My 11 year old daughter complains of stomachache for months

Faith Elizabeth - posted on 04/22/2013

you daughter is pregnant.

Christie - posted on 12/06/2012

My daughter has been having similar issues with gastritis/gerd and nausea/vomiting....mentioned my sister had gallbladder issues...we will be checking on that next week. Found a website called gallbladderattack.com and read up on stomach acid...hope this is helpful....

Christie - posted on 12/06/2012

Check out gallbladderattack.com and read up on stomach acid...

Cathy - posted on 11/26/2012

It's not likely 'Period' related.. but.. I would take an opportunity to talk with her AND her Teacher(s).. and find out what her Social time life is like at school...if she is struggling with her fellow classmates..or if there is an issue with her Teacher...Anxiety from a Bully ..or peer pressure or even issues with Not Fitting In...may All cause Anxiety.. and those symptoms.

Jordan - posted on 11/26/2012

I have that same problem I feel so sick at night I end up in bed for weeks I went to the E.R I was dehydrated even though I drank a lot of water because I'm epileptic I went for a scan and was another patient with the same problem it was all girls too he said I have something called stomach migraines

Aisha - posted on 11/09/2012

get well soon

Ann - posted on 11/06/2012

If your child is having chronic stomach, choking, reflex issues and doctors cannot find the answer please look into Eosinophlic Gastro-Instestinal Disorders (EGID). You can learn more at www.curedfoundation.org or the Cincinnatti Children's Hospital Eosinophlic Center.

It is a rare disease that has only been studied for the past 10 years.

Venessa - posted on 10/30/2012

i am 10 and i have this same problem!

i cant sleep, i cant eat and i sometimes have trouble on breathing.

Kaylene - posted on 10/30/2012

Hi - Since my now 14 year old daughter was about 6 she had what I thought was repeated bouts of Gastro. Over the years it included very bad stomach pain and she often felt she was going to vomit. I put it down to her diagnosed Anxiety. It wasn't until late last year it really esculated. She would be starving but throw up after a few bites. As you all say - hard for a kid to articulate their aches and pains. I was lucky I over heard her say to her sisters that her foot had gone to sleep and she hadn't even been sitting down. It was that one thing that finally meant the specialist diagnosed her with Abdominal Migranes. With medication and taking onion, garlic, citrus & chocolate out of her diet she is a changed person.

Amy Lee - posted on 10/23/2012

twisted is all i got to say when it comes to how ignorant are medical proffesionals have become, are we saying that the rat is actually a german sheppard,,the cucumber is actually a tomato, those speaking of probiotics,A+,,yogurt A+,lactose and gluten allergy A+,dont beleive the doctor who tells you the the sky is purple and grass is blue, if your child has anxiety..ITS PROBABLY YOUR FAULT,CAN THEY TALK TO U ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE WORLD WITHOUT FACING ANY TYPE OF CONSEQUENCE,,THAT MAY CURE YOUR CHILDS STOMACHE ACHE,TEACH THEM TO STRETCH BREATHE RELAX AND PRAY.THAT HELPS TOO,, DIVORCED,NEVER KEEP CHILD AWAY FROM OTHER PARENT UNLESS HARMFULL AND U MUST REMAIN FRIENDS WITH OTHER PARENT,ONCE A MONTH MAKE A FAMILY NITE TOGHETHER EVEN THOUGH DIVOCED,,HEALTHY RELTIONSHIP YOUR NEW MATE SHOULDNT MIND,,BUT THEY ARENT INVITED UNLESS CHILD INVITES OTHER MATE,THIS IS THE HEALTHY STOMACHE RELIEVER HERE

Shari - posted on 10/16/2012

Melodi, My daughter has been suffering from the same issues since she was 4. My daughter was small at one time and then her body did a 360. My daughter is 10 now and I know how to manage the pain. My daughter also would sleep walk, be totally out of it and think she was somewhere else, throw up, then run to the bathroom where I would rub her back and watcher her throw up and have a bowel movement. My daughter has taken the miralax also or just a pill softner.



