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7yr Old with IBS-C, please help me to help her!

10K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Robsmama 
#1 ·
Hi to everyoneIve just found this forum whilst browsing, and am hoping for any helpful advice please. After 3 months of abdominal pains every single day, my 7 year old daughter has this week been diagnosed with ibs-c. Initially I was relieved it wasnt anything more serious and just glad to finally have a diagnosis after a very stressful 3 months. However im still just as frustrated as I know its early days, but I just dont have a clue how to help her. She drinks 2 probiotic drinks everyday, and she is also taking 2 movicol everyday, opening her bowels regular this last week, but she is still having real bad abdominal pains. This is the case every single morning, also throughout the day, every evening, and sometimes through the night its real bad and wakes her up. This is really getting me down, because I feel so useless because I just cant seem to help her with these tummy cramps, she has lost weight, and shes already only a tiny frame. The only food that I am certain that really irritates her is white bread, so obviously we avoid it now, but she is in pain so much, and after every single meal, that I just do not know where to start on identifying foods that irritate her. I try to give her a healthy diet, but I dont have a clue on what foods to avoid, or is this an individual thing.....I mean different foods irritate different people. Please can anyone help or advise me, I dont think I can bare to see her like this much more and not be able to help her, this is so cruel and I didnt realise that IBS was so bad, as I dont know anyone else who has it. This is really driving me crazy. I could cope if she was unwell once or twice a week, but this is day in, day out, its affecting her sleep and mine too, and im feeling pretty desperate at the moment. I would be so very greatful for any tips or advice, please remember she is just 7 though, when giving suggestions for any medicines. Thanks in advancebekky
 
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#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
Diet tends to be very individual, so it is hard to make a good guess, but somethings can help.I'll stick with the more natural things as she is a young kid.Peppermint often helps with tummy cramps so you might see if she will drink peppermint tea (especially in the place of something carbonated which can increase gas) you can do it as a hot tea or as iced tea.Some depends on how gassy it make her but raw, juice, dried fruits of particular types tend to loosen up the stools (but the sorbitol that helps to move the stools may also increase gas so it depends on how any person does with it). Apples, pears, peaches, plums and cherries are the usual fruits used to help loosen things up (or only eaten if canned or cooked if you tend to diarrhea and want to get rid of the sorbitol).You might also look at fiber, so higher fiber breads (if she tolerates whole wheat better than processed wheat) or whole grains rather than processed/white grains. Kids sometimes won't eat brown bread so you could try a whole grain white wheat as you get a bit more fiber, but the wheat used is light/white when ground instead of a darker brown.Take a look at any multivitamins you give her, if you are doing that. Calcium tends to constipate, so you might need to add a bit of extra magnesium. Usually if you have 1 mg of magnesium for every 2 mgs of calcium that balances out the constipating vs stool loosening effects.Also IBSers often do better with smaller more frequent meals, so she might do better and be able to eat more over the course of the day if you do mini-meals (so beef up snacks) and let her eat more often than most people usually tend to do. If you don't want to up food prep time (as that can be time consuming) things like set up lunch so she can eat half at lunch and half after school, then split dinner up so she eats some at dinner and some a couple of hours later. It can be the same food for a couple of mini meals so things that reheat well, or are easy to eat half of (like cut the sandwich in half) can sometimes mean more meals without a lot of extra time.
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
I agree with everything above, though I tend to avoid ice cold drinks.I also find that IBS is not just food related. Mental stress and high emotions can attribute to the problem or even trigger a pain attack for me. I think it's difficult with children, because it's better if you can take ownership of your illness yourself. With that I suggest giving her a food diary, so that she can record what she eats and when. And then record when and how it effects her. This will help you keep a look out for patterns in her diet as well as making her feel like she is or can be in control.Also talk to her about her symptoms a lot and how she feels about it. I think one of the greatest diseases sometimes is the secrecy surrounding people who suffer from IBS.Edit: If you're in the UK they tend to prescribe Mebeverine (though not sure if children can have it).
 
