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DAILY STOMACH PAIN/NAUSEA?
My son is being treated for autonomic dysfunction. He is taking fludrocortisone for the dizziness. Every day since February, he has had stomach pain and/or nausea in varying degrees. His cardiologist is telling me this is not part of the autonomic dysfunction, but I've read these symptoms can be caused by autonomic dysfunction. He has already been seen by a GI doctor, who couldn't find anything wrong. So he sent us to a psychologist, who told us, after having several sessions with him, that his symptoms were physical.
As the day goes on, his symptoms become less and by evening he is usually functional. If he stays up all night, he won't be sick in the morning. When he does go to sleep, he will wake up sick. They thought he might have been trying to get out of going to school, which I doubted, and since he has still been sick for summer break and hasn't been going out or hanging out with friends the school thing is completely false.
He has also tried every over the counter anti-nausea medication and several prescriptions and none of them helped at all.
Is daily stomach pain and nausea symptoms of autonomic dysfunction?
As the day goes on, his symptoms become less and by evening he is usually functional. If he stays up all night, he won't be sick in the morning. When he does go to sleep, he will wake up sick. They thought he might have been trying to get out of going to school, which I doubted, and since he has still been sick for summer break and hasn't been going out or hanging out with friends the school thing is completely false.
He has also tried every over the counter anti-nausea medication and several prescriptions and none of them helped at all.
Is daily stomach pain and nausea symptoms of autonomic dysfunction?
I have fairly similar symptoms. I also have nausea, dizziness, migraines and stomach pain. My nausea, dizziness and migraines are constant, but the stomach pain is intermittent. I was diagnosed with pots 2 months ago and also take fludrocortisone. I've had the same experience with ineffective nausea mediicne and migraine medicine. Even iv infusions fail to provide me with relief.
The only main difference is I had my gall bladder removed in July 08 and remnants and gall stones removed last May. I have since been diagnosed with post cholesystectomy syndrome, which means I have intermittent sharp pains in my gall bladder area.
I too have insomnia; last week I began taking trazadone which actually helps a lot. Definitely ask the sleep doctor about it, I know a lot of other children who take it and have had success with it. When I first became sick I was like your son in that my symptoms were always worse in the morning. Doctors have never figured out why though. I hope they do in his case!
My cardiologist told me that some patients with autonomic dysfunction have abdominal pain, but it is difficult to determine that the two are legitimately related.
Good luck in St Louis and keep us updated
The only main difference is I had my gall bladder removed in July 08 and remnants and gall stones removed last May. I have since been diagnosed with post cholesystectomy syndrome, which means I have intermittent sharp pains in my gall bladder area.
I too have insomnia; last week I began taking trazadone which actually helps a lot. Definitely ask the sleep doctor about it, I know a lot of other children who take it and have had success with it. When I first became sick I was like your son in that my symptoms were always worse in the morning. Doctors have never figured out why though. I hope they do in his case!
My cardiologist told me that some patients with autonomic dysfunction have abdominal pain, but it is difficult to determine that the two are legitimately related.
Good luck in St Louis and keep us updated
I went through exactly these symptoms as a teenager!
I would go to sleep at night feeling fine, and wake up in agony. I would often vomit so often it became part of my normal morning routine! When I woke complaining of stomach pain my parents thought I was trying to get out of school. I didn't mind school except I couldn't keep up with everyone because of the constant pain. I ended up taking an eggcup full of medications each morning just to keep me going - including antidepressants such as Prozac. I hated it!
I went from doctor to doctor, and all the scans and tests (including gastroenterologists, endocinologists, psychologists - and just about every ologist you can think of!) For 3 years I was in and out of hospital having tests run...no answer.
At age 21 I started getting severe vomiting and diarrhoea episodes with extreame weightloss and was unable to work. Despite going to doctors and hospital, being prodded and poked and having all the scans and tests imaginable - it all came back clear.