The doctors thought I was crazy, however I am the one who takes care of her all the time and had to figure this out on my own.

My daughter had to back off of the dairy products a little bit,stool softner at night and drinks more water. If my daugher really wants dairy she needs to also take lactade pill and no dairy after 6!. I noticed a world of a difference with the lactade pills! :) I know all kids are different.

Gaynor-Marie - posted on 10/08/2012

Some of the others have suggested this already but definitely get the doctor to test for cealiacs disease. Also consider other food intolerances. If she is crying every night it is not period related. You may have to be insistent with doctors to look at cealiacs or dietary issues. Good luck finding an answer.

Dora - posted on 10/02/2012

My daughter had the same issues and was put on all kinds of meds for bowel or acid reflux and none of it worked. We finally got fed up after 5 yrs. of trying to get her tested for Celiac/gluten Intolerance and just did the diet ourselves. Instant relief for her! We found out thru my cousins, that it ran on my Dad's side of the family and told the Dr.s and none would check her for it or just ignored us and said she did not have it. I even had a book along with a check list of her and My symptoms and told them of family history. Then after we did the diet for 2 wks and she was so much better, they of course wanted to test her but you have to be on the diet for correct results! No way did she want to go back to eating Gluten. Dairy is also an issue, so now we avoid both dairy and gluten!

Ruby - posted on 10/01/2012

I have a very similar situation with my daughter. Her dr thinks its stomach migraines. He has her taking colase every night n miralax every other day n she still has the exact same symptoms but now she's complaining that her body aches n she's gets headaches more frequently. She goes for an ultrasound this week. This has been ongoing since early August.

Rocio - posted on 10/01/2012

my daughter has been suffering of abdominal pain and vomiting, dizziness, blood in her stool for 3 years and no dr cannot find out nothing, we took her to GI specialist and nothing every test is NORMAL, new syptoms occur now her left eye start to swolling and looking like lazy eye, pain in her joints. we change regular milk to silk, and she is gaining weight.

Karri - posted on 10/01/2012

My Daughter has missed 3 weeks of school with bad stomach cramps, Doctors thought she was Constipated so they put her on Laxaday and Mettamucal bjt her stomach still seemed to hurt so we went to a Blood Analysis and found out that she had parasites , which seems correct because she has been in a lake before it got blue/green algea, so they gave her some medicine for them. It seemes to help but since shes on this clense her body is tired and her stomach hurts a bit but i think the pills will help her , the Blood Analysis said she would be tired for 5-6 days and before we found out about her parasites she was having some anxiety to go to school which is the first sign i have ever seen of anxiety in her, but when we sent to the blood analysis she said she had quite abit of yeast which plays with the mind abit but can cause some anxiety so we are on medicine for yeast aswell so hopefully she feels better in the next week. Hoped this helped ! And good luck

Ruby - posted on 09/27/2012

My daughter also had a herniated umbilical. So how did they fix your child?



I've been to the drs now at least 15 times in th last month and my daughter is still sick. Im so fustrated

Amy - posted on 09/27/2012

My 7 year old son has been having same problem for a year. Finally saw GI Dr. When cleanout with miralax didn't work to stop stomach pain. The new xray showed he was not constipated anymore so that could not be readon of his pain. Dr says it could be the Miralax itself! He switched us to a new medicine. Only one day so far but it is getting better so far. I feel so bad b/c we have been giving him Miralax everyday and his stomach has hurt so much over last year. If u look at side effecta of Miralax - stomach cramping/pain is one

Amy - posted on 09/26/2012

My daughter too is 11 and I took her to a pediatric gi and he put her on zantac three times a day and now 6 months later since it still hasn't went away they just done a enoscope done on her and she has 4 ulcers in the start of her small intestine. waitting on biopsie taken to find out if it is a infection causeing them or maby a allergy of some sort. I am really nervious but can understand all the pain now. I have read everything online about children with ulcers and everything keeps coming back as hardly ever seen in children.

