My 7 year old daughter is sick every morning. If she sleeps in on the weekends and other times she is fine, but each school day when we get up her stomach hurts and she often throws up before leaving for school. All through breakfast she picks at her food and sometimes the smell of food makes her sick. It is almost like morning sickness.
This past summer she was in the hospital for two weeks because her appendix had been leaking and caused a huge infection which had to be treated with super strong antibiotics. At the time I thought maybe this infection was what was causing her woozy stomach in the mornings and that it would stop after we had found out about her appendix and gotten it taken care of but it didn't stop. Just this morning I had to pick her up from school AGAIN and after a short nap and some juice she is perfectly fine.
Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? Does anyone have any advise for me?
you say this happens in the summer time too? I am asking because I have a child that got sick every morning and it turned out that a kid at school was being mean to her and so she didn't want to go and would worry and make herself sick over it. Make sure there is nothing going on at school that would worry her so much (the work even, not someone else). If it is really a physical problem I would look at how much sleep she is getting and maybe see if she has a blood sugar embalance.
First of all, I'm not a doctor or schooled in the medical field in any way whatsoever, just a parent who feels terrible about your poor daughter. It sounds to me like she may possibly have some school related anxiety. Have you spoken to her teacher about what may be going on at school? From what I understand, when there is anxiety, it could manifest itself as physical symptoms. It may or may not be related to what happened in the summer, but it may be worth talking to her doctor about her current symptoms being psychosomatic. I hope you're able to help your daughter and get her back on track. Good luck!
Here is another perspective. I often felt very sick and sometimes even threw up in the mornings and it had nothing to do with anxiety. I found that it was my sinuses draining into my stomach while I am sleeping. Your daughter may have sinus problems and something as simple as Claritin or Zyrtec taken at night could help. Both of these products are sold over the counter now. Does your daughter snore? It is something to consider. Good luck!
After her infection did you give her a full spectrum probiotic? Not just yogurt, but something to replace all the good bacteria in her gut? The strong anti-biotics would've completely thrown her digestive system out of balance. It also sounds a little like low blood sugar. Have you tried giving her a snack before bed? Something with a little bit of protein to help balance her through the night. Have you tried something other than western medicine? An alternative doc may have ideas that a traditional one would not.
Just some thoughts---hope you find out what's going on!!!
Jodi
i also find it curious that it doesn't happen on the weekends. if you have taken her to the doctor recently for this very issue and she checked out fine i think it may be anxiety.
is she going to bed at a decent time so she can get enough sleep ever single school night? something that is cured with nap and juice...sounds like extreme tiredness or anxiety.
the human body needs a certain number of hours of sleep and for it to work best should really be on a schedule: same time go wake up, same time to go to bed.
If you haven't taken her to the doctor about her symptoms i urge you to do it, because you will know for sure it isn't anything physical and then you can deal with if it's behavioural. it's important to have that peace of mind that everything checked out fine first.
Does she show any signs of an anxious personality? Very emotional? Worries a lot about things, from small things all the way up to worrying about dying? I go through the same thing with my 9 year old. She just recently saw a gastroenterologist and he believes that it's her anxiety causing IBS.
Unfortunately, you can't "talk away" anxiety, but my daughter has gotten a lot of help by going to see a therapist.
Good luck!
Speaking from experience - I would definatley be at the doctor today...it could be one of two things - something physical. Poor baby has something wrong with her and she can't help if she is feeing sick. Could it be something she is eating - a food allergy? Does she take vitamins, some vitamins are too strong or their coating can make people sick.Make sure it is not IBS..
OR - it is psychological. She needs you now more than ever..her anxiety level is taking its toll! What is scaring her? Where is Dad? Take her first to the pediatrician and then if that does not work take her to a child pyshologist. Usually in just one or two sessions the doctor can determine what is causing her to be so scared? She had a really traumatic experience being in the hospital. Or she is scared you might die, leave or just not be there for her?
Try spending some time in her classroom - talk to ther teacher...
She needs you more than ever right now...
Good Luck!
Most likely, your child is far from having a positive school experience. This could mean that her learning style differs from the school or teacher's teaching style, that she is having peer issues (left out by a group of friends or even is bullied), and/or that she has learning issues that are keeping her from enjoying school fully. You might rule out a physical cause with her pediatrician, but the fact that she doesn't exhibit these problems on weekends means that she is having some real anxiety.