I ended up working out the problem myself by process of elimination. I am highly allergic to wheat. It is not clear whether this is connected to the dysautonomia (which I was diagnosed with 10 years later, at age 31), but it is definately connected to the morning stomach pains.
Take a look at what your son eats from day to day - how much of it contains wheat (ie anything with flour - such as bread, pasta, gravy, hidden ingredients)
The build up of wheat happens during the day. The liver then digests proteins and releases enzymes between midnight and 2am during deep sleep pattern. If your body is unable to digest the wheat proteins (such as gluten - though not the only culprit) this results in pain and nausea on waking.
I got to the point where I was so sick in the mornings I would skip breakfast and not eat a thing until lunch. Not surprisingly, by lunchtime I was feeling better, but then the sandwich, and dinner of normally pasta or other wheat containing food would not digest over night - and the cycle started again.
You might want to get your son to have an allergy test done (skin scrape testing). Though for me, this didn't seem to show much.
Other option - cut wheat out of his diet completely for 2-3months and see if it helps.
It may be a gluten allergy or wheat allergy. Gluten is a protein of wheat - though it is not necessarily the only culprit. I can eat a bit of gluten, but NO wheat. Even the smallest amount causes problems.
(NOTE Gluten free = wheat free, Wheat free not necessarily Gluten free.)
Don't know his age - but something to watch for as he gets older - beer contains wheat and can cause verbal and visual hallucinations with even small amounts (no, not drunkeness, but schitzophrenic like symptoms).
I had these hallucinations with normal wheat exposure through diet - and was worried I was getting schitzophrenia. It completely resolved when I cut all wheat out of diet, and I can't even tolerate a sip of beer. Wine and spirits are fine - but not beer.
I recently found out my cousin is schitzophrenic - and he eats a lot of wheat, and the only alcohol he drinks is beer. I've told them about the genetic link - but he doesn't want to acknowledge he has a problem.
It is easier to prevent it and control it from when they are younger, and you still control their diet - once they are adults, it is out of your hands.
Good luck!
I would go to sleep at night feeling fine, and wake up in agony. I would often vomit so often it became part of my normal morning routine! When I woke complaining of stomach pain my parents thought I was trying to get out of school. I didn't mind school except I couldn't keep up with everyone because of the constant pain. I ended up taking an eggcup full of medications each morning just to keep me going - including antidepressants such as Prozac. I hated it!
I went from doctor to doctor, and all the scans and tests (including gastroenterologists, endocinologists, psychologists - and just about every ologist you can think of!) For 3 years I was in and out of hospital having tests run...no answer.
At age 21 I started getting severe vomiting and diarrhoea episodes with extreame weightloss and was unable to work. Despite going to doctors and hospital, being prodded and poked and having all the scans and tests imaginable - it all came back clear.
I ended up working out the problem myself by process of elimination. I am highly allergic to wheat. It is not clear whether this is connected to the dysautonomia (which I was diagnosed with 10 years later, at age 31), but it is definately connected to the morning stomach pains.
Take a look at what your son eats from day to day - how much of it contains wheat (ie anything with flour - such as bread, pasta, gravy, hidden ingredients)
The build up of wheat happens during the day. The liver then digests proteins and releases enzymes between midnight and 2am during deep sleep pattern. If your body is unable to digest the wheat proteins (such as gluten - though not the only culprit) this results in pain and nausea on waking.
I got to the point where I was so sick in the mornings I would skip breakfast and not eat a thing until lunch. Not surprisingly, by lunchtime I was feeling better, but then the sandwich, and dinner of normally pasta or other wheat containing food would not digest over night - and the cycle started again.
You might want to get your son to have an allergy test done (skin scrape testing). Though for me, this didn't seem to show much.
Other option - cut wheat out of his diet completely for 2-3months and see if it helps.
It may be a gluten allergy or wheat allergy. Gluten is a protein of wheat - though it is not necessarily the only culprit. I can eat a bit of gluten, but NO wheat. Even the smallest amount causes problems.
