My dd has been complaining of stomach pain for over a year. At first, when asked to show me where, it would be somewhere different each time. I finally took her to the ped. and he prescribed Zantac and said to use Miralax to, because many times he has found out that after tests all it really was was constipation. She and her twin sister always seemed to have too firm poops after they started baby food. Sisters has resolved itself, but B still has what we dubbed "ball turds". Lovely pebbles, and she doesn't do more than pee everyday. Anyway, she hated the Zantacs peppermint flavor (anything minty) and she still complained of stomach aches. We did it anyway for a couple of months then we quit because it didn't seem to help.
Now she has started saying things like,"I swallowed a yucky burp." or "I have yucky spit". Of course that proves it's reflux as the doc said, but she hates the medicine so much that she was in tears from pain last night before she would let me give it to her and she had to have a milk chaser. The pharmacy said that none of the flavorings they have are strong enough to mask peppermint flavor, and I still suspect that there is another issue involved here although I don't have a clue what it could be.
Do any of you mammas or daddys have any experience with something like this or have you found another med that works with a different taste. I am concidering making an appt with the gastroenterologist at Childrens Hospital to take another look. Even with the Zantac she still complains of tummy pain. Other than Childrens, I don't know what to do for her. Help!
Thanks for all of the answers! I stopped at the store and bought Lactaid milk to try, and I have hidden all but the soy yogurt. (Sister is allergic to cow)
I don't think it is an over eating thing as both of my girls eat like birds! It is a possibility that she doesn't chew it well though. About a month ago she ate two hotdogs with ketchup, no bun. A couple hours later she said that her tummy hurt and she thought she was going to throw up. As I turned around to get the trash can she brought up every bit of hot dog and most of it looked just as I had cut it!
I am trying the lactose free for a week, with the Mirilax and trying to get her to take the meds, but I will be checking in to the compounding pharmacy. I think there are a couple in Knoxville.
Thanks so much!
Hmmm, maybe a dairy issue? Cheese, milk, ice cream, yogurt, etc? Maybe ask the doc about it?
I've got a lactose intolerant 15 yo who complained of mystery tummy aches until I started giving her lactaid.
:)
My son has reflux that only acts up when he drinks milk. He obviously has a mild intolerance. You might try going dairy-free for a week (or at least switching to Lactaid milk for a week) and see if she feels better.
My twin grandsons have this and are on Miralax. They saw a children's hospital doctor and that's what they were told to put them on. It does help but still one of them often has 'stomach ache' and bloating. He also has the reflux and complains just like your daughter of it 'being in his mouth'. I think they neither one chew their food well, have to be reminded to chew more, and they are picky eater ( maybe due to feeling full so often though ). It's a real problem but I would keep doing the Miralax and do fruits ( not juice but the fruit ), vegetables, not much cheese or milk or bread type things. The boys do seem to get better then if you get lax it starts over again so stick with it. I think exercise helps too and I would suggest, I'm just a mom/grandma though, that you feed them less at meals and more small meals maybe. If they eat too much at once it seems to cause issues too. I hope she gets better. Our twins will be 4 years old in about 5 months so not far apart in age from your daughter. I'm hoping they 'outgrow' it but not too encouraged at this point.
When my daughter was 2 we found out she was allergic to wheat & gluten.The GI specialist was very helpful. Sometimes they are alot better than diagnosing tummy issues than your regular pediatrician. When she gets wheat & gluten accidentally she will complain of her tummy hurting and will get constipated. Before we knew when she was younger struggled with immunity issues and had constant ear infections, colds etc. It also contributes to her behavior. It was so wonderful to figure out what the problem was. :(
Hope all works out for you, It can be so hard to see your little ones hurting and not know what it is or what to do for them.
First, get a notebook. Use one page for each day.
When your dd says she has a complaint, note in very orderly, brief fashion:
Type of complaint (burp, constipation, pain and location of pain - throat, lower right side of abdomen - or bad taste in her mouth, etc)
Time of day
Activity just before the pain started (was she sitting, eating, running, sleeping, getting ready to go to day care or the babysitter's, etc)
Food eaten, liquids consumed (and be specific - don't write "orange juice" if she had an orange drink like Sunny Delight, or don't write "fruit and cheese" but instead write 1 apple and a slice of Kraft Singles".
Do this for 2 weeks. Most likely the gastro dr would have you do this anyway, and if you could bring a food journal already filled out, that would be helpful.
Go over the pages after a few days. Do you see any patterns in the time of day, food, liquids?
An easy thing to try in the meantime: eliminate all apple and pear and cherry and red/purple grape products from her diet. Give her only 100% pure white grape juice (ok if it has a little sugar, but no other fruits) to drink, and milk and water. Don't give her anything sugarless, diet, or sugar-free. My dd was so sensitive to sorbitol, a natural component found in apples, red grapes (but not green grapes that the white grape juice is made from), pears, cherries, and in most sugar-free foods, that we ended up at a gastro dr too. She has additional problems, but the stomach aches ceased within 24 hours of eliminating sorbitol from her diet. And wow, you have to read labels! The first ingredient, for example, in a major brand of juice labelled "Kiwi Strawberry Juice" is apple juice. And apple and pear juices are used to flavor all those Kool Aid and Capri Sun pouches. We stick to Welch's 100% white grape juice.
I hope this helps. It's very frustrating, I know!
Hi Beth,
My daughter was on both zantac and omeprazole for a while. The omeprazole is strawberry flavored. We had to get it at a compounding pharmacy because she is <1. I don't know if you would have to do that or not if you tried it since your daughter is much older than mine!
Also, I live in Knoxville - we went to Riggs Drugs on Emory Rd (I-75/Emory Rd exit) which does compounding. The pharmacist was so nice there.
Hope your daughter feels better soon!
Cyndi
my newborn had a bad case of reflux.. and the zantac syrup is awful.. horrible hot pepperminty. even as a tiny baby she could spit that stuff out.
we went to a compounding pharmacy and they made her zantac syrup bubblegum flavored.. she loved it.. went down no problem. you can ask to have it made for your child at a compounding pharmacy.. Chains like CVS walmarts.. will not make this drug for you.. it is a special pharmacy.
my second child also had reflux.. and the dr prescribed a chewable pill for him.. I think it was prevacid.. tiny pill that dissolves in the mouth. it didnt taste bad.. My infant took 1/2 pill a day.. but it was expensive.. my copay was $50 a month for just 15 pills..
shes got poop balls as we call them lol my youngest is like this some kids just have more sensitive tummys. miralax everyday!!!! lots of water. my daughter ended up getting a collapsed bowel. like your little one she always said her tummy hurt before that. so now shes on probiotics every day and miralax. i know shes young ask the pharmisist if their is a pill that you could crush in apple sauce or pudding.