Christina - posted on 09/01/2012

My son complained of a tummy ache every day throughout Kindergarten. I took him to the pediatrician who didn't find anything "wrong", but referred us to an allergist anyways. Turned out he had a major MILK PROTEIN allergy. Here I was giving him a bowl of cereal WITH MILK every morning and a CUP OF MILK with every meal. I felt so bad after finding this out, as if I was poisoning my own child! Weird thing is... he can eat cheese, have ice cream, yogurt, etc. It's not a "dairy allergy" it's an actual allergy to straight up cow's milk. So I switched to Rice milk and since doing so he's been fine. The allergy test also found sensitivities to raw onions and fresh strawberries. Never had a reaction, but I limit those now just in case. Doesn't hurt to get your child tested even if there aren't any complaints. This way if they do have a sensitivity, you can catch it before it becomes a full blown allergy.

Jasleen - posted on 09/01/2012

I think it is because of periods so don't worry.

Rosa - posted on 06/17/2012

so true jacqueline I was a pepsiaholic but after my last pregnancy I can't drink ANY soda and I've had to cut out juice because it gives me the worst cramps and diarrhea. Sugar is horrible

Lorna - posted on 06/17/2012

Ask your doctor for information on crohns disease , Does she get a lot of pain in her stomache and bowel

Dora - posted on 06/14/2012

My daughter was saying the same thing. She described it as nausea and bloating. We tried for yrs. to get her tested for Celiac but could not get the Dr.s to test her. We found out it ran on my Dad's side of the family to and his sister and her 4 kids and their kids all have it. Finally we just did the gluten free diet on our own, after getting help from my cousins. Now she is nausea and bloating free! We also had to take out dairy. That goes along with the Celiac. I would INSIST she be checked for Celiac or Gluten intolerance. Just make sure they do the right test for it. You might still want to do the diet. Sometimes it helps even when you get a negative test result. Good luck.

Brandy - posted on 06/12/2012

My son was going through the same kinds of things for a few months and we tried many different things, the meds did not work. They did a scope of his stomach and didn't really find anything. We took him off of dairy and that helped some, but after the scope took him off of gluten and that did the trick!! He has been great with a gluten free diet! Even his teacher called after 2 weeks and said his behavior and concentrating has improved so much! it has been over 2 months now and he rarely complains unless he eats something he shouldn't. Was wondering if we would ever get any help!

Kelly - posted on 06/12/2012

If they were period related cramps they would not be occuring all month long, they would only happen before, after or during the period of mentruation, one week at most. Anxiety could be an issue but look at what she may be anxious about, and a pshycotherapist would diagnose that not just a regular family practitioner, they do not always have all the answers. Try also increasing fibre intake if you havent already and lot's of water and include cranberry juice, it may help. If your daughter has began menstruating, it may be worth it too look into cysts, or fibroids, displasia, endometriosis, things of that sort. Otherwise, offer pain relief, until you find out the root cause and do not stop trying, i hope you find relief soon, and answers!

Jessica - posted on 06/11/2012

My daughter had similar problems at that age. We cut out dairy from her diet. She has been fine since then. It is a hassle at first, but there are a lot of dairy substitutes. My daughter feels so much better. Sometimes she eats pizza with her friends or something and gets sick again, so thankfully she doesn't like to do that too often.

