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My 3yr old has chronic diarhea
I'm so worried for my 3yr old son. He's had diarrhea daily, since he was 18 mths. I breastfed my son till he was 6 months.
-At 18 mths, he suddely develops watery diarrhea
-Keep him hydrated and remove milk products
-No improvement after a week, see doctor. Dr says to put him back on all foods.
-Week 3, i go back go GP. He takes stool sample for parasites.
-Stool samples come back negative.
-Meanwhile, his stools thicken to about the same texture as cake batter. It has not changed since.
-Find a pediatrician and start stool and blood tests. Dr also weighs my child and starts a chart on his growth and weight.
-2nd stool tests come back negative but blood test show slight anemia.
-Dr. wants my boy to be tested for cystic fibrosis, since he is not putting on weight. This is really getting very scary. Fist and only significent weight gain this time, 3lbs in 2 months.
-Negative for CF. Next test is for Gluten. This also comes back negative. His anemia is gone.
-He has trouble combatting infection for ears, sinus and lungs.
-Last visit with Dr. Hasn't gained an ounce of weight in the last 5 months. Now scheduled to see a pediatric gastroenterologist and our Dr said the faster, the better.
-Since he can express himself, says his belly hurts sometimes and points around the navel.
-No other child at his daycare has this.
-Removing foods has not changed his stools.
-He eats well and everything.
-No other family member has this.
-He is a happy energetic child.
-Where r we going with this?
-What am i to expect with gastroenterologist?
I'm a real worried mom
-At 18 mths, he suddely develops watery diarrhea
-Keep him hydrated and remove milk products
-No improvement after a week, see doctor. Dr says to put him back on all foods.
-Week 3, i go back go GP. He takes stool sample for parasites.
-Stool samples come back negative.
-Meanwhile, his stools thicken to about the same texture as cake batter. It has not changed since.
-Find a pediatrician and start stool and blood tests. Dr also weighs my child and starts a chart on his growth and weight.
-2nd stool tests come back negative but blood test show slight anemia.
-Dr. wants my boy to be tested for cystic fibrosis, since he is not putting on weight. This is really getting very scary. Fist and only significent weight gain this time, 3lbs in 2 months.
-Negative for CF. Next test is for Gluten. This also comes back negative. His anemia is gone.
-He has trouble combatting infection for ears, sinus and lungs.
-Last visit with Dr. Hasn't gained an ounce of weight in the last 5 months. Now scheduled to see a pediatric gastroenterologist and our Dr said the faster, the better.
-Since he can express himself, says his belly hurts sometimes and points around the navel.
-No other child at his daycare has this.
-Removing foods has not changed his stools.
-He eats well and everything.
-No other family member has this.
-He is a happy energetic child.
-Where r we going with this?
-What am i to expect with gastroenterologist?
I'm a real worried mom
A related discussion, My IBS turned out to be parasites was started.
Well mommy reba...when my son started this diarreha at 18 months old...it began suddenly one day. The diarreha was completely watery and this lasted for over a week. Since then..the diarreha thickened to a consistancy that resembled
uncooked cake batter and stayed that way.
The gastro specialist said that this Infant Irritable Intestin usually begins this way as the first symptom. And he even thinks that a flu like bug might be the cause of the onset of this child disease. He did repeat several times that this disease DOES START TO REGRESS at around the age of 5...and then
slowly disapears without any longterm side effects.
For my sons care...i was able to take 6 months off work. But not because of the daycare. Infact...after the initial watery diarreha...they took my son back in their care and even encouraged me to keep on searching for his problem. Of course they don't accept a child who has an intestinal bug...but these bugs usually disappear in a week and the child can no longer infect the other children in the daycare. I can't believe your daycare hasn't been of any help for you! Get your child to see a docter and have him sign a paper that assures your daycare that your son is not infectious. It's a try!
I took 6 months off from work because of the many tests and dr appointments that was needed for my son. My boss did not accept my many absences from work. Also, the long months of diarreha, weakened my son and because of this he easily caught many bugs and was too sick to go to daycare everyday. I should return to work in january since my son seems to fight off the bugs a little better now. It is a very trying time for us moms, especially single parents like i, who have no other choice but to work. Thank God my employer accepted my 6 month leave and i am paid a portion of my regular salary...just enough to get by each week!
