[feelingreyt]

I have taken DS to the Dr. numerous times in the past several months due to chronic diarreah. They have altered his diet, no success. Done stool samples, everything came back negative.
I took him back in today because his butt is so raw due to all the diarreah. I use prescription Happy Hiney, butt paste, and sometimes powder.
His Pedi is on Vacation so he seen the NPT. She said he needed to see a Specialist because they have done all they can do and he still has not improved.
I overheard her converstation with the oncall Pedi Gastro Specailist(they wanted to make his appt for late August. She said no, he needs to be seen sooner, so have a dr call me ASAP. I was proud she did that!). She explained his condition, told him that ds is 23 months and then she said that she was looking over his chart while I was waiting for you to call back and I discoved he has not gained ANY WEIGHT since DEC 07. Then she said, Yeah, that got my attention as well!
She told me they would call with an appt. Less than an Hour later they call back and APOLOGIZE that they can't see him tomorrow, but they will see him on Friday!
We will be going to the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. It's about a 2 hr drive from home. I'm NOT complaining at all about that. I'm just so thrilled he will be at a great Hospital!
BUT I'm also freaked out. It's NOT common to get an appt with a specailist THAT soon.
AND HE HAS NOT GAINED ANY WEIGHT IN OVER 7 MONTHS! I have been telling them that he seemed to be losing weight, but they never seemed concerned before now.

[JustCourtney]

I would be worried, too! I am sooo glad that your regular ped was out, and you had to see someone else - sounds like a new set of eyes was better able to see the need for concern! Knowing in your gut and heart that there is something wrong, and not having anyone who is "supposed" to know take you/it seriously is the worst.

Good luck with your appointment and keep us updated - I hope you get some answers quickly!

[aclee]

I don't have any comments about the weight, because we struggle with weight too. Ty just LOST a pound in the last 3 months...

But the bottom. Pure vitamin E will do amazing things. It took Ty from bloody open sores to healing and pink over night. You can buy that capsules at the store, and bite the end off and squirt it on the clean, dry (as much as you can dry the ooziness...I've been there) bum on the open spots. It's amazing...especially for any kids that might have something else going on (Ty was MSPI, and had sensitive skin) since skin allergies and sensitivies can go hand in hand with food allergies and issues.

Good Luck. I'm so glad you got an appointment for Friday...that is great

[feelingreyt]

Originally Posted by JustCourtney

I would be worried, too! I am sooo glad that your regular ped was out, and you had to see someone else - sounds like a new set of eyes was better able to see the need for concern! Knowing in your gut and heart that there is something wrong, and not having anyone who is "supposed" to know take you/it seriously is the worst.

Good luck with your appointment and keep us updated - I hope you get some answers quickly!

I think the fact that his regular Pedi was out was a blessing as well. He rarely takes anything I say seriously. It drives me nuts! But, he has been the kids Pedi since my oldest was born, 9 yrs ago and we "know" each other, plus my 2 older kids love him. So it's hard to change, even though I've been tempted!

[feelingreyt]

Originally Posted by aclee

I don't have any comments about the weight, because we struggle with weight too. Ty just LOST a pound in the last 3 months...

But the bottom. Pure vitamin E will do amazing things. It took Ty from bloody open sores to healing and pink over night. You can buy that capsules at the store, and bite the end off and squirt it on the clean, dry (as much as you can dry the ooziness...I've been there) bum on the open spots. It's amazing...especially for any kids that might have something else going on (Ty was MSPI, and had sensitive skin) since skin allergies and sensitivies can go hand in hand with food allergies and issues.

Good Luck. I'm so glad you got an appointment for Friday...that is great

Thanks for the advice for his raw hiney. He has NEVER had a rash like he does now. He is miserable.


ETA: Do you know why Ty is losing weight? H will gain a few ounces, then will lose it. His weight is right where it was when he was 16 months old. It's very worrisome.

[jp4ga]

My DD had the worst rash I had ever seen and it would not go away. I had her dr. look at it and he said to use Pro-Shield Plus. This ointment that comes in a white and teal colored tube. After 24 hours the rash was almost gone. Pro-shield is pricey but it did the job.

