# Lot of Questions... Daughter just diagnosed...



## Kathmerkin

Hi.This site seems wonderful and helpful. I have felt so alone with this the past few days. My 9 yr old was just diagnosed (after many tests) with "irritable Bowel Syndrome". I figured the Dr. would be able to give her a cut and dried treatment plan and she would be much better... But, NOPE! Not so... All he basically said we could do was to put her on a high fiber diet and experiment with milk and dairy and keep a log of all foods she eats, stools, etc.. Well My heart aches for her. She is my youngest and to see her in pain and with a bad stomach ache day after day, it's like a stomach virus that just never goes away! I am trying to be cheerful and talk about happy things and she has seen her school counselor today per my request. I think she doesn't understand why Mom and the Dr. are not making it "Get better" like eveything else in her life she has ever gotten and recovered from. I dont' even know where to START as far a foods to feed her, nothing seems to help or change anything.. Maybe she is going through a bad flare up and it will improve soon! I pray!! This is quite frustrating as a parent. Why couldn't it just be ME instead?????? And the tricky ;part is that I keep reading that it is quite individual as far as what are "Trigger foods" and it's all experimenting and trial and error. As far as it is now (and I have been giving her HEALTHY foods), they ALL make her feel sick! She eats a little bit very reluctantly.. She is thin! I know I must sound stressed to you all, but believe me, I am trying not to show this at ALL to her.. ANy tips on dealing with little ones?? What do you tell them, How can you tell these littel faces that they jsut have to LIVE with pain for good???????? Thanks you all for letting me "Vent".. Kathie


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## tiggster78

Kathie, I'm sorry for what you and your daughter are going through. I've had IBS all my life but didn't figure it out until I was in my last year of high school. My mom can remember me having a stomach ache even when I was in kindergarten, they all thought it was stress of being around other kids though because I was really shy. Unfortunately it is all an individual thing. YOu might want to try to go to a nutritionist with your daughter. That's what I did when it got so bad that I couldn't figure out my triggers and was sick all the time. I missed out on so much...maybe it's good that you are able to figure out her triggers now, before her life starts to get "active" when she is in middle/high school, etc. That way she won't miss out on so much then.Anyways, keeping a food log is great...just remember that you may not have the reaction right away, I never could make one of those things work for me. Is she IBS-C (constipation) or IBS-D (diarreah) or both? I'm D (meaning I have the majority of my problem with diarreah). It depends on what will work for you depending on whether she is C or D.When I went to the nutritionist she told me to cut ALL wheat, dairy, and caffeine out of my diet. That eliminated a lot of stuff. That allowed my body to gain somewhat of a balance again and I could slowly (months later) start to introduce the foods back in gradually to find my triggers. Just so you have an idea...my triggers include: dairy, caffeine, wheat, nuts, fatty/deep fried/greasy foods, spicy foods, alcohol, corn, rich foods and acidic foods (tomatoes, OJ, etc.)That eliminates a lot. But you just learn to deal with it and work around it. It's important that she takes her vitamins (this may also be a trigger (some people react to magnesium), to help keep her healthy during this transition, and definitely stay with the nutritionist on updates, changes, etc. Keeping stress levels down are also important, a lot of us can lead a very normal life once we learn our restrictions/triggers/and helpful "cures" (for me immodium with me constantly helps take away some of the anxiety of worrying about a "sudden" diarreah attack)Also, a lot of us have found that lots of small meals or snacks are important, and exercise too. The exercise helps keep the G.I. system moving and the small meals or snacks helps in two ways, by not letting our stomach's get too empty (which can cause an attack in me) and from not overeating (which can cause attacks in a lot of people)...it's often important to stop eating as soon as you are full...not when all the food is gone no matter how good it is.







I know this is a lot of info. but I hope that through this Bulletin Board (BB) you are able to find the support you need, actually you will find it...the people on the BB are great. Be sure to check back often and ask questions, no matter how weird they are, we've heard everything in here!







Take care and tell your little girl to hang in there...you'll figure it out together...it just takes some time and patience.