After being through all of this for the past 18 months...i can say that all the tests that my son went through, came out fine. He never had parasites or allergies. No matter how hard his pediatritian tried to diagnos him...he found nothing. It took a PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGIST to diagnos and name this disease.
So, let your doctor test your son, and if he finds nothing, then don't wait an extra minute and demand that he be seen by a pediatric specialist. The specialist will follow up on your child and if like mine, your child has low weight and growth (failure to thrive), due to the longterm diarreha, the doc will observe your child closely and intervene swiftly if he gets worse.
Good luck mommy reba and your little one. Keep me posted on your progress and if you have other questions, i will gladly answer as best i can.
uncooked cake batter and stayed that way.
The gastro specialist said that this Infant Irritable Intestin usually begins this way as the first symptom. And he even thinks that a flu like bug might be the cause of the onset of this child disease. He did repeat several times that this disease DOES START TO REGRESS at around the age of 5...and then
slowly disapears without any longterm side effects.
For my sons care...i was able to take 6 months off work. But not because of the daycare. Infact...after the initial watery diarreha...they took my son back in their care and even encouraged me to keep on searching for his problem. Of course they don't accept a child who has an intestinal bug...but these bugs usually disappear in a week and the child can no longer infect the other children in the daycare. I can't believe your daycare hasn't been of any help for you! Get your child to see a docter and have him sign a paper that assures your daycare that your son is not infectious. It's a try!
I took 6 months off from work because of the many tests and dr appointments that was needed for my son. My boss did not accept my many absences from work. Also, the long months of diarreha, weakened my son and because of this he easily caught many bugs and was too sick to go to daycare everyday. I should return to work in january since my son seems to fight off the bugs a little better now. It is a very trying time for us moms, especially single parents like i, who have no other choice but to work. Thank God my employer accepted my 6 month leave and i am paid a portion of my regular salary...just enough to get by each week!
After being through all of this for the past 18 months...i can say that all the tests that my son went through, came out fine. He never had parasites or allergies. No matter how hard his pediatritian tried to diagnos him...he found nothing. It took a PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGIST to diagnos and name this disease.
So, let your doctor test your son, and if he finds nothing, then don't wait an extra minute and demand that he be seen by a pediatric specialist. The specialist will follow up on your child and if like mine, your child has low weight and growth (failure to thrive), due to the longterm diarreha, the doc will observe your child closely and intervene swiftly if he gets worse.
Good luck mommy reba and your little one. Keep me posted on your progress and if you have other questions, i will gladly answer as best i can.
I hate to say this - but I was thrilled to find your problem on the internet because it sounds close to mine. My son is 17 months old and has had nasty diarhea for two weeks straight. The doctor has sent to have test done,early results say it's not viral and no blood in the stool, the remaining results won't be in before next week. As a working mom, if he has this irritable bowel syndrome, I've got a real problem. It's only been two weeks and I've already used most of my vacation days - my daycare will not take him if he has diarhea. Did your doctor indicate how long this would last? I hope your son is ok - let me know how long this is expected to last for you and if they did anything to help your little one.
I highly recommend Synergy made by the Awareness Corporation. It's the ONLY probiotic that has helped my daughter. I had her on Flora-more and she still had the gas and bloating and discomfort associated with blocked gas. Please research this item. The web-site to order it is Herbalhealthrx.com, also can ask any questions. The phone number is mountain standard time, so note the time difference.
Well...finally..after 18 months of diarheea symptoms and tests...i got a diagnosis by the pediatric gastrointerologiste from the childrens hospital in montreal.
Seems it is Infant Irritable Intestine Syndrome.
Kind old doctor said that during his career... he hasn't seen very many cases...it is kinda rare...but...all the test results and symptoms point directly to this disease.
Said it was not life threatening...(thank God!)
Seems that infants who have this disease...grow out of it at about the age of 5...that is why the word Infant is part of the disease name.
