Wufflebear Posted December 12, 2006 Report Posted December 12, 2006 My daughter is 5 and in kindergarten. She recently has decided she does not feel good at school. She says her head hurts and she starts coughing. She asked to come home sick today so we picked her up, where upon she was fine.Now I started fainting for sure at 5, my mom says I was younger but I remember 5 cause I was at school when it happened. Tonight I noticed that when she stands her heart pounds...Maybe she is just sick? maybe it is because she was all worked up from not wanting to go to school tomorrow...There is also a kid in her class who is quite badly behaved and my daughter has to sit next to him... I have asked the teacher to change that.I told her that She could always call me and I will explain my condition to her teacher so she has support if needed. I will put her little medical ID bracelet on (i got it for her for her camping trips..so she would always have id on her...not because of a medical condition. It just has phone numbers but I figured it might make her feel safer.) I told her to try laying down when she felt bad or at least put her head down on a desk. She started crying cause 'the floor is so hard." She said she "wanted a cell phone so she could call me." Now my heart strings are pulled....(maybe the understatement of the century.)My husband thinks the reality of kidnergarten every day has set in, plus some home sickness, plus having to sit next to someone with "issues."I am worried.this might just work itself out, who knows. I mean she runs around the house like a crazy baby and never wants to sit. I see no clues to it at home. I don't want to give her ideas or anything...children are easily "lead"... but at the same time if she is feeling this **** illness then she wont have the words and I will have to help.... G-d please, please, please, please, please let this be just a silly kindergarten issue.. Quote
Ernie Posted December 12, 2006 Report Posted December 12, 2006 Hi,Maybe you could have her exained by a pediatrician specialised in dysautonomia. Quote
morgan617 Posted December 12, 2006 Report Posted December 12, 2006 My son did the same thing, missed a ton of school.....he finally told us someone was picking on him at school during recess. We nipped that in the bud and he was fine.I would stress very assertively to the teacher that this is having a pretty adverse reaction with your daughter and make sure they follow through. Good luck! morgan Quote
MomtoGiuliana Posted December 12, 2006 Report Posted December 12, 2006 I understand your concerns. My 4-yr old complains of stomach aches so frequently. She does not seem to have any GI problem (we have not had any tests after consulting with her doctor). One of my sisters used to have the same thing--she has never been diagnosed with dysautonomia, but I think she could have it--except in her case it seems to affect her GI system in spells. Anyway, I can relate to your fears and worries. However, stresses at school can be very upsetting to young children and can lead to this kind of behavior you describe without there being a physical problem. My daughter is stressed about pre-school at times b/c there is a 3-yr old boy who pulls her hair, etc. and my daughter is HIGHLY sensitive to her environment--which your daughter may be too (this is what her teachers have observed and told me.)Keep in mind children do have higher heart rates than adults...It might give you peace of mind to have her evaluated by a specialist. Katherine Quote
gwen Posted December 12, 2006 Report Posted December 12, 2006 hi. I think seeing a dr is problaly the best idea. When my son went to school after a few weeks of all day school I gave him a lucky penny to put in his pocket. When ever he felt like he wanted to see me or be at home he could hold it in his pant pocket. it would be our secret. Kinda pulled it out of nowhere but it worked.Since they are not allowed tobring anything to school and i didn't want it to be something that was a distraction I went with the penny. It turned out to be nap time bothered him. Nap time at home is quiet time. But the teacher played music lightly, and he couldn't sleep. When school was out the teacher said she never noticed it bothered him. maybe a pretty rock or shell would work. Quote
Tanzanite Posted December 12, 2006 Report Posted December 12, 2006 My son had problems but it was due to illness, some time ago we took him out and now home ed. It's difficult in a little one to know what is due to what. Maybe ask her questions about how she feels, without being too leading, maybe give a few dysautonomia symptoms, anxiety symptoms and some completely random symptoms. See which one she picks. Put the dysautonmia symptoms in the middle because kids tend to pick the first or last thing thing you say. Worth a try.Also, speak to a Dr or specialist without her being around, say you're not sure if it's school or signs of dysautonmia and get her checked over. Quote
