My Grand Daughter has been checked by every specialist we can find. She's been tested over and over again at many hospitals. Can anyone tell me what this is?
She has to stay on a consistent sleep schedule or she'll suffer:
1. Gagging
2. stomach ache
3. vomiting
4. Sleepwalking
She is 8 years old and has been doing this since the age of about 3. She's been on reflux medication for years but no more. The doctors do not know what it is. She cannot go to sleep overs with her friends. Its sad. Anyone know?
She's seen a sleep specialist, completed a sleep study, the vomiting occurred during the study, but no seizures, no results either way.
For those of you who commented on why I would even think this is sad, mention cancer which is not sad, its devastating. Why would you take your time to under mind my question? If you don't know then say so, don't make me look small in order to make yourselves look big.
To those that asked constructive questions, I've thought its anxiety, but why does it happen during sleep? Could it be chemical? She is scheduled to see a psychiatrist next week. She doesn't want to do it though. She is a happy healthy 8 year old during the day. It doesn't make sense.
Sounds like she's just a kid who likes a regular routine, and maybe (?) she has some anxiety about sleeping away from home.
I don't see how this is all that "sad" I mean having cancer would be truly "sad" right?
What about migraines? The vomiting could be from a migraine. Lack of sleep could cause a migraine. Keeping a food diary might be helpful.My daughter started getting migraines when she was in kindergarten. It was from the school food.
Anxiety can present itself any time, for some of us it's worse during sleep because our inhibitions are down.
It's very unfair for you to say that we are making you look "small" because we are trying to get you to see a very real possibility. Anxiety is real! And yes it is awful and hard to live with but I will take it over cancer any day of the week, of course!
Your child can see a therapist for this, there's no reason to see a psychiatrist unless the therapist is unable to help her and she needs meds.
I understand your frustration. A friend (a pharmacist) had a child who endured something very similar (although I'm not sure about the sleepwalking part) and the doctors were not much help. She was at Children's Hospital in Boston A LOT. It turned out to be cyclic vomiting syndrome. My friend resolved it herself, actually, without medication, and her daughter was fine after that. In your case, it's hard to know if the sleepwalking is part of it or just a separate condition with incredibly awful timing.
There may well be an anxiety component, at least as a result of this if not as a partial cause. Another friend of mine is a therapist and works extensively with kids/teens with vomiting and eating issues as well. It's important to understand that using a therapist doesn't mean that you think the child is making this up or causing it herself. So don't let anyone tell you that.
ETA: Read your SWH.
Yes, anxiety can present during sleep. In fact, for my son, that's the only time it presents. He even saw a therapist just for this reason. He showed anxiety at no other time.
Remember - anxiety can present as physical symptoms. In children, this is often how it shows up because they don't know how to express it. There are a lot of tools that can help your child if this is the case.
I am glad she will be seeing someone in this field. Explain it's just a friendly chat with a nice person. Hopefully you can get some answers :)
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Sounds a lot like my kid's anxiety. That's how hers manifested. Do you keep a log? Has she seen a psychologist?
My child was on reflex medication too. It wasn't reflex - it was anxiety. At 8 see if she can use her words to talk about how she's feeling. The log should help you pinpoint if there are any triggers (something to make her nervous). Good luck :)
Sounds like some sort of anxiety.
Sleep overs might be all the rage right now but when/where I was growing up it was unheard of for anyone to do a sleep over under the age of 15.
When we did do sleep overs, we were teens, doing our hair and nails and talking about boys.
It's not the end of the world for an 8 yr old not to do any sleep overs.
Sleepwalking is a developmental thing for many kids - most out grow it sooner or later.
I'm not getting why this is a major something to be sad about.
If a consistent sleep schedule keeps it under control - then be glad such a simple solution is working for her.
GaGa,
Welcome to mamapedia!!
Has she been seen by a psychiatrist? It truly sounds like she needs a psychiatrist. This sounds like anxiety in a very extreme form.
It's truly sad that she can't do sleepovers!! Man - that's the fun part of childhood! At least for me it was - sleepovers were a blast!
If she's still on reflux meds after 5 years? Her body is most likely used to it and will need to be changed up.
