Is this reflux?? Help!

[Anonymous]

I am getting little help or sympathy from our pediatrician, so I’ve turned to this forum in the hope of creating a more peaceful life for our family.

My son just turned 5 months old, and he’s 20 lbs. A little bruiser. Because weight gain has never been an issue, the ped has no real concerns about his health or behavior. However….he wakes every 30 – 90 minutes all night long, and he will not return to sleep unless fed. We are currently co-sleeping most of the night because it’s the only way I can get a couple of hours of sleep.

He has been strictly BF, and I have eliminated dairy and soy for the last 2 months as he proved to have an allergy to both. (Incidentally, his sandpaper rash has never abated, and I’m wondering if I need to eliminate something else.) His older sister had acute food sensitivities as a baby, and we ended up on Neocate with her after an extreme elimination diet did not help her symptoms.

I have a suspicion that David is suffering from reflux because, although is disposition is WONDERFUL, he spits up huge volumes of food, has congestion, and he is never peaceful when asleep. He’ll enjoy 30-45 minutes of sleep, and then start squirming around as if uncomfortable (eyes closed). He does this every night, all night long, and he wakes up constantly. He’s not slept more than a 3 hour stretch in his life. We will sleep better in the carseat or infant carrier, and I’m wondering if it’s because he’s tilted upright.

Did any of you have a baby with similar symptoms? Am I going down the wrong path wondering if this is reflux? We’ve tried Maalox, and that helped some. We just got a prescription for compounded Prevacid, but only 5 mg/day.

Help! So tired, and trying to keep up with a very active toddler during the day….

[hellbennt]

you’ve found a great place to research & (hopefully!) find some answers!

I would NOT trust a compounded PPI, nor would I even consider a low dose, However, I am not YOU & you must research to decide:

Prevacid 101:

scroll to the last page of this post, (it’s actually also about other PPIs like prilosec, too)
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1936&PN=0&TPN=1

there’s A LOT of info…I don’t mean to overload you, but it’s important to read & learn all you can to best understand everything and to help your baby (& your whole family, especially YOU, sleep-deprived mama!)

here you go, to start, lol!

Reasons a breastfeeding mother might think her baby is reacting to something in her milk:

*poop that is not ‘normal’ mustardy yellow, seedy breastfed baby poop

*mucous in poop; mucous can look like: snot, jelly, cottage cheese, stringy like the inside of a banana

*foul-smelling poop

*stinky, foul-smelling painful gas

*straining and grunting to poop and, when baby finally does poop, it’s soft

the TED takes two weeks and then you start adding foods in to see what you CAN eat.

Research all you can! You are your baby’s best advocate!

Look for all posts by Erinntx! (be SURE to read her ‘sticky’ – the link is below)

here’s some more light reading for you :

MSPI ‘Main’ page:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2697

best EXPLANATION OF FOOD ALLERGIES/INTOLERANCES and their RELATION TO REFLUX that I have found, to date: 2nd post: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2697&PN=2

Misconceptions about how Neocate & Elecare work: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6013

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT:

Erin‘s sticky: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12948&PID=105126#105126

More Erin: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13175&PID=106395#106395

Erin post: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13576

Great anne post: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9242

More recent post – TED and success also using probiotics

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15293&PN=1

Exposure to foods & blood testing: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12993

Sheri’s allergy/intolerance explanation: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10223&PID=87638#87638

Another Sheri explanation- intolerance/allergy post:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11579&PID=97442#97442

Accuracy of allergy testing & great post by sherri explaining IgE and IgG (intolerance/allergies) https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10815

(sue again, replying to gina- breastfeeding info to (TED)https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11324&PN=1

probiotics, brands used:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8970&PN=1

erin posts that mentions enzymes:
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12781&KW=enzyme

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12610&KW=enzyme

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12227&KW=enzyme

Post from me:
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12200&KW=enzyme

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Laura!

