Patient's question:
My sister's daughter, 7 years old, has pain around her navel. She was initially treated in small and then large hospitals in Zhejiang, but no fundamental cause was found. Two months ago, she returned to Chengdu and was examined at West China Hospital. She was scheduled to see a doctor who was said to be quite good, but the doctor seemed very rushed and gave her two months' worth of medication (the price wasn't expensive, only around 200 yuan). After taking the medicine, there was no improvement at all. So, she returned to her hometown and consulted two famous old traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, but they couldn't solve the problem fundamentally either. Now she is being treated at the county hospital, and there is still no sign of improvement. Previously, the pain was only around the navel, occurring once or twice a day or every few days. But recently, it has been painful all day.Doctor's answer:
Consider the possibility of mesenteric lymphadenitis. It is common in children under 15 years old, occurring after upper respiratory infections, with symptoms such as sore throat, fatigue, discomfort, followed by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. The abdominal pain is more common in the periumbilical and right lower abdominal areas, presenting in episodes with tenderness and rebound tenderness, but less severe than appendicitis, and the pain point is not fixed.Chinese medicine treatment:
Mugwort 5 g, Indigo naturalis 10 g, Tangerine peel 3 g, Bitter orange 5 g, Poria 10 g, Atractylodes macrocephala 5 g, Dandelion 10 g, Chicken gizzard 5 g, White peony root 10 g, Licorice 3 g.
Clinical modifications:
- For fever, add honeysuckle and Forsythia for relieving exterior heat and clearing the surface.
- For cough, add apricot kernel and Fritillaria cirrhosa for stopping cough and resolving phlegm.
- For constipation, add Plantago asiatica and Trichosanthes kirilowii for moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movement.
- For poor appetite, add Malt and Job's tears for digesting food and strengthening the stomach.