Growing Pains - Denver,CO

If the x-rays don't show anything, take her to a gastroenterologist. They can test for food allergies or other abdominal ailments. Good luck, I hope she gets feeling well soon.

How often is she using the bathroom? She might be inpacted. Two or three glasses of Apple juice worked really well with my son. My son also gets a smoothie most mornings with various different fruits and that seems to really help keep him reguler and I would suggest lots of water. We tend to think that since juice is healthy, the more the better, but that is not always true if it is replacing the majority of water in their diet.

My just turned 5 year old has had this problem for sometime. Turns out she has acid reflux and a small dose of Previcid cured it-it takes about a week to fully kick in, but whole new kid! We even did the x-rays because it upset me so badly.

You received a number of good responses. I don't have anything new to add, except specifcally about your wondering whether this could be growing pains. I don't think they get them in the stomach. Typically, growing pains occur in the legs. Good luck wih resolving this!

This may not be her problem, but I thought you should know. My son was 6 when he had stomach pains. They began just once in a while, then they were constant. He didn't want to eat or play. The doctors kept taking xrays. He was referred to a pediatric gastroenterologist who did endoscopy. She wanted to put him on anti-spasmodic medicine for the rest of his life because she couldn't figure out why he had the pain. It ended up that his tonsils were enlarge and touching. They were constantly triggering his gag reflex. The doctor who removed his tonsils said that when tonsils are enlarged and restrict the airway there is a great deal of pressure exerted on the esophagus, stomach, heart, lungs with each breath. He even developed sleep apnea. He has never had the stomach pains since his tonsils were removed 4 years ago.

I don't want to alarm you, but my friend has a six year old little girl who has the same problem. If her little girl eats too much sugar or chocolate milk she gets the same stomach ache at night. I'm not real familar with this, but some food allergies may be the culprit.

This is probably completely random, but has she been doing sit ups in school? I heard a story about a kid having stomach problems and come to find out, they had been doing new exercises that were using new muscles.

Hope she feels better soon!

x-ray a stomach?
Okay...this may sound nuts but has she had a strep throat test?
2 of my kids complain of stomach pain (terribly) and don't even have fevers when they have strep....seriously.
goodluck.

Hey S.! Has anyone mentioned psylic disease or IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)? If you are not feeling comfortable with the current prognosis (which is nothing) there is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. I work in health care and doctors can miss things sometimes. I have learned you have to be your own patient advocate. Good luck!!! Debbie

seems like a long time to be complaining... I assume otherwise all her bm's and fluid intake are normal? I'd take her in to the doctor... you know how kids are, they usually don't persist on something unless it is really bothering them.

plus it could be something like a kidney infection that may or may not come with a fever.

A child that I used to care for had this problem for a while (when she was 3-4 age area). Her parents and I spent a lot of time trying to find the source. We finally discovered that her pre-school/daycare was changing her teacher almost every day. She felt like she had no stability for the day and the stomach pain was a stress reaction. The minute we took her out of that environment, the pain went away.

So, if there is something stressing her out, mitigating that might be place to start.

Here is another suggestion to throw in with the rest. My son would "hold it" forever. He could hold it all night get up and play and by afternoon had a stomachache. He would always forget to go to the bathroom. How he could do that I have no idea. Our granddaughter now does the same thing. As long as we pay attention and make him go he is alright. He will even tell us he doesn't have to go but when he does it is a lot. He held it on both 1 and 2 and that definately gives you a bad tummy ache.

Dear S.,
I have a friend who's daughter was recently diagnose with Abdominal Migraine. About 2 weeks before her 5th birthday, she woke up several nights with severe stomach cramping and even vomiting. Her pediatrician referred her to a specialist in Denver at their Children's Hospital for further testing and determined this diagnosis. There is some information on line if you do a search to see if your daughter's symptoms are the same. Apparently, it is pretty rare and strikes mostly girls between the ages of 5 and 9. I'm not sure of her daily care for this other than if it happens again, they are supposed to get her to the hospital immediately to do some testing while it occurs. What ever her case, I hope that your daughter feels some relief and healing soon.
M. in Billings

Hi S.,
Did your doctor mention testing for a gluten intolerance? It can cause stomach pains www.celiac.org to check out symptoms. It's typically mis-diagnosed.

L.

My daughter just turned 6, she has had CT scans exrays, and all the other test normal for stomach pains, we are now being referred to a GI specialist, but they say the most likely cause is growing pains in the stomach, I thought this really weird, but after much research on the internet, most signs are pointing to growing pains. Hope your daughter gets better real soon. Florida

Have been going through the stomach ache thing with my 10 year old for weeks now. Took her to the doctor and she was all plugged up even though she would tell me that she had a bowl movement. I guess not enough. We did a whole day with Milk of Magnesia and she seems to be feeling better. We are going to do another day when there is no school to follow just to make sure that she is flushed out. Doctor said more vegetables which we have been slacking on. So check her diet and maybe try the Milk. We either had the ache in the mornning or just before bed.

Hi S. - here's a couple of ideas. Is she complaining of burning in her stomach or bowel pain? She might be having heartburn that only gets her when she lays down. My son deals with that. If she is having lower tummy pain, she might have an impacted area which is basically where normal fecal matter becomes rock hard and is difficult to pass. She could still be having bowel movements and have an impacted area. The x-ray is about the only way to diagnose that. You would think though that an impaction would hurt all the time, not just at night.