daughter with IBS
#48123 - 03/04/04 11:51 PM
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Hello, I just bought Heather's book and I am new to this site. Our 7 year old daughter was diagnosed with IBS over a year ago and has had a blood test, x-ray of abdomin, and a stool test. She sees a pediatric GI doctor who attributes her condition to school related stress.He just prescribed zelnom. Has anyone tried it? I'm just not sure she has this condition or maybe it's something else. She never has diarrhea but occassionally can be constipated. But not much. In addition to stomach pain she has a lot of backaches and headaches that wake her ( and me) up at night several times a week. She loves school and is above average as far as learning. I'm just wondering if other IBS sufferers experience this back and head pain at night as well. She also complains on occasion of pain in her arm and leg but not as often as the back. I'm wondering why she wasn't checked for an ulcer? She is distressed because she feels like no one can help her feel better. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Christina
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Hi Christina,
I'm a D person, so I don't know if I can help with the C. Also, since I am a D, I don't take Zelnorm! But there have been a lot of posts about the stuff, so you should read them. Do you know how to do a search? Up at the top you'll see a search button; just click it and fill in the blanks. You don't have to search all the boards because the Zelnorm will be in this board, I'm sure. In fact, this was discussed just the other day, so you can advance through the pages (at the bottom), look for the subject headed "Zelnorm," and I'm sure you'll find the thread.
Your daughter was diagnosed with IBS but not confirmed? She didn't have a colonoscopy then? The GI attributes her condition to school stress? Wow, school stress at such a young age? Aren't kids that age supposed to have fun and PLAY in school? (Obviously, I'm really out of it when it comes to such things.)
Yes, headaches wake me up every morning. I hate it. They don't go away until I have my morning tea and a bagel, and sometimes I actually go back to bed to try to catch up on my sleep. It's most annoying.
Yes, I have backaches too -- and of course stomach cramps which come with the territory. This is really fun stuff, as you can see. While it's awful having D and constantly scouting out public bathrooms, it's got to be worse having C and not being able to "get it all out." My sympathies to your young daughter. It's so unfair for children to have this awful condition; they should have a happy childhood and not have to deal with this kind of stuff.
I hope you find the info on Zelnorm, but have no fear -- you'll get lots of responses to this post from the great people on these boards. Without them, I'd never have gotten better!
Hang in there, Mom.
Bev
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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You might want to ask the doc about Fibromyalgia. The main symptom of this is pain, mostly in the joints.
Also, get her dentist to see if there are any signs that she might be grinding her teeth in her sleep. This would certainly explain waking up with headaches and could be linked to storing tension in her neck and back. A personal (made by her dentist) mouth guard to wear to bed is the cure for this.
A colonscopy is NEEDED to diagnose IBS. So pester the doc for one. Although the prep isn't fun (laxatives!  ), the procedure isn't scary - she'd be sedated - and I bet you could stay with her throughout. I wouldn't be into getting her meds until she's had this - it's really important.
Good luck. We'll help whatever way we can. Maybe your daughter would like someone to talk to - is there anyone in your area?
Linz
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Hi Bev and Linz,
Thank you for you input.I will do a search for zelnorm and find out more about it. I'm leery of putting her on medication and now that I know a colonscopy seems to be standard, I will definitely ask her doctor. I am so happy to have found this site and the book!
She woke up w/ another stomach ache this morning but was very happy to know that now we can talk to others about this problem. She has given up telling her teacher when she is having pain because she doesn't think anyone believes her.
She is a triplet and last year the school wanted all three girls to be in separate classrooms. We didn't think this would be a problem but the combination of being separated from the other two girls and having a very"firm" teacher was the beginning of this problem. This year we made sure she is in a class w/ one of her sisters and was doing much better until this January. The last two months have been rough.
She sees the dentist this month so I will ask him about the grinding. Thanks again for helping.
