starting ds2 on nutramigen or neocate?

[enuffalready]

Hi there

Just wanted a bit of advice regarding special formulas. DS1 has/had a CMPA with Soya, too. I had to cut it out of my diet and had lots of traumas with his calcium levels, teeth, Vitamin D levels, iron, it seemed endless. He had other intolerances/allergies as well which made weaning a nightmare. He's now 2.9 and is able to eat milk and soya if they're cooked in food. He's also still on Nutramigen 2 and calcium supplements.

DS2 is 6months and although hasn't been officially diagnosed, had all the symptoms that DS1 had, but knowing this time meant that I cut all diary and soya out of my diet almost away so didn't get the blood in the nappy symptoms. Although he did projectile vomit, get stomach cramps and bad wind/green poo if I had dairy or soya. Have been introducing it slowly back into my diet with some success.

Am starting weaning with a little success, but was wondering if I should try him on Neocate or Nutramigen? I haven't been to the doctor, but would like to give him a bottle when I'm not here - find it very hard to get enough time to express milk.

I just read on another thread that you can buy the special formulas over the counter. Where can you do this? And is it a good idea? I don't really want to risk giving him the normal follow-on milks as I simply can't face the nights of vomiting and wind and not-sleeping that it would mean if his intolerance hasn't gone away properly.

Any advice or tips would be very helpful.

TIA

[garliclover]

I remember facing problems when I wanted to wean my DS onto a special formula when going back to work at 6 months. One of the GPs in our surgery was remarkably unhelpful (basically didn't believe DS was CMPA) but still gave me a private prescription for Aptamil Pepti. I was then able to buy it from our local big Boots. The pharmacist there had said she couldn't sell it to me without prescription, but I'm not sure whether that's true in all pharmacies (my mother was able to buy Nutramigen from her local one). Now that my DS's allergy has been confirmed by tests and challenges I get Pepti on prescription.

So, perhaps you could ring your GP and ask for a private subscription and then your pharmacist should be able to order it in for you. I think these special formulas cost about £25 to £30 for a 900g tub.

BTW, Pepti is far more palatable than Neocate and Nutramigen but still has some lactose in it which would not be great if your DS is lactose intolerant (very rare in babies, I'm told, and a completely different issue from allergy, as you probably know already!). It is made from extensively hydrolised whey protein, so also wouldn't be the best option if your DS is very allergic to CMP. For my DS (who reacts violently but not anaphylactically to CMP) it has been brilliant (basically, his symptoms disappeared as soon as I weaned him onto it).

HTH!

[garliclover]

Just realised my message sounded as though I was speaking to a beginner in the allergy labyrinth, so please forgive me if you already know all this from your experiences with your DS1...

[freefrommum]

Just to add that I believe Neocate is more expensive than the others as it is designed for those with the most sensitivity to CMP who cannot even tolerate the hydrolyzed formulas such as Nutramigen and Pepti.

[ChocaMum]

snuff I think the fact that you have ben through this with DS1 means you really know what you're talking about, experience goes a long way compared to advise from a lot of medical practitioners. From what you have said about DS2 it makes complete sense that he is also allergic to cmp so I would personally avoid all cwp products and soya. And he may grow out of it later but he is far too young to have grown out of it now. I think your GP should really prescribe it to you considering you know what you're taking about, and you had to cut out dairy and soya from your own diet. Good luck!

[simpson]

Think neocate is £40 per tin

DD (3) has been on it since she was 8mths old as she is severely intolerant to dairy, soya, oats & barley.

I would try and see another GP to get it on prescription. I had a battle to get it myself but its worth trying again.

Anywhere (chemist obv ) should sell it over the counter if you need to buy it, although not all places have it in stock all the time and it may take a day or so to order in iyswim.