Young Child wtih IBS?
#290226 - 11/15/06 06:24 PM
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Hi! I am new to the message board but am here because the doctors have been no assistance in helping me five year old. I wanted to ask some real people with IBS if her symptoms sound like IBS to you all? The pediatric gastroenterologist has suggested this as a diagnoses now that we have concluded that my fiver year old does not have colitis, crohn's, celiac, and other things.
Is nausea a symptom of IBS? I do not see it in the IBS book that Heather has written and I have not seen it posted much on this web site but that is what I hear the most from my daughter. She wakes up and tells me that her stomach is nauseaus and she does not feel like eating too much in the morning. She used to double over during the day after having dairy and so I eliminated that and she is much relieved. We don't eat much fried food and are almost vegetarians so fatty meat has not been an issue either but yet she is still uncomfortable a little of the day. Could it be IBS do you think?
Thanks for the help!
Katheryn
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I'm sorry to hear your daughter hasn't been feeling well. It sounds like you have ruled out a lot of things but how about allergies or celiac, which is an intolerance to gluten?
I do get nausea with my IBS. Can you get her to drink some tea in the morning? Try to get her to eat at least a little bit, even a piece of toast as having a completely empty tummy can make IBS worse.
Maybe start her on an elimination diet. Give her only soluble fiber for a day or two, such as white rice, potatoes without the skin and toast. Than, slowly add back in a few foods at a time and see how she does.
Has the doctor suggested trying an anti-spasm medication like bentyl or levsin? When her tummy is really hurting, let her use the heating pad on it as it helps to relax the muscles.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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I'm sorry your daughter isn't feeling well. I only recently developed IBS, and the experience was terribly eunpleasant, I can only imagine how much worse it must be for a five year old. I second Michele's recommendations about testing for allergies and celiac.
I also had a lot of nausea with my IBS, especially in the first couple of months. People kept asking me if I was sure I wasn't pregnant (I was extremely sure). Now that I am mostly stable, the nausea has all but disappeared.
I would try starting your daughter off in the morning with a cup of peppermint tea to settle her stomach, and then offering her just a little something, even if it's only a couple of crackers.
I hope she feels better soon.
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-Carol
IBS-A
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Carol,
Thank you so much! I will continue to try to push the peppermint tea. She is not a big fan of it no matter how much honey I put in it. Would you think that plain white homemade toast would be okay? That is her favorite!
Thanks,
Katheryn
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Hi Michelle,
I really appreciate your help. She will eat toast and that does help her. Drinking the tea is what I have a hard time getting her to do. I have given her Altoids but she says that they do not work.
I just read about the soluble fiber diet and we did that last week and I am seeing results.
Just to make sure I understand...if at each meal I offer her soluble fiber first and then insoluble fiber...that should lessen the chance that she would have an attack?
And, would you suggest that she eat little meals througout the day or three main meals?
I have also been dying to ask someone that would know if she can have orange juice because she really likes it and it has calcium!
Do you have any recommendations, Michelle, on how to get enough calcium?
Thanks so very much for your help!
Bless you,
Katheryn
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Plain white toast should be just fine - I often have that even for dinner when I'm not feeling well. English muffins and plain bagels are good, too. By homemade, I assume that you made the bread yourself from scratch? I'm impressed - I'm not quite brave enough to try to make my own bread! 
Have you tried giving her the tea cold? Peppermint tea tastes different to me when it's chilled.
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-Carol
IBS-A
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Thanks, Carol. I have not tried it cold but I will! I will pick up some bagels and muffins too! Thanks so much for the help!
Katheryn
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i have had a touchy tummy all my life, but around 8 years old is wheni strated getting ibs attacks, and nausea was my main symptom, i would get it for months at a time, where i would contantly feel nauseous, never relieved since i never actually vomited, so i would take gaviscon and mope around the house and cry that it wasn't fair, it used to come for a month or two after i returnrd from camp, probably due to camp food and then would clear up by school time, but do take care to try heathers diet asap a over th eyears my ibs only got worse until at 14 my doc gave up and put me on AD's, which actually made a world of difference in my anxiety, nausea and ibs symptoms, of course that is the route you want to avoid if you can. Look to the boards and heathers books and do all you can now to avoid your daughter having worse ibs late ron.
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Another suggestion for the nausea is ginger. She can try ginger tea (although the taste is really strong) or get some ginger pills from a health food store. In Canada we have Gravol ginger, which is an anti-motion sickness pill but works well for any kind of nausea.
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Kat
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Eating many, smaller meals is much better than three large meals! If she is prone to having D, than definitely have her eat soluble fiber first. Like maybe some pasta for lunch, followed by an apple.
Oj is hit and miss with me, I would start with just a small juice glass after breakfast and she how she does. I wouldn't give it to her every single day. You may find that some seeming safe foods can be too much when eaten everyday. For me, I have that problem with strawberries, I LOVE them and do fine if I eat them maybe twice a week but if I have them everyday, not good! It really can make it tricky!
Maybe just get her a good multi vitamin for now until everything is sorted out with the diet!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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for nausea
#290731 - 11/20/06 01:38 PM
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Flipada
Reged: 03/02/06
Posts: 1026
Loc: West Michigan, USA
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Since your daughter isn't a big fan of tea, the ginger tea might be too strong. However, ginger snaps (little ginger cookies)have worked well for me and my kids really like them.
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Flipada - IBS-C "It's a gas, gas, gas"
**Lauren**
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Sorry to hear about your little darling. It is frustrating trying to find something to make our children feel better. Has your child ever been on antibiotics? If so, I'm thinking her stomach is missing the "good" bacteria it needs as antibiotics pretty well wipe out all bacteria, bad and good. I would suggest a probiotic for her. As well, when you give antibiotics, they are really mycotoxins, so you have introduced fungal toxins into her body. After awhile, the fungus can cause digestive problems, as well as many others. (You also cannot "see" fungus so it may not show up.) Check with your doctor to see what a good one would be for her first. I've heard of other parents giving them to children so young. As a sidenote, my daughter cannot eat too much bread because it bothers her. I'm assuming it is the yeast, as I myself cannot eat anything with yeast or yeast extract as it pretty well kills me with pain. Hope you can find something to help! 
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