Christina
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Hello and Welcome! So sorry your daughter is feeling poorly. I was on Zelnorm, it only helped a tiny bit for a couple weekd than stop working altogether. I gave me really bad dirreahea at first, which is common. Do a search on these boards for it you will find lots of info.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Hello,
I am so sorry to hear that your daughter is not feeling well. After reading your story, I think she should see a specialist. It sounds like she hasn't had all of the tests done in order to diagnose that it is surely IBS. I also think that maybe she is under alot of stress as she is away from her two other sisters and this is still "new" to her. Some people hold stress inside. I know that I do. The body reacts to stress in alot of ways. This could be her bodies way of telling her that she's holding a lot inside.
Assure her that there are people who care and are here to answer any questions that you or she may have.
I am on Zelnorm. I have been for about 2 months. It seemed to work better in the beginning, when I first started taking it. I started at a very low dose and now am above the "normal - approved dosage." My doctor has assured me that it's safe. It's a motility drug. I think it is supposed to work with the seretonin levels in our digestive system, to help "move" things along. Talk to your doctor more about your concern regarding the zelnorm. You can also do "searches" on this site as well as the internet. I haven't had any side effects from it at all.
So my advice is to see a specialist. Make sure she has IBS first. I hope this helps you. Big hugs to you both!
My email address is cmgoard@hotmail.com if you have any questions about the zelnorm.
Take care,
Cristy
(zingirl)
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Welcome! I'm sorry your daughter is having such a tough time. As others have said, insist on a colonoscopy. You need this to get a REAL diagnosis.
I'm concerned about her tender age. I thought that - is Zelnorm an antidepressant or a med for IBS? I can't remember, but some meds aren't recommended for children. I would do a bit of research on the drug and see.
As for the back and neck pain, I'm a bit puzzled. They could be IBS related, and they might not be. Bev certainly has these symptoms, but I haven't heard of too many other folks around here with them.
I don't mean to complicate things, but if it is something else, I'm wondering if it's an anxiety disorder thing (I have one.) I have constant tension headaches from the tensio in my back due to anxiety. Also, if she's above average in school, you may want to keep an eye out - overachievers are sometimes the type of person to have anxiety related woes.
Is she a happy kid otherwise? Has her mood changed at all? Her habits/friends/ etc? I'm just grasping at straws here.
You're a good mom - I hope things get better and you get some resolution on this.
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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Hi Christina, welcome to the boards. I am sorry to hear that your daughter is not well. I have a question for you. does your daughter eat any food that have MSG in them? My son can't eat anything with it in it. When he was about 4yrs old he started getting stomach aches and headaches and we were told to cut MSG out of his food. It has made a huge difference. He no longer has the head and stomach aches. When he does eat something withit in it accidentaly, he gets them and is quit sick from it. MSG causes me migraines. I just put a post on about MSG and what it can do to people. Maybe check it out and talk to your daughters DR about it. Hope she feels better soon Gail
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HI,My husband is a pharmaseutical GI sales Rep. He and I are sitting here reading this and his first reaction is the same as mine and others. In order to be "properly diagnosed" you really need to have the colonoscopy done. He calls on all the GI doctors in our state but one city, (travels!), and they ALL say the same thing. In order to get a proper diagnoses, this is the first test you should do. "It's standard." I know it won't be the most pleasant for her at such a young age but it will be over with quickly. My husband wanted you to know that he knows that Zelnorm is not "indicated for children", but it is up to the doctors discretion and yours to make the final decision to be on it. Let me be the first to say I know meds are given all the time to people young and old for meds not really indicated for one population or another, always up to the patient in the end. I can't tell you the name of the company he works for, it might get him into trouble, but...I can tell you he is not with the Zelnorm company. Good luck with your precioius little one. We can understand the stress and pain in your heart and hers. We have a 5 year old little girl who at 4 was diagnosed with Systemic Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and it is frustrating to not know what is going on for sure. We believe in the power of prayer, so I will pray for your daughter and the wisdom of her doctors to make the wisest decision for her. God Bless you.
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 TANYA
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Hi,Thank you so much for your good wishes and prayers. I am much more leery about the zelnorm after reading your post and will request that a colonoscopy be done. I asked about how they diagnose this condition and her doctor never mentioned a colonoscopy.
