worried about son - help!!

[stonekicker]

two weeks ago, we attended a walk-in centre as he felt he had something stuck in his throat. sent us away with 'it's probably a viral infection' and keep an eye out etc. he then saw gp wednesday as it had lowered from his upper throat down to the hollow bit above his ribs. dr said he had probably scratched his throat eating food and to keep an eye out....anyway, tonight the pain has moved down lower to his left chest area and hurts when burping, swallowing and he has nausea. still feels something is stuck, so took him to the walk=in centre again. the pain is now on the opposite side to his heart and while breathing and chest sounds are ok, he feels pain when eating and drinking and feels this 'backs up' for a few seconnds before going down to his stomach. attended the walk-in centre again an hour ago and they have advised watchful waiting and contact of duty dr or emergency services in difficulty. feel bad as i don't know what do do. anyne have any words of advice or wisdom? could really do with some support as although he has been seenby health professionals, he is still my baby and i don't know what to do. help! mtia x

[mike11111]

How old is he?

[stonekicker]

16. what worries me is this pain has travelled, although he is able to eat and drink - although he feels this has slowed don going into the stomach. at the moment, we are 'watchful waiting'; but that makes me nervous...x

[sherrardk]

I'd say sod it and take him to the hospital where they can give him a thorough once-over (but as it is Friday night you would obviously have to be prepared for a bit a wait).

[stonekicker]

i'm tempted...but he is reluctant. i can spy a sleepless night (well, we've all had those), but i've been surfing and his symptoms match those of a hiatius hernia. i just don't know what to do... :(

[stonekicker]

please - anyone's advice! x

[wolf63]

I suffer from reflux and hiatus hernia and the symptoms are almost the same as mine. I sometimes felt that somebody was trying to strangle me.

I am on Lithium and this can cause thyroid problems so I was sent for an ultrasound but there was no thyroid swelling.

I get tablets that cut down the acid production in my huge, fat belly and it has helped but not totally erased the problem.

I find that waiting for any diagnosis is the hard bit, trying to get the doctors to listen. Take him to the Vets - my cats can get operations the day after the initial consultation and results come back much quicker. But I suppose that is private medicine.

Good luck to you and junior.

[stonekicker]

wolf - vets do do more training than dr's, which is a bit scary! i am just a worried, freaking out mum tonight....and i don't like it x

[sherrardk]

I was worried about my youngest last week and I couldn't decide what to do (no point going to the doc's as they would have said 'it's a virus) so I eventually decided to get the others out of school and nursery and I went straight to the hospital. He was very dehydrated and ended up on a drip for over 24 hours. So again, I would say go to the hospital.

[KARL]

I don't blame you for being worried and I would have become more assertive before the onset of a weekend. A&E is really the only option now and you should, in my opinion, go there, explain all and press hard for a thorough examination, preferably a scan of some sort. The fact that the boy senses such a specifically located and clearly identifiable pain associated with the oral-digestive canal is an indication of something being amiss. You should not be fobbed off for two weeks and more, a few days maybe.

[annie0000]

I would phone nhs 24 - if you do need to see a doctor, they should be able to arrange something with the out of hours service, thereby bypassing the queue in A&E.

[Roughquest]

Could I ask if he has vomited BEFORE he has had this throat discomfort, I ask because if he has been sick or merely had acid rise up in the throat this can scorch the oesophagus which can lead to discomfort when swallowing, and a a sensation like there is a lump there which can last for a while as it can take a few days to heal....it is very difficult to detect - I have had this a few times in my life so far, no doctor has ever told me the solution and I have only just found out via trial and error recently....it used to cause me great anxiety...but now I know what it is, acid reflux can cause this sensation too..

[stonekicker]

thanks annie - haven't tried that avenue yet for advice. maybe they will help with my anxiety about it all. will just go and check on him again and if he feels worse that two hours ago, action will have to be taken, i think...thank you for all your support x

[stonekicker]

please keep any suggestions coming. v worried x

[sherrardk]

Seriously - you know him best, if you are that worried just go to the hospital.

[mike11111]

If you are that worried, then you should really be consulting the health professionals again and not relying on advice from this site, however well-intentioned it may be.

[Roughquest]

* Heartburn is the main symptom. This is a burning feeling which rises from the upper abdomen or lower chest up towards the neck. (It is confusing as it has nothing to do with the heart!)
* Other common symptoms include: pain in the upper abdomen and chest, feeling sick, an acid taste in the mouth, bloating, belching, and a burning pain when you swallow hot drinks. Like heartburn, these symptoms tend to come and go, and tend to be worse after a meal.
* Some uncommon symptoms may occur. If any of these symptoms occur it can make the diagnosis difficult as these symptoms can mimic other conditions. For example:
o A persistent cough, particularly at night sometimes occurs. This is due to the refluxed acid irritating the trachea (windpipe). Asthma symptoms of cough and wheeze can sometimes be due to acid reflux.
o Other mouth and throat symptoms sometimes occur such as gum problems, bad breath, sore throat, hoarseness, and a feeling of a lump in the throat.
o Severe chest pain develops in some cases (and may be mistaken for a heart attack).

[stonekicker]

just gone to check on him and he says he feels about the same. have offered nhs direct, dr or a+e and so far he is still refusing all. i know he's 16, but still don't know what to do. at least he doesn;t feel worse. will be sleeping on his bedroom floor tonight, mind. haven;t done that since he was a toddler! x

[stonekicker]

am now gonna sleep on his floor and keep him company tonight. any further signs or symptoms and that's it - he'll get medical attention whether he likes it or not. has freakes the cats out, mind. they keep wandering over me asking me what the hell am i up to! x

[bobjugs12]

SK, your cats are talking to you????? How long have you been without sleep?

[cherrychapstick]

he should really have an xray incase there is something there i am surprised your doctor never sent him for one :s