Help! Son ill again...I don't get it
#173165 - 04/24/05 03:35 PM
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kidsx4
Reged: 04/02/05
Posts: 35
Loc: Fairfax, VA
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Any comments or info would be most helpful...
My son (IBS-C) has been stable for almost 2 months and we were so happy with how well he was doing. Then, BAM!!! out of the blue he woke up Saturday in excruciating pain. I've never seen him this bad. It wouldn't surprise me if the neighbors heard him crying out. It brought tears to my eyes because I couldn't "make it all better." We got him to the bathroom and he had a super-mega BM. The pain subsided a little and he also took his Pamine Forte and peppermint cap. Then a short time later he was hit with severe D. The D continued the rest of the day and into Sunday. So now I'm giving him Immodium. I don't understand what would cause this attack and why all of a sudden would he become D when he's always been C? I suppose it was silly of me to think I finally understood this IBS thing. There's no rhyme or reason and I guess that's the nature of the beast. Hope this doesn't sound bizaare, but I'd trade my health for my son's IBS in a minute to see him normal...like a kid should be.
CK
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I'm really not sure... my first thought, since your son is always C, is that the D could possibly be a virus. There's some odd ones going around that don't seem to cause any other symptoms - we've all had it around here.
IBS is so difficult to understand and sometimes even harder to control... I hope your son's feeling better, and maybe someone else will have more suggestions/input for you!
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...us IBSers don't need much of a bug at all to get pretty ill.
Double check everything he's eaten and done recently to be sure tho.
And, this is probably obvious, but make sure he gets plenty of fluids and SF...and can you give him some painkillers? Tylenol would help...I guess he's too young for Tylenol-Plus?
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I'm sorry your son is suffering so much. As the others said, it does sound like some sort of stomach bug. Does he have chills or a fever? Do you know if any of his classmates are having similar problems? I think following the "Breaking the Cycle" the next couple of days would help.
For his abdominal cramping you may want to try those new heat patches. I would recommend Playtex brand Heat Therapy (near the feminine hygiene products) because they're smaller and stick to your underwear. The heat is a great pain reliever and muscle relaxant, so this may help ease his pain. I'm reading over the warnings on the pamphlet it comes with: it does say not to used with young children (how old is your son?) and don't let him fall asleep with it on because he could get burned. A 3-pack is about $4.99 - 5.99. Oh, you may also want to get him some baby wipes if he's still suffering from D. As someone who's IBS-D, I've found these two products a great help!
You're doing a fine job helping your son control his IBS. It's too bad he had this attack. I hope he gets better soon!
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Thanks for opening my eyes...it never occurred to me that it might some kind of "bug" and with his resistance not what it should be, he'd probably catch things easily. I did give him Tylenol which helped some. (A former doc was always pushing codeine...not wise for an 11 year old). We will try "Breaking the Cycle". The D is a little better now and the pain is managable. I will make sure to have those heat pads on hand. Thank you all for your input...I'll let you how he does over these next few days.
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I wouldn't recommend too much Immodium, myself, if he is basically C. The immodium could start that cycle up again. And if it is a "bug" it is better to let it out. Doctors don't recommend immodium for the flu or viruses because it is better to get it out of his system and the immodium might prolong the bug.
I realize that it is too late now, so this is just for future reference. Hope he is feeling better by now.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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I'm so sorry to hear your son was ill and glad he's feeling better now.
My first thought is to agree it's probably an illness. Since I've really "had" IBS, I get far more intestinal "bugs" than I did before. I don't imagine I'm contracting more, so I assume my gut is simply more sensitive to their effects.
Second, I don't have kids, but from what I remember when I was a kid (back during the Peloponnesian War), I didn't always eat what my parents thought I was eating. You might consider the possibility that your son ate a little off-program, too. (Although I would think this would make him C again, since that's his predominant symptom.)
Third, and I really hate to bring this up, if you started him on the Flora-Q probiotic, that might be the problem. In your Flora-Q post you said your son was doing so well the doctor was impressed and suggested he try Flora-Q. This may be a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". If you have started it, I suggest you try stopping it for a while. Once your son is back on track, you can try it again. If he gets sick again, odds are it's the Flora-Q. (That sounds cruel and I don't mean to be, but unfortunately there's an awful lot of trial and error involved in figuring this out. Sorry.  )
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Hi. I'm an IBS "A" but my main discomforts are with "C". I've had to go to ER with excruciating pain. It actually immobilizes me so I can't walk. I've also been to the point where I can't leave the house with "D" because you never know, if could hit within so many minutes.
Immodium is a good product. I used it years ago but, it's also on a temporary fix.
It's possible that the kind of fiber he's taking isn't the one that works best for him, unless he isn't getting enough on a daily basis. It's supposed to control both "D" and "C". I went through several kinds of fiber supplements. In my case FiberChoice is the one that has worked the best for me and lots and lots of water. Jello was also recommended because it's considered to be a liquid.
It's horrible how so many things can set off IBS. I feel bad that you had to see your son suffer like that. I can only imagine how heartbroken you must have felt. I have read that IBS attacks don't normally tend to disturb a person while they sleep. In my case that hasn't been quite true. All of us are different.
I hope things are much better now. Take care. Heidi
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