I am so sorry to hear about your daughter and will also keep her in my prayers. I feel so bad for little ones that have to go through not feeling well.Christina
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Hi, once again let me stress/and my husband, that there are a lot of drugs out there given to children that are indicated for adults only. Mainly because Pharmaceutical companies do not "do trial runs" on children. It is up to you and your doctor to decide the next path for your precious little one. "I understand." We really do. Our daughter is on Methotrexate-very powerful drug. It is given in higher forms for chemotherapy. It helps control her pain, but has some nasty possible side effects. Just be careful. God bless.
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TANYA
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Hi Christina,
So sorry to read about your daughter. As a parent is very diffcult to see your child suffer and feel helpless.
My 9 year old son has had the same problems and he is doing much better. We discovered dairy is causing his problems, plus he was being bullied at school. Combined stress caused stomachaches, headaches and yes his arms and legs hurt occasionally (we told him it's growing pains).
The only testing he had done was an x-ray and the x-ray showed he was full of poop. He takes Mirlax as needed and mostly follows my diet.
The other thing we discovered is foods with whole wheat give him stomaches. This morning he wanted a bowl of raisin bran and by the time we got to church his stomach was hurting.
As surprise Bev was about stress in small children - it sure can happen. Schools put more pressure on children than we were in school. My third grader is learning how to reduce and add fractions. Your doctor can be right about stress causing the pain, but like everybody said get a proper dx.
The other we did was have our son talk to the school counselor about what is bothering him. Now when he feels stressed at school he talks to the school counselor.
I will keep you and your daughter in my prayers and feel free to e-mail me.
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Hi Barbara,
I wanted to ask you if the stomach and back pain ever wakes your son up at night? The difficult thing is I don't necessarily see a pattern as far as eating and then having pain. It seems to come on many times when her tummy is empty which is why I thought they should test for an ulcer. She will say that she needs to eat because her stomach hurts and then she usually feels better. Weird, but maybe that's also common w/ ibs? I don't know.
The first thing her doctor did last year was take her off of all dairy but found out that was not the problem. I may have been giving her too much fiber as she loves fruit and veggies and we used to mostly eat whole grain breads, etc., until I got Heather's book. Now we are all eating sourdough.
We also had the school counselor talk to her off and on last year and she helped getting our daughter moved into the classroom w/ one of her sisters. ( The principal really fought us on this and felt she would eventually settle in! ) . The counselor hasn't seen her at all this year but now that you mention it I will request that she see her again.
Thanks again. Christina
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My son doesn't get back pain, but yes stomach pain use to wake him up.
The important thing to remember is not to let her stomach get empty. IBS suffers need to eat throughout the day to avoid an attack.
This happened to me Friday night at work. We were so busy I didn't get my first 10 minute break and it was 7:00 before I ate supper. I hadn't eaten anything for six hours and I was in alot of pain. I wasn't able to eat alot, but just having some food in my stomach helped.
If your daughter doesn't get snacks at school - it is a good idea to talk to her teacher about the importance of eating a morning and afternoon snack.
Another reason why dairy can be a problem, because it can cause C. Do a google search about dairy and C and you will find alot of great info about it. I am not lactose intol., but dairy causes C.
Another thought too is - does your daughter have acid reflux problems?
Hope this info helps you and good luck. Keep us updated on her situation.
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Yes, she has a history of acid reflux. All three girls had it after they were born because they were premature but it seemed to disappear once they gained weight.Her GI said she probably still has it.
Good idea - I will do a search on dairy and C. because she loves milk and that is most likely not helping things!
Thanks. Christina
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 I would suggest getting her blood Glucose level checked out also. I am now 21 and remember anxiety and IBS symptoms starting as early as kindergarden. I use to get panic attacks about rideing on a school buss and spontaneous diarrhea resulted. I have just made a post about Hypoglycemia in relation to IBS.(Warning about IBS and sugar)that you might find helpful. If my theory thus far is correct, and I will be testing many things within this month. Then I may have had this problem ever since that age. I dont think she should be on an anxiety medication at such an early age. I hate doctors who love to prescribe medication for everything! Simple deficiencies may be the key. I believe that everything we need in the world is found naturally in the environment. So why should we take synthesized drugs? In my experiences they make you feel worse.
God Bless,
Chris
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