Jacqueline - posted on 06/11/2012

I had stomach aches for 18months. Found out it was SUGAR. Sugar is enemy No:1 of the digestive systemm! When I cut it out aches were gone within 30hrs!!!
Google 'sugar stomach ache' or 'sugar digestive system'

RITA - posted on 06/11/2012

My daugther is now 34 yrs.old . She has made many trips to the hospital with awful stomache pain through the years until she went to a naturalist doctor who after yrs. of being told it was all in her head.is now pain free,and knows the causes. This awesome Doctor tested her and found she had horrible food allergies ,medical doctors aren't Gods that don't want to believe anything but their meds will help you ,they are pill pusher .My medical doctor told me to chose which doctor I wanted treating me because the naturalpath was able to help me with my diverticulist ,when all the medical doctor would just keep me on anitbiotics that stopped helping.Go out side the norm and check out these other types of doctors. My daughter has learned how to live pain free now .

Elizabeth - posted on 06/11/2012

I believe that she is probably backed up ... probably pretty bad!! That will cause a lot of pain...she may need to be looked at further. It shouldn't have anything to do with a period or anxiety. There could also be certain foods that are causing this. Watch what she is eating and be sure to keep on the Dr. about this! She may need another cleanse.

Debbie - posted on 06/11/2012

It maybe anxiety. If she is easily stressed out or has issues at home or school, this can cause her to be impacted. I suggest having her see a psychologist or school counselor. If she is starting her period, that could be a stomach pain she maybe having a hard time describing.

Patricia - posted on 06/11/2012

Have you tried home remedies or changes to her diet? My 10 year old has sufferred from constipation since birth. We are more aware of her diet due to this problem. If constipation is the problem a high fiber diet will really help. Processed foods such as frozen dinners, drive thru meals and such contribute to this problem. I also have her drink chamomile tea hot in the winter and cold/sweetened in the summer. It doesn't hurt to get a second opinion from another doctor in case it could be something else.

Monica - posted on 06/11/2012

I would look into Celiac Disease (where the body can't digest gluten) and other food allergies.

Monica - posted on 06/11/2012

FYI: Not sure of your insurance (HMO or PPO) but I took my daughter to Children's Memorial. They knew right away what it was! They were GREAT!!

Monica - posted on 06/11/2012

2 things to think about: 1) Is she getting headaches too? My 14 year old had the same thing but she had a constant, slight headache most of the time & we came to find out that she had a Gluten intolerance. She felt great for awhile until.... 2) Just recently she was having stomach pain & was feeling nausiated alot of the time. As it turns out, she has an Umbilical Hernia (* More info on: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles...) which is very common in children. She has apparently had it since she was a baby but it is just now tearing enough for fatty tissue to come through. The concern would be that if she is definitley nausiated & she is vomitting....get her in!! That could mean that the Instestine is coming through & could cause constipation & many more problems!! Feel around her stomach for any hard lumps...from the rib cage down. My daughters is literally abouve her belly button & feels the size of an enlarged Pea. It may very well NOT be either of these things but, speaking from experience: It is helpful to have a 'Starting Point' that makes sence. Hope she feels better soon. :(

Marcie - posted on 06/11/2012

Everything that I've been reading sounds like it may be a wheat GLUTEN allergy, did any of the GI doctors test for it? More and more children are being diagnosed with wheat gluten allergy because our bodies can't breakdown the variety if wheat produced in our country and used in our foods... and it's in everything! It's a very common allergy that caused GI issues including reflux and constipation.

Tracy - posted on 06/11/2012

My son had all the same problems, except he actually vomited every morning for 8 month straight. We went to many doctors and had all kinds of test done, and tried many different RX's before the second GI specialist figured it out. My son has cyclical vomiting syndrom. It's like migrains of the stomach. He was given amitriptyline and with in three days he felt fine, the vomiting stopped, and by the time we went for the recheck he had gained 28 lbs back. Stress and anxiety cause him to have flair ups, because it aggravates the stomach acid. Good luck, hope everything works out for your daughter.

Jeanie - posted on 06/11/2012

Some kids need digestive enzymes instead of things like zantac and prilosec. They may have food allergies and sensitivities. And they may have yeast overgrowth and need probiotics and anti-yeast meds and/or supplements. My daughter complained of her belly and the doctor had her take antiacids, then started calling it mental and it turned out she had problems with food.

