reflux or fussy feeder???

[Sheree73]

My baby girl is just over 3 months old, and we have been having feeding issues since she was approx 6 weeks old. My GP and child health nurse suspected she has reflux, probably the silent type. She is bottle fed on Karicare Gold.

We tried AR formula, mylanta, infant gaviscon and zantac. The Zantac seemed to work initially and she began to feed better, but every few days we would start screaming and refusing to drink again, we would then up the dose of Zantac, and the same thing would happen again. After numerous visits to the GP, she prescribed Losec, 2.5mg, twice a day, as nothing else was working, and she actually saw my baby feed and said she is definately in pain with feeding.

We went to a paediatrician the 2 days ago, and he told me that no baby under 3 months has reflux and that they are just going through a stage of being fussy. He also said that my baby did not have reflux despite the good results we got from Losec. :confused: :confused:

All was going well with the Losec for approx 10-12 days, and now we have started with the screaming and refusing the bottle again etc etc, of course this happens after we have been to the paed.

The symptoms my baby has is screaming, arching her back/neck and pulling away from the bottle despite being hungry, irritability, hiccups after feeds, difficulty settling after a feed, always has a blocked nose, some episodes of vomitting but only slight amounts, and is not gaining weight as well as she should be, about 50-100g a week. She has also taken to chewing her fists and fingers.

Does anyone feel that this is pretty typical of a baby with silent reflux??? or is she just a fussy feeder???

Should I see another paediatrician??? and get another opinion??

Any ideas.

Sheree

[jarrahsmumma]

he told me that no baby under 3 months has reflux and that they are just going through a stage of being fussy.


With a comment like that, I'd be seeking futher advice...

[Crazy Monkey]

I would definitely see another paediatrian...

My DS has silent reflux and was diagnosed at about 6-8 weeks...
He is breastfeed and had some of the similar symptoms that you mentioned, but he was putting on weight...

You have probably already tried this but have you elevated is cot?? This help DS a lot but Zantac also worked...

Hope you get some answers soon..

[Sheree73]

Thats what i thought too.

I think he was referring to complicated reflux, but that is not the only type.

Sheree

[Sheree73]

I have elevated her cot, did that about 4-5 weeks ago, seems to help.

I also put her in a rocker or swing after her feed for about 45 mins during the day. If she settles there it is usually ok, but lately she is crying again and not always settling here.

But the last few days have become hell again!!!!!

[Mrs Little]

When are you giving mylanta? I was told numerous ways of administering it.

In the end...i was told you should be giving it after a feed and about 5mls. It lines their oesophegus (sp?) so that if the food does reflux then it wont hurt as much. Only give it when you put her down for a sleep and she looks like she's struggling.

My son is on Zantac....and we are adding thickener to his feeds...you could try that. Means you are in control of how thick it is...my concern was making him constipated with the AR formula.

My advice would be that if Losec is working...then stick with it. Also, keep seeking medical advice until you are happy. There are so many dr.s that don't know what they're doing (i had one about 5 weeks ago that prescribed me something for my son that has not been on the market for 10 years!!). Are you using liquid Losec?

Could the fussiness at feed times be due to frustration because of the teat? Is the milk not coming out quick enough? My son only likes his bottles and teats cold! Go figure.

Have you considered any other reasons for fussiness at feed times? ie. wind?

If you need any support or adivce feel free to PM me.....

I'm sure you're doing a good job....keep it up. I know how difficult it can be.....but eventually you'll figure it all out. My son is 5 months now and we are only just starting to see him settle right down.

Hope i've helped.

Best of luck.
Mrs Little & Son.

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

If you are breastfeeding try going without dairy for about a week or two and if you see an improvement it could be lactose intollerance.

It could also be colic(wind) there are alot of natural products out there which is really good.some products i have had success with is infant friend or brauers colic relief.
here are their sites for their information:
www.brauer.com.au
www.infantsfriend.com.au

And mayby also she could be teething early you could try bonjella or brauers teething relief.