Specialist said that...of course...studying my childs weight and growth chart shows that he is in the 10 percentile range... and that is very low. (My 2 other boys were in the 75 to 90 percentile range when they were babies and toddlers.)
The doctor said that there is no treatment for this affliction and he does not intend to administer any kind of treatment for my son...unless of course...if his growth and weight falls below the 10 percentile range...wich would mean immediate medical help...since there is not much more beneath 10%....geeeeezzzzz!
But here is the weird part. During our consultation...my son had a bowel movement...and lo and behold...he had a perfectly normal stool in his diaper. What the heck?????....He hasn't had normal stool for 18 months...and today of all days...my child produces a very normal stinky stick...lolll...I was flaberghasted!
Must be a fluke...i thought. But tonite...he has a 2nd bowel movement...and...again...a very normal stool! Now...i just don't get it. Every single day...for 18 months...he has liquid diarheea...and now...today of all days...it's normal! (Mind you...i am not complaining...it is a very good sign...)...but isn't it weird???
So...we must wait it out...it seems. I hope that the diagnosis is exact and that he will outgrow this before the age of 5. He will still be carefully monitored every 2 months for his growth and signs of ill health.
I will keep you posted on his progress and thank you all for your helpfull comments. I will keep them in mind and am ready to research all of them if my son does not improve.
Seems it is Infant Irritable Intestine Syndrome.
Kind old doctor said that during his career... he hasn't seen very many cases...it is kinda rare...but...all the test results and symptoms point directly to this disease.
Said it was not life threatening...(thank God!)
Seems that infants who have this disease...grow out of it at about the age of 5...that is why the word Infant is part of the disease name.
Specialist said that...of course...studying my childs weight and growth chart shows that he is in the 10 percentile range... and that is very low. (My 2 other boys were in the 75 to 90 percentile range when they were babies and toddlers.)
The doctor said that there is no treatment for this affliction and he does not intend to administer any kind of treatment for my son...unless of course...if his growth and weight falls below the 10 percentile range...wich would mean immediate medical help...since there is not much more beneath 10%....geeeeezzzzz!
But here is the weird part. During our consultation...my son had a bowel movement...and lo and behold...he had a perfectly normal stool in his diaper. What the heck?????....He hasn't had normal stool for 18 months...and today of all days...my child produces a very normal stinky stick...lolll...I was flaberghasted!
Must be a fluke...i thought. But tonite...he has a 2nd bowel movement...and...again...a very normal stool! Now...i just don't get it. Every single day...for 18 months...he has liquid diarheea...and now...today of all days...it's normal! (Mind you...i am not complaining...it is a very good sign...)...but isn't it weird???
So...we must wait it out...it seems. I hope that the diagnosis is exact and that he will outgrow this before the age of 5. He will still be carefully monitored every 2 months for his growth and signs of ill health.
I will keep you posted on his progress and thank you all for your helpfull comments. I will keep them in mind and am ready to research all of them if my son does not improve.
I agree with what everyone else has said. Here are a few more thoughts for you to consider:
I'm very glad you will take your son to a pediatric GI doc. Your son's symptoms (the watery diarrhea, the belly-ache around the naval, etc.) should be recognized by a good GI doc, and maybe re-testing will show what the original tests didn't show.
I agree with the person who recommended PRO-BIOTICS to you. ACIDOPHILUS AND/OR BIFIDUS are beneficial EDIBLE bacteria(PROBIOTICS)that you can buy from a good health food store. Try to get a milk-free form, that is gluten free. Keep refrigerated.
I'm not a doctor, but I'm wondering if your son might have an intestinal infection, possibly. Probiotics can help, by destroying harmful bacteria, harmful viruses, and harmful yeasts.
I also urge you to put your son onto a GLUTEN-FREE DIET for a month (and milk-free, too), to see if this helps. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, oats, barley, & buckwheat. The tests for gluten sensitivity are not 100% foolproof. But, if your son gets better, by being on a gluten-free diet, you will know that he did have a problem with gluten!
Is your son's ancestry English, Irish, or Scandinavian? If yes, he is at a much higher risk for having Celiac Disease (a type of gluten intolerance). The usual risk is 1 child out of 150 children, but it's a higher risk in children of English (and areas near England), Irish, or Scandinavian ancestry.