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## admflo

Give her a ginger root capsule every morning. Itake them and have gained a lot of weight. Nomore gas or cramping. I eat anything now. Youcannot overdose on ginger. Just follow the instructions and go to a good health food store.


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## tiggster78

admflo, though ginger root capsules work for you, they're not going to work for everyone. Kathie, I don't want you to be misled, I'm not a pessimistic person, by all means try the ginger root capsules if you choose, but don't be discouraged if they don't work. IBS doesn't usually have a quickfix in most people, it's all trial and error, and dealing with it.


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## Kathmerkin

Tiggster, I thank you so much for taking the time to write me about suggestions about my daughter.. yes, maybe a nutritionist would be good at some point if we can't get this thing under control ourselves.. It is difficult in the beginning because you jsut don't know which foods are "triggers"... Seems nothing helps alot.. I have pretty much kept her off milk and dairy except sometimes letting her take "lactaid" pill with it.. I worry about her getting enough calcium being she is a 9 yr. old girl, and growing. She even gets up in the night often with her stomach feeling sick and "nauseated", etc.. She has had BOTH the diarrhea and the constipation.. I'd say mostly the diarrhea... She has had the loose stools for a few weeks now but the past 2 days is starting with constipation.. SO this morning we did the bran muffins, metamucil, oranges, and grapes... Just trial and error.. SO really, acidic food bothers you?? LIke oranges, tomato sauce, etc.?? My daughter absolutely LOVES Spaghetti and pizza... This would be a killer..She did have a piece of pizza last nite and felt pretty sick after and was up during the nite, etc.. ANyway,, Thank you again SO much... Kathie


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## tiggster78

Kathie...it's no problem..I know how frustrating it can be. Seeing a nutritionist and cutting out certain foods COMPLETELY now might be one of the only ways to adequately start to identify triggers. That was the only thing that worked for me. I was taken off milk when I was in the 5th grade (whatever age that was), and the lactaid pills didn't work. They make a great Soy Chocolate Milk and the "Lactaid" brand of milk works well...doesn't upset my stomach or taste too different. She can most likely still eat yogurt though due to the cultures, also frozen yogurt (in place of ice cream so she doesn't feel "left out") Pizza could do it...it could be many things, the grease, the tomato sauce, or the cheese on it. I usually make my own pizza with pesto (which is really good, I've "converted" my whole family to it) and I use it in my spaghetti too in place of the tomato sauce.You might want to be careful as to how much fiber she gets at any one time. Too much could have a horrible result. Also...if you're worried about her not getting enough calcium have her take a calcium supplement. There's a thread somewhere on the BB about a certain brand that has helped many IBS-D people to control their diarreah, it would probably benefit you to look it up and take a look at it. Also...you might try not eating after a certain time at night. I can't eat any sort of big meal after 8pm otherwise I will be sick all night. Also, in the morning if I'm going to have something sweet like a donut I have to have a "base" first...such as toast or cereal.It's weird how our bodies work...but you'll figure it out!Keep us updated and please ask any questions you may have!


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## MALI

Kathie,my heart aches for you and your daughter. stay positive because the IBS may just be a temporary flare up. tiggster78 has already given good advice and mentioned many of the main" Trigger" foods. i want to add oniens,strawberries, grapes,chocolate and rich sauces to the list. no pizza and spaghetti sauce for a while.try an see if you can calm her digestive system by starting of in the morning with a bland food like steamed white rice and soft boiled eggs. the rice buffers the bile acids and this way your child gets a good "base" as tiggster mentioned before. other suggestions: camomile tea, plain oatmeal flavored with a little cinnamon sugar,rice dream ice cream or soya based ice cream. plain pasta flavored with a smal amount of butter or margarine. potatos, boiled not fried. skinless chicken breast, poached or grilled. a vegetable that does not cause gas like carrots. it sounds like a boring diet for a child that graves pizza but it may only take a week or so until her little belly calms down. good luck. please let us know how things are going. MALI


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## Eric Extreme

I add Chicken Boullion (spelling?) to the boiling water and let it disolve, before i throw in the white rice or spaghetti. There are different brands so she may like one and not the other. But it makes the bland food appetizing. I am trying soy milk and rice krispies as we speak. You would be surprised.. soy isnt half bad. I eat a lot of fat free yogurt as well. The kind without all the fruit chunks in it. It is still flavored, just not a lot of fruit chunks themselves. It has been my lifesaver for me (balancing intestinal floura) . Has for other people too. Different from person to person though. Hope that helps.


