Stuck between a rock....my 9 yr old son....what to do

[crervin]

Sorry this may be long, but I don't know what to do.....

Been taking my kids to this pediatric dr for 12 yrs and don't want to loose him. Only dr I have high respect for.

My 9 yr old son had 2 horrific stomach viruses in March 2 weeks apart. It affected your esophagus all the way down. I had one of them. He has had reflux ever since. My other son had one of them and still has mild reflux too but not as bad as my 9 yr old.

I took him to the dr in April for it, dr put him on hyoscyamine, probiotic, and Prevacid. Well of course I'm anti-those meds, but I was desperate. Only gave it to him 3 days. He's continued to have it mildly since and I try to control it with diet until last week. The panic set in last week. He doesn't want to eat, he panics cause his throat feels like it's closing, and even screaming crying.

Went back to dr today, in hopes for an X-ray to see if possible hernia. He's put him back on the same regimen and wants to see him back in a month. No X-ray, says hernias uncommon in children. He even ran bloodwork for an IBD, celiac panel because his bowel sounds were very active while he was in there.

Could his nerves not cause an active bowel? He has frequent BMs when he has the reflux. We think from nerves. He's a extremely type A personality plus OCD! Typically he's constipated, but he's eating mostly apples right now....

I'm beyond stress....my husband says let's give the meds to him for a month to see if it helps. My son's panic attacks are awful and I know it's from how bad he feels. Reflux makes you panic (I've been to the ER twice before from it). I am soaking him in Epsom salts and putting mg on his feet nightly.

Now I'm concerned about an IBD....

Any insight would help be much appreciated! He didn't test him for H pylori. I'm going to see if Enterolab tests for it.

Thank you guys!

[crervin]

One more thing, I gave him Zantac for 3 days last week and stopped because he started burping really bad. I started giving him vinegar water and he said it helped. But it came back 3 hours later. Started thinking stomach didn't have enough acid......dr said usually that's not the case. Dr said he needs an antacid.


He doesn't have heartburn only throat closing feeling about an hour after eating. Popcorn and sodas make it really bad.

[tex]

He doesn't have heartburn only throat closing feeling about an hour after eating. Popcorn and sodas make it really bad.

My guess is that he may have developed eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) because of the acid reflux (caused by the viruses). And the throat closing suggests an anaphylactic reaction to food allergies. Food allergies can also cause or perpetuate EoE.

Your son may need to see an allergist. If diet changes are effective that would be much better than using a PPI, because there is no officially-approved treatment for EoE, anyway.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)

The role of mast cells in eosinophilic esophagitis.

I hope this is helpful.

Tex

[crervin]

Thank you Tex for your input! Hopefully if it's not better by next month he will suggest a test. Today he is feeling better. When he wakes up he's fine, until he starts eating.....

[Erica P-G]

Kids can have low VidD and Mag levels too...just a thought that they may need to be checked then that with an ELISA test might provide enough insight as to what foods might be sparking him.

Having to Acidic of a body is not good just as not having enough Alkaline, it is a balance act. The stomach needs its acid but the rest of the gut needs its Alkalinity so figuring out the VitD and Mag and food will get him on the right track.

[crervin]

Thank you Erica! I am giving both my boys Epsom salt baths and covering their legs and feet nightly with mg. I have stopped their vit d due to their swimming everyday. I need to start that back up. I'm afraid both my boys are mag deficient. My oldest hands and feet fall asleep a lot and my younger gets headaches.......

I've never heard of the Elisa test. Will look into it!

[Erica P-G]

Also...after reading Tex's VitD book....I learned that once a person gets out in the sun and vitD activates on the body it takes 48 hours for the chemical process to do its job....

So what that means is your kids are in the sun, but the pool and the chlorine are washing that VitD off So you might think they are getting plenty of VitD but unless they don't take a bath for 48 hours it isn't absorbing correctly. All they are getting are a nice sun tan or burn.

Something to consider in this world of learning....I had no clue there was a chemical process associated with VitD entering the body, now that I do, I am careful not to take a soapy bath but maybe a warm water only sponge bath if I have had a good dose of sun shine. Then on the evening of day two or morning of day three I take a good shower

ELISA blood test is an ok place to start....if you really want to get down to the nitty gritty I'd do Enterolab, but cost may play a factor and the ELISA may give you enough to start eliminating some things.
Good Luck!

[Gabes-Apg]

I agree with erica, the toxin overload from the chemicals in the pool would outway any possible benefit from the Vit D they may be getting. Further, if they shower with soap after the pool this greatly reduces the bodies ability to convert the Sun UV to usable Vit D3 in the body

also agree with this

so figuring out the VitD and Mag and food will get him on the right track.

[crervin]

Thank you Erica and Gabes! Ok I'm going to have to read his vit D book! Sadly I have not given them very many showers this summer I feel their getting one from the pool, my husband begs to differ. But crazy, that it would not get absorbed due to the chemicals of the pool....never thought about that.

I told my husband that if he's still having problems in a couple of months we should do some enterolab testing. He has started eating like me as we speak, and he is my mostly gluten eating child......he keeps saying please fix me what you eat. That's huge for him