[legzzalot]

DD (5) has serious sinus/ allergy problems. She has had them all of her life. For the last few weeks she has complained about a tummy ache. At first I was not too concerned about it because it was only when it was time to stop playing and come eat or at bed time, never when she was playing or having fun.

Now for the last couple of weeks EVERY night the child wakes up some time between 11 and 1 crying and telling me her tummy hurts. After a few minutes of talking to her each night (in the beginning) I discovered it was not so much a tummy ache as bad dreams. But after a few days it just became a tummy ache.

Last Thursday she came home with the stomach flu... Which she gave to me, so I know her tummy hurt her that day. Her Doc seems to think it may be cries for attention or her way to get out of doing things she doesn't want to do. She also thinks it may be from her sinus drainage because the change of seasons is here and she has been stopped up since the weather dropped.

Anyone else have these problems with small children? I don't want to ignore it if she really is hurting. Thinking about taking her for a second opinion with a new doc.

[SallyC]

Nothing worse than allergies for a kid at her age. Poor baby. Allergy meds maybe?

[Debbie D]

Wow...my heart hurts for her.
I don't like docs telling moms/dads that it's a cry for attention unless other things have been ruled out, like ulcers, gerd, sinus drainage, etc.
I'd investigate further. In the meantime, if she wakes up with a tummy ache, try to figure out if there's something you could give her to settle it. Would warm milk, or a glass of water, something like that help?
good luck...

[karousel]

I don't want to write a book, because I could so if you have any questions, let me know. If I can help you, I would like to.

Do not ignore your DD's stomach aches. Keep a log of what she is eating, when she complains and what's going on in her life (holidays, stress, sick). If her stomach aches continue, do not let her doctor tell you it's for attention. I know, I have been fighting this battle for four years.

My DD started complaining of stomach aches in first grade when she was 6. Her pediatrician told me it was her just wanting attention or it was stress. At first they were just once in a while but then over the years it became a daily thing and they got worse. She thought everyone's stomach hurt like this, she said she never knew what it was like to feel full or to feel hungry. It took a lot of fighting and pushing for us to get our answers. No one believed how bad her stomach hurt because she was not crying about it, including the night we took her to the ER. Like she said why would she cry if she is used to feeling the pain?

My DD did wake up in the evening, usually a few hours after going to bed, in pain. She was constantly drinking water during the night when she woke up. She was also eating peppermint or wintergreen mints constantly to help her with the pain.

What we found out after deligently pursuing this was my DD is lactose intolerant (we are working on reintroducing milk into her diet), is allergic to glycol (which is in shampoos, lotions, medicines), and has acid reflux and is on Nexium. It has been a long and painful journey for her but we are making progress. It took a long time for her to realize she was experiencing two different stomach aches - one because of too much milk and one because of acid reflux.

I am so happy to say she is no longer in pain. It was a long, slow process. If I (yes I, my DH thought she wasn't in that much pain either) hadn't believed in her and been so demanding she would still be in so much pain.

Your DD's stomach aches could be nothing or they could be something. My advice is to start tracking them now just in case they continue or are re-occurring. Even if they stop, hold onto what you tracked just in case.

Oops, I wrote a book anyway, condensed version at least.

[legzzalot]

Thanks you guys. I am def. going o start tracking food. They did allergy testing when she was a baby because she was not going potty like she should and constantly crying, one doc said colic... the allergy doc said she was allergic to dairy and soy and grass, pollen, mold, cats, dogs, horses, most birds, dust, dust mites, and something else... It was a while ago. So we switched to special formulas, slowly introduced foods and as of 2 yrs ago when we did the allergy testing again it came back grass, pollen, and dust. Change of seasons always gets her. I know we switched to lactose free milk at home for me, but she is still drinking reg milk at school. They did an upper GI and found reflux then too.

Seeing as we are on our 3rd set of tubes in her ears, and the sinus thing continues... I don't think we should ignore a stomach ache. I thoguht the sinus meds may have been what was causing the tummy thing so I stopped all of her meds for 10 days... poor thing just ended up with another sinus infection, and still had the tummy thing.

I just hate the idea of putting her through all of that testing again!

[tkrik]

Just some thoughts . . .

Seasonal allergies can cause a stomach ache. Taking an antihistamine does help. DD18 and I have terrible allergies and both get sore stomachs when they are really bad.

Post nasal drip from the infection can definitely be causing her upset stomach. I have experienced that one many times over. A little bit of yogurt (plain) really helps.

While she may not be allergic to milk, she may be allergic to the grass the cows are eating. This is not uncommon and since she is allergic to grass that could be the culprit. Take her off milk for a few a week and see what happens. The additional benefit will be less mucus for her as milk tends to produce more mucus.

Does she have asthma at all? DD18 does and her complaining of an upset stomach was a precursor to an attack.

I do hope she starts feeling better soon. Give her hugs from her NT friends.

[karousel]

Sounds like your daughter has gone through a lot so my book wasn't anything new for you!! I hope her tummy feels better soon.

[kicker]

Karousel has good advice. Doctors are not always right, especially in behaviors, often saying "a bid for attention or avoidance behavior" This IS not their area of expertise. Rely on what YOU think. You know the history, you know the child best.

[Dejibo]

Also, stress of just plain old not feeling well, and not sleeping well can wear on you. Dont EVER let an MD tell you "its just a cry for attention" well DUH Dumbo! if your tummy hurt every night, you would want attention too!

I used to put a dab of lavender oil on my child hand, the back side of their hands. I used to tell them stories, and asked that while I was reading to "smell" the dot of fairy dust or monster repelant or whatever you want to name it, until it goes away. This causes the child to deep breathe, which causes them to relax, and the focus on that dot is a form of meditation. Before you know it, they are fast asleep. The lavender oil helps induce sleep, and relaxation in the brain.

My son used to be afraid of monsters at night, so we made a "monster away spray" it was lavender oil, water, and love. We would spray the closet, and the circle around the bed. no monster can get past that stuff! Then we would read and sniff till he fell asleep.

The DD wanted fairies to come play in her dreams, so we made some "come stay fairie spray" and even tho the same thing, it helped her look forward to sleep.

A food diary is a great thing! Having tummy cramps is miserable, and i would be ticked off if I went to an MD who told me I just wanted attention. You BET i want attention! I want my tummy to stop hurting!

Give her a gentle hug from us

[Hockey]

Kick your doctor to the curb!!!!

Never listen to a doctor who dismisses a child's pain as "a cry for attention." I heard that nonsense until I insisted on seeing a specialist who ran actual tests and discovered that my dear baby had been in agony from a real, actual condition!

Besides, how many of us heard the adult version, "it's all in your head," before we found doctors smart enough to figure out what was actually wrong?

If your doctor really believes that your child is having stress related symptoms (say from bullying at school), he/she should be referring you to a child psychologist. I doubt that's what's going on here, but it never hurts to ask teachers, babysitters, etc... if they've noticed any problems.

Good luck. I know how hard it is to watch your child suffer.