Of course it can be other things. I assume she had a thorough endocrine test as well? Even subtle thyroid issues can cause constipation.

This link has near the bottom, info about food testing. http://itsnotmental.blogspot.com/2011/08...

Anna - posted on 06/11/2012

You might check out the possibility of a food allergy; some people who have allergies find that their GI tracts are especially susceptible to upset, and they experience symptoms of nausea, aches, and diarrhea, to name a few. I myself had a case of Infectious Colitis not too long ago (we still have no idea what caused the flare up), and have had a "touchy" tummy ever since. GI issues can be caused by a number of things, other than just stress or viruses.

Alicia - posted on 06/11/2012

Reflux reflux reflux! Try another PIP or more of one she has tried already. What was her dose? Try to tabs twice a day for two weeks. You are mom. Have faith in yourself and fight for what you feel is right. Alicia

Gaynor-Marie - posted on 06/11/2012

Sounds not unlike the symptoms I had as a child and that my daughter was having. We were both recently diagnosed as celiac. I would insist on the blood test that screens for Celiacs and consult a dietician rule out things such as lactoseor gluten intolerance. In the U.s some doctors still believe celiacs is much rarer than it really is and are reluctant to test for it.
Good luck

Heather - posted on 06/11/2012

My 11 year old son is the same way. He was born constipated. And has been since. The stomach pains would get so bad he would work himself into a panic attack. He takes miralax daily. He was tested for a lot if things including celiac and even tho we changed his diet nothing worked. The GI doctor finally said just to give him a high fiber diet. That has worked so far. I have ibs and my stomach aches horribly when it flairs up.

Lindsey - posted on 06/11/2012

may be abdominal migraines. i had these when i started primary school and they were anxiety related.

Kesha - posted on 06/11/2012

Possibly ... As my daughter has begun saying the same thing but she has not disclosed this to our family doctor on a recent visit. I am beginning to think as my daughter gets older (12) and realizes her period takes some care she does not want to go out during the initial days. Is your daughter a little heavy as this can bring about more discomfort. I just try and use home remedies without medications such as tea and lots of water and this method has worked for my daughter

Cathy - posted on 06/10/2012

Have you determined if there is anything causing her 'Anxiety' at school...that would possibly be initiating symptoms she is describing.
For example.. a young boy in the 3rd grade.. was complaining is similar symptoms... he was not presenting with a regular bowl function and complained frequently of stomach distress.
The mother had been advised to watch his diet.. make sure he was eating food that would 'move and stimulate' his food processing..and to check with his teacher and or friends if there was anything causing him distress.
It was learned he was struggling not only with a particular subject.. but was also struggling with issues of peer pressure...and was frequently the brunt of joking and other such behaviors.
These factors played big into this young boys symptoms.
When the parents discussed their findings with him.. he finally poured out his heart about all he had been going through. He didn't want to complain and possibly be made to feel bad.. for telling and or looking like a baby for whining.
School and other students can play a big factor in how adjusted a person can feel..I'm sure you remember your days in school.
The parents talked with the teacher and counselor as well as the principle...help was put in place for the subject he struggled with and the students were watched and dealt with when it was learned they were doing this to other students as well.
Once he started doing better in class.. and the other students were leaving him alone.. his symptoms.. disappeared.
The stomach is a funny..'Bag Of Tricks'...when we suffer anxiety.. the acids and gases..can create a lot of distress.. Migraines can acerbate this as well...and yes.. kids CAN suffer Anxiety.. cause from various stimulus in their school day.
Watch the diet.. make is a healthy and Balanced as he will tolerate...You can buy Great Flavored Graham type Fruit flavored crackers.. that will help stimulate the bowels.. but check with the doctor if that is appropriate for your son.
Good luck