#4 ·
Hi Kathleen and MoppyThankyou both very much for taking the time to post to me, and especially for being so informative Kathleen. I have made a note of everything you have said.I dont give my daughter carbonated drinks, so that's one thing I dont need to think about. I did try her with a peppermint drink recently to see if it helped with her tummy cramps, but she really didnt like the taste, so do you know of any other drinks for the cramps that she could try? I suppose this is going to be a challenge on finding what's right and what works for my daughter, just seems a daunting task, more so because I have actually kept a diary of her food and symptoms since mid october, and other than being very distressed after bread and pasta, she has tummy cramps after everything she eats, just noticably worse after the bread and pasta. I am hoping that now she has actually been diagnosed this week, and taking movicol everyday, that within a few weeks her bad tummys improve, maybe then I will be able to see a clearer picture of what real irritates her. Not sure if im making sense LOL, but correct me if you think I am wrong. I will certainly try her with the high fibre bread. I have recently read to that linseed and isphagia(not sure if spelling is right), can help from the herbal shop....have either of you tried these yourselves? And do you know if they are ok for children to take? I dont think mental srength and high emotions are an issue for my daughter at present moppy, although I think I know what you mean. Before this, my daughter was just a normal fun loving 7 year old, the only thing that really bothers her, is the fact that she may miss school on her worse days, because she absolutley refuses to miss school! Thankyou both very much I really do appreciate your advice, and hope I can lessen my girls symptoms soon
 
#5 ·
I would go to your GP and ask him/her if there is something that they can give your daughter to help with pain and also maybe there is someone they can refer your daughter to to help with the food stuffs.That is a difficult to do on your own and you have to be careful with your daughter only being seven and of a small frame.Take care.
 
#6 ·
Hi bekky!Ginger teas and drinks are also good, but can also be an acquired taste. The best thing I've ever found is soy milk. First thing after I clear my bowels I'll down some soy milk. The chocolate variety tastes great and is a great stomach settler even if I'm feeling nauseous. Also replace dairy milk with plain soy milk in all your cooking. I also eat a lot of rice with apple sauce. Fills me up, doesn't give me cramps and the apple sauce helps jazz in up a bit.I've found that some gentle yoga positions help relieve cramps as well as help you stay relaxed and there's acupressure points on the hips and wrist that your daughter can learn to press herself to relieve nausea and pain.Hope this helps!
 
#7 ·
BekkyI read this from my phone the other day and God I thought someone was resending the post I made a few months back except that my daughter is 8. This has been going on night after night with us since August BUT I want to tell you what we have done and hopefully this helps...1) Had an endoscopy and colonoscopy done (this was after many weeks of horrible nightly pain) and found she is also very lactose intolerant but NOT gluten intolerant/celiac (based on some things you said - I would have her tested for this and also the fiber bread and stuff would only make it worse). My dauaghter was prescibed Lomitol and Bentyl and neither touched the pain and lo and behold both have LACTOSE in them UGH.2) I had a doctor give her a 2 week prescription for an antibotic for a 'stomach infection'. called Flagyl. He prescribed this for 2 weeks and then 2 weeks of acidopholus - only then did this nightly hysteria dramatically decrease. I personally have IBS D - so I totally believe in IBS and its weird behavior and constraints BUT my GI also could tell when it was my IBS versus some type of other gastro illness. My daughers seemed to crop up after a trip to California - which made me wonder if she had some kind of bad bacteria in her belly.3) A neurologist told us she might also have stomach migraines (abdominal migraines) or actually have this instead of IBS- common in children as well4) She also takes magnesium every day and several other supplements as prescribed by a homeopathic/naturalist doctor - the amount and level has decreased dramatically since she has had the antibiotic - basically she takes the magnesium to keep regular.5) She takes a prilosec before dinner each night to help with digestion.6) Looming on the horizon is either an antidepressant not because of anxiety but because of stomach issues (antidepressant works on serotonin which is primarily in the belly) or a beta blocker for the abdominal migraines if that is the case ---- this is meant for my daughter not yours but FYIPersonally, I would test for lactose intolerance and celiac/gluten intolerance. I would get her on something that keeps her regular. I would insist on the antibiotic 'route' and then I would have her diet be very very basic for at least a week and then build up from there.
 
