Lethargic 10 yr old .. input PLEASE

[Pea-n-Me]

I came across an interesting article on puberty. It's geared more toward girls but is significant for boys, too. I wonder if the aches and pains can be attributed to good old-fashioned "growing pains" if he is indeed having hormonal changes related to puberty. The other thing I don't think was mentioned yet was SAD - seasonal affective disorder. To some degree it affects all of us this time of year when we're stuck in the house due to inclement weather, some maybe more than others. When the weather improves it seems to make you feel better and less tired.

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/28/1728_62565.htm

 

[momof2inPA]

What sinus meds has he been taking, just antibiotics or something else? Some of those allergy/sinus meds can really knock you out.

 

[my3princes]

gopherit
I was just reading your post and wondering if Evan is feeling better. My ds Nick is 9 and has been complaining of stomach aches off and on (mostly 0n) since September. I have brought him to his pediatrician and we have seen others for viral stuff over the winter. They all tell me that there is nothing medically wrong with him. They initially though that something at school was bugging him and I should get him into counciling. I spoke to our school counciler and had her assess him and she felt that he has no mental issues and has actually met with him weekly in a friendship group since November. I have a really good relationship with him and we talk about everything. I don't think that anything is bugging him except an ongoing tummy ache. No vomiting, diaherria or severe pain, just a dull stomach ache. Our pediatrician says that 85% of these type of ailments go unanswered and that it will just go away. My dh, like yours, isn't worried and thinks that I am over reacting. I suspect that it is the early phase of puberty as dh hit it early and ds has had body odor and facial acne for almost a year now. I am keeping my eye on him and praying that it will remedy itself. I hope that Evan is better and would love to hear how you have handled it.

Thanks for sharing
Deb

 

[Tiggeroo]

I too am wondering how you made out. Even though you like your ped if you're still uncomfortable I would go to a major teaching hospital. Call them and ask to get an appointment with one of their top peds. Peds at major hospitals see many more cases of some of the rarer things then a small town dr. Also, any tests that need to be run will be run their and results will be in much faster. He can send you to specialists right in the practice. It would be better to get it settled or feel a peace of mind. I would think if you don't and continue to worry over it your son will be affected.

 

[Beauty]

I didn't read all of the posts but I have always been a person who can easily sleep 10 hours a day OR MORE if you give me the chance. I'm healthy but I just love to sleep. John-Cole is alot like me.

 

[lemondog]

You are his mom. If you feel something is wrong, get a 2nd opinion! Too often doctors write off these things as stress, viral, etc. There may be nothing wrong, but if your instinct is still nagging at you, then get him checked out by another doc. It can't hurt!

My thought, with the low iron and low hematocrit, is anemia. Even if only slightly low, that is all it takes. I went through this when I was 13, it was terrible. My iron was slightly low, and my hematocrit as well. Turns out I have thalassemia, which is a genetic anemia, for which there is no cure. But I am fine, just tire out sometimes, more easily than others, that's for sure. (My MCV has always been very low as well, a pretty clear sign of thalassemia).

I guess the point of my post is to say that YOU know your son better than anyone. I vote for getting a second opinion. That will either confirm what your doc said, or find out what is really wrong.

 

[golfgal]

I agree with lemondog, anemia can cause fatigue. Try giving him some mult-vitimins with iron and see if that helps. I also agree with testing for thyroid conditions, they are VERY common and easy to treat.

As far as the diabetes goes, a friends son was diagnosed with this about a year ago. He had been having problems off and on for about a year. They did test initially for diabetes and his blood sugar came back normal. They went to a different dr and that dr said that kids blood sugar goes up and down so fast that they often don't test positive. My friends son had 10 different tests before they were able to catch a change in his blood sugar. Make sure you do the fasting test, not just the regular blood test.

If you aren't getting answers, find another dr.

 

[DawnCt1]

I haven't read these replies but I would ask for specific thyroid function tests. Given the fact that he has been ill, sometimes that can precipitate a condition called Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It usually affects women BUT, when DS 26 was about 12 years old he had a bout of the flu. After than he never bounced back. I requested thyroid function tests and when the peds called, he said that he was shocked to see that our DS had hypothyroidism. Other tests confirmed Hashimoto's. He was on Synthroid for a couple of years and we gradually weaned him from it with the theory in mind that he was young and that his thyroid may have been "stunned" but not out. He has regained his thyroid function although we remind him to have it checked annually.

