Reflux or vomit?

[Kaylis]

Mikah's daycare calls me to get him every time he "throws up" and says they don't know how to tell the difference between reflux and vomitting from being sick. Do any of you have or know where I can get a medical differentiation? It's driving me crazy! He's had reflux since he was born, and been on Prevacid since he was about 6 months old (after a constant motion barium scan and other drug trials). The biggest problem now is that he's refluxing more because he's now on Synthroid and both can't be taken anywhere near each other. This means he only gets the Synthroid in the am, Prevacid just before bed (when he isn't asleep before we get home), and then the Prevacid isn't as effective. He was just standing on my bed this evening, leaned over, and let loose all over the sheet.

Thanks in advance!

Karen

[momofrussell]

Well, two things.. a doctors note is in order if you ask me. That would help curb the calls from the daycare. Russell has had chronic reflux since he was born, never did grow out of it. The way to tell, in my opinion, is kids that have the stomach flu tend to NOT be active and "act" sick, and reflux will happen after eating or after lots of activity... to a HAPPY, ACTIVE child. BUT.. that's just my observations. If a school kept calling me for Russell saying they didn't know if he was sick or if it was reflux.. my smartmouth comment would be.. "Does he LOOK/ACT sick?" LOL

BUT... Russell refluxed his stuff ALL the way out.. always.. so it does "look" the same But it is different. We had to have a doctors note for the schools and he even had an aide when he started Early Childhood due to his reflux. Schools use to ask us for notes that Russell didn't aspirate or choke either.

I'd also talk to you doctor about the Prevacid being done at night and it's not as effective. Although the Synthroid is important, explain what is happening at school and see if there is a way to maybe adjust the meds again or is there something other then the prevacid to help.

Good luck!!

A.

[alisonzmom]

Alison also has reflux and tends to "throw up" frequently too. Her teacher and therapist would tell me everyday that she "threw up" after adaptive phys ed or after snack time. I asked them was "throw up" or was it more like a liquid burp. Eventually they stopped asking everyday and now just will report to me if it is something very out of what's ordinary for her.

Alison also takes Synthroid. She gets 15mg Prevacid first thing in the morning - 7am or so. I have her school give her her Synthroid at 10am ( about an hour before snacktime). According to her endocrinologist that spacing is okay and doesn't lead to problems between the 2 meds. She also takes another 15mg Prevacid at bedtime. I know that when Alison first started taking the Prevacid she was taking it in a liquid form and for whatever reason that made the "throwing up" even worse! We have since changed to the Solutabs and the problem has gotton much better.

Hope you find the solution to all those annoying phone calls!!!

Barb

[lespring]

Angela was the queen of reflux! (she had a nissen fundoplycation and gtube done at 11 months) At around 3 she was refluxing past it. I finally had to tell preschool that unless she had a fever with it, I would not be picking her up, and THEY finally quit calling me!

[Chester]

I had almost forgotten the joys of the reflux days; the extra outfits for JT and myself, the concern of others, the smell......ish.

Sounds like you've gotten good advice. I'd stick by if he isn't acting sick, it's reflux. JT grew out of his. I'm not even sure when that was, it's one of those things that just vanished without me really even noticing.

Best of Luck,
Dawn

[Emilysmom]

Karen,
I wish I had a quarter for every time I was called to come to Emily's preschool and pick her up because she had "vomited". GRRRR. It seemed to be the very WORST when she was about 3-4 years old (although, she spit up more as an infant than all my other kids combined). It happened all the time.........they would eat lunch, go to the restroom, then take their shoes off and lay down for a nap. When Emily bent over to take off her shoes, she would spit up (or "vomit", according to the teachers) and we'd get the call. It was never a large amount at all, but I think the teachers were so grossed out by it......they saw it as more than it really was! I never did get a doctor's statement, but maybe that would have really helped a lot. I just kept explaining to them each time that this was NOT vomiting....it was like an infant who spits up. It was always only ONE time. Most people who vomit, do it a few times and they don't feel good at the time. When it happens just ONCE and the child feels FINE.......they need to understand this is nothing to be concerned about.

A piece of GOOD news is that this problem ended for Emily many years ago. WHEW!!

Susan

[Kaylis]

Thank you all for your stories! I wish I thought sharing them with the daycare would help. I'm working on the doctor's note, and I'll try having them give him his synthroid , rather than us. That will just take _another_ doctor's note so I don't have to fill out a medicine form every two weeks.

Karen

[Cbean]

I sooo hope I will be one of you who says this ended soooo long ago as I know this will be happening to us. YUCK.