My 8 Yr. Old Is Very Picky

Dear B.,
Please take him to another doctor. This sounds exactly like my grandchild at the age of 3, she was diagnosed with diabetes. Sometimes the doctors will not diagnose the child until it is too late and that can cause some serious complcations. She is doing great now.
Carol

Hi B.,

I am at work and didn't have time to read the other posts. I had a similar issue with myself, not with a child... BUT... Here's what happened. I WAS eating (not a whole lot b/c I wasn't hungry). I was very thirsty (keep the water coming for him), sweating a lot. The doctors DID do tests on me for a thyroid problem. They said there's another thyroid problem that can cause you to lose weight (I was about 10 pounds underweight by then) and they did all the tests for me on that. The tests came back negative, but I know something exists.

What ended up happening with me is that I wasn't getting enough rest or water. The doctor told me to take it easy for about a week and get a lot of rest and drink a lot of water. I starting holding on to some of the weight I had lost and am good now.

See if you can get a second opinion, possibly at a Children's Hospital.

Great job on keeping an eye on him and reaching out! Good luck!

C.

.

You know your child best. If you feel that something is wrong with him, go back to the doctor and INSIST on further testing. You are the only one he has to stand up for him. If your present doctor won't listen to your concerns, maybe it is time for a new doctor.

I would get a second opinion, Take him to Tennessee Pediatrics in Murfreesboro, I love the Doctors there! ###-###-####. He almost sounds anorexic! I would also start now keeping a food diary on him and see what he is eating and give him a multivitamin every day. As for drinking, if he is drinking milk I would put Carnation Instant Breakfast in it to boost some calories and vitamins into him. But definitely get that second opinion!

If they ran a diabetes test and then said just watch over him perhaps he has low blood sugar, glucose intolerance or insulin resistance which is the start of diabetes and they didn't bother to tell you. Find out what his blood sugar levels are. I have glucose intolerance and I am so sensitive to diet changes or not eating for long periods of time and I don't have full blown diabetes. If you want I can let you know what the levels indicate as I test my blood sugar often to try and avoid diabetes.

Hi B.,

When a thyroid is overactive the person is underweight, when it is underactive, they are overweight. I would take him to another doctor.

I have always been told not to make a kid eat, but when they won't eat, do not give them anything until the next meal. In his case, it does sound like his thyroid. You could make an appointment with a thyroid doctor and not his peditrician.

I have a borderline underactive thyroid and I get low blood sugar. The low blood sugar makes me shake and get a bad headache and I have to eat. I use to grab a piece of bread and wad it up and swallow it when I was a kid, so I would quit shaking. I have been checked for diabetes and have never had it yet. My thyroid came back underactive when I was a kid and the doctor gave me 10 pills and I never saw him again. I found out as an adult that you have to take the medicine for life, but I only had the 10 pills. Now at 51, I am very overweight, but my thyroid comes back as borderline low.

Hope this helps,

K. A.

I think I would either insist the doctor run more tests or find a new doctor.

I agree with the other ladies. FIND A NEW Dr.!! Or demand more tests. The last lady was also right on with the thyroid info. Everyone has always told me to contact the Dr. if they are not eating. That is a big signal, I think, that something is wrong. Best of luck and let us know what happens. :)

Blessings,
Amanda

Two things come to mind:

1. Check to see if he has Celiac-Sprue disease. That's intolerance to glutens. And continue to insist with a doctor that they check him out thoroughly. Don't give up.

2. My son is a very picky eater and when he was 3 years old (he's now 8), he started throwing up. I told the doctor it almost seemed as if he had an eating disorder. The doctor told me it didn't "seem", he "had" an eating disorder. In any event, he told me to sit down with my son and write a list of all the healthy foods he liked to eat. Then he said that my son should eat from that list and NOT to try to give him new flavor or foods. To wait about 6 motnhs to a year before I introduced new foods. I told him I would not be giving my son variety and he said that at that point in my son's life, variety was not the key issue but survival was. So get your son to make the list with you. Then when he doesn't want to eat, remind him that HE made the list and said that those were things he liked to eat. But be sure that he isn't medically ill. My son was not medically ill. He was just controlling the issue and had bulemia. He has added about 5 new foods every year which is a big improvement over the four he used to eat. And thankfully, they are all healthy. Hope this helps.

