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Feeling full 10 year old
Hello,
My daughter who is 10 years old has been having complaints of abdominal fullness since August 2019. It was occasional complaint then and wasn't affecting her eating then. Started in October, the complaint grew stronger and she wasn't able to eat her school snacks, but still finished all her food. In December, it got worse to the point she wasn't able to eat much at dinner and complaining she feels really full. Dinner was a big struggle, she still managed to finish all her breakfast and lunch. Up to January, daughter couldn't take any food at all, she says she feels really full all the time. She is also experiencing constipation, she also experiences headache when she feels really full. We have done all kinds of tests, x-ray, CT scan, endoscopy, ultrasound, upper GI test, blood tests, all have come back normal. Now they diagnosed her as eating disorder. I understand that she has some anxiety/fear over eating due to her fullness in the tummy, but it's not due to anything else. Is this a form of eating disorder?
She was admitted to the hospital 3 weeks ago, tube feeding was started on her as she was
malnourished and had lost lots of weight over the months. She is experiencing severe symptoms towards the tube feed. We were told the symptoms should get better over time as she adjusts to the feed, but after a week, she was still feeling awful. She experiences burning in her throat, pain in her chest, stomach, fullness and sick feeling in her stomach, nausea but not able to throw up, she also burped lots with acid reflux coming up. She felt really distressful with the tube. When offered the food, she is not interested at all. She said she feels really full. She has started on the solids 5 days ago with the eating disorder program, she can only eat minimal amounts, she threw up almost on all meals. She was offered anti nausea meds after, have not thrown up but felt lots of discomfort. I can see that she hunches down with lots of discomfort. I wanted to help my daughter but don't know how. Should I get a second opinion on her abdominal fullness? She said the full feeling is not the same as a full feeling when you eat lots of food. When she has a bowel movement, she does feel a little better. I am really lost at this point and desperately wanted to help my daughter.
Any advise you can offer is much appreciated.
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Wow... Mayo Minnesota did the test and Two others in a day , saw doc after last test .. I eat very small meals.. cannot handle yougurt protein.. I eat a lot of trail mix..
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1 Reaction@needhelpparent - Hi! First I would not rush into a diagnosis of eating disorder, even though it has been seen in children. You mentioned that she is constipated -any idea of the severity? Extreme constipation can also cause feeling of fullness when the stool has difficulty moving forward. The gastric emptying test is good. I had that test at Mayo, MN in addition to swallowing a capsule that then was followed through the intestines.
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3 ReactionsThank you @astaingegerdm ,@thull, @ken82! Her bowel movement at the worst was 4 days no movement. Her fullness doesn't seem to go away, initially at the onset it was there occasionally, now always there even when she had no food to take for a few days, is this usual? When she was preparing for endoscopy, they cleaned up her bowel, she said she still feels full, I was puzzled. She said this fullness doesn't feel the same as an eating a full meal full. Were you feeling this way? I have not seen any progress on her eating since we started the eating disorder program, thus not encouraged.
With the food emtying tests and all other tests, how many days would you need to stay at Mayo? If we have some tests done already here, do we need to repeat them at Mayo?
Thank you for your help!
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1 ReactionThe gastric emptying was most of one day, then back early the next morning and then done.
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1 ReactionMayo MN uses Epic Medical Records system.. perhaps if your clinic uses the same you would not have to transport those other test results. But these days you can get your records in a CD ..ask , some newer equip makes for more accurate results... good luck
That pill test is not the same as the Mayo eating and tracking test...I had that pill test too and they said that I was fine... Not so.. after 2 months the
home Iowa clinic GI doc even tried to prescribe a non FDA approved drug but I went to Mayo then...the last straw. ..
Hello @needhelpparent,
I’d like to offer some information about tests and gastroparesis and other intestinal disorders care at Mayo Clinic.
Mayo Clinic has doctors who specialize in disorders involving the movement of food through the digestive system (motility disorders). Tests for gastroparesis involve the entire digestive tract, and some of the newest technology was developed at Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gastroparesis/care-at-mayo-clinic/mac-20355796
If you’d like to make an appointment at Mayo Clinic, please call one of our appointment offices – you can also request an appointment online. The contact information for all 3 Mayo Clinic locations (Minnesota, Arizona, Florida) can be found here:
http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63
The Clinic’s representatives/schedulers will ask questions to help direct you to the best specialist, either at Mayo or closer to home.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral, although some insurers require referrals, or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Please let me know if you need more information; you’ve come to the right place to talk with people who’ve had similar experiences, and to get support from members who understand what you are going through. I wish you and your daughter the best of luck.
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1 ReactionMy GI doctor at Mayo MN is Dr. M. Halland.. really good.. he takes time to explain things...
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2 ReactionsThe Mayo Doctor prescribed a multi vitamin, Mirtazapine (a anti-depressant that he said would make think that I needed to eat...) .. also the generic Nexium.. to cut down on stomach acid production.. There is in my case a lot of intestinal gas with the gastroparesis...(slow emptying of stomach) ... I take gas X... When I go out to eat I usually carry Papaya extract pills.. as there is a foam that often occurs in the stomach and that causes acute bloating... a few of those Over the Counter Papaya pills give me relief in 15 to 20 minutes...Good Luck in your search for a diagnosis..Ken
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1 ReactionHello @needhelpparent,
Since you reside in Canada, here is some information on appointments for international patients,
https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/international/appointments
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