I wish the best for your son. I hope the GI doc is a good one! Hang in there, and don't give up! Your son is lucky to have a caring mother!
Sincerely, Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com
I'm very glad you will take your son to a pediatric GI doc. Your son's symptoms (the watery diarrhea, the belly-ache around the naval, etc.) should be recognized by a good GI doc, and maybe re-testing will show what the original tests didn't show.
I agree with the person who recommended PRO-BIOTICS to you. ACIDOPHILUS AND/OR BIFIDUS are beneficial EDIBLE bacteria(PROBIOTICS)that you can buy from a good health food store. Try to get a milk-free form, that is gluten free. Keep refrigerated.
I'm not a doctor, but I'm wondering if your son might have an intestinal infection, possibly. Probiotics can help, by destroying harmful bacteria, harmful viruses, and harmful yeasts.
I also urge you to put your son onto a GLUTEN-FREE DIET for a month (and milk-free, too), to see if this helps. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, oats, barley, & buckwheat. The tests for gluten sensitivity are not 100% foolproof. But, if your son gets better, by being on a gluten-free diet, you will know that he did have a problem with gluten!
Is your son's ancestry English, Irish, or Scandinavian? If yes, he is at a much higher risk for having Celiac Disease (a type of gluten intolerance). The usual risk is 1 child out of 150 children, but it's a higher risk in children of English (and areas near England), Irish, or Scandinavian ancestry.
I wish the best for your son. I hope the GI doc is a good one! Hang in there, and don't give up! Your son is lucky to have a caring mother!
Sincerely, Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com
Perhaps it may benefit you to consider having your child allergy tested. I realize that the problem appears to be gastrointestinal, however, I have seen MANY cases of chronic diarrhea and/or failure to thrive in children related to food allergies. Certainly listen to what the gastroenterologist has to say, but if you do not get results, this would be my next step.
Perhaps it may benefit you to consider having your child allergy tested. I realize that the problem appears to be gastrointestinal, however, I have seen MANY cases of chronic diarrhea and/or failure to thrive in children related to food allergies. Certainly listen to what the gastroenterologist has to say, but if you do not get results, this would be my next step.
Make a search on "Parasites forum". There are forums on the web where parasites are discussed. Many people (hundreds) had negative tests for parasites, but after taking parasites killing herbs, they got out huge worms. Try to talk with people who have first hand experience. Test for parasites are POOR, and you can not realy on them! Also, get "PROBIOTICS" and give it to your child, it can often help.
Here's some informative links:
www.thetreelife.com click - Colon Cleaning and you can hear Paige Mattice speak and also Dr. Joel Robbins. They started a conference call for people with questions. The one on Wednesday is 8:30pm eastern standard time. They start off with a topic and work from there. You can drop off and call back if you want to. The only cost is for a long distance phone call. The number is 646-519-5860, pin number 6705. I don't have the phone number for the Saturday forum, but that one is more of a Q&A conference and it's 12:30pm eastern standard time. Like I said before you can also e-mail or call Paige. Check out her web-site at www.herbalhealthrx.com
www.curezone.com
www.herbalhealer.com
There's more, these are sites that I find informative.
I hope this helps someone that needs it.
www.thetreelife.com click - Colon Cleaning and you can hear Paige Mattice speak and also Dr. Joel Robbins. They started a conference call for people with questions. The one on Wednesday is 8:30pm eastern standard time. They start off with a topic and work from there. You can drop off and call back if you want to. The only cost is for a long distance phone call. The number is 646-519-5860, pin number 6705. I don't have the phone number for the Saturday forum, but that one is more of a Q&A conference and it's 12:30pm eastern standard time. Like I said before you can also e-mail or call Paige. Check out her web-site at www.herbalhealthrx.com
www.curezone.com
www.herbalhealer.com
There's more, these are sites that I find informative.
I hope this helps someone that needs it.