Hi B.,

This topic has come up on the forum before, maybe you can also see those responses. This is pretty typical behavior for children. You need to decide how much of an issue you want this to be. Some children will not eat - my friend was insistent that her son eat what she chose. After 3 days of his just not eating she finally gave in. Do you really want to make food a battle? This could affect him later on in life. You've let him know what is healthy and why. They will reinforce this at school. With my son, money was an excellent bribe - I'll give you a quarter if you try this....sometimes he would actually like it. My daughter didn't care about money. I would prepare the meal, give them several choices and then told them that after dinner was over, dishes clean, etc. I would help them make themselves something else, but I would not inconvenience myself for them. They would also have to sit at the table and watch everyone else eat. I would refuse to turn this into a power struggle. He is old enough to make smart choices. Have him choose a menu one night and have him help prepare the food. Most kids will eat food that they make or at least try it. Also, he's getting to an age where he will be invited to sleep over or have a meal with a friend, peer pressure works wonders. He will eat all sorts of things at his friends' houses that he won't touch at yours. How old are your other children? Is this a bid for attention? As long as he doesn't want to eat candy all day, just give him what he wants. Make sure he takes a vitamin. My daughter hated vitamins, but I told her if she wasn't eating the right foods, she had to take a vitamin to make up for it. Her choice. Buy him some of those meal supplements for kids, they're made specifically for kids like your son. He's old enough to understand that you're concerned about his health. I can't imagine that he enjoys going to the doctor. He's old enough to make his own decisions, with your help. You have three kids and don't need the added stress. Pick your battles. Good luck. L.

B.:
It could be your son has hypoglycemia, low blood sugar. This happened to me the first time around that age. I would pass out and get real weak, etc. This continued until my mid to late 20's when I was working in a clinic and the nurse checked my blood sugar as I was having the symptoms. My blood sugar was 33, really low. If you have access to a glucose monitor, I would suggest you check his blood sugar when he is having symptoms. For years the doctors had no idea what was wrong w/ me as by the time I went to ER or Dr. my blood sugar was back up. I would get pale, sweat and get shaky. Also see little dots whizzing by my eyes right before I fainted.

On the thyroid, you can lose or gain weight. it depends on the thyroid problem.

Don't give up on your son. Keep talking to docs until you find someone to listen. It is very important. When you have hypoglycemia, it is a sign of diabetes later in life. I am now diabetic. Had I known, maybe we could have changed diet, etc and it would have helped.

Good luck. I really hope you find out what is wrong. I would bet on the hypoglycemia since I lived through it and it sounds the same!

A.

Hi B.,

About the picky thing...I really do not know what to tell you BUT the symptoms you speak of sound a lot like me. I am hypoglycemic (a precursor to diabetes, or so I am told) I will not be aware that I am hungry and then suddenly I am famished and if I do not eat something quickly, I will sweat, get heart palpitations, feel dizzy and nauseated and sometimes pass out and or vomit. When I do get food into me at these times, it has to be in small amounts because I feel so sick.
I have found that potato chips help greatly.
IMHO, without letting him know, I would basically let him eat what he wants (within reason) but not too much sugar (which for me also brings on the same symptoms)because although he is exhibiting signs of being picky, if he is in fact just like me, I would err on the side of caution and just make sure he has SOMETHING in his stomache before he bottoms out. Like for instance, if your having chicken and he would prefer a cheese sandwich, so what really? In the big picture, it is more important that he eat something, than that he eat what is served. But, the mom in me says not to do this all the time. Sometimes, you do need to insist that he eat what you make.

I wonder if he has food allergies and his stomach hurts after eating a lot. Ask him if his stomach ever hurts after eating.

I would definitely have him tested for Celiac, gluten intolerance.

