9 year old newly diagnosed with IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Message Board

sixx788 · 01-25-2005, 10:56 PM

Well after dealing with my son's upset stomach for nearly 3 years, they have diagnosed it as IBS. He has been on Zantac for the past year and now it doesn't work for him. They have switched him over to a new medication, I wanna say Prevacid or something. I don't have it in front of me right now. But this isn't working either. I know that some of it is his diet, but alot of it is anxiety. It's not like we are strict parents, as a matter of fact, we aren't strict enough. We spoil him to no end. He is an only child. But he's also a really good kid. Never in trouble, good grades, loves Tae Kwon Do and drums. He is a perfectionist though. He gets really disappointed in himself easily. How do we get him to relax? We are the kind of parents that have always told him "You do your best and we will be happy". Even if he brought home a D, we would tell him the same thing. The IBS seems to be a big problem in the morning before school which causes him to be late or absent. He's not a faker, because I make him show me what's in the toilet and it's usually stool mixed with yellow stomach acid.

I just bought a couple of books on IBS. So I am still in the process of reading about it. But I would rather ask you guys, who deal with it all the time, what you would do in my situation.

Thanks!

princesspea · 01-26-2005, 01:46 PM

Hi Sixx,

Welcome to the board!

First, I want to tell you that there are other meds in the same catagory as prevacid. Two of them are Nexium and AcipHex they are all PPI's. They may work better for your son. Everybodies different. Ask your doctor about them. I have heart burn and GERD and the Prevacid works for me but, I know other people who it did help at all.

I've never heard of the Yellow acid being part of IBS.

I sorry about your sons anxiety problem. Though it doesn't cause IBS it can sure contribute to it. This might sound strange because he's so young but have you tried relaxation exercises? He can learn them through a therapist or I believe there are some on the tape that you could help him with at home. Some people have tried hypnosis and had some luck. Those tapes also can probably be found on sale. That's the only insight I have. I hope it helps.

I personally have tried the relaxation exercises with good success. I've not tried them for IBS yet but they do help with the anxiety.

Thanks for the post you got me thinking.

I almost forgot chamomile tea it helps with anxiety. It's very calming. You can get it with honey and vanilla in it and it tastes pretty good. There is also a tea call Tension Tamer it has chamomile in it but has more flavor.

Love,

Jamie

sixx788 · 01-28-2005, 10:17 PM

Jamie,
Thanks for responding to my post. Thanks for the tip on the tea, my husband and I picked that up for our son tonight. Unfortunately, my husband has joint custody of our son, so he is with his mother for the next few days. We have found a hypnotherapist in our area as well. We are going to set up a consultation with her to see if she can help in anyway. Right now, I am not sure if he has any "trigger" foods that cause an attack except for chocolate and donuts. Otherwise almost all of his attacks are brought on by anxiety or stress. It can range from good and bad. Whether it be a test at school or Christmas morning. This is just so frustrating and we feel so helpless. It's horrible being a parent of an IBS child. It breaks your heart. I have been reading everything possible on IBS to see if I can find anything to help. I will write down the medications you listed and ask the doctor about them. Thanks again.

Kelly

princesspea · 01-29-2005, 12:05 PM

Kelly,

I'm thrilled I could help in some small way! I hope your son feels better soon.

By the way I corrected a typo above. The meds are PPI's not SSI"S. I'm sorry for the mistake.

Love,

Jamie

bulletinboard25 · 01-29-2005, 08:04 PM

The "yellow acid" you refer to could and probably more than likely is mucous..... which is quite common in IBS patients....

I don't know about the PPI's that princess pea suggests unless he has heartburn problems, which at his age, is quite unlikely.... To tell you the truth, I was put on Prilosec, Prevacid, and Nexium before I was officially diagnosed w/ IBS... I didn't even have heartburn problems.. And these medicines can cause diarrhea, which was one of my main problems.. funny.. I would suggest your son NOT taking these...

I'm not saying they didn't work for you princess, you give great advice...

A very simple thing to combat the "d" is to take Imodium A-D.... I don't know if you have allowed him to try these, but they are quite safe as far as medicines go... They don't cross the blood-brain barrier, so they are safe for long term use...
Here are some natural therapies... Calcium... It helps bulk up the stool... Give your son papaya enzymes w/ meals, or digestive enzymes... they help ease the digestion process.
You could even start him on a fiberful diet... possibly supplementing w/ something like metamucil.. starting off small, and working to a dose thats best for him. It will helps his intestines to start functioning more properly.

As far as anxiety, he is only 9, so a lot of the anxiety meds are outta the question.

I think if you get the IBS under control, the anxiety will subside and/or it won't effect the IBS as much...

Here is another suggestion of mine for future warning... You said he is only 9... Well, if he develops acne in the pubescent years, DO NOT go to a dermatologist and go on a long-term course of antibiotics... This messes with the digestive system soooooo sooooo much! My gastro doctor and nutrionist both said this could be one of the reasons I started to show symptoms!
Again, its just a warning for the future, because I know you are really concerned about him...