#8 ·
Hi Diane, moppy &srhackettThankyou all for you your posts, your all being very helpful and im greatful. Diane, My GP did prescribe Buscopan 2 weeks before my daughters diagnosis of ibs, but they didnt seem to help, and the Doctor who actually made the diagnosis said to me that "he would not give them to children", so im a bit worried about giving her any anti-spasmodics now. Would you know of an alternative?I will definatly be asking to be referred to a proffessional who can help, with the food...possibly a dietician, do you think? She has hardly eaten anything today:(Moppy, thanks for the extra advice, ive noted it all, and plan to try her with the soy milk!!Srharket,thanks so much for the advice, its just awful to see our children suffering with this at such a young age. Sounds like your daughter has also had a rough time
My daughter has had lots of blood tests, 2 stool tests also, been admitted to hospital as the pain was so bad and she looked so unwell, but she was sent home the next day with no answers. She also had a scan of her kidneys and liver, which all looked fine, also been tested for coileac, and we even tried a gluten free diet, even though the coileac test was negative. In the last 3 months, she has been treated for urine infections, kidney stones,stomach ulcer, the list goes on, but these treatments were based on her symptoms and not actual test results, I feel she has been a bit of a "guinea pig".I am happy after all this time to finally have a diagnosis, but that only solves half the problem, she is in discomfort whatever she eats. Its got to the point today, she wouldnt eat her breakfast, wasted most of her lunch at school and also turned away from her tea-time meal, so I think she is now afraid to eat, so I think another visit to the GP is neccessary this week.If you dont mind me asking.....how was your daughter after the endoscopy and colonoscopy? Sounds like the antibiotics did really help your daughter!! I will also ask my GP about prescribing Prilosec, I am glad your daughters symptoms have improved, and thanks very much for all the info and advice
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Moppy, thanks for the extra advice, ive noted it all, and plan to try her with the soy milk!!
bekky soy is very toxic that includes soy milk. it will make your daughter go through an early puberty and many other bad things.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjZs0DGW1Jkbekky try geting your daughter raw grass fed pasture raised milk it is very good and completely 100% different than factory raised grain fed pasturized milk.here is a link on where to find some.http://www.realmilk.com/where.htmleven if your daughter is lactose intolerant she can still drink full fat raw milk. thats why it truly is 100% different.Edit: also i would like to add don't be upset with the people that recommended soy milk to you. the soy industry has worked very hard at spreading lies and deceived many into thinking its a health food.
 
#9 ·
Hello BekkyYour poor wee daughter,i understand why you are so worried.You would think the GP could prescribe something that would help ease your daughters pain,they are supposed to know what is suitable for children.Maybe you could ask in the Pharmacy if there is anything they can suggest would be okay for her to take or in a Holland and Barrett store.I would imagine it would be a Dietician that you would be referred to or maybe it would be one that is part of a childrens hospital somewhere near you.I would ask the GP about that as well.Take care.
 