Lastly, in the meantime maybe you could consider buying a juicer (they are pretty inexpensive at Wal-Mart or Target) and see if you could get him to drink some homemade juices. They would provide calories, nutrition, and taste good. Even veggie juices taste good once you add some apples to them.

Normally, I would just say to offer him healthy foods, and if he doesn't eat then he'll eat later, but this sounds a little different. His reaction to food when he does eat sound suspicious. If I were you I'd get a second opinion from a different doctor. He's so young; I'd get it figured out ASAP.

It sounds like it could be hypoglycemia--although I don't know why a doctor wouldn't think of that option based on your description. And I understand that kids with thyroid problems may "almost always" be overweight, but that doesn't mean your doctor should not look into thyroid issues if there is no other explanation--because if there IS a chance that kids with thyroid problems do lose weight, then it should be considered a possibility that that's the case with your son. I would talk to the doctor again, and if he/she isn't responsive, I'd go get a second opinion. At least it would give you some peace of mind if they have the same conlusions and you would at least know that you're making an effort not to let your son's condition, if there is one, fall through the cracks. Good luck.

speak with your doctor and let them know how you feel regarding doing further tests and call another doctor's office for a second opinion. In the meantime, do you think he would drink smoothies that you could make with yogurt, fruit, honey and ice - maybe add milk or juice to it? Good luck.

Hi B.:
I am a pediatric nurse and I have to say that, as nurses, we are not allowed to diagnose anything. I haven't read through the other columns of advicem but want to say that mothers know their children the best of anyone - even doctors - and I would definitely take him to another pediatrician for a second consult.

My concern would be that since it seems he doesn't have fat to burn. When calories are limited, for whatever reason, the body loses muscle tissue. And of course, the heart is a muscle (problem with low carb diets, for example) Not trying to give you frightening info - just would advise you to continue to get other opinions.

I would also like to recommend something and will even send you a sample if you would like. My 12 year old is on these products (and I use them too) He takes an Isagenix protein shake with fruit as a smoothie at least once a day. This is a WHOLE FOOD so it can be used as a meal replacement. These shakes are undenatured protein (No heat is used in processing) and they are gluten free. Each shake/bar (also available in bars if he prefers that) has 23g protein, 28g carbsand tons of vitamins (I will be happy to send you all the info if you desire) My advice would be to get him some nutrition in any form he will take. These shakes can be made in 1/2 quantities and they are wonderful with fruit in them.
If you would like more info, please contact me. I can even assist you in getting them wholesale if you are interested. (The company/products are backed by medical doctors, scientists and nutritionists - you may want to do some research at www.infoisagenix.com to check it out)

You are a good mother - trust your motherly instincts about him and sadly, you have to often push medical professionals. Best of luck - I will keep you both in my prayers!
Blessings,
E., RN

My daughter had low thyroid level and was NOT overweight. She also had low cortisol. Hypofunctioning of the pituitary or adrenals can cause a person to be excessively thirsty, as can diabetes.

A simple blood test may NOT reveal these problems. In fact, YEARS went by before an endocrinologist finally ran the RIGHT tests on my daughter. (For instance, her thyroid gland itself was fine--it was from the hypothalamus/pituitary, so just testing TSH did NOT reveal that her actual thyroid hormone levels were low).

A child with a HYPERthyroid wouldn't be overweight! Google "hyperthyroidism, signs/symptoms". Maybe consider a new doctor.

I agree with the other posts. You need a second opinion. I would suggest that you get some things like carnation instant breakfast or pediasure as supplements to offer when he is not eating. These will provide a source of nutrition he may be more willing to drink something right now. I would also make sure he doesn't have any pain issues associated with eating. If he has had any type of pain with chewing, swallowing or stomach pain after eating he may avoiding food so as not to have the pain. I would also rec. small frequent meals or snacks if possible. By this it can be a bowl of cereal at breakfast and then a couple hours later a piece of fruit, 1/2 sand. for lunch and a couple hours later some yogurt, small portions at dinner and a snack at bedtime.