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## babydoll

your daughter sounds alot like me. If I were you I would check out the calcium thread update in our OVer the counter section. taking calcium suplements has changed my life over the past few weeks. It doesn't work for everyone, but it is a reasonable choice to try because alot of IBS sufferers cannot drink milk, and its a good idea to take the supplements just for the fact that a growing kid needs calcuim to be healthy.Its funny, thoose people mentioned no spegitti, but I find it to actually be a very calming food to my stomach. don't let her eat any rich foods, they seem to make D and Nausea worse. It was only two weeks ago I was suffereing everyday, not being able to go out, I even had a hard time attending classes, Now i feel so normal again.Please try the calcuim - go to the OTH section becase there is alot of information about it there that can help you. I hope your little girl feels better! keep us updated!!


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## Kathmerkin

Thanks so Much to ALL of you sweet people who have taken the time to try to make Melanie (and My) life a little easier..Your suggestions are very good.. In the beginning she was doing well, eating the bran muffins, etc.But yesterday we went to the grocery store, and she needed a snack for "Snack time" at school. I was making her choose from all these healthy snacks, granola bars, etc.. and she was getting so frustrated with me, wanting things like Doritos, etc.., She said, "Mommy why can't I just be normal like Other kids and just eat the "normal" snacks like everybody else.It broke my heart, and I could see that this health food, boring diet was starting to take it's toll on her. I gave in, and told her she could have the little pack of Doritos but it it upset her stomach SHe would have to be the one to live with that. ANyway, I jsut bought the book, "Living with IBS" I plan on sitting down in a minute and look at some of the recipes.. OH, now her diarrhea has change to "C" and gas and nausea. (for the past 4 or 5 days).. I guess for those who have the combination C with D, you sort of have to tailor your diet to what's going on with your system at that time, and it may change weather you have the "C" or the "D". am I right about that? Kathie


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## eric

Kathie, sorry to hear about your daughter, I have had this for 31 years since I was a kid.It will help tremedouly if you read this new book, that was just released my one of our members. She has two books out know. I highly recommend reading it to help your daughter. You can view her website and read passages to the book here. http://www.firstyearibs.com/


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## Nikki

I am so sorry this has happened to you and your daughter. I have had IBS since i was a young person, and still am a young person~ At 18/19 i have had this for nearly 4 years. It does get easier, and as she gets older she will learn how to cope with it, I promise you.When i was young i was unable to tolerate milk, but as i got older i foubd that i could (bizarre) but now i'm beginning to feel that i can't take milk anymore.Spicy or hot food isn ot good for me, also pizza is ok, depending what pizza place made it. Example: Pizza Express is much better than Pizza hut-less grease!I think there is a thread on here somewhere by Denise who had her daughter do Hypnotherapy. I will see if i can find it for you. Maybe your daughter could email Denises daughter Racheal for someone more her own age?Good Luck.


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## Nikki

Here it is! http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c&f=43&t=000013


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## MALI

eric, during those 31 years did you ever go for a long period of time, i mean years, where you had no problems with IBS at all and you where completly normal? do you have D? i have D and had my first bad flare up when i was about 10 years old. this was during world war two. on doctors orders my mother removed me from the city where the bombs where falling and i had no more problems until my late thirties when i started having troubles with trigger foods. from then on it was all down hill just wondering if this is how it usualy works. will you let me know? thank you, MALI


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## Kathmerkin

Spliff, Thanks so much for that link. I just E-mailed her and would really like to talk to other Moms who have gone thru this with their little ones. ALso, does anyone here ever have BOTH the "C" and the "D" like I hear you can have... My daughter has had the diarrhea for a few weeks, but now has had the "C" for a week or more.. Is there usually a pattern for this??? She still seems to have the tummy pain with Both, but seems to feel a little bit better with the "C" I think.. What foods helps kids with the "C". My daughter has had no stool since Tues, and it is Sunday.... YIKES!! when do you go the enema route?? I hate to put her thru that if I dont' have to... ANy help would be appreciated.. Kathie


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## Nikki

I kinda do. I would describe myself C&D, but not extreme. i don't tend to get constipated for long periods of time. Normally my problem is D.Good luck, def a good idea to talk to denise!


