Toddler vomiting for no apparent reason every other day or so for two weeks

[Maela]

It started at the very end of July.  My son threw up out of the blue for no reason.  He was feeling fine before and after vomiting.  I figured he was just playing too hard after eating.  Then it happened two days later, and again three days later, and again two days later, and so on...  It's still going on now two weeks later.  It's never been more than once a day except last Sunday, when it happened twice a few hours apart.  

He had a heart condition as a baby (SVT) which seems to be gone now, but throwing up is a symptom of an SVT episode (extremely rapid heart rate), so his Dr put him on a heart monitor for 30 days.  We're on day 5 and nothing has shown up.  I've been checking him myself and his heart always sounds fine.  So I really don't think that's it.

He started antibiotics on July 20th for ten days for Strep throat.  It was only the second time that he has ever been on antibiotics and the first time (when he was 5 months) he lost weight from having so much diarrhea.  So I'm wondering if antibiotics really affect his stomach (more than the average person).  Could that be why he's been vomiting so much because the bacteria balance in his stomach is so messed up now??

If it keeps up, I'm going to talk to his dr again.  I really have a feeling it has nothing to do with his heart, and does have something to do with the antibiotics.  Just hoping it's not something more serious...

Anything I can do to help his stomach?  I've been giving him more yogurt (plain) to help, but that's it.

ETA:  He's 34 months old.

[pek64]

When are you giving him the yogurt? The same day he vomits, the next day?

Keep track of what he eats and drinks for a few days, as well as what he does (play quietly, run around, etc), as well as when he vomits. By keep track, I mean write it down. Then you will have information to use or take to the doctor.

[Maela]

He had yogurt yesterday and didn't throw up.  Today he's had it three times (he really likes it, small amounts).  He threw up today at 1PM (between the second and third time eating yogurt). 

I just started two days ago writing down everything he eats, what time he eats it, what time he threw up, and what he was doing when he threw up.  Hopefully, I'll see a pattern eventually; but so far it seems so random...

[sbgrace]

Random vomiting is hard to track down. Does it happen at a specific time of day or on an empty tummy? We've never figured out my son's random vomit stuff. Sometimes it's surely low blood sugar here. Reflux is another strong possibility here. It could be the antibiotics but if you're dealing with bad bacteria I'd expect to see stool stuff too.

If you want to know if something is living here Metametrix stool is an excellent lab. I don't know that i would do it for that alone at this point though.

[pek64]

He threw up the day he had yogurt twice.

Time for experimentation.
No yogurt for 3 days. See what happens.

What kind of yogurt is it? Homemade? Store bought? Fruit or no fruit? Also, what else did he eat that day? I don't believe in random vomiting. If we keep looking at the data, we'll find the problem.

[Maela]

He usually throws up in the morning between breakfast and lunch, but a couple of times have been after lunch.

Monday:  breakfast:  Toast with butter, peanut butter, honey and water to drink

Then while in the bath he complained that his tummy hurt and right after threw up a very tiny amount.

The rest of the day he was fine.

Tuesday:  breakfast:  yogurt (sugary, fruit-flavored kind at my parents' house)

                snack:  orange

               lunch:  crackers w/swiss cheese, apple slice, tuna, walnut, milk

                snack:  peanut butter spoon

               dinner:  chicken and vegetables

               dessert:  reese's peanut butter cup (I know - it's from a goodie bag from a party)

No vomiting.

Wednesday:  Breakfast:  half a piece of peanut butter and jelly toast, milk, small amount of plain yogurt

                    snack:  plain yogurt

                    Lunch:  1/4 avocado, tuna, one slice each swiss and cheddar cheese, two crackers, small piece chicken w/barbque sauce

                    1PM:  threw up in his bed during rest time

The rest of the day he was fine.

Thursday:  breakfast:  half peanut butter and honey toast, water, plain yogurt

                lunch:  little bit of chicken, 1/4 avocado, 1/2 slice cheddar cheese, water, grapes, raisins, mixed veggies

                snack:  candy (sweet tarts), cookie, piece of salami, cheese

So far no vomiting today.

ETA:  a tummy ache and a bit of diarrhea tonight  :-(

Edited by Maela - 8/16/12 at 10:27pm

[Maela]

Until today, I was going to say that maybe it's the grains in the morning (toast) or peanut butter.  Although he's been having peanut butter toast almost every day for breakfast for almost a year...

Wednesday he had a lot of milk with lunch - like 3 small cups.  He's had milk before and not thrown up (he's been drinking cow's milk since 15 months and been fine AFAIK).  

