Ugh - Day 18 of Nasty Diapers!

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I don't know what DS13 months has gotten into but for the past 2 1/2 weeks he has had horrible blowout diapers - 6 to 10 a day! The smell is absolutely horrid - much worse than typical stinky diapers. I have taken him to the Pediatrician and the ER and they have run all sorts of bloodwork and stool samples and can't figure out what is causing this. The tests show no signs of infections, bacteria or parasites.

He isn't eating any "new" foods - no matter what he eats it is the same problem.

The poor kid had to have a complete change of clothes every time - the laundry is staggering.

The closest thing I can compare this to was when my older kids and I got Shigella several years ago (the smell and the mucous - sorry if TMI) but the ER tested for that and it came back negative.

HELP! He is NOT dehydrated and seems pretty happy otherwise but this is getting old and can't be healthy for his digestive system.

Any experience with this??

 

[Princess Roo]

Any chance it's allergies? Last summer DS starting having loose stools and then vomiting every few days (actually started on our Disney trip ). They ran TONS of tests and found nothing, and we had reduced his diet to only "binding" and natural foods with no luck, then it finally went away after ~2 months. (They had put him on Prevacid, and we thought that might have been what fixed it.) Well, it started again this year, about 2 weeks earlier than last year. We put him on Allegra and it went away after ~5 days. There isn't much documented evidence that our pediatrician could find of seasonal allergies causing stomach problems, but we've found some other anecdotal evidence, so it might be worth a shot.
Good luck!

 

[PaulaSue]

To me it sounds like my girls, when teething. Good Luck!

BTW, when they would start the blow-outs I would move up a size in the diapers to help prevent it.

 

[Disneyvirg]

Have they tested him for celiac disease? My co-worker's son had about five months of bad diapers before they finally tested him. They have to be careful what he eats...but he's normal otherwise.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

I too was thinking a bigger size diaper to help ease the blowouts

 

[eclairemom]

Was he on strong antibiotics prior to this problem? When DD was 3 she had a bad ear infection and was on strong antibiotics and she started having issues with her stools. We did stool specimens and nothing showed up, turned out it was the lack of good bacteria in her system.

 

[disneybridetobe]

Teething does horrible things to DD's poopers. One day its complete mush, and the next the's screaming because she's pushing out golf balls I feel horrible for her!

Any new toofers coming in?

 

[CastleCreations]

The only thing I can think of is teething...how many stool samples did they get...the have to run a few to check for C-Diff. C-Diff is some VERY foul smelling stool...like no other, and it's **beware gross info coming*** full of thick mucousy threads. The mucous is usually clear and I though it looks like pieces of jellyfish..
Thank goodness the baby is fine othewise...but I would have them continue checking until you get an answer. Good luck.

 

[RMulieri]

Did they test for CDIF ( Clostridium dificile)?

 

[Octoberbabiesrus]

I was gonna say perhaps Celiac. The ER wouldnt have tested the child as its kinda invasive. Celiac is the allergy to wheat gluten. Its in practically everything. From Dairy, crackers, soup, heck even worcheschire. I would say cut out the flour/wheat for a week....if it stops....bring it up to the dr.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Last summer the little guy I was nannying got a virus that stripped the lining of his stomach and made him unable to tolerate dairy. He had diarrhea for a month. We switched him to soy until his tummy returned to normal, then slowly phased the dairy back in.

The worst diapers I have ever seen are from kids with rotovirus, but it sounds like they would have figured out that's what it was since they have tested him for various things.

I hope he feels better soon!!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

To me it sounds like my girls, when teething. Good Luck!

BTW, when they would start the blow-outs I would move up a size in the diapers to help prevent it.

He may be teething but usually that only gives him a few days of loose stools and this has gone on much longer and is much stinkier. We just moved him up to size 4s from size 3s so he would be swimming in a size 5!

Have they tested him for celiac disease? My co-worker's son had about five months of bad diapers before they finally tested him. They have to be careful what he eats...but he's normal otherwise.

No they have not tested for that but I will mention that to the Pediatrician.

Was he on strong antibiotics prior to this problem? When DD was 3 she had a bad ear infection and was on strong antibiotics and she started having issues with her stools. We did stool specimens and nothing showed up, turned out it was the lack of good bacteria in her system.

He hasn't been on antibiotics in over a month - that was for an ear infection. The ER doc suggested giving DS a probiotic (which we give him whenever he is on antibiotics anyway) so hoping that will help his system fight off whatever this is.

The only thing I can think of is teething...how many stool samples did they get...the have to run a few to check for C-Diff. C-Diff is some VERY foul smelling stool...like no other, and it's **beware gross info coming*** full of thick mucousy threads. The mucous is usually clear and I though it looks like pieces of jellyfish..
Thank goodness the baby is fine othewise...but I would have them continue checking until you get an answer. Good luck.

They have done 2 different stool samples 5 days apart. The ER visit was last Wednesday and the Ped visit was yesterday. Both times they tested for C-Diff, e-coli, salmonella, shigella and several other bacterias. The Ped said they should have most test results back late tomorrow.

