What Do You Mama's Think?

Every time I see families dealing with health issues that could be related to food allergies or sensitivities, I always recommend looking into this blood test performed by Better Health USA. www.betterhealthusa.com
This eating plan has cured my husbands migraines and has made both of us (I was tested too) feel a TON better!!
Some moms on here suggested Elizabeth Pantleys books to me for my daughters sleep issues, may e you can find a book of hers to fit your situation...you can also 'Like' her on Face book.
HTH!

Time for a sleep study!

Although.... a thing to consider... many kids have a very active gag reflex. WhenEVER my son had a sinus infection or postnasal drip at night until he was about 5... he'd throw up at night. At age 9 it's 50/50 on whether he'll gag or not. The mucus would roll down the back of his throat in his sleep, hit his gag reflex, and bang. Time for new jammies, sheets, the works.

At the time, they still had infant pseudoephedrineHCl drops on the market (manufacturers have pulled them because once they went behind the counter -no Rx needed, but a drivers license and pharm hours only-, and the referral to see a doctor before using switched from 6mo to 2 years, they didn't sell well. Then, when parents started OD'ing their kids on the meds that didn't work that were on the shelves. Well. It's a pain. There is no longer infant and toddler dosing available in this country. Although it's available in every other 1st world country.) Pseudoephedrine is the ONLY effective decongestant for sinuses. Our ped had us cut the adult tabs in half, crush, and mix with Karo syrup or chocolate syrup until our son was old enough for 1/2 the adult dose (aka 1 pill). NOW... you'd need to speak with your ped to find out the correct dose per weight. Those pills are pure magic in our house. Otherwise, I'd be cleaning up vomit all the time. But 2 or 3 nights of decongestant (NOT antihistamines) and his sinuses dry out and he's good for a few months.

Since your son is prone to ear infections, he's HIGHLY probable to be prone to sinus infections as well.

But there could be dozens of problems. From reflux to a neurological disorder (many kids have mild seizures while they sleep which *can* cause voiding in one direction or the other... or apnea which can be scary enough that when they wake they gag.). Hence the sleep study.

Has the doctor already ruled out acid reflux or postnasal drip?

Tonsils and adnoids.

I've had a handful of friends kids (and my older sister) have these removed for allergies/asthma/sleeping issues and all were cured immediatly. It's at least worth talking to your doc about.

You didn't say what age your son is, but my first son had terrible sleep problems throughout his little life. He is four and a half now and generally sleeps okay, but not as much as I'd like. Also, if we let him nap during the day, he will not go to bed at night. Argh. Anyway, that's neither here nor there, but if your son is a baby and he's not talking yet, maybe he is simply suffering separation anxiety or is afraid of the dark, etc. Once my first son started talking, I realized that he was terrified of falling asleep alone. He hated the dark and come to think of it, I was afraid of the dark as a little kid, too. He still sleeps with the lights on now and we turn them down when we go to bed. If he's throwing up, forget the CIO method. We tried that on and off for my first son for a while and it simply didn't work - in fact, nothing worked for the first while until he learned to talk and we could semi-reason with him. Just before he turned two (he was a very early talker), we got him to go to bed on his own by rewarding him with stickers on a chart. Once he got 10 stickers for falling asleep, we bought him a toy. We made a big deal of it the first two times and then by the fourth time he got the hang of it. I know our problems are different, but if he's old enough, you could try this rewarding method. Because it's not happening during the day, it could either be what I said, or even another ear ache, as those tend to hurt a lot when you lie down. But that's a stretch if he's been doing this constantly over a long period of time.... Before my son was up for the sticker thing, I used to sit in his room reading a book by flashlight just to get him to sleep. Sometimes I would sit there for an hour and half! Nothing worked with him!! Some kids are terrible sleepers and don't want to sleep alone. I had twins the second time around and they have been fantastic sleepers. Maybe because they have each other, but I think it's more due to their temperment. They are much more easy going than their brother, much more relaxed about things. They also seem to need more sleep than he did at their age. Anyway, not sure if any of this is helping, but thought I'd throw those few thoughts out there. Best of luck. Sleep issues suck!

My husband and I had a similar problem with our third. He had some health issues right out of the gate so he required more attention. Once he was a healthy little guy (several months into life) it was time for mom and dad to get more sleep. I thought he had some serious sleep issues something like sleep apnea so I read all sorts of sleep books and how to solve it. The trouble was, he hadn't learned some basic self-soothing skills.

It took lots of discipline on my and my husband's part but after a few weeks our little guy was sleeping through the night. In his OWN bed!!

Once you've got him sleeping in his own bed than look at what else is really going on.Good luck.

it sounds like a sleep issue to me. My daughter can and will get herself so upset that she vomits. You have taught him that he cries and he gets to come to bed with you, and that's what he wants. So either decide to have him in bed with you, or pick a sleep training method (I like the baby whisperer, since it involves comforting your kid and then putting them back, not just letting them cry it out, which gets my dd so upset she vomits) and stick with it. Good luck, sleep training is never easy.

I would see an ENT to check out tonsils and adenoids... if he's swallowing lots of phlem at night it can make you puke... Also, you have him allergy tested. You never know what it could be. I had a friend and her son would throw up randomly, but often. Turned out to be an egg allergy. I beleive they can do blood tests for that. I too am not a fan of CIO. I would say if you sleep with him for a few nights and it stops, it may not be physical, but I wouldn't attempt CIO if it might be. (that's just a personal choice). Best of luck!

Hi M.--
Since we've talked a lot in the past you know my opinion on this one---he has food allergies/sensitivities and it's likely he has systemic yeast. I have been in your shoes and understand the no sleeping thing. Nothing works because he is probably in discomfort. The digestive system works a lot at night, which is why it seems worse at night. I know you're a single Mom and money is limited, but I have to be honest. Your western medicine docs aren't giving you clear answers about what's going on because western medicine isn't good at diagnosing chronic issues. For example, you cannot tell celiacs from a blood test. I have a friend here in Denver who I know could help you pinpoint some answers---she could work with you long distance. She's a biochemist and she works with a chiropractor---we have been helping people with similar problems that you are experiencing quite a bit with amazing results. Let me know if you'd like me to put you in contact with her.
J.

Could he be going through a growth spurt? My son is 2 and has trouble sleeping for the past month ever since the weather got cooler. My kids seem to grow more during the fall and winter. That's when I notice these changes in behavior.