Today I made a no milk rule and I think I'll continue that until he throws up on a day with no milk.  I don't think it's the yogurt, but it could be too much of any dairy.  Today he had a lot less cheese, less yogurt, and no milk compared to yesterday... 

[pek64]

The tiny bit of chicken, did it have barbeque sauce?

If yes, what's in the sauce?

[pek64]

Also, did anything change at the time this started? Did you switch brands of something?

[Maela]

Originally Posted by pek64 

The tiny bit of chicken, did it have barbeque sauce?
If yes, what's in the sauce?

No, yesterday no barbque sauce.

Originally Posted by pek64 

Also, did anything change at the time this started? Did you switch brands of something?

I've been trying to think of anything that's changed... He started playing with this cheap plastic spray bottle that we use to spray our cats in the middle of the night when they're being loud.  And the other day I noticed that he was sucking on it to drink the water in it.    I took it away yesterday when I saw that he was doing it again.  Maybe he's been doing that for a few weeks?  I don't know if something like that could cause this, but it's definitely not made to drink out of, so who knows what it's made of... 

ETA: so far today, no throw up and normal pooping...

[pek64]

I know when I was young, I loved honey. Too much at any one sitting would make me throw up, though. Not a true allergy or intolerance, because I could have it as long as it wasn't too much all at once.

I'm glad today has been good, so far!

[pek64]

You said yesterday no barbeque sauce. Did he throw up yesterday?

[Maela]

Originally Posted by pek64 

You said yesterday no barbeque sauce. Did he throw up yesterday?

No, he didn't throw up yesterday.  But Wednesday was the first time he had had barbque sauce in a few months, I believe.  And he's been throwing up off and on for the last couple of weeks.

Still no vomiting today.  Despite the tummy ache last night, this is the second day of no vomiting.  This is also his second day without milk and eating less dairy than usual.  He had two very small pieces of swiss cheese and a 1/4 cup plain yogurt today.

[pek64]

Hmmmm. I guess keep going like this for a while, with little dairy, and see how it goes.

My dairy allergy progressed. Initially, it was butter and soft ice cream that caused vomiting. Drinking milk made me feel full quickly, but otherwise I acted fine. Then other things started bothering me. When I look at the progression, it was related to the fat content.

In addition, I was allergic to liver, mustard and shellfish. The number of items, and the partial tolerance to dairy, made it seem random.

Liver and mustard can be difficult to identify in premade foods. Also, corn starch is on ground spices, giving another possible hiding place.

If you still want my help, I'm happy to give it. I almost missed your thread today, so if I don't respond, just PM me. Also, I going to be busy the next couple of weeks and may not check in every day, but usually I like to unwind by reading posts.

[Maela]

Originally Posted by pek64 

Hmmmm. I guess keep going like this for a while, with little dairy, and see how it goes.
My dairy allergy progressed. Initially, it was butter and soft ice cream that caused vomiting. Drinking milk made me feel full quickly, but otherwise I acted fine. Then other things started bothering me. When I look at the progression, it was related to the fat content.
In addition, I was allergic to liver, mustard and shellfish. The number of items, and the partial tolerance to dairy, made it seem random.
Liver and mustard can be difficult to identify in premade foods. Also, corn starch is on ground spices, giving another possible hiding place.
If you still want my help, I'm happy to give it. I almost missed your thread today, so if I don't respond, just PM me. Also, I going to be busy the next couple of weeks and may not check in every day, but usually I like to unwind by reading posts.

I'd love help!  I just want to figure this out!  We're a pretty healthy family, and so when something like this pops up I find that I have little patience for it.  I want to figure it out and do something about  it as soon as possible!

[pek64]

I have to get to the bottom of things, too.

In the food diary, you only gave 3 days, and no dinner for two of the days. To pinpoint this, we need more data. I think it's great that he's doing better and think you should continue with the low dairy diet for now, but do you have data from earlier in the week or lasy week?

[Maela]

No, I just started keeping track a few days ago.  I should probably keep track of after throwing up food too, huh.  Dang it.

[pek64]

Well, live and learn!

[Maela]

Okay, I didn't keep track today.  We were having too much fun this weekend.  But I did want to post to say that this is the 3rd day in a row of no vomiting and there was no diarrhea today like there was the past two nights.  YAY!  I hate to be so optimistic, but I think this might be the end?  Still giving him only small amounts of dairy.  If he still isn't vomiting in a few days, I'll try letting him have more and see what happens.

[pek64]

Sounds like a plan. I wish you all the best.