comment on him, but to answer your other question:
My kids love milk....so much so that we have a milk cow just to keep up with them! They also love to drink water and juices (which I limit, even though we make our own cider). I let them keep their sippy cups out all day and it seems like I'm always filling it up with something!

Maybe a cool water bottle would entice him to put in fluids. You could try a little lemon, or orange in the water. It's yummy & not artificial.