The diapers DO have the mucousy threads in them - just like when my older kids had shigella years ago - but the first shigella test came back negative on DS.

DS has only had 1 dose of the Rotavirus vaccine (they are supposed to have 2). My oldest DD had Rotavirus as an infant and was hospitalized but her symptoms were severe vomiting and dehydration not the other end.

He had 6 stinky diapers before dinner time (and I am sure those aren't the last for the day) so this is not getting any better.

 

[kmk160]

Ugh, this is a carbon copy of what we went through last year with our daughter, now 2.
She had about a month long bout with this. Had as many as 13 horrible diapers a day-all water!
They tested her stools, blood, etc..
She was tested for Celiac and it was negative.
Also was sent to a GI specialist.
Turns out that they think she just had one of those terribly stubborn viruses that kick little ones butts.
Best of luck with this!!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Ugh, this is a carbon copy of what we went through last year with our daughter, now 2.
She had about a month long bout with this. Had as many as 13 horrible diapers a day-all water!
They tested her stools, blood, etc..
She was tested for Celiac and it was negative.
Also was sent to a GI specialist.
Turns out that they think she just had one of those terribly stubborn viruses that kick little ones butts.
Best of luck with this!!

Wow a month. Your poor DD!

As I was typing my above post I smelled the telltale sign and sure enough #7 for the day so far was waiting for me. Blech.

The funny part to this is that it has made DS very aware of his diaper and he will now sometimes bring me a diaper BEFORE he has a stinky because he knows it is coming. Wonder if 13 months is too young to start potty training...

 

[Jajone]

My DN went through this at about the same age. She ended up in the hospital 2 times for dehydration. They tested her for everything, including celiac. She eventually saw a pediatric gastrologist who rec. no dairy or soy in anything and it worked. Her mother had to read even dry products for soy or milk byproducts in it. She eventually outgrew the allergy, but had rickets in her legs for a while from being so malnourished. Do you notice a certain time they happen like after a meal?

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

My DN went through this at about the same age. She ended up in the hospital 2 times for dehydration. They tested her for everything, including celiac. She eventually saw a pediatric gastrologist who rec. no dairy or soy in anything and it worked. Her mother had to read even dry products for soy or milk byproducts in it. She eventually outgrew the allergy, but had rickets in her legs for a while from being so malnourished. Do you notice a certain time they happen like after a meal?

There is somewhat of a pattern - he always wakes up because he has a stinky or makes one shortly after waking. He has one during or after every single meal for sure (but he has done that for a few months) and since this all started he has several other ones in between. Some stools are nothing but the mucous. Most are "seedy" too.

Today his appetite is off - he isn't eating as much and is refusing some foods that he usually likes. He also hasn't been napping well the past 2 days.

 

[Merriwind]

What a dreadful time, Clarabelle. I'm so sorry!

Has anyone talked about IBS? Usually that is an exclusionary diagnosis, after all else has been ruled out. The mucous is common with that though.

DD10 started having trouble a little before her 2nd birthday. It would come and go. Weeks of trouble, sometimes months without. Sometimes constipation, more often unbelieveable diarrhea. She was finally diagnosed at age 7, when she went almost three weeks with crazy diahhrea. Milk is a big trigger for her. Bentyl and Immodium helped alieve symptoms while we worked at calming her GI tract.

Good luck to you both!

 

[GrumpyMom25]

I'm so sorry your little one (and you) are dealing with this. I didn't get a chance to read everyones posts but I did see someone mentioned Celiac Disease. If there is the chance that your little one has Celiac you do not want to eliminate gluten from their diet before testing. It would effect test results. I think I would look into an appointment with an gastroenterologist as soon as possible. Testing for Celiac would involve a blood draw looking for indicators and if they get positive results usually the next step is our son's case was an upper endoscopy.
Hope you can figure out what's going on soon.

 

[Mahnahmahnah]

I'm so sorry for you!

See if you can try a potent probiotic. I use one called Primal Defense
http://www.gardenoflifeusa.com/Prod...veHealth/PrimalDefense/tabid/638/Default.aspx

you can also google it to read about it. A doctor friend of mine told me about it because I was experiencing the WORST yeast infections while I was pregnant. I asked the gyno if it was OK and they gave the Ask the pediatrician if it's OK to take. They not only cleared up the YI, but I had no constipation throughout the rest of my pregnancy. And it was BAD before-you all know!
I recommended it to my DSIL, who has ulcerative colitis and is usually a mess, and she has been so much better. (Maybe look into the ulcerative colitis?)
My reg dr said some probiotics are not potent enough, like acidolphilus(sp?). And they just don't work. Might be worth a shot. Good luck!

 

[mamaLori05]

It sounds like they checked for everything, but it kind of sounds like rotovirus. If it's a yellowish color with little seeds in it and mucus and smells kind of like rotton eggs it could be rotovirus. When I worked in daycare years ago we used to get that all the time in the spring. It was awful!!!! The blowouts and smell are nothing I will ever forget!!