What is the big picture here?

amother

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 9:35 pm

I feel like my 8 year old has something going on. He is so prone to a bunch of things like pinworms, impetigo, and canker sores. He just had strep so was put on amoxicillin and I thought that would help the rash he has on his behind (bec it looks like possible impetigo) but it didn’t help at all. I’m also noticing that he has many cuts and scrapes on his arms and they are looking a bit crusty. He’s also very picky eater and sensory so his hygiene isn’t as great as it should be as much as I try my hardest. We are def very on top of basics but end of the day he’s that kid that forgets and eats with his hands etc. He’s getting very stressed out that all this is happening for him and told me tonight with tears in his eyes that he doesn’t understand why all this is happening to him. I will take him to the dr but I just feel like we’ve tried dealing with all this before but it’s just bandaids until the next time. We have treated pinworms and impetigo a million times already.

amother

Rainbow

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 9:43 pm

So first of all, amoxicillin is almost worthless for strep these days, most strains are already resistant, I'd ask for augmentin. Second of all, impetigo and all bacterial skin infections are really hard to get rid of and need to be treated aggressively both topically and systemically for a long time.

Lastly, I'm not an expert of any sort, but to me the big picture seems to say poor gut health.

amother

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 9:48 pm

Thanks! Gut health is my “gut” feeling too lol. But it’s such a vicious cycle because he’s sooo pick and sensory that his diet is limited and it’s really hard/impossible to get him to take anything that tastes a little bit unpleasant. For example even children’s Tylenol he gagged on and refuses.

amother

Rainbow

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 9:52 pm

amother OP wrote:

Maybe that's a good thing because Tylenol is terrible for the gut Wink

But on a serious note, you can start with topical things like magnesium lotion and vitamin patches. Homeopathy is also really easy to administer. Trace minerals dont have a taste. There are other good tricks for getting sensitive kids to take yucky stuff. Maybe craniosacral therapy to calm his nervous system down a bit so he's not so gaggy and sensory. You can also have someone airway informed to have a look in his mouth and see if there are any structural issues contributing to the gagginess.

A chewable digestive enzyme might be worth a try. Does he like any fermented foods?

amother

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:01 pm

amother Rainbow wrote:

Maybe that's a good thing because Tylenol is terrible for the gut Wink

Thank you! I know Tylenol isn’t great I was desperate bec when he had strep he was in pain. I think it was Motrin though I’m not sure if that’s better.
Fermented food? Ha! No this kid likes pizza, bagels, meat, chicken, and fruit. Deli meat too. Love loves junky junky processed nosh, although only sweet cakey things nothing savory. Very drawn to chocolate. Won’t touch any veggies. So different from my other kids who eat a beautiful variety of grains, veggies and proteins..

amother

Rainbow

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:05 pm

amother OP wrote:

Motrin is definitely better than Tylenol.
I don't have much advice on the diet bit, I know it's an uphill battle.
But if you're in the mood of a project you can start with small changes.

amother

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:06 pm

amother Plum wrote:

The food issues can also be a symptom, I know it's chicken and egg so doesn't help

Yes I feel so helpless. Like my intuition is telling me that something is off in the big picture but I feel so overwhelmed at how to tackle all this. I want to help him feel good but I don’t know how

amother

Rainbow

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:09 pm

amother OP wrote:

The fact that he was crying and sad about being sick all the time, maybe you can use that as an opening to talk about how what we eat affects how we feel. If he's the type to want to work along with you.
I'm thinking he probably has a lot of yeast going on.

amother

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:11 pm

amother Rainbow wrote:

I did. We had a gentle talk about it but it was just making him anxious. It was so sad.

amother

Honeydew

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:13 pm

Do you have a good sensory OT program for him? Reflex integration may also help. I think the gut issue is causing everything and causing the sensory issues/pinworms/weak immune system. Antibiotics only contributes. Do you have a supportive pediatrician who would monitor while you try alternative type of treatments like herbs or supplements?

amother

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:17 pm

amother Honeydew wrote:

Yes I did a ton of sensory integration ot with this kid. And no I very much do not have an alternative supportive pediatrician. Do those even exist?

amother

Khaki

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:25 pm

Have you seen GI? Are you sure that the impetigo is correctly diagnosed? The picky eating, skin lesions and canker sores can all be symptoms of Crohn's disease. When you say pinworms, did you actually visualize the worms each time or are you assuming it's pinworms due to itching? An itchy rectum can also be a symptom of crohns.

amother

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:41 pm

amother Khaki wrote:

I’ve seen the worms.
Would crohns present without max more classic gi symptoms? He doesn’t have stomach pain or diarrhea or anything like that

amother

Rainbow

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:42 pm

amother OP wrote:

Yes I did a ton of sensory integration ot with this kid. And no I very much do not have an alternative supportive pediatrician. Do those even exist?

If herbs and supplements is the way you want to go, you don't necessarily need a pediatrician.
Are you on Instagram? If you are you can go follow the holistic mother she has a ton of great info on foundational health, gut health, picky eating etc.

If you can get your son to take stuff I think the bioray kids line may be a great place to start. They have super gentle gut support formulas that address yeast, parasites and bacterial overgrowth, liver support, adrenal support, etc.

In terms of diet, I would try to swap out gluten as much as possible. He doesn't even have to notice. Rice pasta, almond flour in baked goods, things like that. Often this helps the palate expand. You can center meals around chicken, meat and fruit.

amother

Khaki

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:48 pm

amother OP wrote:

I’ve seen the worms.
Would crohns present without max more classic gi symptoms? He doesn’t have stomach pain or diarrhea or anything like that

Crohn's can definitely present with atypical symptoms. How is your child growing? Early symptoms of Crohn's in kids can include poor growth, picky eating and poor appetite. It might be worth looking into.

amother

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:53 pm

amother Khaki wrote:

Growing beautifully bli eyin harah.. nice and tall and not scrawny at all

amother

Thu, Jun 08 2023, 10:55 pm

amother Rainbow wrote:

Thank you! In terms of swaps you don’t know this kid! In a second he will know. But I will try to cut down on the refined carbs if I can.

SG18

Fri, Jun 09 2023, 5:05 am

You mentioned hygiene- in terms of eating with his hands, make sure he's washing his hands thoroughly before and after eating. Showering nightly in the summer. I recommend Dove bar soap, it's very gentle and gives a good clean. I use it on my newborns (lathering some up in my hands).