I would also be seeing a different paediatrition for another opinion.I had also a bad expirience with paediatritions my daughter was throwing up and everything in pain when she did and i didnt get any help.
Good luck Hope i have helped.

[tyla'smum]

Hi Sheree,

I feel for you, i have had 2 children with reflux now. My little boy is now 4 months old and he has had a hard time.

My doctor could see something was wrong with him but could not figure it out, so of we went to the paed he was great he suggested we try S-26 RD reflux formula, as this is a thick formula you need to use a 3 or variable teat. he did improve but then the paed said at 9 weeks to start him on solids. I was a bit worried about giving him solids so early but i was told that if the paed recommended it that it would be ok. My little boy can't wait for his solids now and i have seen a change in him. ( just start with rice cereal )

Down falls: constipation, if this happens i was told to add 1 teaspoon of brown suger to a bottle this does help them go. and also keep up the water.

I have also tilted the cot, the change table as when you lift to change the bottom you send the reflux straight back up. and the pram.

I also found it good talking to a lady in the health shop they have some great natural products that you could try.

I hope this helps a little, I was always told that reflux mums should get out of the house a lot to stop us from going crazy.

Good luck I hope you find the answer soon.


Jenny 33
Michael 33
Tyla 3
Riley 4months

[Sheree73]

I am not giving her Mylanta anymore, I was giving it before the feed or mid-feed.

We also tried the Zantac and thickened feeds with no results. The karicare AR formula is also a thickened formula, and this didn't work.

I use the variflow teats which run great when she wants to feed....... I tried varying the heat/cold but no result there either.

I disperse the losec tablets in water prior to administering it, and give to her through a dropper.

Doesn't seem to have too much wind at feed times.

The paed did tell us to start her on solids at 4 months too. She wasn't feeding well today so we tried a little rice cereal but she wasn't too fussed on it.

We are seeing our GP again on Wednesday, so i am going to ask her for a referral for a second opinion. Maybe she will come up with something????

Thanks for all the advice.

Sheree :confused:

[Kim2008]

Sheree

My son has silent reflux, with symptoms very similar to what you describe. He was initially on 5 mg of losec day and night and has now been put up to 8mg morning and night. I really wonder whether 2.5mg would have much effect ??? (particularly as they are so good at spitting it everywhere and thus dont get the full dose !!!)

I would also suggest another paediatrician. I cant believe that there are still some out there saying that babies dont get reflux under 3 months. My paediatrician told us a story of a mother who was told for 2.5 years that her baby was fine and was instead prescribed anti-depressants for her. He saw the baby when it was 2.5 years old and had to operate on it immediately as its oesophagus was so badly damaged from the stomach acid.

A paediatric gastroenterologist may also be useful - I was recommended one in Randwick in Sydney who specialises in treating babies with reflux. I realise its not where you live, but if you are anything like us, you'll try anything !!! Please PM/email me if you would like the name of either the paediatrician or paediatric gastro.

My son was impossible to get to sleep before the losec. He would sleep for 30 minutes at a time and then be unable to get back to sleep. He would then have these dreadful bouts of screaming. We saw an improvement after 5 days on losec and particularly 5 days after the dose was increased. He was a completely different little boy.

I also found two websites useful:
www.disa.org.au and www.reflux.org.au
The disa website has some stories of other parents who were told their kids did not have reflux and only through the determination of their mothers who found the right paediatrician did they finally have their babies' condition treated properly.

Kim

[Rell]

On the issue of feeding solids early from my experiance of 2 kids with reflux both were put on solids at 4mths and it made no difference at all. It just ment I was cleaning up coloured spews instead:( I would be very reluctant to start solids before 4 mths but thats just my opinion
My DS had a lot of feeding issues ( pyloric stenosis then reflux) so it took him until he was about 7mths until he stoped crying the moment he saw the bottle.
I would give the Losec a go for a bit longer and if you see no improvement go and see a different pead. Sometimes there can be other reasons why a baby is being fussy and refusing feeds.
Good luck I hope you get some answers soon

["whatmorewashing?"]

