*UPDATE* could her persistent vomiting be reflux-related? please help me help my little one!

[philosoikou]

I find myself in this forum, seeking the advice of all you wise mamas, for the second time this week.

And all of a sudden, I am wondering if both of the issues might be related.

In my previous thread, I asked for advice about my dd's tendency to have a dry, raspy cough at night after being laid down for sleep. A number of posters mentioned reflux.

I felt myself resisting that idea, because my dd, now 20 months, never exhibited any signs of reflux as an infant.

But here's my new query: two days ago, a stomach bug swept through our family. It was mercifully quick, and many of our friends had exactly the same thing. My dd vomited twice in the evening, then slept well and woke up feeling fine. All day yesterday, she was in good spirits and seemed to be entirely over it. She barely nibbled at a piece of dry toast in the morning, and nursed throughout the day. In the late afternoon, she had some oatmeal. An hour or so later, we were totally surprised when she threw it all up.

She then proceeded to retch rather violently at intervals throughout the night. I don't know if it's relevant, but she was vomiting completely undigested chunks of the two sweet potato fries she had for dinner EIGHT HOURS later.

She continues to be unable to keep anything down, including toast, banana, applesauce. My milk she keeps down to some extent.

My feeling is that the virus is passed, and it's somehow physiologic at this point. This has happened before. This past fall, she caught a stomach bug, and although the intense, feverish part passed within 24 hours, she kept almost nothing at all down for 5-6 days. It's as if once her body starts vomiting, it can't stop.

First question: Does this sound like a reflux issue? I'm a total reflux neophyte, so I need some guidance, here.

Second question: What can I do to help my sweet baby, as quickly as possible? Homeopathy, herbs, anything? A hot water bottle on the tummy doesn't seem to help. She is hungry and keeps asking for food, but vomits anything I give her. It's breaking my heart.

Thank you so much for reading, and thank you in advance for *any* help you can offer.

[sbgrace]

That isn't consistent with my experience with reflux. My guess is that she is still suffering from the stomach virus. Here's the thing with stuff like noravirus. When you've had it (you have before, we all have) you develop immunity to that virus. The virus is somewhat mutated so you may get it again when exposed but you won't be as severely affected. However, the first time a person encounters the virus they are likely to be ill longer and more severely. So it makes sense that she's still sick and others aren't. Stomach viruses are going around in many places and most of them can last 10 days or more w/kids who are doing their first encounter. And they can come and go.

The best thing for stomach viruses are time and probiotics.

[philosoikou]

Thank you so much for your helpful reply. That makes a lot of sense!

Thanks for the probiotics reminder. I will start right away. Why hadn't I done that yet?!

[philosoikou]

Update.

My dd really seems to have fully recovered from her stomach virus. She feels fine, acts fine. But she is still vomiting once a day, upon waking.

Once she wakes up & sits up in the morning, within a few minutes, she coughs a bit and then vomits. It's just the once, although she does have coughing that makes her *almost* throw up for the next hour or two. This improves as the morning goes on, and disappears within a couple of hours of waking.

I have to admit I'm a little worried (which frankly, isn't really my style). But something about this doesn't feel right to me. My kids do get sick now and then, but it's unusual for them to have a lingering illness.

Help?

[kjbrown92]

If she's still coughing at night, it could be a post nasal drip thing and that all that dripping makes her cough and vomit when she wakes up. When did the coughing at night start?

[philosoikou]

I should have mentioned that she is not coughing at night these days, and does not have a stuffy/runny nose. The coughing at night happens for 3-4 nights in a row, every 2-3 weeks. It's not all the time.

[sbgrace]

It's very likely something like drainage in the night upsetting her tummy. Are you certain she doesn't have dust mite allergies or related? She may also still be dealing with after effects of that stomach virus.

However, vomiting in the morning is a warning sign of a brain tumor and I remember that because there was a child mentioned on this board and that was the initial sign. This is incredibly, incredibly rare and there are lots more likely explanations. Additionally I'd think you'd see something else and not just isolated vomiting and she may still be dealing with the stomach stuff to some extent. But something doesn't feel right and she's vomiting every morning and so I wanted you to have this information too in case this continues happening.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by philosoikou

I should have mentioned that she is not coughing at night these days, and does not have a stuffy/runny nose. The coughing at night happens for 3-4 nights in a row, every 2-3 weeks. It's not all the time.

I would start a food journal (everything she eats/drinks, and you too if you're BFing; I can't remember how old she is, all supps, every symptom you can think of: pooping, sleeping, vomiting, coughing, etc.) and anything else (like travel to a house where there's a cat, playing outside all day in the rain, etc.) and see if you can figure out a tie-in to a food or environmental trigger.

[philosoikou]

Originally Posted by sbgrace

It's very likely something like drainage in the night upsetting her tummy. Are you certain she doesn't have dust mite allergies or related?

No, I'm not. I'm not sure how i would determine this? Any advice?

We sleep on a 100% wool mattress (cover, filling, everything) which is supposed to be the least likely material for dust mites. Which doesn't mean this it's impossible!

However, vomiting in the morning is a warning sign of a brain tumor and I remember that because there was a child mentioned on this board and that was the initial sign. This is incredibly, incredibly rare and there are lots more likely explanations. Additionally I'd think you'd see something else and not just isolated vomiting and she may still be dealing with the stomach stuff to some extent. But something doesn't feel right and she's vomiting every morning and so I wanted you to have this information too in case this continues happening.

I'm glad you mentioned this. But since this is new as of this week, and, as you said, probably somewhat of an aftershock from the virus she had, I'm not going to go there yet. Good to know, though.

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I would start a food journal (everything she eats/drinks, and you too if you're BFing; I can't remember how old she is, all supps, every symptom you can think of: pooping, sleeping, vomiting, coughing, etc.) and anything else (like travel to a house where there's a cat, playing outside all day in the rain, etc.) and see if you can figure out a tie-in to a food or environmental trigger.

Sigh. This is good advice. I haven't noticed anything obvious, but I have enough friends whose kids have food allergies to know that it's not always obvious until you start writing it down and eliminating things.

A lingering question for me is what positioning might have to do with it. The coughing starts only after being laid down (and it doesn't matter in which bed, or on the sofa, or on a sheepskin on the floor etc.), and the vomiting happens within minutes of her sitting up in the morning. This is the one thing that stands out to me.

The good news is that her energy, demeanor, appetite, etc. seem right as rain. The virus is definitely passed. She's been entirely herself the last few days, except for the single vomiting episode in the mornings.

I apologize for belaboring the issue. Like I said, it's the first time one of my children has had a lingering health problem. It's got me a little unsettled, and I'm eager to get to the bottom of it.

Thank you so much for your help!