Reflux and solids

[Lauren30]

Hi
My DS is almost six months old and has suffered from reflux since he was about three months.

We have had him on Losec which worked wonders and I thought the reflux had gone away until I started solids about one month ago. He seems to enjoy the food at first, but after a few mouthfulls he starts screaming - and it seems to me like it could be reflux. He has the same reaction regardless of the foods that I give him (ie carrot, pumpkin, pears, apples and rice cereal). He is also crying more during his breastfeeds which makes me think that the reflux has returned. :hair:

Is it possible that the introduction of solids has made his reflux worse again? Are there particular foods which could irritate his reflux?

The other possibility is that he has put on quite a bit of weight since I started the Losec (due to the introduction of solids) and maybe the dosage isn't enough anymore. I will ask the doctor about this next time I see him. However, I was hoping to stop the Losec once he reached six months - now I am worried that the reflux will return once I do!!

Also - one more question. If he is still vomiting and has a sour smell to his breath does that mean he still has reflux? My doctor has told me that whilst the Losec controls the pain, it does not control the vomiting.

Any advice?

Many thanks

[RISA]

Hi Lauren,
Your doctor is of course right- Losec doesn’t stop the vomiting, but it will hopefully block the acid enough that he isn’t uncomfortable. The fact that you can smell it being sour makes me think that the Losec might not be at an adequate dose any more. I think it’s a really good idea to talk to your dr about that. Also, drs tend to be more cautious with the doses in children under 6 months of age. Now that your son is close to 6 months, they may be able to increase it by quite a bit, and you may notice a big improvement (hopefully).

It is possible that introducing solids has made his reflux worse (there may be a lot of reasons why solids can do that), though reflux may still have been a factor for him. I wonder if he is hurting because of the reflux, and swallowing makes it worse? Does that sound like it is a possibility? Does he appear to be uncomfortable at times other than when he is feeding? What about his sleeping? or is it only when he is eating that he seems to have problems?

Alternatively, do you think it’s a possibility that his tummy wasn’t ready for a variety of solids? Solids given early can sometimes cause problems, so I wonder if that may have been a problem. What do you think?

There is also the possibility that he has food sensitivities, as they are relatively common in reflux babies. Cow’s milk protein seems to be the most common problem food, but the others can also pose problems, and could be why he reacted so strongly to them. It may be worth keeping that possibility in mind.

It is also possible that it isn’t related entirely to the introduction of solids, but to other factors. Basically, any changes can flare reflux, and so can other things like teething, vaccinations, illness, being overtired, out of routine, constipated, or even crawling/learning to crawl. It could be coincidental that the solids made things worse if any of those are factors, and at his age, it’s quite possible.

I know it all sounds very confusing, and it can be difficult to work out what’s going on. It is really important that you continue to trust your instincts so that you can figure it all out. I am glad that you are going to the doctors, to let them know there are still problems, and perhaps getting better control of his reflux by increasing his medication will be the answer.

Something else that may be worth mentioning… Are you using a capsule or the suspension of Losec? Sometimes the suspension loses effectiveness the closer it gets to the end of the bottle. I thought I would mention that in case that is a factor as well.

I do understand your concerns about not being able to stop giving Losec, and not coming to an end to the whole reflux situation. It isn’t easy to deal with, especially when you have been given that as a milestone for when reflux wouldn’t be an issue. I can recall desperately looking forward to that time, and then being devastated when I realised that time had come and gone and nothing had changed. It didn’t make sense to me, and was terribly hard to come to terms with. It would have helped me to know that while some babies do grow out of reflux then, there are also a lot of babies who don’t. It would have helped to be aware it was possible, so I didn’t get my hopes up- quite so much at least.

There are some foods that can cause problems, even if there are no food sensitivities. Some can affect the lower oesophageal sphincter, or delay stomach emptying. These may be fatty foods, spicy foods and acid foods (such as tomato, pineapple), carbonated drinks (soft drinks), chocolate and caffeine.

Sorry for the long message, but I hope the information helps

Glenda

[Lauren30]

Thanks Glenda - as usual your advice is very helpful and comforting!!

[RISA]

Hi Lauren,
Thanks, and I'm glad I was able to help, and I hope things have settled down again.

Glenda