Medics!!! A bit of advice about my boy please.

[silverback mike]

Hello to all the ph medics.
Quick question purely for advice, so no liability issues etc....I say that as without seeing him in person you cannot diagnose so I will take all advice gratefully as advice rather than a full diagnosis.

But.....

Mini silverback is a very fit 7 year old gymnastic boy who never really gets ill, however, last week he has had a viral infection where he has thrown up, had stomach pain etc. I took him to the GP who reinforced what I thought. Icecubes, lollies, lots of fluids and no dairy stuff.

Thing is though, it is nearly two weeks and he still has stomach pains periodically, and is not eating his usual horse a day....I guess I am a bit concerned, but it doesn't warrant an appointment at the surgery.

How long do these things take???

Ta in advance,
Mike.

[nick heppinstall]

Get him back to the doctors. Worth it just to rest easy I would have though.

[SiH]

Silverback, just a thought but the first thing that sprang into my head when reading your message was something called 'mesenteric adenitis'. Basically there are lots of lymph nodes around the body, they're the things that swell up in your neck and can be a bit tender when you've got a cold. There are some of these things in the groin and it's a reasonably common thing following a straightforward viral infection for kids to get swollen tender lymph nodes in the groin that can manifest as 'tummy pain'. Kids are funny things as they don't have the ability to describe the site or nature of pain as well as adults, so although the origin of the pain may be in the groin they feel it in their tummy. If it is this, it's a completely benign condition that goes away of its own accord. This is by no means a diagnosis but just an idea about what it may be. The most important thing is that if you're concerned about your child don't hesitate to get them checked out, either in A+E or at the GP. I've just finished a Paeds A+E job and about 90 to 95% of the stuff we saw was really minor stuff, but personally I had no objection to seeing it at all. I don't have kids myself but I can understand where parents are coming from and if it means a bit of my time and a bit of your time just for the sake of peace of mind then so be it. Like I say it's not a diagnosis but just an idea, and if you're concerned then don't hesitate to get him checked over. Hope all's well, SiH

[silverback mike]

Thanks SiH, much appreciated.
He is ok, but not a complainer so every now and then he says "oo my tummy hurts a bit" So, I have been wondering and assumed that it was the end of the virus.

I will take him along to A and E if it doesnt go away in the next day or two.

Thanks again,
Mike.

[maddog-uk]

Or call NHSDirect. I have used them lots of times, as my GP recommends them. Certainly when my GF was extremly ill (major kidney and urine infection) they were a god send, and saw her in 2 hours, as our doctor refused to come out to see her, on the growns she was young enough to wait and see them in a few days....