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## LCH

Alright, this is a little late, but if you're still around I've got some advice.I have everything. I switch between D and C all the time. I just started getting it a little bit under control this past semester. My doctor gave me a list of foods to avoid and medicine. He said to avoid vitamins and raw vegetables. He also put me on Fiber Choice which is working wonders. It's just two orange chewable tablets. They're actually not that bad. It makes things more regular. He also put me on NuLev. It's a soluble pill that tastes sort of minty. From what I understand, it sort of coordinates your insides so that they run more smoothly.I hope you're having more luck. Oh and drinking only water helps me a lot as well.


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## abcdefg

9 is so young to have this. Have the doctors checked for parasites and bacterial overgrowth?Take care.P.S. May well be wrong, but I think herbs can be problematic for children.


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## Kathmerkin

I know she seems young for this.. But it happens. The Pediatrian ran many tests on her,and yes, tested her stool for Ova and Parasites, and Blood, etc... She is still on the Constipated side the past several weeks.. she goes between 2 adn 6 days between stools. Lately about every 3 days is average for her but they are hard.. We are still keeping a food log. She seems to have pain in her belly every day, but not too often severe.. Once in a while she lays down with BAD cramping or nausea. The Dr, doesnt' want her to go on any meds or anything now except Citrucel .. e tried Metamucil before and she didn't like it at all! SHe does better with citrucel.


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## abcdefg

How many stool samples did dr. take? I was suprised when it turned out part of my own problem was parasites but my stool ova/parasite test was negative?I will be taking the cdsa with parasitology. If you should want information about what tests it includes, please let me know. (I wasn't doubting you at all, I just meant it must be so hard for both of you). Good luck.


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## Kathmerkin

He just took one stool sample. Well ist seems to me whe would be having more diarrhea with Parasites in her stool... She is now having alot of constipation... SHe had encapresis (constipation problem) as a baby too.. Kathie


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## abcdefg

Suprisingly, I always had bad constipation. But, it was just a thought. Have you looked at the various postings by people who had a lactulose hydrogen breath test?(for small intestine bacterial overgrowth). I don't know if it would help, but if your library has Digestive Wellness, by Elizabeth Lipski, there are some questionnaires for parents to use, with their doctors, to try to help figure out a child's digestive problems.Good luck!!! I hope your daughter is back to good health soon.


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## Kathmerkin

Hi everyone. thanks for all yoru suggestions. I have been taking her to a Pediatrician for this who has just put her on the Citrucel and trying to control her with diet. I have learned more from reading and this group than he ever taught me. I was wondering: The closest GI specialist who will see Children is in another town an hour away. Do you all think I should take her to another specialist (GI) to get another opinion.? She has lost a little weight. She is 9 and only weighs 54 and she weighed 57 last year. I was about to make her an appointment with a specialist here in town but found out he only sees adults. He stools lately are every 2-6 days and on the hard side but she has abdominal pain every day, (we rate her on a 1-10 scale)and she is better in the morning (typically a 3 or 4) and by evening she is typically a 6.. If she eats the "wrong" foods she is about a "7" she says or an 8... I feel so bad that she should never have pain free days.. Thanks Kathie


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## eric

Mali, I had IBS C and D and it didn't do that, but it can happen and it can be cyclic and disappear and come back or disappear all together although that is pretty rare, usally its just in remission.Kathie, usally for accuracy they take three stool samples thats recommended. It might seriously be worth taking her to the GI doc for a second opinion and because different drs no different things.Has she had a lactose test? To check how she reacts to diary.