Cathy - posted on 06/10/2012

I am a Representative For The Celiac Disease Foundation.. and myself and my son Also have Celiac Disease...
First off.. NEVER begin a Gluten Free diet..before a Diagnosis is made this would be a Big mistake for our child.
You should not begin Any treatment based on Suggestions by others ONLINE..well meaning suggestions is one thing.. to begin a treatment based on conversations online.. may cause more problems for your daughter, if they are not in her best interest.
The diagnosis for Celiac.. is done in Two Parts,, First with a Serum Blood test and IF that is positive then they follow through with an Endoscopy..which will examine not only the entrance from the Stomach into the small intestine.. but the Walls of the Intestines.. where they will look for any sign of damage to the Villi that line the intestines and any possible ulcerations..they will take biopsies if anything possible findings are encountered.
But.. if you begin changing her diet now.. they will have you put her on a Normal diet for a minimum of 6 weeks before ANY.. testing can be done. The serological testing for celiac disease, specifically regarding tTG (tissue transglutaminase) is the standard test used to determine Celiac. She would need a referral to a GI.. most Primary care doctors and or pediatricians won't do it... it will also depend upon the physicians evaluation of her symptoms with specific questions she will need to cover.
I hope that helped you concerning Celiac possibilities...Again Anyone should be Cautious when asking open ended questions seeking medical advice.. Never attempt treatment based on opinions online...I've seen too many patients suffer negative consequences.

Lika - posted on 06/10/2012

Well, my son, whose 12, is also very constipated, and has had to take the miralax daily for months. While it could be period related, I'd send her back to the pediatrician, have another x-ray done, and see if she is still constipated.

Also eating a fruit rich diet may help, and drink lots of water. If it still doesn't clear up, or if other aspects of her life are out of order, it could be anxiety. But, if she is otherwise normal, I think she may need other GI work.

Bethany - posted on 06/10/2012

My friends' daughter had similar symptoms, and after years of various tests and medicines that didn't work, they found out that it was actually migrane headaches. The usual throbbing headache that accompanies adult migranes doesn't always show up in children, and instead the dominant symptom can be nausea. Once they started treating the migrane, her upset stomach issues went away. All the other treatments (allergies, celiac, acid reflux, etc) didn't help. It's not common, so certainly the other options are strongly possible, but if nothing else works, ask you dr to check for migranes and try that route. Good luck!

Iridescent - posted on 06/10/2012

At 11, she knows how she feels. If she says her stomach hurts, her stomach hurts. Don't start thinking it's all something mental being displayed as a physical symptom - that is actually quite rare, and even more rare in children. Stomach ulcers and pain is not caused by stress - that was a myth and it was proven decades ago that they were actually caused by an infection of H. Pylorii quite often and truly not stress related.



There have been some excellent suggestions. It sounds like you've started out great! You've been dealing with the constipation that was found, but constipation has a cause - very often that is a dairy allergy, actually, or dehydration from not drinking enough while playing or at school. Evaluate both as possibilities. Find out how much fluid per day she is supposed to be drinking for her age and weight, and compare it to how much she actually does. Lactose intolerance is very common as well and can be checked for (along with physical signs of what is going on - inflammation, ulceration, any bacteria in the stomach where it shouldn't be) with an EGD scope. During a scope they can check for all 4 gut enzymes that should be functioning well. Seeing an allergist for evaluation for milk allergies would be great. A simple blood test can confirm celiac disease as well, but a scope should also be able to show the classic damage if it is this - lots of false negatives though, and no false positives. Sometimes the only way to know with Celiac Disease is removing gluten from the diet for 12 weeks, re-introducing it, and seeing what happens. There is also a simple blood test to see if she has the gene for Celiac Disease, which identifies 199 out of 200 people with it and may be worth doing in place of the other testing for it. These suggestions are just a start for a typical workup in stomach pain...there are many things it can be, but these are by far the most common.

Cathy - posted on 06/10/2012

Have her checked for Celiac Disease