(NOTE Gluten free = wheat free, Wheat free not necessarily Gluten free.)
Don't know his age - but something to watch for as he gets older - beer contains wheat and can cause verbal and visual hallucinations with even small amounts (no, not drunkeness, but schitzophrenic like symptoms).
I had these hallucinations with normal wheat exposure through diet - and was worried I was getting schitzophrenia. It completely resolved when I cut all wheat out of diet, and I can't even tolerate a sip of beer. Wine and spirits are fine - but not beer.
I recently found out my cousin is schitzophrenic - and he eats a lot of wheat, and the only alcohol he drinks is beer. I've told them about the genetic link - but he doesn't want to acknowledge he has a problem.
It is easier to prevent it and control it from when they are younger, and you still control their diet - once they are adults, it is out of your hands.
Good luck!
I just read your post about gall bladder surgery...
I forgot to mention in my last post...all the wheat allergy symptoms became so much worse after I had my gall bladder removed.
I had all the symptoms I mentioned in last post all teenage years, at age 21 had gall bladder removed, then had increased pain and nausea, particularly in morning.
It was at this point I worked out what was going on...hmm, maybe dysautonomia and wheat allergy are connected? You may wish to try this yourself (may mean you don't have to take so many meds...hey, worked for me...)
I forgot to mention in my last post...all the wheat allergy symptoms became so much worse after I had my gall bladder removed.
I had all the symptoms I mentioned in last post all teenage years, at age 21 had gall bladder removed, then had increased pain and nausea, particularly in morning.
It was at this point I worked out what was going on...hmm, maybe dysautonomia and wheat allergy are connected? You may wish to try this yourself (may mean you don't have to take so many meds...hey, worked for me...)
I just wondered if you'd looked at the possibility of a link between the stomach pain/nausea and the fludrocortisone? It can cause stomach irritation in people who have sensitive stomachs. I have a similar problem with both dludrocortisone and prednisone, and probably any other steroids.
I'm so sorry your son is going through this. I think it's bad enough to be sick like this myself, but it would be so much worse if it were my daughter going through this. Having a sick kid has to be the hardest thing for a mom to go through.
Good luck, and I hope you get some answers soon!
I'm so sorry your son is going through this. I think it's bad enough to be sick like this myself, but it would be so much worse if it were my daughter going through this. Having a sick kid has to be the hardest thing for a mom to go through.
Good luck, and I hope you get some answers soon!
I agree with Halbashes that a Gastric Emptying test would be a good idea. Many cardiologists seem to forget that autonomic nerves affect so much more than just BP and pulse. It's not at all difficult to do a gastic emptying. Your son just sits and eats toast and an egg, then lays down for about1.5 hours while they watch the food go through. I have delayed gastric emptying, and often had stomach problems at night, because whatever I ate from about 7 pm on just sat in my stomach all night. If it sits there long enough, it starts rotting, which causes a lot of bloating and terrible smelling gas. I can no longer eat most fruits and veggies, high fiber cereal and granola, because the nerves are no longer there to tell my stomach to move the food through. Talk to your doctor about testing for this. You also might consider what your son eats through the day, especially in the evening. I know it sounds crazy and unhealthy, but you might want to try short term to make sure he doesn't get a lot of fruit, veggies, popcorn, high fiber pasta, etc. in the evening for a few hours before bed. That may make a difference.
I don't think it is the Fludrocortisone. He didn't start taking that until 2 months ago. He has had the daily stomach issues since February.
Today was supposed to be his first day of school as a freshman, and he is sick in bed! It can be very frustrating and exhausting. He takes it in stride though, so, I try not to show him my frustrations.
Today was supposed to be his first day of school as a freshman, and he is sick in bed! It can be very frustrating and exhausting. He takes it in stride though, so, I try not to show him my frustrations.
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