calypso Posted December 12, 2006 Report Posted December 12, 2006 Is it possible that something environmental is at work here? Is there a substance (paint, markers, etc.) that might be giving her these symptoms? The other possibility is mold in the school -- this has happened to the children of several people I know. Are any other kids complaining of health symptoms? I would ask the teacher and other teachers as well, just to be sure. It can be hard to figure those kinds of things out. And also, I agree that it would be good to get her checked out thoroughly by her doctor.Amy Quote
masumeh Posted December 12, 2006 Report Posted December 12, 2006 Remember that even normal people's heart rate increases like 15 beats/minute when they stand up. So I think you should concentrate more on how she feels overall, like her energy level. You know a kid w/POTS can't run around like a normal child (right?, I think anyhow). Stomach ache is the classic anxiety issue symptom (psychosomatic). It's vague, yet real, painful, yet not serious enough to bar a child from play. Most kids with school-related anxiety complain of either a stomach ache or a head ache. It's really, really common. Sometimes kids who complain of stomach aches, but feel fine at home, are holding in their bathroom business at school because they don't feel enough privacy in the public bathrooms. Try to see if she goes to the bathroom as soon as she gets home. Also, you know, monkey see, monkey do. We're sick, and we model illness. They copy us with and without conscious intent. My 3 yr old daughter always says she feels dizzy and pretends to faint the day or day after seeing me faint.Hope this helped. Quote
Wufflebear Posted December 12, 2006 Author Report Posted December 12, 2006 Thanks.She seemed fine this morning and I put her little phone number bracelet on and then she seemed happy. I also talked with her principal and teacher. I think there may be a few things. 1) I dont think she goes to the bathroom at school... (good point!)2) the novelty has worn off3) she saw me pass out recently... I have always managed to get out of the room before but could not this time.. It was about 2 weeks ago and I did at that point explain how I felt to her cause she was really worried. So some of what she is saying could be that.4) EVERYONE is sick at school... it seems like it is a neverending line of coughs, fevers and sniffles... I have been loading her up with vitamines but it just kind of keeps it at a dull roar. The principal felt it was a case of "daddy-itis" aka wanting to be home with daddy... (-;She has the next two weeks off so if it is POTS the symptoms will be less stressful for her but still there.She does run around all the time at home and I have never seen any hint of it. In fact her dad took her camping to some really hot places this summer and she was bouncy as ever... (I would have been in a coma. lol) BTW I really appreciate you guys. It is like our safe place to vent and worry and discuss things. It does help! Quote
Maxine Posted December 12, 2006 Report Posted December 12, 2006 I know it's scary, but try not to worry too much (easier said then done--I still worry about my 25 year old son )----she could just be temporarily upset----the ANS can be stirred up. My son has pounding heart---panic attacks, and belly aches. He's 25 years old now, and I have always been honest with him in that it may not be "normal", but I let him know he would be OK----and taught him little secrets to get him through.He grew up not being afraid which would just compound any problem he might be having. He rarely has anything significant----and he's a very active person. I think he may have some very mild ANS issues, and I never bring it up----I just sort of let him know things are cool-but if he feels some chest pain, or some other kind of serious thing like syncope, or near syncope---then it's time to see the Doc. His gut problems are very minor, and usually are a result of too much caffiene. He developed kidney stones, and now he is prone to them---probably due to way too much soda. He has cut way back---so no more stones.Your daughter is making adjustments as she gets used to school---so she is probably have some home sickness, and she may be a little over stimulated from all the excitement. Maybe see if the teacher can move the little boy who doesn't behave himself.Your just being a good mom-- Maxine Quote
jenwclark Posted December 13, 2006 Report Posted December 13, 2006 It sounds like you've got a lot of good advice here. It's probably nothing to worry about.Do keep it in mind as your daughter grows up, though. I was in kindergarten when my mother first noticed there was something wrong with me. At first, it was nothing that couldn't be attributed to anxiety or shyness, but it gradually got worse, and by age 12 even I was aware that I had less energy than my friends. Do ask her about symptoms -- I didn't tell anyone I saw stars and grayed out when I was little because I thought it was normal!Even if she does have dysautonomia, it sounds like it's pretty mild, and you'll recognize it if it starts to get worse. Unlike my Mom, you know what you're looking for! Quote
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