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## Kathmerkin

Hey Eric. Thanks! My Dr. says for kids it is just as easy to hav them drink 6 oz. of 2 % Milk and then he says if they are lactose intolerant they will have cramps and diarrhea within 30-45 minutes and that will be my answer. When I first tried that she had been having cramps and diarrhea anyway for a few weeks so how can you tell the difference?? I tried it during her constipation phase and she had bad cramps but no stool, (but then she is only having a stool every 2-6 days anyway...).. SO from what I can see, she does not tolerate milk or cheese well, so the Dr. says jsut try to give her yogurt daily for her calcium.. I use the rice dream milk subsitute sometimes.. But she is not too fond of it alone and doesn't eat much cereal.. She adores pizza so sometimes I jsut let her have it, and she just knows she'll have to endure cramping but she sometimes elects to do that anyway..I see that it's jsut a trial and error thing, and that it's something that she (and I ) will have to live with and deal with.. I try not to make TOO big a deal out of it, cuz I don't want any weird obsessions and I want her to concentrate on just being a kid!! Kathie


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## eric

Your doing good Kathie, did you look into that book, it also has a lot of information for children and IBS. I think you will find it very valuable in your endeavors with this, its a really tough thing to deal with and IBS is a complicated condition of which many things effect the symptoms and education is the corner stone to treatment and management. Otherwise, you will find yourself very confused and frustrated trying to figure it out.


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## Kathmerkin

Which book are you referring to, Eric?? I ordered and read the book, "Eating for IBS" I think it is called by Heather somebody.. GOOD book and helped us alot.. Kathie


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## eric

Sorry, Heather is a bb member here and she has written a new book, called "First year IBS."It also has some childrens information in it. http://www.firstyearibs.com/ This is an excellent book for you to check out.There is also this you might want to check out. http://www.aboutkidsgi.org/ Hope that helps


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## Samantha's mom

I have been very interested in what Kathy and everyone has been saying. My daughter was diagnosed w/IBS about 6 months ago, she is having a lot of problems lately. Her stomach always hurts it seems like to me.I give her 1/2 an Herb-Lax tablet every night and the doctor has her on a High Fat, Low Carb, High Residue diet (whatever!) I am sure milk is a problem so I am giving her soy milk instead of regular. It is really hard with the other kids because they can eat whatever they want. Help me, I don't know what else to do for her


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## abcdefg

Hi Samantha's mom,On the soy milk container label, what is the sugar and carbohydrate content? Does it contain "cane juice"?Good luck with your daughter.


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## Kathmerkin

HI Samantha's Mom, What is YOUR name??







I am Kathie and would love to talk to you. You can E-Mail me at kperez###islc.net How old is your child (girl???) I know the frustration you feel! I have been going thru it for several months now too. I ordered a book called, "eating for IBS" and it talks about low fat foods being best. So I have read lots of differing views on this. I think it is whatever works on your child.. I have been doing a "log Book" in a notebook writing down everything my daughter eats and how her stomach feels (I have her rate her pain on a 1-10 scale.). I write down the days she has a stool and the consistency, etc.. It is helpful to pinpint the foods that may upset her. I buy the "rice Dream" milk for my daughter. Do you take your daughter to a regular Pediatrician or a GI specialist?? Kathie


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## Silverlight

Katie,Just wanna say i think you're doin great. Your daugher is lucky to have her mother's support, I think that is very important. I had IBS when i was 8 years old and suffered without tellin my family until many years later! Can u believe tat...i guess i was just too embarrassed! All the best n hope yr daughter finds something that works


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## Kathmerkin

Thanks so much, Silverlight! I can't believe you went all those years suffering in silence. Poor Thing!! I hope you are doing ok now! Kathie


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## Samantha's mom

KathieI couldn't get your email to work, here is mine anna###inebraska.com My name is Anna. Write soon.


