Does My Child Have Allergies? IBS?

Updated on May 06, 2010
L.T. asks from Midlothian, VA
14 answers

Hi moms, I need some advice about my 3 year old daughter and her "tummy aches". She's had a milk intolerance since she was an infant (was on Gentlease) and now drinks soy milk because dairy gives her stomach cramps. Not sure if it's an actual milk protien allergy or just lactose intolerance at this point. She has been constipated her whole life even though she has a very healthy, varied diet and eats plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. She often complains that her stomach hurts until she goes to the bathroom and has been taking Miralax for a while now. The stomach aches are minor and don't interfere with her life other than occasionally she wants to lay down after she eats. She bounces back after a few minutes but now whenever she's upset she "has a tummy ache". Do any of you have kids with similar issues and if so, what turned out to be the cause? I'm leaning towards allergy testing to rule that out, but would hate to put her through that if I don't have to. IAny ideas?

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F.L.

answers from Reno on

Try switching her to Rice Milk. My daughter is lactose intolerant and so I had her on soy formula and soy milk. After awhile she developed an intolerance to soy milk and her doctor recommended switching to Rice Milk. It has really helped.

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A.S.

answers from Boca Raton on

You might want to consider a gluten (wheat, rye, barley) intolerance too. Both my sons are gluten intolerant and get very constipated from it. I actually notice it in myself too, except I have the opposite problem.

You could always take her off it for a few weeks and see if you notice any improvement.

For starches we eat potatoes, rice, and gluten free bread.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

could it be Gas problems? That causes pain too.
My daughter, since infancy, had gas problems. Her Dad/my husband does as well. Their tummies are just sensitive. Certain foods causes gas.
Sometimes after eating, my daughter/ Husband will say their tummy hurts... then before you know it, a fart comes out. Then the pain goes away. Milk can also cause gas for some.

Ultimately, you should seek the advice of your Ped.
Miralax, to my knowledge, is not recommended for everyday long term use. ?

good luck,
Susan

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S.X.

answers from Chicago on

i'd try rice milk for a week and see if it helps. Soy is a hormone and may give your little girl some big boobs. wish i drank it. LOL

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S.R.

answers from San Francisco on

I was talking to my hair stylist and her daughter has the same problems. They were leaning towards appendix issues but another lady chimed in because her son was having the same issues. He got real sick one day and the docs told her it was the flu. Three days later they were in ER, he had a twisted/blocked intestine that they found when doing surgury on him. You can't see it on xrays. It had almost burst and the docs said he was lucky to be alive with how toxic he was. They did have to remove about 10 inches of damaged colon but he is a happy healthy teenager. Hopefully that is not the case, but take her to specialists until you get answers. Good luck.

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G.M.

answers from Boston on

Are you sure she is not intolerant to soy? Soy milk is a VERY processed food, and people who can often tolerate the real soy bean cannot tolerate soy derivatives. Soy milk gives me the WORST cramps!

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J.B.

answers from St. Louis on

Id find out your pediatricians advice but would also consider the allergy doctor to make sure there is not something more thats she is allergic to that is causing the stomach pain. My daughter just turned four and had an allergy test. She done good, the doctor put a bunch of stuff on her back for 15 minutes to see what she had an reaction too. She complained that it hurt a little and itched a lot. After the 15 minutes they put some cream on her back and gave her some zyrtec since she was allergic to almost everything they tested for but afterwards she was fine.

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D.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

i recently read a book called "the migraine brain", which states that migraines in children most commonly manifest themselves as stomach aches- it might be worth reading the book and checking into it.

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

i would do a log of her diet and try tosee if there is a pattern in these tummy aches.. write down what she is eating and when her tummy is bothering her.

try to eliminate some of the likely allergens.. milk, eggs, wheat,

you can also try a couple of days with a very standard diet tosee what happens.. feed her hte same breakfast lunch and dinner with real basic foods and then gradually add thingst to seewhat is bothering her..

H.K.

answers from Los Angeles on

I would have her checked for Celiac Disease... it is an auto-immune disease in which people can not tolerate gluten (wheat, rye, barley-- i.e. no bread, pasta etc.). It is a simple blood test and many people with Celiacs are often mis-diagnosed for years with IBS or allergies. I hope she doesnt have it, but it is better to know... so you can help her.

Good Luck.

L.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

L., have you tried good ole raw milk? The kind that comes straight from the farm? I know that our country is into the ultra-pasteurized version, but I've been reading about raw milk and it's completely digestible, unlike pasteurized milk, which lacks the enzyme that helps our bodies process it. Whole Foods, Mother's markets, etc. carry raw milk.

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N.W.

answers from Dallas on

If you really want her to drink a white liquid you could try almond, rice or hemp milk. You can do IgE blood testing for food allergies (Quest or LabCorp)and IgG for food sensitivies(Alletess, GreatPlains or Metametrix Labs). Or you can try a gluten, casein and soy free diet. Constipation isn't normal. Magnesium citrate (calm) or sometimes aloe - George's aloe tastes like water can help with the constipation.

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D.R.

answers from Honolulu on

Perhaps the soymilk is causing your daughter's stomach pains. Personally, I stopped drinking soy because I would get stomach aches and constipation after consuming. Many people are allergic to soy, it is heavily processed and most often genetically modified, organic soybeans are hard to come by. Instead maybe you could try hemp milk, almond milk, or oat milk. You can also make your own nut milks if you have a good blender.

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M.B.

answers from Honolulu on

I have an intolerance to both cow milk proteins AND soy proteins. So switch her to maybe almond milk as this might be the issue. My "intolerance" with both is that if I eat even very small amounts of either, I'll get WAY BACKED UP. Though I've been allergy tested for both & they come back negative. So, just because she might not have a true allergy, an intolerance can be just as miserable. Also, if she has issues with cow milk, make sure to cut out cheese, ice cream, etc. Soy proteins are also in a lot of foods you wouldn't expect....cereals, granola bars, some breads, etc. I know it's a pain to always be reading food labels, but I'm telling you, I feel soooo much better not eating these things.

Maybe try some prune juice in addition to lots of fruit/beans, etc, to help with the constipation.

Good luck!

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