My seven year old throws up nearly every night before bed

[JennyBee523]

My seven year old son throws up nearly every night before bed. This has been going on for approximately seven weeks. He has recently had bronchitis and would also throw up in the morning (bile and mucus) this past week. I am wondering what could be causing this.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
This is commonly due to gastroesophageal reflux disease that a child throws up before going to bed. It is usually after eating a heavy fatty meal and sedantry lifestyle. It can also be caused by prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen, or infection with bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

Try raising the head of your bed about four inches with blocks. It also might help to avoid eating or drinking for two hours before you lie down. To help control the stomach acid, one should not drink alcohol or drinks with caffeine in them, or eat chocolate or spicy or greasy foods .

Give him some OTC antacid like Mylanta and if the symptoms persist then he needs to be examined by a pediatrician.
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[SwtLlDrms]

Go to the peds and get it checked out, it's most likely something simple and easy to treat but my niece suffered from an URI and after it cleared she started with a pattern of vomiting just before bed. We all, even the doctor, assumed she was either getting sick again or was just having a hard time completely recovering, especially since she did have a night here and there without vomiting. She was finally taken into the ER because she just seemed a little "off" and her parents wanted a quick second opinion. On a hunch the ER doctor ordered a CT scan and found a brain tumor, she was dxed later with PNET.

[Narble]

I'm sorry to hear your son is going through this. Does he throw up at the same time every night? Is he eating the same foods, drinking the same liquids, brushing his teeth with the same toothpaste? Did this start before the bronchitis, and was he on any medication for the bronchitis? The answers to these questions should help narrow down the possible causes, but I urge you to take your son to your pediatrician to be evaluated. That much vomiting should be investigated quickly.