 

[funhouse8]

I'm sorry I counldn't read all these but so if this is repeated I'm sorry. Have the Mono test my son was acting the same way, Strep, Tired all the time, infections, They kept changing his antibotics which did nothing. (finially they tested for mono) and show enough that was what it was. Gina

 

[chager]

I also thougth mono first becuase our 10yr old was just tested for it. In his case though he has had several throat infections so we just had his tonsils out. Now we are recovering from that. My next thought is dust mites. You might try getting an allergy mattress cover and pillow cover. Also clean his room really well. I can't remember if it was something someone told me or something I read about but allergies can cause similar symptoms. The person was always tired and just didn't feel good. Doctors couldn't find anything wrong with her and simply treated symptoms as they appeared. Well somehow she came up with trying a matress cover and really sweeping her bedroom and she started feeling better. I can't remember if any carpet treatments were used or if they simply got rid of the carpet in the bedroom to help control dust mites. In the end the person felt better.
It's just an idea to try. We have covers on our beds and Nick has one on his pillow because of his allergies so I can't actually say that it would be helpful or not. Good luck!

 

[gopherit]

An update -- (and thanks for asking, by the way!)

Evan finished the extra med back in March. Basketball finished, scouts pretty much winded down, spring break came and went (we just sort of stayed around home and did stuff, really low key!) ON a whole separate issue, I had surgery in the meantime, which meant much of the kids care, for a short time, went to DH. It seems to me the kids complain less with DH -- probably because he's more laid-back and it doesn't get the response it gets from good ol' Mom, lol! I also think DH does a better job at getting them settled for bed most nights, but also gets them up earlier -- different sort of schedule. In any case, DS got lots of rest during that time. So here we are now, a few months later, with 1 week of school left, into baseball season... and so how's he doing?

Evan still seems draggy to a degree, BUT new developments include very itchy, sore eyes, the occasional stomach ache, and leg pains every morning. Based on the few other tests we had run, and the recent data, it would appear he has a combo of:

(a) allergies (our pollen count is at an all-time high here, and out in the baseball fields, he gets a full snort of it!)

(b) growing pains / puberty issues.

I suppose it's a relief that it's nothing major, but at the same time, there's no real treatment for the latter stuff, anyway. We have an allergy med for him now, which helps some (but as with any med, there are always trade-offs... you fix one thing and then get 2 other side effects in the bargain! ) His leg pains are consistent with growth spurt pains (in the same places, on both legs... and he is growing at a pretty good clip lately!) I think between the allergy med and growing pains and such, he may not be getting the best quality sleep in the world, either.

The stomach pains thing I may have to accept as hereditary. My niece had them terribly, and so did DH and my MIL. At one point in DH's youth, my MIL had DH tested for leukemia, mono, anything and everything, because he was acting very much the way our DS was in March. But then, just as now, nothing concrete turned up. DH still has a "nervous stomach" as we call it. Last week we had a significant loss in our family. Our caregiver is like family to us; she and her husband are like grandparents to our kids -- well, the husband died after a failed recovery from surgery 9 weeks ago. My middle son developed intense stomach pain from that, and eldest DS could not eat for a while due to stomach pains. I think it's just their achilles heel, so to speak, that when the going gets rough for them, the stomach goes first.

To some degree, I wish I had their problem... I tend to FEED mine when I'm stressed. Ugh.

So anyway, we're just going to sort of "idle" in this holding pattern, with allergies and growing pains, unless something new develops or presents itself. THanks again for asking, though -- and I hope others with similar problems find the answers they need to get through!

Cindy

 

[Pin Wizard]

If he's not much of a protein eater, I'd push it a bit more. Certain vegetables are a decent source of iron, but I don't see the usual salad veggies in a listing here...

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002422.htm

Those at risk for low iron include:

• Menstruating women, especially those with heavy periods.
• Pregnant and postpartum women -- extra iron is needed to meet the needs of the growing fetus and to make up for iron lost due to blood loss during childbirth.
• Babies moving to solid foods -- foods containing high amounts of iron should be selected to prevent the development of iron deficiency. (Infants are born with iron stores that last about six months. An infant's additional iron needs are met by breast milk. A non-breast-fed infant's iron needs can be met with an iron supplement or iron-fortified infant formula.)
• Toddlers between 1 and 4 years of age -- they experience rapid growth and a possible lack of iron in their diets, unless iron-fortified foods or a supplement is available. Because milk is a very poor source of iron, children who drink large quantities of milk at the expense of other foods may develop "milk anemia." Recommended milk intake is two to three cups per day for toddlers.
• Adolescents -- both boys and girls -- traditionally have been prone to anemia because of rapid growth rates, erratic eating habits, and concerns about body image.
• Long-distance runners -- demanding exertions may damage red blood cells.
• Strict vegetarians.
• People with any type of intestinal blood loss (for example, from bleeding lesions).
• People who frequently donate blood.
• People with absorption problems in the gastrointestinal tract, such as celiac sprue or having had portions of the intestines removed, which may lead to low levels of iron.

Iron from vegetables, fruits, grains, and supplements is harder for the body to absorb.