Medical Issues With My Daughter

[N&B'smom]

I definitely think it needs to be taken seriously. I would pursue it and not stop until you got an answer.

My DS10 had a problem at 11 months, fever for weeks. His Dr said it was an ear infection and laughed it off when we suggested more. Turns out he had an infection at the base of his spine and had we let it go he would have had brain damage or died. I kept at it until I finally changed to a new Dr, he sent us to our local Children's Hospital. Best decision of my life!

 

[kacaju]

Video tape her when she is in pain.
Stomach issues are so hard to get to the bottom of. my 15 year old was having really bad stomach pains recently and I was not happy with the ped answers. My dh has Crohn's so I do tend to worry more when the kids complain of stomach pain!!Turns out my dd had a viral infection in her stomach... not too much of a big deal, but after having the Dr tell us her pain was due to *stress*. It was nice to hear the Gastro say her pain was real!!

 

[IngridRalph]

Another vote for a celiac test. My daughter suffered for years from headaches, stomachaches, and fevers. Now that she is wheat free she feels great!

~Ingrid

 

[raysnkaysmom]

It could be what my nephew (12) had last year. A stomach emptying problem. It requires special medicine from the government. The side effects of the med. are very serious.

whoa...huh?!!?? special medicine from the government?? like the agency of the special creepy guys?

Yeah...that all sounds a bit crazy!!

To OP, Hope you stuck with the dr. appt regardless of how she felt. Sometimes at 4 its hard to tell whats true pain and not...but since it's been going on for awhile, I'd defintiely try to find out all I could...

 

[Mskanga]

Personally as a mother you are the advocate for your child. Please do not allow anyone to make you feel like "hypochondriac mom" for trying to help your child. The truth is it is what any of us would in the same case.

Some people could have thought I was a hypochondriac with my oldest daughter but when she complained of knee pain and the fill in doctor was sending her to physical therapy for two months I insisted on an x-ray. A tumor was discovered and she ended up having bone cancer !!! Follow your gut.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Please trust your instincts. I was having problems with feeling dizzy, shaky, irritable, etc. When it happened I would have this intense craving for sugar and after eating sugar I would feel better. I knew it was something to do with my blood sugar. Tried to see a physician at my university and was told nothing was wrong, made to feel like an idiot, even accused of lying. A year later things were getting worse and I came here asking people how they dealt with it. The people here convinced me to see another doctor, and I found out that I have diabetes. I wish I had insisted to that first doctor that I was not an idiot nor was I lying about my symptoms. If you think something is wrong, take her!

 

[AC7179]

Thanks, everyone.

She woke up from a 3 hour nap yesterday (very unusual for her), and waved at me. She said she felt fine so my husband canceled the appointment. About 15 minutes later, she started yelling that her head hurt. Then, she said she had to throw up and started vomiting. We called back and got the appointment back. When we got to the doctor, she slept in my arms until they called her back, then fell asleep on the exam table. When the doctor came in, he woke her up and asked how she was feeling. She smiled and said, "GREAT!" The doctor wrote a prescription for phenegran and codeine, and we headed out to fill it. I get in line for the HEB Pharmacy drive-thru to drop her prescription off and she starts yelling that her head hurts again, then proceeds to throw up all over the truck.

We took her home, gave her one dose of the medicine, and no more problems. The whole thing is just very bizarre.

I have not been feeling good lately either, though, and started running fever as well. The doctor said to bring her back for a CAT Scan today if she wasn't better, but she's been perfect today. He said it could just be a virus, and since I'm under the weather today that may be the case.

Thanks everyone for listening!

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[Normangirls]

I agree with LuvOrlando -- treating/masking the symptoms with no concern for the underlying cause seems careless on the doctor's part. Especially considering the pattern (or lack of pattern) in the way the symptoms present.

Run, don't walk, to a doctor who is willing to get at the cause.

Good luck -- good thought and pixie dust to you!

 

[agnes!]

As hard as it might be...

I think the idea to tape her or having a camera running when she is having an episode is brilliant. You must have access to a video-camera at all times, it must have fresh batteries/freshly-charged battery, empty video-tape, digital-memory item, etc. This is your job, think of it as being on vacation when you carry your camera around all the time. Your DD has no play-dates, no trips unless you are along with that camera.

That way you can have something to show the doctor the next time you see one (and, believe me, I think this will be the case)...

agnes!

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

The way I understand it, is this medicine may damage children. You have to be authorized to use it in children. In the whole metropolitan area, there is one pharmacy that is authorized to distribute it. I think government is involved at some level in the authorization process.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Thanks, everyone.

She woke up from a 3 hour nap yesterday (very unusual for her), and waved at me. She said she felt fine so my husband canceled the appointment. About 15 minutes later, she started yelling that her head hurt. Then, she said she had to throw up and started vomiting. We called back and got the appointment back. When we got to the doctor, she slept in my arms until they called her back, then fell asleep on the exam table. When the doctor came in, he woke her up and asked how she was feeling. She smiled and said, "GREAT!" The doctor wrote a prescription for phenegran and codeine, and we headed out to fill it. I get in line for the HEB Pharmacy drive-thru to drop her prescription off and she starts yelling that her head hurts again, then proceeds to throw up all over the truck.

