please help! 5 yr old with stomach aches after every meal!

[me+littleladysadie]

My heart is breaking because I don't know what is wrong with my little girl and I can't seem to do anything to help her!

She has always been gassy, constipated, and a limited eater (albeit organic and whole grain). A month ago she started having weird symptoms that didn't seem to tie together: stomach aches, heartburn, random fleeting pains all over her body and a mucusy cough. We left the doctor's office with prescriptions for laxatives, prilosec, and an antibiotic. I felt like we were slapping band aids on all the problems.

The cough ended, the heartburn has gone away, but the stomach aches and random pains stayed. Now her face is pale and she has dark circles under her eyes. She is active but irritable and just looks unhealthy.

A friend has mentioned that she knew a family who took their daughter off dairy and it completely stopped her gas. We stopped dairy, it helped a little, but not completely.

I had her tested for anemia, celiac disease and inflammation (possible juvenile arthritis?) but the tests were all negative.

We have an appointment with an ayurvedic medical doctor in 10 days, but I am getting pretty desperate to find a way to help her. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[sbgrace]

What I did was a stool test by metametrix to look for celiac markers/bacteria/parasites/etc. that could be causing the symptoms. I highly recommend this if you can do it.

Then we did a four day rotation diet so that I could see what foods might be triggering the symptoms. I figured it out but we're still rotating to try to reduce the risk of developing allergies.

[me+littleladysadie]

Rachelle, I really appreciate your suggestions!

I am definitely interested in learning more about the metametrix tests and rotation diet. Did you have trouble getting your doctor to order the test kit? Could you suggest a site to learn more about the four day rotation diet?

Thank you so much!

[vancouverlori]

Another option to consider: The Core Diet for Kids. It sets out a basic "core diet" of foods that, in studies of patients with food allergies were least likely to cause symptoms. And then once you've determined that the symptoms have resolved (sometimes have to remove one or two of the foods if symptoms continue), you can add more foods one a time. It was actually my DS's daycare teacher who lent me the book, it's pretty old. But it worked really well for us. You might be able to find it at your library, though you may have to use interlibrary loan. With symptoms like your daughters, I'm pretty sure it's food allergies, and my guess would be dairy and celiac. But even if it's not technically celiac, there's definitely something there, and the usual tests are not always helpful. Elimination diets are really the only way to know 100% for sure. And things like dairy and wheat sensitivity reactions can take 3-6 weeks to clear.

[lovbeingamommy]

Is there any way to try a naturopathic doctor? My ds, 4yo, had a similar problem with the stomachaches, pale skin and black circles. I took him to our ND, who specializes in pediatrics, and she was able to determine that his food was not breaking down completely and he needed to take enzymes before eating along with probiotics and fish oil. This took care of the problem almost immediately and he's been fine since starting this protocol.

I noticed a pp mention the Metametrix comp. Most ND's use this company and are very willing to have testing done by them. I've used them before and they're great, although it's expensive and insurance may or may not pay.

I also agree that the meds your dd was/is on are merely a bandaid and not the answer to the problem. hth - Kate

[deditus]

Ditto pp about gluten and dairy - my dd tested negative for celiac however she had symptoms just as severe from food intolerances.

[me+littleladysadie]

thank you to everyone who offered their suggestions and experiences!

as an update:
we saw an Ayur-Vedic D.O. on wednesday. based on her tongue, pulse and belly examination, he felt that she is really a healthy girl with a good constitution. i felt empowered to take her off the miralax and prilosec and so far, she hasn't complained of any heartburn or stomach ache.

he also felt that her food intolerances could all be resolved if i get her digestion back in balance. i need to have her avoid cold drinks and food and have her sip warm water all day. i should give her sesame oil massages and try an Ayur-Vedic pill called MA 154.

in the meantime, i will try to look into getting her stool tested.

thanks again for everyone's help. i am very grateful!

[joynsyde]

One clarification to add: The celiac tests often just detect the extreme cases of gluten intolerance. There are different levels of gluten intolerance, from sensitivity to extreme allergy. Dark circles under the eyes almost always mean there's an allergy/sensitivity going on. You might want to find a gluten test that will consider a lower range of sensitivity. Or-- you can just take gluten out of her diet and see if it helps. It's not easy to go gluten-free (I know from experience!!), but it would be worth it if it helps your little princess.

[sbgrace]

Sesame is a pretty common and always very serious allergen (says the mommy whose son is anaphylactic). I would do another oil (like olive) if you can.

[kjbrown92]

Genova stool test is good as well.
You may want to start a food diary, in case the symptoms come back. The top 4 intolerances are dairy, gluten, soy, and corn. But anyone can be intolerant to any food. Dark circles are usually referred to as "allergic shiners" and they can be from intolerances or allergies.