Hope you get some answers about why your child is not gaining weight and I hope that healing comes quickly to the hiney.

[aclee]

I think that some of Ty's weigh "fluctuation" is the nursing staff...lack of attention to detail. He was weighed today and they said he was 5% for weight, but we were there a week ago and his weight put him at 2%...I don't think he gained that much weight in a week!

She said he is just small. He is a little under 25% for height. He eats a good variety of foods, regular poops etc. He's very, really, amazingly ACTIVE. I think he has a high metabolism. I've met all three of his bio siblings, and they are average height, and super thin, so I think it's just his genetics to be thin.

We do add a little heavy cream to his milk, and oatmeal and what not, to try and bump the calorie intake She said as long as we can keep him from losing weight, and he stays on the chart, she's not worried at all.

[Magic_Hat]

Have you tried probiotics in his milk to get rid of the diarrhea?

I hope everything's okay!

[shy_bear]

Have you seen an allergist? A. is 2, weighs 23lbs. He was up to 25lbs, but went back down. We have seen an allergist, he tested negative for everything, but can't tolerate milk. We see the nutrtionist later this mth and my sons OT suggested we go back to the ped and have blood work done.

[Nevada Jen]

That is very scary. Hopefully the specialist will check his thyroid levels. That's often a culprit peds miss. DS had chronic diarrhea and they found that he had low iron. Once we got his iron up it stopped the diarrhea and he started gaining weight again and was able to regulate his iron without supplement. I hope its something easy to fix and they get it corrected soon!

[Barksum]

Uh, my type A personality is in overdrive, so bear with me. Don't bite the vitamin E capsules if you use them. Cut them with a clean pair of scissors or a clean knife. You might inadvertently transfer bacteria from your mouth to the open sores on you Ds's little bum.

Hope that you get some answers right away! We had one with nasty diarrhea/rash issues, but not chronic. Turned out he was super sensitive to all fruit; ketchup, avocados, apple juice, pear juice, ALL fruits. He did eventually outgrow it.

[sbaglio]

Well, if a child showed up in my office not having gained weight for 7 months, I would be very concerned. You can plot his weight on a growth chart and see what he should be at his age, if he'd stayed on his curve.

It is obviously not an acute problem. There is a long, long list of possible causes of chronic diarrhea, so I won't go into them. To me, chronic diarrhea is more concerning than acute diarrhea (which is often caused by gastroenteritis). The issue is lack of growth at a critical time in the child's life.

I'm glad your doctor was vigilant enough to push for the quick appointment. Best of luck - keep us posted.

[aclee]

Originally Posted by Barksum

Uh, my type A personality is in overdrive, so bear with me. Don't bite the vitamin E capsules if you use them. Cut them with a clean pair of scissors or a clean knife. You might inadvertently transfer bacteria from your mouth to the open sores on you Ds's little bum.

Are you saying my mouth is dirtier than his butt?

Just kidding...it's a good point

[Lovebug]

Praying for you guys and hoping the appointment uncovers the issue!

[feelingreyt]

Thanks, everyone, for your advice and well wishes.

Last night we soaked ds is a warm bath with baking soda. The nurse suggested this. She said one cup of baking soda to about 2-3 inches of water. It really seemed to soothe his bottom. It's still red and sore, but it really helped him be more comfortable.

As for the chronic diarrhea, I pray they find out whats going on. When he goes, he really goes! It comes out his diaper and everything. It has a horrid smell too. I was honestly surprised that his cultures came back negative because of the amount and that smell!
Not to mention, he's just not a happy camper. He hads never really liked his diaper being changed, but now it's a battle. He fights me tooth and nail every single time.

The weight issue has me very worried. He should weigh more now at 23 months, than he did at 16 months. Hopefully the specialist will get us some answers.

I just wish I knew what they might do. What kind of tests will they run? I hate to go in there blind, ya know. I wonder if they will do any invasive procedures that will require him to be put to sleep? I'm just rambling and worried.

Thanks again everyone! It really helps to just be able to ramble. And the great advice is PRICELESS!