Lethargic 10 yr old .. input PLEASE

[marlasmom]

The last thing I want to do is scare you and I really don't know what I am talking about - but has anyone considered leukemia?

 

[dg39]

Marlasmom, when my dd was going through her situation, that was on all our minds including the dr. Thankfully, in her case it was ruled out, but he did tell us that the symptons can be similiar.

 

[minkydog]

My DD went through a similar experience 2 yrs ago following an unknown virus. We had her worked up from one end to the other and finally ruled out bad stuff. She went through it for almost a year before she felt better. Eventually she threw it off and has been fnie since, but it was a very difficult year. Has she not been homeschooled, she would have failed 4th grade.

I would recommend more thorough testing. Your son has been abnormally fatigued(for him) for a long time. You need to rule out a lot of things before you can rule in chronic fatigue.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Well as a mom whose kids have a endocrinologist, cardiologist and allergies....
You need to get "those tests" even thought the doctor feels them unecessary. The reason being you MUST rule it out.
Immediately get a thyroid test, ANOTHER iron test & mono test. I would get his blood tested for iron every month since he is borderline (3 months). Might "catch" it very low.

Next go to an ENT/ALLERGIST. Tired, feeling like crap, watery eyes, points to allergies. They will help you in this dept.
It really could just be allergies. Believe me before I got shots that is how I felt.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I would do 2 things before seeing if time helps him get better--I would get the thyroid test and the mono test. There might not be a treatment for mono, but you'd then at least have a diagnosis. I was also thinking growth spurt.

My 14yo son sounds very much like yours, but he's always been a very low key kid. When he was a baby he would sit in his high chair for an hour and slowly, constantly eat. He's wired differently and I can't say that it has gotten better now that he is a teen, but it's also not like he's gotten a lot worse. Maybe I should have his thyroid tested. I'll ask the dr next time I'm in.

Lisa, I agree with the other posters about your DD. Could be growing spurt or mono with her, too, but girls do start having a lot of changes about 6 months or so before their periods actually start. My DD was 10 1/2 when she got her period, which was 2 years younger than when I got it. Ugh!

T&B

 

[clutter]

If it was the last visit that he had the CROP, I'd definately ask for a sinus xray along wtih whatever other tests, including thyroid, you can convince the doctor to do. Good luck, and stick to your instincts. I know, it's so hard to convince your doctor that you understand what's 'normal' in kids, and you KNOW your kid is outside of 'normal'. Good luck.

 

[WilmaBud]

I think it sounds like allergies, too (and/or a chronic, low-grade sinus infection). I was a tired kid - I always got headaches and upper respiratory infections, and I never slept well. I finally went to the allergist when I was 28, and when I described my symptoms, they chuckled and said it sounded like typical allergies. I tested positive for so many environmental allergies, it was ridiculous (trees, grasses, dust, mold, etc.).

I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, just knowing I wasn't imagining things. I started allergy shots, and they've made a huge difference.

I wouldn't think it's anything earth-shattering that's wrong with your son because his blood work would've been more amiss. But I'd definitely follow up with the doctor and probably an allergist. BTW, I'd also have him retested for strep. My daughter had it for 11 weeks straight. We all finally got tested, and here, my son was carrying it the whole time, with no symptoms! He was the one who kept reinfecting my daughter. Thank goodness we were persisiten with retesting!

 

[marlasmom]

I really thought long and hard before I made that suggestion. I have a very sick daughter right now and I understand the agony. It's a horrible thought and hopefully very wrong but I remember a kid who was in the hospital with my son who had it. His mom said they had been at the beach and the kid was just laying around so she took him to the doctor right away. I said I probably would not have - would have just attributed it to an off day. She said she understood - but just "had a feeling."

In any event I am sending you all good thoughts.

 

[danacara]

The eyes strongly suggest allergies ...
I'd request a mono test ...

Given that you have a clear blood test to screen out the obvious stuff, other things I might do a little research on:
> Epstein-Barr
> Lyme's Disease (are you in a rural area?)
> These aches/pains, are they in his legs and knees? Could it be a huge growth spurt compounded by Osgood-Schlatter?
> And again, not to be scary, the possibility is extremely remote, but I would get him looked at for leukemia and Hodgekins.

 

[laurajetter]

I have seen that other posters have mentioned this already, but I just wanted to say that it was the first thing that popped in my head as well. I know that with an underactive thyroid you can be sluggish and pale.

I would definitely see if he could get a thyroid test.

 

[clutter]

Oh, yeah, Lyme! Many of my parents elderly friends have it, with various symptoms including aching joints and lethargy! (Still think it's allergy/sinus infection, but you could have them do a titre for that. Docs don't think of it, and most of my parents friends had it for years before finding it.)

 

[damo]

If the blood tests haven't revealed anything major, there are many things that could be the cause. A virus can have lingering effects and it may just take time before he regenerates himself. The other thing that I have had experience with and that the doctor would not test for is a systemic yeast infection. It is generally caused by antibiotics wiping out good bacteria and candida then overtaking the body. It will cause the fatigue and body aches as well as the sinus problems that you are describing. You may want to check with a naturopath if there is one in the area.

 

[phillybeth]

Did the blood work include testing his blood sugar? Is he drinking more, urinating more? Increased thrist/urination combined with lethargy points to diabetes. If you haven't already please have his blood sugar checked.