#10 ·
I am so sorry to learn your little one is having so many difficulties.Below is an article which may be helpful to you... if after all the tests, diets and supplements, still nothing is helping your little one, you may want to consider a program specifically developed for children with IBS and chronic abdominal pain - pain that is not explained by any other disease, and that does not respond to any treatments or hospital visits. It can also be used alongside any other treatments. The program also helps the child with being able to stay in school and manage their pain - in most cases, greatly reduce it or eliminate it. This is the IBS Audio Program 60 for Children - and has had some very good results. Though the program gives a guideline of age 8 - 13, it can be used with younger children, and parents are part of the process.It works to 'rewire' the miscommunication between the brain and the gut, as well as helping the child reduce pain and motility issues (constipation and/or diarrhea). Clinical trials have shown it to be very effective, and there are absolutely no side effects at all. All children showed an increase in their overall well-being in addition to feeling better.Feel free to contact me if you have any questions as I am happy to help -This article discusses the reality of children's pain, as well as the use of guided imagery for Functional abdominal pain in children. The protocol discussed in the article is not readily available to the public, however, this affiliate program has proven to be very helpful with children having FAP:http://www.healthyau...dren?r=VmPRrcNkHere is the article:http://www.nytimes.c...3klass.htm?_r=118 and UnderA Prescription for Abdominal Pain: Due DiligenceBy PERRI KLASS, M.D.Published: November 22, 2010"For some reason people respect headaches," said Dr. Carlo Di Lorenzo, a leading pediatric gastroenterologist and a professor of clinical pediatrics at Ohio State. "I've never seen a parent or a pediatrician tell a child complaining of a headache, 'You don't have a headache - it's not real.' Bellyache is just as real as headache." Indeed it is. And recurrent abdominal pain in children is common, frustrating and often hard to explain. Consider a girl who came to the clinic for her 10-year physical exam. She gets these bellyaches, she told me. Had a bad one that week, but her stomach wasn't hurting right at the moment. She'd been treated for constipation; she'd been tested for celiac disease and other problems. Every blood and stool test over the two years since the pain began was completely normal. One night the bellyache was so bad she went to the emergency room - and her abdominal X-rays were normal as well. The diagnostic term for this common and perplexing condition is "functional abdominal pain": recurrent stomachaches, as the American Academy of Pediatrics put it in 2005, with no "anatomic, metabolic, infectious, inflammatory or neoplastic disorder" to explain them. When I was a resident, we often smirked when we spoke of functional abdominal pain, treating it as a code for a troublesome patient, dubious symptoms or an anxious family. But recent research suggests we were too biomedically narrow in our thinking. Scientists are coming to understand that abdominal pain is transmitted by a specialized nervous system that may be hypersensitive or hyperactive in some children. Studies in which researchers inflated balloons in children's intestines suggested that those with functional abdominal pain might be unusually sensitive to any distension on the inside. "We think in terms of a biological-psychological-social model" for pain, said Dr. Joel R. Rosh, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Goryeb Children's Hospital in Morristown, N.J., and an associate professor of pediatrics at New Jersey Medical School. "When a child says, 'My belly hurts,' what drives me crazy is people say, 'No it, doesn't.' "Why would people say that? You're feeling something! How much is biological, how much is psychological, how much is social?" The improved understanding of how such pain develops - and can be treated - has changed the ways that pediatricians look at the problem, but it hasn't necessarily made it easier to take proper care of these children, to worry over them enough but not too much and, above all, to make them feel better. The problem may start with some initial insult, an infection or inflammation that may affect pain pathways in the child - and may also set up psychological patterns and anxieties in the child and response patterns and anxieties in the parent. And then the child continues to be extremely aware of sensations coming from the gastrointestinal tract, even when the initial illness is over. The challenge to the parents - passed on to the pediatrician - is how diligently these pains should be investigated, how many tests a child should be subjected to, how much money should be spent. "One thing fairly well established is that as soon as you make a referral to a subspecialist, cost increases by fivefold," Dr. Di Lorenzo said. "We're going to tend to do a lot more tests." The more anxious the parent, he said, the more tests may be done for reassurance. With the 10-year-old girl, I was trying hard not to refer her to a subspecialist. She was growing well, she didn't have celiac disease, she had none of the red flags that signal a need for a medical work-up. We suggested that she learn techniques to cope with her abdominal pain and maybe see a counselor to talk about anxiety. Her mother thought we meant the pain was imaginary. "The vast majority of data suggest that what helps the children is working with the brain more than working with the gut," Dr. Di Lorenzo said. "Hypnosis is clearly more effective than medication." And the medications that may work include those that work on the enteric nervous system (which uses serotonin as a neurotransmitter), so low doses of antidepressants are sometimes helpful with functional abdominal pain. Miranda A. L. van Tilburg, a psychologist who is assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina, was the lead author of a study published a year ago in Pediatrics, which showed good effects from a treatment called guided imagery. "We would give them therapeutic suggestions," Dr. van Tilburg said, "like imagining something in your hand that melts in your hand like butter and then you put it in your tummy and it makes it stronger, or imagine drinking your favorite drink and again the inside of your tummy is coated with this special layer." The children were sent home with CDs and instructions to practice the imagery regularly as a prevention strategy. Our patient said she didn't want to see any more doctors. She didn't want any more blood tests, and she didn't want tests she had heard about that involved tubes. Her mother didn't really want those tests either, since as she said, they never seemed to find anything wrong. Neither was enthusiastic about seeing a counselor, but they finally agreed. It's an appropriate strategy. "It's very disempowering to have this alien living in your belly," Dr. Rosh said. "How about if I learn that my belly doesn't have to run my life?" And how do you help doctors, parents and children get past the idea that functional abdominal pain is not "real," that a child doubled up with pain is faking it, that it's all in his head? "If it was all in his head, he'd have a headache," Dr. Rosh said. "Clearly there's something happening in his belly." [A version of this article appeared in print on November 23, 2010, on page D5 of the National edition..]
 
#13 ·
Hi,I have a three year old that has had sever stomach pain since birth. He has had 2 endoscopies done and these have provided us with lots of good info. Yes, they are invasive but they can rule out things like crohns and colitis. For our son we fou d out he does not produce enpugh lactase and maltase enzymes. So he is lactose i tolerant and does not digest starches well. Thanksnto a fabulpus GI (we have been to four) we also found out he has fructose malabsorption. This was diagnosed though a simple hydrogen breath test. He is now on a very limited diet but his sy ptoms are so much better. He no longer has diarreha or constipation on a regular basis, his stomach is no longer distended and best of all he hardly ecer complains of stomach pains. We werw also able to take himoff all medications whoch treated symptoms but were not treating the cause of the pain. I suggest you see a good GI and have her testetd for lactose intolerance and fructose malabsoption through Breath test and consider and edoscopy. Hope thisnhelps and best of luck. I know it can be horrible to see your child inpain and feel you cant do much about it.
 
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