We took her home, gave her one dose of the medicine, and no more problems. The whole thing is just very bizarre.

I have not been feeling good lately either, though, and started running fever as well. The doctor said to bring her back for a CAT Scan today if she wasn't better, but she's been perfect today. He said it could just be a virus, and since I'm under the weather today that may be the case.

Thanks everyone for listening!

I'd take the dr up on the CAT scan..who cares if she's been perfect 'so far'... Get as much info as quick as it becomes available...
Always err on the side of caution 'they' say.. I think 'they' have a good thought process

 

[Ilivetogo]

I agree with LuvOrlando -- treating/masking the symptoms with no concern for the underlying cause seems careless on the doctor's part. Especially considering the pattern (or lack of pattern) in the way the symptoms present.

Run, don't walk, to a doctor who is willing to get at the cause.

Good luck -- good thought and pixie dust to you!

I've got to agree with this. I'd get her to see someone else ... fast! The sporatic-ness of these pains is too strange. I wouldd not stop checking and asking till they figure something out.

I agree with the video thing too!

 

[jaycat]

If she is old enough it could be ovarian cyst. Just a suggestion but I would def. have her checked out by different doctors. Sorry you have to go through this

 

[honugirl]

Try using a food diary. That may help you identify any potential triggers. You can also chart symptoms, which can be a big help. If you have a blood pressure cuff, during the episodes, I would keep track of her temp, blood pressure, heart rate, etc. which can help the doctor know what's going on in her little body and see if there's a pattern. It's a pain to do, but it works.

Phenergan is some serious hardcore medication. I use it sparingly and only to piggy back on my Zofran on a really bad day. Phenergan knocks me out cold for several hours when I take it (it's probably the best sleep I get all day though...). Codeine, eh, not so much, but I would be worried about a doc that just willy nilly prescribe something like that for a kid without running more tests. Something is wrong, people don't just wake up screaming their head off for no reason.

 

[DipsyDoodles]

Thanks, everyone.

She woke up from a 3 hour nap yesterday (very unusual for her), and waved at me. She said she felt fine so my husband canceled the appointment. About 15 minutes later, she started yelling that her head hurt. Then, she said she had to throw up and started vomiting. We called back and got the appointment back. When we got to the doctor, she slept in my arms until they called her back, then fell asleep on the exam table. When the doctor came in, he woke her up and asked how she was feeling. She smiled and said, "GREAT!" The doctor wrote a prescription for phenegran and codeine, and we headed out to fill it. I get in line for the HEB Pharmacy drive-thru to drop her prescription off and she starts yelling that her head hurts again, then proceeds to throw up all over the truck.

We took her home, gave her one dose of the medicine, and no more problems. The whole thing is just very bizarre.

I have not been feeling good lately either, though, and started running fever as well. The doctor said to bring her back for a CAT Scan today if she wasn't better, but she's been perfect today. He said it could just be a virus, and since I'm under the weather today that may be the case.

Thanks everyone for listening!

That's it!!! Seriously?? Wow.

 

[Jennasis]

Has anyone suggested having her seen by a psychologist? I know she's young, but is it possible it's extreme anxiety?

 

[BCV513]

I've had migraines since I was two years old. My mother says I used to hold my head and scream until I threw up and then fall asleep, just like your daughter is doing. So it is possible that she has migraines. However, I really don't like that the doctor gave your four year old codeine and phenergan. Those are strong medicines for adults. I can't imagine what they would do to a four year old. I'd try to see a pediatric neurologist and find a different pediatrician.

 

[Lintasare]

I would be looking at chiropractic care. Lots of weird things happening that MDs can't put their finger on is a pretty common thing that gets people to the chiro. Nice gentle work if you can find them...I love Network Spinal Analysis and Atlas Orthogonal, especially for a kidlet.

If you really want to get "out there", find a traditional homeopath to find her constitutional remedy, see if that helps with the random pain and listelessness.

I'd try to stay away from dosing her with tylenol. It's a drug that causes me problems and as you can see from the news they are finding that it's not as benign as many people thought...

You are kidding right? Chiropractic can't cure everything and I doubt it cures anything at all. In fact I have known people where it did more harm than good.

I agree with other poster, have her tested for Celiac disease and even see if it could be anxiety or stress. When I was 6 my family was moving overseas because of my dad's military assignment. Before we left...maybe a week or so I started have headaches and throwing up alot. And I mean alot. After we got on base I started getting sick with coughing and fever but they never found anything wrong with me. The stress of the move and leaving my friends and going to a new school and learning new customs and language was too much for me. So I would not rule out stress or anxiety. Though if the headaches are really severe I would insist on a CAT scan or MRI.

 

[C.Ann]

Take her for the CAT scan! It could be migraines - but it could also be something much more serious.. Severe head pain and vomiting is not good and I can't believe a decent pediatrician would give you phenagren and a NARCOTIC to deal with an unknown problem..

I don't advocate lying - at all - but in this case I'm going to advise you to do just that.. Tell the doctor she's worse and have a CAT scan done of her head ASAP..

That poor little thing..

Please let us know how she's doing..