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DD is nearly 7 and complaining regularly of tummy aches, she has been on Lactulose for constipation for a couple of years now. It did seem to help when we started and we have noticed and increase in the tummy aches if we try to stop it. That said I have never been convinced that constipation was the issue, even if it is treating it without trying to find the cause seemed not quite right and since it's clear she's not outgrowing it I'm ready for further investigations.
The tummy aches seem to come on at various times though often after she has eaten. Going to the toilet does not seem to get rid of them. I have not noticed any particular issues with going for a poo (though she's old enough now that I'm not involved). Her stools seem pretty soft (though again she is on the medication).
She also says she feels sick quite a lot though the only times she has actually been sick the rest of us have had a bug too.
I haven't noticed symptoms being tied to any particular foods but haven't kept a detailed food diary. That said I do wonder about issues with cows milk. She didn't tolerate it well when we first introduced it at around a year, so on the GPs advice left it out of her diet. Age 3ish she got into the fridge and ate half a block of cheese with no noticeable symptoms so we did a blood test for allergy which came back negative so we gradually introduced milk. I wish I could remember exactly when the tummy aches started but I seem to remember it being when she started school so around a year after she's started milk.
In general she is not a great eater and has always been quite a skinny child but avoids most of the bugs going round the classroom.
In the last few days she's started picking at the skin round her mouth and behind her ears saying it's itchy. There is no sign of a rash or dryness.
I'm convinced there must be something going on here so I'm planning on going back to the doctors with her, but I'd like a "plan of action". What sort of things would you suspect with these symptoms? What questions should I be asking here? Should I be doing an elemination diet of some sort?
The tummy aches seem to come on at various times though often after she has eaten. Going to the toilet does not seem to get rid of them. I have not noticed any particular issues with going for a poo (though she's old enough now that I'm not involved). Her stools seem pretty soft (though again she is on the medication).
She also says she feels sick quite a lot though the only times she has actually been sick the rest of us have had a bug too.
I haven't noticed symptoms being tied to any particular foods but haven't kept a detailed food diary. That said I do wonder about issues with cows milk. She didn't tolerate it well when we first introduced it at around a year, so on the GPs advice left it out of her diet. Age 3ish she got into the fridge and ate half a block of cheese with no noticeable symptoms so we did a blood test for allergy which came back negative so we gradually introduced milk. I wish I could remember exactly when the tummy aches started but I seem to remember it being when she started school so around a year after she's started milk.
In general she is not a great eater and has always been quite a skinny child but avoids most of the bugs going round the classroom.
In the last few days she's started picking at the skin round her mouth and behind her ears saying it's itchy. There is no sign of a rash or dryness.
I'm convinced there must be something going on here so I'm planning on going back to the doctors with her, but I'd like a "plan of action". What sort of things would you suspect with these symptoms? What questions should I be asking here? Should I be doing an elemination diet of some sort?
