New to Neocate

[LivinOnAPrayer]

Hi! DD Alex has just been put on Neocate.
How long does it take to show if it's working?
Alex has vomiting, loose bowel motions, unprocessed food nappies and rashes. She has been set a goal of 1lt per day (3x 220ml bottles and the rest in her purees) but so far shes not really liking the taste.

Any info would be great!! :wave:

[Mrs Little]

Hopefully you will get the results you need from making this change.

Did your pead. explain why your DD has been put on the neocate? Did he diagnose her with anything?

A trick with these formulas, is to add a drop of vanilla essence or some golden syrup to each bottle as you prepare it- so they will drink it. It does taste foul.

You could also trying mixing it with her old formula for a while and then slowly decreasing her old formula out of the mix till you don't need it anymore. The only issue with this is that the whole healing process will take longer.

My DS2 went on elecare (same as neocate really) and he started improving within a few days. But symptoms and our 'hellish' life with him, didn't stop till he had been on elecare for almost 6 weeks. Mind you, my DS2 didn't start elecare till he was 4 months old. So he had a 4 month back up of all the old stuff in his system. How old is your DD?

Some other mums will be along shortly to give u more advice too.

Mrs Little & Sons.

[LivinOnAPrayer]

Hi Mrs Little.

Alex is 16 months! The dietitian we saw didnt explain much at all. Alex hasnt had any tests and I'm waiting on a referal to get a second opinion. I dont feel comfortable with the dietitians actions, she didnt look at anything, just said try her on this.

Thanks for the tip! I'll add some tomorow. Shes being weened onto neocate, but tomorow thats all she'll get.

I'm more concerned about the nappies that look like i've spooned the food into her nappy. Shes not breaking it down at all and I dont know how neocate is going to help that..??

[Mrs Little]

Hiya Again,

wow...a dietician. Thats a first!

I think a second opinion is a good idea. Although it isn't BAD for your DD to have the formula. Neocate is broken down to the smallest possible protien. It's based on Amino Acids (correct me if i'm wrong anyone). So it can't hurt her to try it.

It does sound like your little one is having issues with something. Whether it be the milk or the solids. Did she have issues before starting solids- like the rashes and loose stools?

Generally rashes and loose stools and vomiting can come from some kind of allergy or intolerance. So neocate is the best thing for her to be on. I'm surprised that no-one else has diagnosed her before now though.

Oh...and did the dietician give you a PBS script for neocate. (Otherwise it will cost you a fortune). A pead. will be able to give you a script so you can get 8 tins of neocate for about $30. That should last you about a month.

Mrs Little & Sons.

[LivinOnAPrayer]

Hi!

Alex has always had 'reflux' and eczema, from very early on. But all the loose bowels and real vomiting ect started when we tried her on cows milk and hasn't stopped, even though shes been dairy free for over a month (although she was on digestalact so I guess she did have some dairy...).

We live in Blackwater, in central QLD, which is a small mining town. So we dont get all that much help, until out 6monthly visits to Alex's dr's in brissy (She see's Peads, Respiritory, ENT, Cardio, Speech and Physio).
It's really frustrating cause I've known somethings not right for months but they dont want to deal with it!

We only got an in hospital script for one tin. Is expensive isnt it!! But I've gotta go back monday to get more (as shes tolerating it) so I'll make sure we get it that way!! Save us heaps!! Otherwise its $23.70 a tin. Theres only one other bub in our district thats on neocate so they have to order it. I hope they get it in before we run out!!

Thanks so much for your knowledge!!

[Mrs Little]

I'm so sorry that you have had a rough trot. Sounds like your little one has a lot of other issues too.

Us mothers deserve more credit than those Dr.s give us. Our motherly instincts are ALWAYS accurate. We need to trust them.

Maybe you could do some research here on Bubhub or Google to look up Neocate and allergies or intolerances. There are many threads in this section that may have some useful info. for you.