The stool analyst test done at the labs that I specified is a very detailed analyst test of your digestive system as well as parasites. It's not a parasite diagnosing test. The analyst test will determine what type it is and/or what is going on in the digestive track. The test with the grey top and pink top usually comes back "false negative". My daughter did that test 3 times and it came back negative. It only tests for 4 parasites.
Thanks for your comment Suziepie.
I will see what i can learn with the info you gave me.
Th GI we are to see, practices in a renown childrens hospital here in Montreal Canada. After waiting so long with the other docters, you can be sure that i will write all the info i get here and let him know about it.
My child can't go on with this failure to thrive. If this GI is not receptive to my questions or suggestions, i'm going to knock on all the doors till i find one who does listen.
The appointment is scheduled for this friday. I truly hope they will find a way to cure my baby.
I will see what i can learn with the info you gave me.
Th GI we are to see, practices in a renown childrens hospital here in Montreal Canada. After waiting so long with the other docters, you can be sure that i will write all the info i get here and let him know about it.
My child can't go on with this failure to thrive. If this GI is not receptive to my questions or suggestions, i'm going to knock on all the doors till i find one who does listen.
The appointment is scheduled for this friday. I truly hope they will find a way to cure my baby.
Hi Naturboy and thanks for the D.fragilis site. I will certainly ask the gastroenterologist about this pathogene.
I have absolutely no knowledge of intetinal deseases and have just recently begun to search on the web. Thanks to reading the posts on this site, i am slowly learning.
About the stool samples for tests. My son had these tests done twice. And each time, i was given 2 small vials containing a CLEAR LIQUID. I had to insert a small amount of stool into these vials and return them to the lab. I have no idea what the clear liquid was. Maybe it was formalin or some kind of medical fixative?
I have absolutely no knowledge of intetinal deseases and have just recently begun to search on the web. Thanks to reading the posts on this site, i am slowly learning.
About the stool samples for tests. My son had these tests done twice. And each time, i was given 2 small vials containing a CLEAR LIQUID. I had to insert a small amount of stool into these vials and return them to the lab. I have no idea what the clear liquid was. Maybe it was formalin or some kind of medical fixative?
There is a major problem with diagnosing parasites. Your typical lab only tests for 4 types and there is 130+ types. It sounds to me like parasites. The inability to thrive and the pain around his navel. You can try the Awareness products and at least get him stable. Speak to Paige at herbalhealthrx.com. The phone number is 888-622-7286. She is doing a couple of seminars, so just leave her a message or send her an e-mail. She is a wonderful naturopathic and is helping my child battle parasites. You need to find out what type of parasite it is. The only way to do that is to do a stool analyst test through the Great Smokies lab or the Parisitology lab. They know how to diagnose Parasites. Maybe they can send you the kit. You can't have your son on the Awareness products 3 days before you start the stool analyst. Most GI doctors, pediatricians, and MD's are not able to diagnose parasites. Parasites are a major epidemic in the U.S. right now and more people are diagnosed with eating disorder NOS or IBS or they just call it something because they don't know what it is. I wish you the best of luck.
Hi, sorry to hear about your little one, its truely distressing as a parent to see your child hurting and to be so helpless to take the hurt away... my heart goes out to you.
I am definately not a doctor.. but, when you had your child tested for parasites, were the childs stool samples stored in formalin or any form of medical fixative? Many parasites dissolve and are not found due to medical ignorance, especially in regard to parasites like Dientamoeba fragilis etc.
May I suggest you vist this link provided below.
http://bara.idx.com.au/info/dfragilis/symptoms.htm
I know its a long shot but maybe, just maybe, it could be the cause of your child's troubles... if not then at least its one more thing excluded, and your a step closer to discovering the problem.
Good Luck! ;)
I am definately not a doctor.. but, when you had your child tested for parasites, were the childs stool samples stored in formalin or any form of medical fixative? Many parasites dissolve and are not found due to medical ignorance, especially in regard to parasites like Dientamoeba fragilis etc.
May I suggest you vist this link provided below.
http://bara.idx.com.au/info/dfragilis/symptoms.htm
I know its a long shot but maybe, just maybe, it could be the cause of your child's troubles... if not then at least its one more thing excluded, and your a step closer to discovering the problem.
Good Luck! ;)
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