Anyone have kids who are sick constantly??

[6_Time_Momma]

A few weeks ago, I had Destiny in to the doctor as I was concerned at her being pale, dark circles under her eyes and being "sick" all the time. She has missed sooooooo , many days this year (at least 15) due to ear aches, sore throats, stomach aches, etc (she's not faking these either ) Today, I kept her home again as she has a croupy cough and laryngitis.

She never seems to run a fever, though. Anyway, the doctor did a CBC, urine, and a mono screen and all came back fine. Nothing showed up the blood tests that he ran. He just said "Just watch her. Try to correlate her symptoms with something." She still keeps getting sick. This all seems to have started back at the start of the school year when she had the mysterious outbreak of hives for three weeks at the beginning of the school year.

I am not sure where to go from here. My other kids are hardly ever sick......Brittany is working on perfect attendence this year and Bradley has only missed 2 days. Garrett has missed a few more, but he has reason to be sick a little more, but even he has missed less school than Destiny.

Anyone ever have this type of thing with their kid? Anyone have any ideas? Oh, and I am very sure she is not "faking"....just to make that clear.

I hate to take her back to the doctor just to have him brush it off. I am going to have to take her somewhere or something though. She has missed wayyyy too much school.

 

[Nancy]

I have the same problem with my 15 years old DD. She has missed so much school just in the last 3 weeks. Started with a sore throat and headache, then the cough started. After 1 week I took her to the doctors..it's just a cold but they gave her cough medicine with codiene in it. She is constantly complaining about feeling sick to her stomache and having a headache. everything comes back normal also. I feel like taking her to a hospital and saying check her out from head to toe inside and out!

My problem comes in with the fact that she has been known to be a "faker" in the past. This time I think she is really sick because she has lost weight and she sleeps alot. Her cough is still really bad, but as long as it "sounds" like it's breaking up the docs won't do to much.

 

[Pooh67_68]

I don't have any children, but I was a sickly child and missed a lot of school also. The one good thing that came out of me being sick a lot as a child is I am hardly ever sick now as an adult.

 

[disneygals]

The last 2 years have been very bad for us also. By your signature it looks like your dd is 6, so I'm assuming K or 1st grade. I think they pass things around the most! I have 3 girls, but they don't always get the same things or get them with different intensities. Although, they did all share the stomach thing, but at least not with me .

Good luck!!

 

[gallaj0]

Don't dismiss allergies; my sons has a bunch of general allergies, not food, and once he gets stuffed up, he looses sleep, gets the dark circles under his eyes, and gets a sore throat, upset stomach from the post nasal drip.

It's "just" allergies, but to check him out you'd think he has a cold or flu. Usually around March we start giving him an over the counter allergy medicine, and it helps keep him clear.

Hives are usually a pretty good indication of an allergic reaction to something, even extra dust.

 

[Feralpeg]

Have you considered having her tested for allergies? Allergies don't always present the same way in all children. My DD was sick a lot when she was younger. She still is to some extent, only now she insists on going to school even when she is feeling poorly. She would have cold symptoms and stomach aches. I finally had her tested for allergies and turned out that she is very allergic to our pets. She is also allergic to mold and certain pollens. She is suffering big time right now because everything just started blooming. She does take medication that helps and we try to isolate her somewhat from the animals.

Some kids are allergic to common food products and it is difficult to recognize. Just a thought.

I hope she gets to feeling better.

 

[Lorix2]

I'm jumping on the "allergies" bandwagon for you too. Kids and adults can develop them at any age. (I developed them at 31).

Cats, dogs, dustmites, smoke, pollen and mold all can make you really sick. I'm surprised your doc didn't suggest allergy testing? My DD12 went a few months ago and sure enough she's allergic to cats, dust and mold just like her me. Zyrtec works really well for her. She also has asthma.

This time of year with the windows down for so long and carpeted rooms kicking up dust with no fresh air is perfect conditions for aggravating sinuses and brochial tubes. My DD's allergies were bringing on her asthma.

But, yes, this time of year kids are always sick (mine has strep right now), especially since they are in close contact with other kids all the time, it just keeps going around.

Hope she's feeling better real soon and you can find out what's making her feel this way.

 

[mom2boys]

I agree with those who have suggested allergy testing. Both of my boys have food allergies. My oldest also has seasonal allergies- they really have a physical effect on him. He volunatarily climbed into be at 8:30 last night even though he is allowed to stay up until 9. The only med he is on right now is Singular - which doesn't make him drowsy.

 

[hercamore]

Hi,

As soon as I read your sentence about dark circles, etc., I thought "allergies".

I would definitely have her tested for allergies. Don't you live in Mi? I was just reading about Michigan's high pollen count today in some areas.

herc.

 

[campingcorgi]

Sounds like allergies to me, too. Those dark circles under the eyes are a sure clue.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

I'm surprised your doc didn't suggest allergy testing?

Back in Sept, when she was having the hives, I asked about seeing an allergist and they told me that since we really didn't have a clue what was causing the hives that they wouldn't know where to begin testing her, so we were better just waiting to see if it could be tied to something.

After those three weeks, she hasn't had any further outbreak of hives, so I hadn't really considered allergies any more. Maybe I should, though!

 

[buddy&wooz]

My son is one of those kids who has allergies but few of the typical allergy symptoms. He just feels sick to his stomach, usually. The dark circles are a big clue, though. Zyrtec has made a big difference for him.

 

[floridafam]

My DS is always sick.

He has missed way too much school. We would be "up a creek" if he wasn't such a good student.

He will pick up something and it will take the wind out of him for at least a week. He gets the croupy type cough and shortness of breath. I have to use the nebulizer so much we just had to buy it from the medical supply place.

My daughter who lives much the same life as my son never gets sick!

He also gets the circles under his eyes. My doctor called them x shiners (I don't remember the first word.)

We have had our house tested for mold and may do it again. I'm not sure we did it properly the first time. Our son was never sick until we moved into our home but he also wasn't in school when we lived in our other house.

Just keep pushing the doctor for information. I read a very interesting article the other day about children around 6 or 7 being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Some of these children were never tested when they were infants and they had chronic lung, sinus, problems.

Good luck. I know it's frustrating sometimes. Sometimes I think the doctor thinks I'm nuts but it's hard to watch your child be sick all the time.

 

[Allie322]

Is your daughter in a new school or a different wing of the school? A couple of years ago, my daughter's classroom was in the newer wing of her school. What a year! She was sick constantly. To make a very long story short, there was mold in the ventilation system for that corridor and she had an allergic reaction to it. The dark circles were a tip off to her doctor that allergies were involved. Good luck!

 

[Lorix2]

Floridafam - I just wanted to ask that if your child is having to use a nebulizer frequently, hasn't your ped prescribed a maintenance med like Flovent or the like for him? It made all the difference for my daughter. Being on a maintenance inhaler would eliminate the need for such frequent use of the nebulizer. I have been where you are with your son.

 

[BHFan25]

I vote allergies also. Mine had a food allergy. I agree those dark circles were a give away (after we found out though! ) Good luck. She probably feels quite miserable when she is sick.

 

[LvsTnk]

I would definately see an allergist. My DS who is allergic to everything will occasionaly break out in hives as well. We haven't been able to tie the hives to anything specific.

Hope things get better!