Goodness me - definitely see a different paed. Reflux definitely occured under 3 months - my third child aspirated on his vomit at 10 days old and stopped breathing - all due to reflux. That was not a "fussy feeder".

I have had two reflux children - the first was a prolific vomiter and did not gain weight, our paed put her on solids at 3.5 months and she improved significantly - not the vomitting but the pain and the weight gain. I did not find anything that decreased the vomitting but it did make a difference to the pain which meant less crying and more sleep which meant we were all happy. That child has not had any allergies or feeding problems since.

My second refluxer is a silent refluxer and we are still not there with the correct medication. We are on Zantac and Losec. We saw a great initial improvement with the Losec but after 2 weeks the screaming has started again. The Losec dose has increased about 10 days ago but not getting much improvement and it actually seems to have caused more abdominal pain and constipation, plus the sleep patterns have totally changed (bummer, back to waking every 3 or 4 hrs!). We are off to the paed again on Thursday.

Good luck

[jiminy]

Hi,

Well i feel like I am reading my own story!!!!!

my baby girl is now 6 months old, she had exactly the same symptoms, arching the back kicking in pain, pulling her chest skin, screaming ALL DAY LONG!!!!!! never sleeping during the day, would want to be held all the time, but not even that made her stop crying, it would just be terrible!!!!

We tried everything known...zantec...infacol...mylanta....rescue remedy..bruers mix... a natural colic mix...AR formula....easy digestive formula....man the list goes on!

she was diagnosed with silent reflux, or heart burn, she went to an osteopath, hated it, nothing worked!!!

went to 2 doctprs, had her checked out, nothing was wrong, blah blah blah,
but then i remembered this website that i had been on when Pregga's, and posted a description as you have done and got the answer from alot of different women.....lactose intolorant.

We have no history in our family, but as soon as I put her on the karicare De-Lact, she has been a different baby all together, i can take her ion the pram now without her screaming teh house down, she sleeps during the day, shes happy as, i cant remember the last time she cried for no reason!!!!!!

seriously, try it as it wont hurt her, but may make the difference of your lives!!!!! i am sooooooooo happy that ive changed her!!!!!!

I have had to add thickener to her morning and night bottle but the rest are just normal, and she is just a totally different baby alltogether!!!!!!! no medication at all......

i feel like i know exactly what your feeling, you love bubba to death but its driving you crazy that no-one has an answer for you or can help you bubba that seems like is in a whole lot of pain!!!

I guess your lucky in the sence that you have jumped on now, my baby was 5 months before I thought of this website, man they were a daze.......

so hope its a help and good luck!!!!!!
hope the outcome is a great one like mine!!!!!!

Luv
Jiminy!!!!!!!

[Sheree73]

Thanks for all the replies and advice.

Took her back to the gp today, and we faxed a referral off to a new paed, and are waiting to hear from him as to when we can get an appt. He specialises in this sort of stuff, and my gp was at a talk by him last week about oesophagitis, and she was thinking of my Piper all the time when he was talking, as everything he said reminded her of Piper.

The other paed said that Piper wasn't the problem and that I did not interact with her and thats why she doesn't feed, what an ******* i say. :mad: :mad:

Might give the De-Lact a go, especially if it can't hurt her. I have tried everything else whats another thing........:D

Will see how it all goes and thanks again everyone.

Sheree;)

[jiminy]

I cant belive that they said you dont interact thats why she doesnt feed?, i agree a good kick up the *** for that doc!
some docs just should be slapped i reckon!!!!! :mad:

As if you dont feel bad enough already with all thats going on...i know i did! :banghead:

Fingers crossed that the de-lact works as well for you as it did for us!!!!

good luck matey!!!!!

may the force be with you!! ;) hehehehe

Keep smiling!:)

Jiminy!

[Rell]

Good to hear you are off to a new pead. The other one seams as if he doesn't have a clue.
If you want to find out if your bub is lactose intolerent your GP can do this. It just a matter of colecting a poo sample and sending it off for testing. My GP did this first with both kids just to rule out Lactose intolerance.
Good luck hopefully you will get answers soon