Sounds like nerves to me-how is she at school? Her friend situation etc? Talk to her teachers, counselor, pediatrician etc. Maybe wake her up a little earlier in the morning, give her a morning breakfast "drink" ie-carnation instant breakfast, let her chill in front of the TV for awhile before school-let her watch a favorite program...If that doesn't work take her to a good pediatric gastroenterologist like Dr Stathos in Lonetree.
My son went through this when he started at a new school.
Obviously I don't know you or your situation, so take no offense of course! But I have read that emotional problems/stress in young children can present themselves as stomach issues. Just something to consider...
There might be something going on at school if she only does this on the days she has to go to school. She might be getting bullied. Some of the kids might be telling her she is fat so she is trying to not gain weight. She might also have a stomack infection that can cause those kind of symptoms. Have her checked out by a gastrointestinal specalist. I would first check with her teacher to see what is going on at school before you take her to the specalist. Good luck.
It seems you need to take her into the doctors for a complete work up. Since there are various things that could be going on. It may have to do with her blood sugar levels being to low or to high. A virus. Also it could be Allergies and an infection in the sinus, the drainage can cause being sick in the morning. It can be not getting enough sleep. But it sounds like she needs a complete blood work up.
You will probably have to consult your pediatrician, but it may 2 things that I know my friends in the past have experienced. It may be psycological, either she is being bullied at school, or a sort of seperation anxiety about being away from you. Is this her first year in school? Or it may be physical, maybe a hernia. My nephew had the same issue and ended up having a hernia where his stomach and esophagus meet. He was addicted to juice as it seemed to be the only thing that soothed his stomach.
Hope it gives you a few ideas about what to try.Good luck!
I would see a pediatric GI specialist. They will probably need to do an upper GI, barium swallow - not painful at all.
My son as a lot of stomach problems and reflux. He sees Analissa Drummond. There are very few choices here for Pediatric GI specialists (or so it seems to me, having moved here from Boston). She is a PA, not an MD, but she is great. She is at UNM Children's Hospital or Carrie Tingly. Her number is (505) 272-4511. Good luck.
i did the same thing as a kid..everyone thought it was because i was nervouse to go to school. i wasnt. the teacher had no patience for me and would make me throw up in the little hand sink in front of the class, thinking this would stop her.finally my doctor found i had a small tube in my digestive system that was not fully developed. i had to stop eating certain hard to digest foods for 6 months to a year for it to grow properly..that worked.its been 35 years so i dont remember how the doctor came to that conclusion but i do remember the morning sickness feeling and throwing up in the mornings..good luck hope you solution is as simple as mine..jill
Hi Lacy,
www.wholenourishment.com check out this website. When the doctors couldn't help my daughter, Debbie was the one who helped us diagnose her with her condition. Since then, Lauren is much better. I would call her an just set up a consultation. It is the holisitic route, but the only route that worked for us. The doctors and GI specialist never got anywhere accept giving Zantac for 6 months. The nutritional counselor figured it out in the first meeting with me. Good luck.
Hi! My youngest son who is now going to be 22 has had the same problem for the past 12 years. We went to doctors to eliminate any serious problems like GERD. Have you done that yet? A lot of it for him is GERD and anxiety. Does your child have any social problems at school or problems with a teacher. I would have her checked out and investigate what is happening at school. Blake ended up through high school just having to go no matter how he felt. The rule was if he did not have a temperature and was not throwing up over and over again his doctor said to send him. If he felt bad he would go lay down in the nurses office an have juice there and go back to class.
Hope this helps a little.
Anxiety runs in our family. If my daughter has to get going early in the morning she gets an upset stomach. My daughter is five and starting kindergarten in the fall so I don't know how she will respond to that. What works best for her is for me to stay calm. It is best if I do not rush her or act excited--even if we are going somewhere special.
My husband had the same problem growing up. He would get sick on his first day of school or before a track race etc. He still gets an upset stomach if he gets up too early. Early morning plane flights do not work for him. What he has learned that helps him is to use relaxing breathing techniques when he starts to get anxious. I hope this is helpful. My husband didn't realize what caused his upset stomach until he was an adult. Now he recognizes the same thing in our daughter.
Have her adrenal glands ever been tested? The fact that she feels much better when she sleeps in and feels better on saturdays makes me wonder about adrenals...but only because I have the same problem. I don't throw up because of it but if I'm eating refined foods then it makes me sick because refined foods stresses out the adrenal glands. People with adrenal problems need more sleep to feel better.