Re: distended belly - JRA

[Guest guest]

Hi,

we are testing my daughter for all kinds of stomachs issues right now. She had

stomach issues since she was born-- even before the JRA diagnosis. Our GI (

second one) said that stomach issues with JRA are the hardest to diagnose . They

just don't know enough. She is being tested for Celiac disease, IBS, Croan's

disease, parasites, etc. We have already done this twice before but now we are

taking an aggressive approach and testing until something is found. So, I guess

in a nutshell, yes, stomach issues are correlated with JRA. Many doctors like

to attribute it to the meds- which are hard on the stomach, but there are many

other issues as well. I would stay in tune with what is going on and make sure

the doctors are paying attention to it.

Hope all goes well,

Kim ( Casey 6, pauci)

distended belly - JRA

Seasons Greetings! Thanks, for all of your replies to my last two

posts. One more important one. Besides, JRA...while at the hospital

for just 6 days, my son's belly got distended. At the time, they

were more worried about the fevers. 10 days into it the belly

continued to grow. All the x-rays just showed air. 7 weeks later

still has a big belly. He does eat, pass gas, bowels. But, this is

still a problem. Has anyone experienced this? Does it go w/ JRA or

did the antibiotics do it? Wow, JRA is enough...the belly issue is

still a huge concern.

Thanks,

Dad of Mitch 6 yo, 7 wks jra

[Guest guest]

,

Do you mean belly or the actual stomach? The reason why I ask, with

this last fever that Layla had, the only other symptom she had is

that we started noticing her belly looked bigger. They did an

ultrasound, which didn't show anything - they said everything was

fine. But 10 days into the fever, once we were checked into the

hospital, the doctors could feel that her spleen was enlarged. They

did a CT Scan and that showed that her spleen was enlarged, not

masses in the spleen, but it was enlarged. You could see from the

outside that her belly just looked huge, her belly button was popping

out. With Systemic JRA, organs of the body, like the liver and

spleen, can get enflamed as well as the joints. But it could be

caused by many other things - like a virus. The doctors also think

she had a mild case of Macrophage Activation Syndrom going on - which

is where the body starts to attack itself and eat its own red blood

cells. They said this would also explain the enlarged spleen, since

that is where this is happening. She became severely anemic and

needed a blood transfusion. With the steroids, this symptom has

improved as well and her spleen is back to normal size. I don't mean

to scare you, just something to keep in mind and maybe ask the

doctors about.

Hope this was helpful!

am

mom to Layla, 17 months, possibly systemic JRA

>

> Seasons Greetings! Thanks, for all of your replies to my last two

> posts. One more important one. Besides, JRA...while at the hospital

> for just 6 days, my son's belly got distended. At the time, they

> were more worried about the fevers. 10 days into it the belly

> continued to grow. All the x-rays just showed air. 7 weeks later

> still has a big belly. He does eat, pass gas, bowels. But, this is

> still a problem. Has anyone experienced this? Does it go w/ JRA or

> did the antibiotics do it? Wow, JRA is enough...the belly issue is

> still a huge concern.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Dad of Mitch 6 yo, 7 wks jra

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My son had a distended belly from the time he was 3 (at the

beginning of symptoms) until he got off prednisone 4 months ago

(he's now 8 1/2).

My own opinion is that is was definitely the JRA. He was always

skinny everywhere else, except this big old belly sticking out, kind

of like the pictures you see with starvation and malnutrition. He

always did have a swollen liver and spleen, and who knows what else

was swollen inside him before the diagnosis??????

Once diagnosed and put on pred., his whole body changed with 15

pound weight gain and the whole Cushings effect. His body has

gotten back to " normal " now and the distended belly is gone. He's

back to his thin self and looks normally proportionate.

I always asked every doctor we ever saw about the belly, and they

would shrug their shoulders and say that maybe it was just his body

type.

Stacia and Hunter 8 systemic, iritis

[Guest guest]

,

I might of missed something.My monitor went ugly but Santa brought me a

new,bigger flat screan.

Before steroids I couldn't say what caused the distended belly other then

possible organ inflimation or mayby even water retention.

Steroids on the other hand are a major cause of big,hard distended

bellies.It's called Cushing syndrome.The face becomes round,the belly gets

big,you get

an accumulation of fat at the base of the neck,hair grows everywhere,even if

it's fine and downy and if on the steroids to long you gain weight everywere.

It also depends on the dose of steroids for the duration.My kiddo was never

able to get below 9mg for about 18 months.He weighs just a little less at 6 1/2

then he did on his 4th b-day.61.1 lbs now and 62.4 lbs then. was a HUGE

rolly polly and looking at pictures you would never know it was him.s now

tall and lean for his age.

Anyways right now the pred is most likely to blame.

Hugs

Becki and 6systemic

[Guest guest]

Stacia,

Wow, we are going through the same thing. The doctors don't seem to

ever have a concern. We believed the atibiotics did him in. But,

it's sounds like between JRA and steroids..voila..a swollen belly.

Well, it's nice to know one day it will come down.

>

> Hi ,

>

> My son had a distended belly from the time he was 3 (at the

> beginning of symptoms) until he got off prednisone 4 months ago

> (he's now 8 1/2).

>

> My own opinion is that is was definitely the JRA. He was always

> skinny everywhere else, except this big old belly sticking out,

kind

> of like the pictures you see with starvation and malnutrition. He

> always did have a swollen liver and spleen, and who knows what

else

> was swollen inside him before the diagnosis??????

>

> Once diagnosed and put on pred., his whole body changed with 15

> pound weight gain and the whole Cushings effect. His body has

> gotten back to " normal " now and the distended belly is gone. He's

> back to his thin self and looks normally proportionate.

>

> I always asked every doctor we ever saw about the belly, and they

> would shrug their shoulders and say that maybe it was just his

body

> type.

>

> Stacia and Hunter 8 systemic, iritis