 

[Christine]

My friend's DS (who is 9) was diagnosed a few years ago with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). He has a LOT of fatigue as one of his symptoms.

 

[Poohy]

gopherit

I would have written almost the exact same thing for my 10 year old son back in Jan. He had me worried sick. My ped. ran so many tests but all came back in the normal range. It turned out that he has started puberty already. It is considered the very early, early stages but still explained a lot. He goes through this on and off but seems ok most of the time now. Just make sure your doctor runs all the tests that he can.

 

[gopherit]

Hmmm, all good considerations, and I thank all of you for your caring responses.

SOme replies -- yes oh yes did I ever consider leukemia. My younger son has a very good friend who developed ALL at age 6. Her ped is also my son's ped. When he ordered a CBC and said his iron was slightly low, my heart was in my throat because all I could think of is that this is how our friend's "story" began. Evan's white count was the first thing I looked at, I admit it! And it seems ok -- no sign of that type disorder from his CBC, anyway.

I also considered diabetes. I am surprised and confess -- the doc did not do a glucose, that I know of. However, I will say that he does not exhibit unusual thirst nor an inordinance of urination, nor any of the other symtpoms classic of juvenile onset diabetes. But I guess a blood sugar wouldn't hurt, either, just to be safe.

And I considered cardiac, even. A neighbor of ours lost a beautiful 4 yr old dd to cardiomyopathy -- didn't even know she had it until she was gone. My father had congenital narrowing of the aorta into the renal arteries and had to have surgery, and my BIL's son was born with a coarctation of the aorta. ANd 95% of most heart defects actually have no genetic basis, even -- just bad luck of the draw. I have queried my ped about this, and he has checked Evan's pulses, etc. and while granted, we don't have a chest film or cath or such showing voila, perfect heart -- it doesn't seem to be the issue, either.

IN short, it appears my son is what could be termed fatigued, with no current "critical" medical issue (i.e. iron slightly low, congested sinuses, skin mildly pale, no fever, but with persistent fatigue, general malaise and minor to moderate pain). One thing is certain -- I'm getting a heck of a good set of baseline data here, if nothing else. If I'm catching something in its initial stages -- by golly, I'm staying n top of thsi and we are going to know it! ANd if, on the other hand, he's merely having a hard time rebounding from a "series of unfortunate events", we should only see improvement from here and it too will show in the numbers. I'm all about data... (that's how I earned my "geekus optima" seal of Tag Fairy approval...)

So an update and pathforward -- I called the ped and he's going to try a different med for Evan's still lingering sinus issues. We will give it a try -- it is clear he still has conjestion there, and if he's fighting infection, it could certainly make him feel "croppy" (and would perhaps skew bloodwork, if he's actively fighting a virus or infection like that.) Once we get him over the sinus hurdle -- we shall see where we stand. He will have lots of rest in March -- no basketball, no baseball until April, and a week off for Spring Break with no real plans. Spring is beginning -- normally, even a hint of warmer weather (i.e. above freezing!) sends my kids clawing at the door to get outside. I can better gauge his level of lethargy at that point. If he gets sick again, well, of course, I'll have him back at the doc in a heartbeat. And with spring on its way, an allergist may well be in order too, depending upon what I see.

BTW -- anybody else here read that today's youth -- especially girls -- are a few years ahead of us adults in terms of hormones / puberty? Lots of theories on why -- anything from environment to hormones in meats to societal stressors. Based on some of the responses to this thread, it sure seems true. I know in my son's class, the girls are all going through those changes that I didn't recall having (nor recalled my friends having) until we were well into 6th grade -- today's girls have a good 2 year lead on my generation.

Scary.


Thanks again for the many responses -- all are appreciated!

 

[gopherit]

Actually -- you guys just gave me a good idea. There aren't many boys in Evan's class (he's one of only 6). It just occurred to me that, rather than asking my friends with sons the same age, I should be asking parents of sons about 2 years older about this. (Much older than that, we parents sometimes move on to other things and forget! ) It might give me a better feel for what stages these type growing spurts / adoelscent changes occur and how prevalent it is, regardless of whether that's the issue in this case or not.

THanks again!

 

[Hillbeans]

I don't really have any advice other than that which has been given, however if he did have strep, just make sure he's not reusing any of the same toothbrushes to make the strep reappear.

Hope your little boy feels better soon.

 

[TimeforMe]

I didn't read every response on this thread, so forgive me if this has already been said:

Get him tested for mono. When my ds was in 8th grade, he had similar symptoms--a terrible sore throat (no strep though), lethargic, achy joints, etc. Kept bringing him to the dr.--first blood test came back negative for mono, but upon my insistence they tested him further and sure enough--it was positive. Like another poster said, even though there's no treatment at least you'll know what it is.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Just wanted to add that a regular ped cannot diagnose a heart issue. Their ears are just not "trained" for that. The only way to diagnose is thru an ECHO or a top-notch ear.

My dd has a repaired heart defect and I have learned alot because of that. Although your son's condition does not sound cardio, but you just never know.

My nephew has a serious heart issue, hypoplastic left heart syndrome. At birth he was not diagnosed, it was amazing he did not die right then. Just wanted to say that if it was a ped. cardiologist they would have realized it immediately.