ADHD is associated with Tummy Aches! (Gastrointestinal Disturbance in Patients with ADHD)


“My Tummy hurts!” is a common complaint at our house. The problem is that stomach issues are hard for kids to describe and can stem from various problems. Everything from emotional distress to constipation can cause a tummy ache. How do we help our kids find the root issue, so we can treat it?

Gastrointestinal disturbances in patients with ADHD are common. A large study that surveyed parents recorded a significant increase in “Serious stomach or bowel problems” in kids with ADHD. Another study found that kids with ADHD were twice as likely to have reoccurring abdominal pain. (Source NIH.gov)

Don’t give your kids a hard time if they complain about tummy aches on a regular basis. I know it’s hard to take kids seriously when they continually complain about defuse symptoms that you can’t define or diagnose, but kids with ADHD may genuinely have stomach pain. Be curious, and you may find the real problem.

My daughter (Maria) has ADHD inattentive and she’s struggled with stomach pain since she was small. The problem was that we couldn’t figure out why.

She was having trouble keeping up in school, and a hard time reading social codes. I thought she had a tummy ache because she was anxious. My assumption may have been partially true, but it didn’t explain why my daughter had so much pain that she wanted to go to bed curled in a ball. We went to doctors and specialists. Maria was constipated, yet even when we addressed that issue she still had stomach aches!

Specialists did many tests and they still could not tell me why my daughter was missing 30% of all school days because of stomach issues. Some days her stomach pain is still a mystery, but she learned to describe the issue in more detail. I’ve learned to listen.

Adding puberty and period pains to her list of stomach issues made things even more complicated! The one thing that seemed to help was when I listened to her and we tried to assess where the pain was and why her abdomen was hurting.

Then I had to run through my list of tools to help her manage the pain. Was it her period and she needed a hot water bottle and an Ibuprofen? Was she constipated and needed fiber and a laxative? Was she worried about schoolwork or friend problems and needed a listening ear?

Maybe she was worried and anxious and she didn’t know why. When that was the case I usually let her have a cat in her room. We weren’t supposed to have cats in the house, but sometimes hugging a cat (which we called “Kitty therapy”) was the only thing that helped.

Maria told me one day that when she was sad or in pain her cats helped her be happy again.

Next time your kids complain about a stomach ache listen and ask questions (If you haven’t been to the doctor please make an appointment). Hopefully, you’ll help your child develop the language to explain how their stomach hurts and where it hurts.

What you should ask your doctor to check when your ADHD child has reoccurring stomach aches.

  • Constipation
  • Ulcers
  • Gastritis
  • Bowl Problems
  • Period Issues
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Fetal Incontinence
  • Lactose Intolerant
  • Gluten Intolerant
  • Other allergies like groups of fruit and vegetables

What you should check (or ask the school) if your ADHD child has reoccurring stomach issues.

  • Is it worry about homework that they know they can’t finish or do well?
  • Are they having problems in their group of friends?
  • Does your child have friends at school?
  • Does your child have someone to hang with during school breaks? (It’s ok if this person is an adult)
  • Is your child being bullied?
  • Do you have high expectations for your ADHD child? Are these expectations something your child worries they can not live up to?
  • Is the school work being adjusted to suit your child’s ADHD diagnosis?

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Annie Eklöv

Originally from the USA, I moved to Sweden in 2004 when I married a Swede. My husband and I have three kids two of which have ADHD and Dyslexia diagnoses.

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