Toddler vomiting episodes w/ bile

I have a 22 month-old son who, over the past several months, has had episodes of vomiting that occur when ever he is asleep.   The episodes usually occur on a weekend and not during the week.  It was occurring about 4-5 weeks in a row but had subsided recently until he had another vomiting episode this last weekend.  

This last episode was typical of the others.  He awoke at around 2 am and started coughing.  I went to his room and he had vomited in his bed.  The vomit looked like pretty well digested food.  He then vomited the rest of his food about 10 minutes later.  The vomiting continued throughout the night in about 15 minute intervals.  Subsequent vomiting was primarily dry-heaves which turned to vomiting of yellow/green bile by around 5 am.  Every time he vomited you could see his stomach really tighten up.  At around 5 am he had a couple of episodes of diarrhea that was very runny.  The diarrhea also continued the next day as well.  After he started the diarrhea the vomiting seemed to subside which is typical of the previous episodes.

The vomiting followed by diarrhea seems to be a pattern.  He is also a picky eater and looking back he seems not to poop very much for a couple of days preceding the vomiting episodes.  Visits to our doctor and blood/stool tests have not indicated anything unusual.  Before this last episode our doctor mentioned that we could do an upper GI test.  But since he had not vomited for about a month we thought he was over it.  We had been giving him some acidophilus pills based upon advice from family, but had run out about a week before this last episode.  The acidophilus pills seems to have helped him go to the bathroom a little better.  We also have switched to serving him eggs to cereal for breakfast which seems to help his digestion.

Any advice on what this problem could be and how we should proceed?  My wife is hesitant about the upper GI test since he is already terrified of doctors after a recent visit to the ER.  We are hoping he grows out of it but we don't want to ignore something that could be more serious.

Thanks in advance for your advice and opinions.







This discussion is related to Vomiting Liver Bile.

[wpteacher]

I just wanted to tell you that my 21 month old daughter is doing the same thing.  Vomiting every weekend for the past 4 weeks.  If you find out anything, pleas let me know.  
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[stephb70]

My daughter is having this same problem, only the diarhea (diarrhea) comes first.  When she gets diarhea (diarrhea) I know she will be throwing at 3AM.  It has been happening for two months now.  A month ago my doctor said it was acid reflux. She took prilosec for about a week.  It seemed to work then started vomiting and diarhea (diarrhea) again.  The first episode two months ago she vomited all of her food.  Now, she only vomits yellow mucousy stuff.  Today her 2 episodes of diarhea (diarrhea) were light green and clumpy.  The third episode was like the clay color and clumpy.  Does anyone have any idea what this could be?  I believe I will take her to the ER

[patient915]

Please post your question as its own post because this one is so old.