Get her to a psychiatrist. PRONTO. Bring all the medical records with you. Is it possible that her mother or father is causing this? I know that's a shocker - but Munchhausen By Proxy is around and parents can garner a LOT of sympathy for having a child that is "sick" and no doctor can figure out WHAT it is causing it....what would happen if she spent a week with you - alone? Mom and dad not around? Would things change??
Good luck!
it sounds like anxiety. Your grand daughter needs to be seen by a mental health professional.
Has she had a sleep study done?
Has a brain scan been done to eliminate epilepsy?
Good grief, no one tried to undermine your question. People tried to give you ideas and options and you read 1 comment, misinterpret it then go to defense mode. Gees.
It sounds like anxiety and instead of all the medical testing, she needs mental health testing. YES the anxiety can be active during sleep.
Go get her some help from a mental professional.
What kind of tests have they done? Her symptoms don't seem extreme or really life changing.
Can you tell us what kinds of testing she has had? Has she had sleep studies, and multi-sleep latency studies?
What specialists has she seen?
Has she seen a psychiatrist?
Is she unable to sleep anywhere but her own bed? Could she, for example, sleep at your house, or her cousin's house, or is she even uncomfortable there?
I suggest that moms who commented on sad are reacting to the idea that it's sad she can't do sleepovers. Your comment about sad follows your comment about not being able to do sleep overs. I doubt you meant it that way. Sleepovers are not important, especially at this age.
Or are you saying she can't sleep over at your house? That's sad for you; not necessarily for her. And not being able to sleep over at your house is not likely related to her health difficulties. Many kids, at this age, prefer to sleep at home.
I also suggest her situation is likely related to anxiety and is certainly worth checking out. How do her parents feel about this? They are the ones to decide what to do.
I also suggest that if a regular sleep schedule prevents these symptoms, why continue to search for an answer. I suggest frequent trips to the hospital and having many tests is likely causing or increasing her anxiety. I would be anxious if this were happening to me.
I suggest the parents consider, keeping her on a regular sleep schedule for several weeks to see if that decreases the symptoms.
I suggest there are logical explanations for her symptoms. Sleep walking is common enough. Upset stomach is common enough. Gagging can be a reaction to an upset stomach. When I get that metal tasting reaction in my mouth that can mean I'm about to vomit, I usually gag and often don't vomit. The gagging is a reflex when we vomit.
Everyone gets a stomach ache when food doesn't agree with us. Keeping a journal might help you to know if food is the cause.
I suggest that after numerous doctor visits that do not show a medical cause for her symptoms, that everyone relax and take one day at a time. Reassure her that she's ok. Realize it's most likely that her symptoms are not serious.
Again, how do her parents feel about this? They may benefit from support with a counselor. They could join a support group for parents of children with chronic illness.
I appreciate your summary included on your profile. It helps me put a face with your question. I'm a grandmother too and worry about my grandchildren.
If she sleeps properly she does not suffer these symptoms at all? You need to clarify this.
If she does not do these things when she gets enough sleep, then I think it's emotional and she will eventually grow out of it.
p.s. -- If she is happy and healthy during the day, then maybe you should stop doing the doctor visits and cancel the psychiatrist next week, since she doesn't want to do it, and it's obviously making her anxiety worse. If this were something really bad, she would not be happy and healthy during the day. Give her a break from all the doctor visits. She can do sleepovers when she's older.
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take all milk from her diet, all milk and dairy products, I bet it's a "hidden milk allergy". This study explains it http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/84/4/595?ss...
Things that happen while we're sleeping are NOT in our control. There is no such thing as anxiety while sleeping. It's a bad dream or sleep apnea when we wake up terrified.
Kids wet the bed because they're not in control. Kids puke while sleeping and it's not in their control.
I would take this child to the nearest research children's hospital and tell them we want her tested for everything they can think of.
This is not normal activity for a sleeping child My thought is that her closure from her stomach to her throat isn't closing correctly. Her tummy contents are coming up in her throat and she's gagging and puking.
Sleep walking would be a completely different issue. She needs a sleeping pill to keep her immobile during her sleep time.