Hope this provides some help.

try giving him vitimans like 1 a day plus iron for starters ask your doctor about pedeasure my son drank one can a day doctors perscribed for about a year.try to stay away from sodas theres nothing but empty calories if your afraid of diabetis you might get the flavered waters from walmart its better than a lot of kool aid try some cheese crackers and peanut butter crackers they have a proteen sorce thats good for him.try to fix at least one thing per meal that he likes but he must try at least 1 bite of everything on his plate and give him very small portions then once hes taken his bite of everything and ate the item he likes allow secounds on his favorite item or the other things hes aquiring a taste for but dont allow him to leave the table without his one bite of everything.kids say they dont like things they have never tryed but be firm.no snacks if he cant eat his food he will eat it just takes perserverance on your part.good luck but i'd also want a secound openion some doctors arnt as knowledgeable as they should be,i'm diabetic but sometimes my sugar drops very low and can loose consciousness thats very dangerious.

sounds like diabeaties to me. have the doctor do a full blood panel test to check his numbers. in the mean time try giving him pedasure. it doesnt taste that bad

Hi B.! You should have told that doctor, you have been watching over him, that was why you were at his office! I would find another doctor. There is definitly something wrong with your child. This is not normal. Is he on any medication? Sounds like he might be having a reaction to something. My grandson does this sometimes with his medications. Anyway, hope you seek an another opinion. Let us know what you find out. Will be praying for him and you..R.

It could still be thyroid. I'mno doctor and don't really know, but I DO know that there is HYPO-thyroidism and HYPER-thyroidism. I can't remember which is which but one of them caused me to lose 50lbs after delivery. My thyroid was working overtime and I was eating all the time and still losing weight (Not really complaining) and the doctor said that it could be one of those. So it's still worth looking into.

Kids will eat when they're hungry, but if he's having negative physical effects, it's time to do something.

Get you another dr.
Go to a gastroenterologist, that is a specialist and that kind of dr will help.

Has a Dr. checked when he is having these problem so they can see how he acts. He could be having drops in his blood pressure He needs to be seen again my a peds they can tell you more then a regular drs about a child good luck and hope he feels better soon

Try letting him dip food in ranch dressing. My kids will dip most anything into ranch dressing (carrots, pizza, etc)

My daughter does have diabetes and it is easily diagnosed with a blood sugar check and by testing the urine for glucose. So, I feel pretty comfortable in saying that the doctor would have caught it if it were diabetes. Also, before my daughter (and my husband) was diagnosed with juvenile/ type 1 diabetes, she ate everything in sight and was constantly asking for snacks. Sometimes, I would find an empty box of cereal in her room in the morning that she had sneaked from the pantry the night before. She was famished!

Moving on-- Thyroid conditions are more difficult to diagnose and require more extensive testing. My daughter fell off the charts for height and weight because she is so tiny. They did check her thyroid for growth hormone deficiencies and $800.00 later we were told she was just fine. She is just naturally petite.

It sounds like you need to find a good pediatric endocrinologist. Hyperthyroidism (I think) would result in an underweight child (not overweight).

Finally, a mother's instinct is far more in tune with her child's needs than any doctor's. Keep at it until you know what is going on. I was put off by a rude nurse once when I first suspected Lily was diabetic. Never Again!

I wish you luck and I hope your son feels better very soon.

There could be a few things going on, and it definitely warrants further investigation. Trust your instincts.

To name a few things that could be going on...hypoglycemia (the reverse of diabetes), hyperthyroidism/Grave's disease...all of your son's symptoms fit this one...the patients are usually very skinny, have a revved up metabolism, pale, sweaty and it's caused from an overproduction of thyroid hormone or an autoimmune response. Also Addison's disease would fit your description too. It could be something as simple as adenoids too. Kids lose their appetite, don't eat, and get signs of hypoglycemia.

If you are still concerned, get another look. I had doctors tell my husband for over a year that nothing was wrong with him. After I threw a few fits (because I just KNEW there was something wrong) we finally got with a doctor that did more than just the minimum and got a good diagnosis. Keep at it.

T.