Questions in the Maternal and Child Health Forum have been answered by doctors from Henry Ford Health System.

Question Title: 10 yr.old with upper GI pain

Forum: The Maternal and Child Health Forum
Topic: Childhood Disease


Help! My 10 yr. old daughter has been experiencing upper GI pain,behind the breast bone area,and esophagus for 2 yrs.It is a burning pain that comes on about 9 pm. lasts through the nite and into mid morning.Blood and stool tests,ultrasound,24-hr PH,upper GI,and HIDAscan all appear normal.She has been on 40MG Prilosec,10MG dicyclomine Zantac,and Pepcid,ect.all with negitive results.Psychologically,she is bright, well adjusted and well liked both by her peers and teachers.Home life is stable. She misses 3 to 4 days of school a wk.
Miscellaneous history: She has developed mild asthma the last 2 yrs.Orange juice causes painfull bladder spasms.She has grown 5 ins. in 7 mons.and has a good appetite when not in pain.She weighs 90 lbs.Diet restictions from milk products etc. had no affect.
when she was 4 mos. old ,she was exposed to fiberglass insulation.This coused her to pass digested blood in her stools and vomit blood over a 2 days,befor we discovered the cause.Her GI Dr.does not believe that this is a contributing factor.
When she experiences pain,her face goes pale and dark circles appear under her eyes, she becomes lethargec.Pain is sometimes accompanied with vomiting,this does not bring any relief.
As a mom I am desprate to get help for my daughter Emily. Anything you can offer me in the way of direction etc. would be grae appreciated.
Sincerely, Peggy Butcher


Your daughter’s GI Dr. will continue to be the best resource for identification of your daughter’s condition.
(If it looks like a horse…… )the description is quite calssical of esophageal irritation which may or may not be related to GERD . You did not mention if the heart burn ( sensation ) occurs when your child is in a lying down position ( nocturnal dyspepsia being typical in the recumbent position ) is typical of esophagitis , due to irritation/inflammation of the esophagus by acid reflux from the stomach . If the upper GI mentioned was not an endoscopic examination of the esophagus and stomach , then that maybe warranted . If your daughter suffers from dysphagia ( difficulty in the swallowing process of solids ) as well as heart burn , esophageal manometry can check out the variations in esophageal motility that may occasionally contribute to the above symptoms .

Thank you
Disclaimer : this information is for educational purposes only . Please consult your physician for your health management .




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