Sometimes it helps to go to the dr.s with a list of symptoms you have observed. Maybe even some kind of diary to explain what happens.

Reflux is also a HUGE indictaor that is a result of allergies or intolerances. Unfortunately most of these can't be 100% diagnosed at such an early age. Intolerances are difficult to rule out too. You could have her stool analysed. A lot of mums on here have done that, in order to prove something to the dr.s You can check for lactose intolerance through stools. You could also ask for a full blood test if you think she's up to that. To look for anything abnormal.

Otherwise...the only thing you can do..if put her on the neocate. It will take about 6 weeks or more to see a full change around.

Is she on solids at all? It may be best to stop solids or descrease them for a while, so he body can heal while she gets used to the neocate. Or...only give her safe low allergenic solids. There should be an information pack that comes with the neocate tin.

Mrs Little & Sons.

[KiahsMum]

Kiah is on Neocate, she is a reflux baby with a cows milk protein intolerance. We did no testing, the paed used the Neocate as a test and she was getting breast milk when we started so I went dairy free. Took about 3-4 weeks for her to really settle and to see a big change but she has been sooooo much better since being on it. The vomiting is a normal reflux symptom and there isn't much they can do, guessing Alex is on something such as zantac or losec for the reflux? This will stop the pain of the reflux but won't stop the vomiting, some days it seems like the have an ocean of it! Kiah's vomiting has several things that make it worse, hot days, teething and dairy are some.

We used vanilla essence in the neocate for the first few weeks until she got used to it, paed had recommended it as a lot of babies have issues when first starting out.

If she is cows milk protein or lactose intolerant even a small amount can upset them, I would have a small amount of dairy to test Kiah and it would always upset her after her breastmilk feed.

Always good to have a second opinion if you are concerned, good luck!

[Nowhere]

to see the full afect of the neocate and to see exactly whather issues is ( gi issues and alergy) it may be an idea to take her of everything but neocate until back to normal and then introduce foods one at a time again

sounds like shehas some malabsorption going on

how much is she drinking

becare ful with the vanila incase sugar is her issue

[LivinOnAPrayer]

Hi. Thats a good idea Kenz's mum. I'll do that. No chance of seeing our GP this month so i'll ok it with the ER docs tomorow. Alex is on 3 x 220ml bottles and I add her pentivite to it for flavour. We're not really getting much help with this from anyone in health. I'm so frustrated. Shes on Losec but I dont think its helping. Shes sooooo angry!:dizzy:

[Mrs Little]

How are things lexi?

Amy is right about the vanilla esseance. My pead said just one very small drop should be plenty- if needed of course.

The others are right about tests. Amy can tell you a whole heap about the tests that you could ask for to help diagnose your little one.

But often the peads trial neocate before resorting to tests that are invasive. The trialling of neocate itself is a test, i suppose.

I'm sorry that no one has been able to help your DD, for so long. It must be difficult, especially if you've gotta go back to just a liquid diet again.

So many of us can appreciate how frustrating dr.s can be, and how they don't wanna listen and how we continuously feel like it's a guessing game trying to diagnose our children.

Mrs Little & Sons.

Hope you get some answers soon.

[LivinOnAPrayer]

Hi! Alex is now just on neocate for the rest of the week. I just saw the doc and he's upped her losec, and like you said Mrs Little, he wants to let this work before resorting to tests as shes having a full allergy test while under GA in March.

The dr thinks she does have another allergy (something shes seating now) but we'll try and find it when we reintro food next week. again.

Kenz's mum, I got the neocate on script this time (although I cant get any until tomorow cause noone else is on it out here so they have to order it). It will save me thousands.

How long are kids usually on neocate before trying dairy again? I hope this fixes her eczema too.

Thanks for the support!! :wave:

[bossoflatch]

a neocate or elecare trial is by far the nicest way to test for allergiest.. in particular cows milk.. but sometimes you will need to get them down ..

i really hope your lo settles soon.. hugs