Stomach Problems???? | ADHD Information

[QUOTE=Tamaraw1969]Are kids taking medication more prone to getting viruses or illnesses?[/QUOTE]

I think people in general are more susceptible of getting sick when they depend too much on medications - it weakens the immune system IMO

I only ever take tylenol for the rare migraine that I get from time to time. Anything else I let it ride .. honey tea with lemon usually does the trick for me. I rarely get sick.

INaBOX38840.8909259259.IMac38945.4884837963

Could he be suffering from a bit of depression? My 13 year old is also constantly complaining about stomach pain and headaches. We've spent a good amount of time in the Dr.'s office these past two years and had all kinds of tests to come up with nothing. Come to find out that non specific ailments and health complaints that come up with no dx can be a symptom of depression. I still take my son to the Dr. frequently for it because it's better to be safe than sorry..... the one time I dont' will be the time he has appendicitis.

I know most of the ADHD meds we have tried have side effects that affect the stomach...diarrhea, nausea, general upset stomach. I would research the side effects of his meds and see if that could be it.

Sorry I haven't replied We ended up at the hospital, The doctor said after all the blood work and other tests that it was appendicitis he was going to call the surgeon and admit him, I said before he goes through any surgery I need to be sure that is what it is, the doctor said well I guess there is one more test we can do a Cat-scan. (the doctor wasn't even planning to do further testing, he was ready to send him to the operating room.) My son had the cat scan and it came back it wasn't his appendix he has pockets of fluid in his bowel. We go to the pediatrician late this morning to find out more

the medication he takes is 20mg of Adderall and 150mg of Wellbutrin (both for ADHD)

Ok we went through hell and back

It's A Stomach Virus

Tamaraw196938841.4402083333

WOW, what hell you have gone through.

I am so glad that he is ok and you forced the doc to do the extra test so that he did not have to have surgery.

I don't know if this is appropriate to say (which is why I did not say it above), but i think it is important to understand...

We (med/vet students) are taught to sometimes act based on presumptive diagnosis. There are certain illnesses that share signs/symptoms. If in that list the #1 illness occurs 90% of the time were the others are somewhat rare, the doctor will act on what he THINKS is the most likely diagnosis. In this case the treatment is extreme because it is surgery BUT with appendicitis there is the worry of rupture. In the doctors mind, it is better to cut and be wrong than to take the time to get a difinitive diagnosis and risk rupture, which is life threatening and very difficult to treat.

This is done all the time. Sometime the only way to differntiate between two similar conditions is treat for the most likely and if that does not work then keep testing.

EXAMPLE: When someone goes to the doc with a bacterial infection, he may take culture samples and do blood work to find out exactly what bacteria is causing the problem and what antibiotic would be best to treat it, but those tests take several days to get results. Instead he gives an antibiotic that covers the MOST LIKELY cause and he may change it according to the test results.

EXAMPLE(2): in animals anemia of unknown cause is treated with deworming first. If the anemia resolves then great, time, money and animal suffering was prevented. If it does not then more agressive and expensive diagnostics such as intestinal biopsy would be needed.

I am REALLY sorry to be playing "devil's advocate" when you are angry and worried about your son. I just don't want you to lose faith in the medical system, because there is SOME rhyem and reason to what they do.

Thank you doggidoc! I swear I will never do anything without all the tests possible. I certainly have no faith in that ER Doctor

What meds is he taking?My son who is 13 years and ADHD seems to have more stomach problem than most kids. It's not the "my stomach is sick so I don't want to go to school" routine. It's been so bad I have thought he has had appendicitis but nothing has come of it. The doctor says intestinal virus but this is the 4th one this year. Are kids taking medication more prone to getting viruses or illnesses?

Well here the thing the ER Doctor told me his white blood cell count was up. When I went to his pediatrician she said " look normal range is between 8-13 " my sons was 14 she said if it was his appendix it would have been through the roof. I do understand not every doctor is perfect I just think he could have gave us more information. Like it's common to have fluid in your intestine when you have a stomach virus, the ER doc said" take him to the pediatrician tomorrow and than she will probably send him to a surgeon this was after we got the cat-scan results back He could have just told us that we shouldn't have any thing to worry about right now it looks like a stomach virus but you should see your doctor tomorrow. Oh well it's over he's back to normal

thank you for playing devil's advocate

Tamara

OH thank goodness things are back to normal.

Unfortunetly BED-SIDE MANNER is not something that is taught in school

Glad it was a stomach virus.... when I first read your post I wondered if he has food sensitvities -- they often manifest themselves through behavior and through stomach aches and headaches......

Thanks Meg!

I can't find any food he is sensitive to 10 minutes after throwing up he wanted to eat dill pickles, I told him I would think twice!

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calicorose,

the stomach virus only lasted 3 days. ( with the exception of the first day at the hospital it was the most peaceful few days )The pediatrician said with a stomach virus most people have pockets of fluid in their intestine but they should be gone now. Thank you!

Your kiddo had a stomach virus for how long?? Did the virus cause the pockets in his intestines?

My 13-yo son gets tummyaches from time to time also, last time he was out for 3 days of school. Nothing came up. He's not on meds, but did have some upset when he was on Adderall, but just at first. I wonder if it's just stress. He's not real good about identifying his feelings and internalizes them this way, I think.

I'm glad to hear your guy's doing OK!