this is a stumper. My 13 year old son came home from a visit with his dad in Minneapolis a couple of months ago violently ill (vomiting, diarreah, fatigue...) He came to me and told me there was blood in his pee, I looked and sure enough it looked bloody to me, so I took him to the Dr. the next morning. He had several tests and they determined that he did have blood and protein in his urine and his kidneys were inflamed. we did further testing, and everything else came back normal. within a few days he was better, and by the next week his urine tested normal. a few weeks later, he went for another visit with his dad, and when he came back he was sick again and my husband thought he noticed blood in the toilet again. when we asked our son about it, he said he just hadn't had enough to drink, and I didn't think for a minute that it was related (duh) a couple of weeks later, another visit, more vomiting, more blood...this time I started to see the pattern and took him to the Dr. again. the tests were the same as before so he ordered a cat-scan of his kidneys. we waited a week to get the results..that came back completely normal. Dr. says its probably nothing, that he is showing no signs of anything serious. but we still have no answer. and I don't know where to turn. somebody please help me brainstorm!!
All I can say is, something is happening on his visits to Dad. Don't know what, but start there. Good luck.
I had the same symptoms when I was passing a kidney stone... but LOTS of pain. Get him into a urologist FOR SURE! If it is a stone, it might be too large to pass, hence the recurrence, and could need to be zapped with a laser. Good luck!
I wouldn't ignore the symptoms since it's surely a sign that something is not right. I would have guessed he had kidney stones since it sounds like the symptoms I had when I passed one but the CT eliminates that as a cause.
Is your son doing any extreme exercise when he goes to his Dad's (e.g. running long distances, etc.) Sometimes athletes will experience blood in their urine after heavy exercise sessions/events.
Also is their any chance that he is experiencing trauma to his abdomen that might injure his kidneys?
There are some chemicals/medicines/drugs that cause urine in the blood - did they test for anything that he might be exposed to?
I'm not certain about this but has your ex(?) had his house tested for lead? Just something that came to mind.
I'm totally with everyone else. Go see a specialist.
Wow, I would be VERY worried if I were you. What's happening at his Dad's house. I honestly wouldn't let him go back until you figure this out. Is there lead or some other kind of poison at his house that your child is getting into? I would have a long talk with his Dad and find out what they are doing and eating when he is there. Are they playing too rough and he's getting hurt or is it stress related and he's got a bleeding ulcer or something. Have you researched it on the web much? I know you can find lots of misinformation on there but at least it can give you some ideas to think about or get tested for. What is his Dad's attitude about it? Is he acting sneaky or like you are overreacting?
Good luck,
J.
This sounds like exactly what my husband started experiencing at 13 yrs of age. His urethera tubes close up and he had to have a stent put in them. I would make an appointment for a urologist Monday morning. He has experienced 4 more bouts since then and he is 28 with his most recent within the last year. He also went to the dr many times with no diagnosis being given. DO NOT take he is ok for an answer any more!! Good Luck!!
Get a specialist. This sounds serious. There's a definite pattern with his illness and his visits with his biological father. Go with your gut and don't stop till you get an answer. Is there an enviornmental issue at his dad's house? (ie pets, bacteria, farm/garden chemicals, etc) I hope you find out soon! I'll keep Will in my prayers.
My first thought is...is his father hurting him or being too rough when wrestling or playing or something like that? It seems odd to me that this only happens when he gets home from a visit with his dad, unless I missed something. I really hope you find out what is going on!
Nancy K's advice is awesome.
I'd call a specialist now.
I wouldn't be much help with the specific symptoms and such that your son is experiencing, but I agree that you should definitely keep looking for answers (like others have said, see a specialist or children's hospital)...I also think it's pretty fishy that this always happens when he's been visiting his dad - definitely something else to consider, I think..
Best of luck :)
Dear K.,
It sounds like somthing that could really be amiss. I don't want to point fingers, but I would be sure I knew what was going on at his dad's house. He could be getting injured and that could cause swelling and bleeding. He could be having some sort of exposure to something toxic or something that he is allergic to. Be safe, not sorry!
My son had the most FABULOUS pediatric urologist who's bedside manner and skill was out of this world. He was on the cover of the twin cities best doctors edition of mpls st paul magazine. I have seen him recommended here before. Go see him you won't regret it. Do it before there are lasting permenant damage to those kidneys.
Dr. Hossein Aliabadi is his name. He works several places. He also comes to the Park Nicollet clinics once a month too if that is your provider. Good luck!!!
Pediatric Urology Associates, Ltd. - Minneapolis
2545 Chicago Ave S # 211
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Pediatric Urology Associates, Ltd. - Minnetonka
6050 Clearwater Dr.
Minnetonka, MN 55343
Pediatric Urology Associates, Ltd. - Shakopee
1515 St. Francis Ave.
Shakopee, MN 55379
You are right, it is a pattern and it's becoming a very scary one. I think that the three of you need to sit down and find out what is really going on when your son visits. Is your son having any problems with any peers when he visits? Is it somewhere that he's going or something that he's doing? I also think that the next time it happens you should forgo your regular doctor, as he's getting you nowhere, and head for the Children's Hospital.
Good luck, I hope it is nothing serious and that they can figure out what is causing it.
What types of activities is your son doing at his father's house? Is he getting into fights, is he wrestling a lot, does his father have any history of violence? Pressure to the kidney can easily inflame them, cause intestinal response, and cause someone to have blood and discharge in their urine. Is there anything else at dad's that he's exposed to? Certain foods? Alcohol? Anything that would cause food poisoning? Any other toxins that would purge from his system within a few days of being removed from exposure. Has he been tested for constriction of the urethra? This would probably cause some itching and burning, but being a thirteen old boy, talking to mom about it might not be at the top of his list. This would cause there to be blood in the urine as well and elevated protein levels. Have the doctors tested for chemical usage, not that I'd ever assume anything as terrifying as that, just tossing out everything I know can cause those symptoms. Rape is the only other thing I know causes those symptoms and my hope is that you never even have to worry about facing that trauma for your son. And you might just want to get a second opinion from a new doctor. Any doctor that tells you that every time your son comes home from dad's house vomiting, tired, with diarrhea and blood in his urine would scare the dickens out of me! I hope I didn't end up scaring you at all. I'm just trying to help you brainstorm and questions for doctors. Good luck and I hope all is well with your little boy.
Ask your doc to refer you to a urologist at a children's hospital in your area. They see things like that all the time and are more qualified than a regular doc. With my daughter it was a birth defect that caused her problem and my doctor referred me to a urologist right away.
Hi K.,
When it comes to your kids, never wait! Take him to Children's Hospital right away and do not wait until the next incident. Every parent or family has to be your own advocate when it comes to Dr's, hospitals, etc. and demand answers and let them know you will not leave until you have answers. Only one co-pay should be enough. Healthcare is too expensive to be told nothing is wrong and then have to keep coming back anyway. It is definately not normal for anyone to urinate blood,(kid, adult, baby, no one). So please for your child's sake, take him to the hospital where he can get all the tests run and you can stay there until you have answers for days if needed. And please take him to Childreen's hospital where they are experienced with kids, a teenager is still a kid! You'll be thankful when you find the truth!
Be Blesst!
