Hi and welcome! I am really sorry that your little son is having such troubles. He sounds a lot like my son was when he was a baby. He was started on Zantac, then tried Reglan, then Prevacid. I was nursing him but he wasn’t gaining enough weight so I had to supplement with formula that was made stronger than normal. We tried regular formula, then soy, then Nutramigen. I tried eliminating foods (especially dairy) out of my diet but finally at 12 weeks old I quit nursing. He had blood in his stools before he was even a week old and had numerous tests done. He screamed in pain ALL the time and didn’t sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. So… I know how you feel and YES indeed, you need some sleep! I wish I could bottle some up and send it to you. 🙂
My boys never had prilosec or drank neocate so I can’t answer your question from experience. There may be more differences but one of the differences between Nutramigen and Neocate is that although the proteins in Nutramigen are already more broken down than in regular formula, the proteins are broken down even more in the Neocate. So it seems as if the formula change could help relieve some of the pain fairly quickly as it is easier for the stomach to digest.
Your child might benefit from taking a supplement of digestive enzymes and probiotics.
Since your little can not tolerate regular formula and has to drink a formula that has the proteins broken down in it, then it is obvious that he is unable to break down proteins. The one major necessary thing that is needed to break down protein is a digestive enzyme called protease which our pancreas is supposed to produce. But for some babies, their pancreas has a very hard time producing enough of these enzymes.
When food/formula enters the stomach, the stomach excretes a small amount of acid to activate the enzymes to start digesting and breaking down the food. If the pancreas has not made and “sent over” enzymes to the stomach and the food/formula contains no enzymes (formula contains no enzymes, only raw foods do) then the stomach will produce a little more acid, and a little more etc… to try to activate the enzymes. After awhile of no enzyme activation, the acid itself will try to break down the food but by then there is way more acid produced than necessary and eventually the food passes into the intestines without being fully broken down.
Although it can be true that the muscle at the bottom of baby’s esophagus is loose or not fully developed, and it causes baby’s food to come back up, often times the truth is that when there is too much acid in the stomach it forces that flap/muscle to open up to let the acid/food back up. When this acid/food travels over the esophagus it will kill the probiotics which are the protective coating that lines the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. When this lining is poor or not there, then the esophagus will become raw, inflamed, and painful.
Were you on antibiotics while pregnant or nursing or has your baby been on antibiotics? Was your baby born by c-section?
I have done some research on reflux and food intolerances and have learned quite a bit. Here is a copy of an article I found.
Whilst in your womb, your baby’s intestinal tract is sterile – and so its free from bacteria. From birth though, your baby begins the process of acquiring the friendly bacteria in the gut that play such a critical role in health and wellness.
How your child is born, strongly influences what kind of bacteria your child will acquire. Infants that are born vaginally begin accumulating beneficial bacteria including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Escherichia coli (commonly abbreviated to E. coli) and Enterococcus in the birth canal with the very process of birth. These bacteria form the foundations of a healthy digestive flora and originate from healthy maternal vaginal and fecal flora.
Babies born via cesarean on the other hand, receive a different mix of bacteria at birth. This comes from the maternity hospital itself, notably from nursing staff and equipment and includes Clostridium and Streptococcus.
Following birth, the acquisition of digestive flora continues until your baby is around two to three months of age with most of this beneficial bacteria coming from the mother via touch, suckling and kissing.
The way in which you feed your baby also has a strong influence on his or her digestive flora. A breastfed baby tends to have greater numbers and types of beneficial bacteria than a formula fed infant, notably Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus. These bacteria, specifically those belonging to the Bifidobacteria clan (genera) thrive in the presence of breast milk proteins and constitute up to 90% of a breastfed infant’s micro flora. They help prevent harmful bacteria colonizing the infant’s intestine.
Newborns have an immature digestive system that has never processed food. The gastrointestinal system is literally just learning to function. Muscles that support digestion have not developed the proper rhythm for moving food efficiently through the digestive tract. Furthermore, newborns lack the benevolent bacterial flora (probiotics) that develop over time to aid digestion. This explains why a lot of infants outgrow colic within the first six months.
Antibiotics not only kill bad bacteria but the good also. So if a nursing mother is given antibiotics during labor or while nursing or if baby is given antibiotics, then all the good bacteria (probiotics) are killed.
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