I’ve looked through the forum’s posts on prevacid, and I’ll check out the additional posts you suggested. I am very well-versed on the food allergy/sensitivity issue since we dealt with it with our 2 yo daughter (saw many specialists, extreme elimination diets to hope to continue to BF, lactation consultants were my best friends, and baby had numerous symptoms. Incidentally, she never had a weight issue, either, so the Drs often took a non-interventionist attitude, but it was clear SHE was miserable – cried 10+ hours a day until 6 months, slept 8 hrs. per 24 hour cycle.) Anyway…I digress.

When you write that you would not consider a low dose of PPI, do you mean you would not consider ANY dose, or you would push for higher dose? I didn’t realize until reading the forum today that our current dose is probably insufficient.

Thanks!

Jessica

[hellbennt]

I mean form and dose of prevacid.

I would research proper dosing and proper administration

Prevacid 101:

scroll to the last page of this post, (it’s actually also about other PPIs like prilosec, too)
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1936&PN=0&TPN=1

how are poops?

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Laura. I’ve been poring through the posts you suggested. They are very informative. David’s poops have oscillated b/w normal BF stool and mucous/green stool. I eliminated dairy and soy after he had blood in stool at 3 months old (and I’m religious about reading food labels). He’s very gassy, but he doesn’t seem to be straining w/stools. I will consider the TED diet. I did it when my daughter was having problems, but she had multiple food protein issues, so it never worked. I’m making an appt with a GI doc this week as I just want to make sure using Prevacid is even advised at this point. I don’t want to medicate him unnecessarily, but I would also like him to have some relief. Thanks for your help.

Jessica

[hellbennt]

you can always start w/ zantac. it’s very weight sensitive & babies seem to plateau on it. but, it’s worth a shot. prevacid takes a good full 2 weeks to ‘kick in’ and zantac is pretty immediate. you can do both meds, but must space them 4 hrs apart. I can help you calculate zantac dose…

[Anonymous]

I am so sorry that your little one is so uncomfortable and doesn’t let you get much sleep. 🙁 I have many things I’d like to say but I have a baby that needs to go to sleep and a cranky 3 year old that is waking up. For now I will recommend that you read my blog. (see signature)

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply to my post, Martha. I read your blog. I’m sorry about all you’ve been through. I went through the ringer, too, with my first child. However, she’s now two and a half and eating dairy and soy with ease. She drank hemp and oat milk for two years, and Neocate before that (after 6 months of non-stop crying). Fortunately, David does not seem to be as afflicted, but I would be thrilled if he felt great instead of just OK. I would also like to sleep again. I looked at the Digestive Health info online. Question: Do you have any idea if it would help David if I took the Digestive Health supplement as a nursing mom? Or does he need the probiotics himself? Thanks,

Jessica

[Anonymous]

Yes, many moms have found it helps the baby, to take the pills themselves while nursing. By taking the pills it will help your milk to be broken down (like hypoallergenic formulas) so baby can digest it easier. There are several moms on this site that have found help. Here is a link to one of them. https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15293&PN=4 It has no t cured her child but has helped.

When taking probiotics and enzymes it can make your baby’s symptoms temporarily get worse. This is caused from the build up of undigested protein being broken down and passed out the body. When the stomach can not break down protein it just stays in the stomach and builds up.

It can also be caused from the probiotics killing off the overgrowth of yeast. Probiotics and yeast live in the same environment. When probiotics are low then the yeast will take over. So when probiotics are taken they make the yeast die off. With this process it can temporarily cause symptoms to become worse.

Some, like ourselves never had any ill side effect but some do.

I would prefer taking the pills myself over giving directly to baby because that is easier. But I would suggest starting with 2-3 pills a day and adding one more every or every other day until you are up to at least 6-8 pills a day. Spread them out as much as possible. It’s ok and even a good thing to take some on an empty stomach.

I can not guarantee that these pills will help but most people that wait it out long enough and will take enough pills will see some good results!!

I wish you the best!!

[Author]

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