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## LauraRN

Kathie,My name is Laura and my son was diagnosed at 9 with IBS. He is now 10 and is worse than ever. We had about 3 weeks where things were good, some pain but nothing he couldn't handle. Now we are back to missing school most days and constant pain, usually 7-8/10. (I use the pain scale too.) I would love to talk with you. I am so frustrated and feel so helpless. AND I am so sick of doctors not wanting to do anything because it's "stress related." I would like to see what would happen if THEIR children were up crying every night and didn't gain any weight because they were afraid to eat. I am VERY angry, in case you can't tell. We are going back to University of Va on Monday and somebody is going to have to do something or else I am going to "break bad."Hope to talk to you!Laura


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## Kathmerkin

Hi Laura, I can tell you are about as Frustrated as I was for a long time. Things are getting better around here, as we are learning to cope and get on with our lives. I feel your anguish as a mother.. I know how you feel! YOU feel so responsible for your child's happiness and well-being and it kills to see your baby suffer like this. And with almost anything else you feel it will last it's typical 1 to 7 days and then it will be GONE... I know how you feel.. Please E-Mail me at kperez###islc.net I would love to talk with you. SO you are an RN too??? Take Care.. Kathie


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## kerrileam

Hello Kathie,Well as most of can say i have been there, my IBS started at a very young age. I am now 26yrs and still can't believe I have delt this long with such a horrible thing. It seemed like a nightmare to my parents as well I would cry scream! Pray! My mother was always there by my side, that was the best thing she could do, just always lisen no matter were or when it flares, be there for her. Since it's hard to tell someone who is so young that she can't eat junk food, just try to limit it, health food is not always the answer either for they are usually rich, and can be hard to digest. My advise is always have alot of peppermint and camomile tea in the house and tell her to drink after ever meal. That's key. it helps relax the GI track. Also you may want to try a low dose of Calcium, that also work. So does Acidophalus, its a natural bacterial that the stomach produce, and apparently IBS is effected by this.They key is don't give up and try everything. Some combination will eventually work. I have tried them all. Including Anti depressents, but they didn't do a thing for me.Hang in there like you said it might just be a flare up, I do have months on end that are horrible then it seems to just disappear as quick as it started. Goodluck


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## eric

If I can help in anyway let me know. I have had IBS since I was ten and am 41 now and am in reemission. I have started two IBS support groups, post a lot here, volunteer in research, etc., and have been here for about three years.My website might help also.www.ibshealth.com


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## Ghetto_Jack

Hello Kathie, I just read your post about your daughter and I was sitting here thinking WOW! that sounds familiar. My daughter is 9 years old and has been suffering for over a year with bouts of constipation/diarrhea and stomach aches for over a year but had just recently been diagnosed with IBS. I like yourself thought that now we have a diagnosis, something will be prescribed for her and she can get back to a normal life. HA! Not that simple.I've found this thread very helpful and will look for the books mentioned by yourself and others.Thank you!


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## BrendaGayle

Kathie,I'm sorry that your daughter has to go thru this but I'm glad she was diagnosed early. I had this from elementary school on but all doctors told my mom was it was in my head. I wasn't diagnosed until late in my senior year, I weighed 99 pounds at 5'4". It is very painful to think of what a child has to go thru with this while going to school cause I remember. (kids can be mean unfortunately). I myself went to a female hypnotherapist (I was more comfortable with a woman) and it did wonders for me. It helped me to relax, not dwell on it (which is hard to do) and not to be such a perfectionist about everything. It also helped me not to react so severely to the pain. It's important to not let it disable her to where she doesn't get out and do things or dwell on it. Alot of people have alot of great advice on this website, you just have to find which will work the best for your daughter. I'll keep you both in my prayers.


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## Kathmerkin

What a NEAT bunch of people you all are. And what a comfort that we can all help each other and exchange ideas.. I felt so totally ALONE at first when Melanie was going thru this. Like no one understood, or I thought they would think she was a Hypochondriach when she wasn't getting better. But she is actually doing much better. Still has chronic constipation but I pack her lunch at school every day and we are learning what foods she can and can't tolerate. so she is doing SOOO much better! I can't tell you how thrilled I am.I think keeping the food diary for a couple months straight was wonderful! we really could pinpoint things.. I rated her pain on a 1-10 scale after every meal. And listed her stools, etc... Now we jsut write when she has a stool, and make a mental note when foods are really upsetting her.YOU guys have all been wonderful! Kathie


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