Which tests or hypoallergenic formula should I ask for?

[janey223]

I'm pretty certain my LO has an intolerance or allergy to milk (persistent reflux, feeding problems (nobody could figure out why he was screaming with bf and in the end I gave up), green often very hard poo, snottiness (was prev very congested till put on ranitidine), screaming episodes, rashes and slight excema.

I went to the gp outlining everything but was only referred to feeding clinic for feeding issues as he'd only been taking about 20-25oz a day and everything else brushed off. He ticks most off the NICE guidelines, down to the rash round his bum that he's had since 4 weeks.

I didn't want to be one of those pushy mums assuming allergies " the NICE guidelines with me?

Oh, he also will not sleep with his reflux pillow (up every 30 mins, normally great night sleeper) so any advice on that for keeping him up at night would be great!

That should say should I take them with me.

Opps, silly phone! I've deleted my actual question.

Are there tests I should ask for or which hypoallergenic milk should I ask the GP to let us try? Are there big differences in taste?

Definitely sounds like cmp intolerance or allergy to me, identical to my ds currently. Ask for neocate, stay on the ranitidine and add domperidone. My ds is starting to improve on neocate, omeprazole suspension and domperidone.
Small feeds is typical of reflux babies because their stomachs can't handle big volumes. The screaming, back arching, coughing and snuffly, red bum, frequent poos and eczema are all absolutely classical signs. I've seen it with both my dc's now so I feel like an expert!

Good luck with your GP. And do take the nice guidelines, loads of GP's are unaware of them so you are educating as well as hopefully getting the right treatment for your LO.

Poor wee soul. Not sure if donperidone is necessary as he's never that sick these days. Yesterday he was sick a fair bit but only little bits, it's the silent (today) that's a killer, I've just got back from 'dream feeding' him because he'd only had 18oz all day, yesterday he had about double that.

Is neocate the best tasting or neutromigen (excuse spelling, I'm on my phone so can't check back)? I heard its something like £50 a tin, I'd need to see the bank manager about a loan to afford that!!

Thanks for the advice. After another day like today I'm definitely going in less the nicey nicey and more 'he needs this'!

I even considered giving him a high milk content purée the other day knowing it'd give him the runs and they might take me seriously but thought better!

He doesn't have frequent stools, once a day normally, varying shades of green :/

Neocate or nutramigen AA are both broken down the most so are the best ones to use. They both taste awful, but as long as LO is under 4 months then you should be ok with accepting the new taste.

Ranitidine or omeprazole and domperidone are used for the silent reflux. My DS doesn't bring up much, but has awful constant coughing and snuffy nose, snores, and chokes when lying flat.

One tin of neocate cost us just under £50 from sainsburys, but £53 from boots! Not cheap, but once you get a prescription for it you can ask for a refund by giving them back a tin.

Poos can be loose and frequent or constipation, or just normal. Red bum is very typical. Good luck at the doctors. :)

So they gave me a trial of neutramigen, one tin!

Sending us to the specialist at the hospital tomorrow though, they should give us more hopefully.

She also said that the green poo can be not enough calories... I doubt it considering in 11 days he's gained half a kg!

He is 4 months so might not appreciate the change, have read about mixing it and gradually adding more though?

Nutramigen can be bought online for less than £50. But not sure what the postage will be. Naughty Drs seem far more worried about the cost of the tin rather than the suffering child! My Baby's rash went within 3 days of cow's milk being withdrawn from my diet, so hopefully one tin might go some way to proving your point.

Went to the paediatricians today, who spent his time patronising me.

Kept going on about why I'm so worried about his eating when he's 'obviously' getting enough if he's gaining well (he's 8kg, nearly 91st centile). Then about how his reflux will go when he starts walking so he doesn't need putting on another medication!! Um hello, he's four months! And in bloody pain :(

He did say to try different types of milks to see if they help him, and to have a 2 week trial on soy, lactose free or the hypoallergenic ones.

Of course the right result about the milk but I'm so upset that my baby is supposed to suffer until he can walk and it goes away? :( if the new milk doesn't help his reflux I'll be taking him to the paediatric a&e that I've been to before, I'm not making him differ any longer.

Driving me mad sleep deprived through, as it's gotten worse so has his sleep finally got him down at 9.45 and he's been up 4 times since, arg!!

Try Aptimil Pepti - it tastes better than others as it is based on hyrolysed whey not hydrolysed casein as is nutramigen. It was the only one ds2 would repliably take!

DS2 also had problems with reflux from neocate and now aged 3.11 years drinks oat milk, however, this has been a long uphill battle to get him to a point of reliably accepting any non-breastmilk alternative!

Ill ask for that tomorrow, if it works great, if not well do a trial of the neutramigen. And great if it does because I think that'd just mean he doesn't react well to the lactose?? So much easier when it comes to food!

I put 3 scoops of it and 5 of his usual in his bottles today but hes barely touching it (don't blame him!) might just be one of his bad days though. He's not that used to his 'normal' milk anyway, as he was purely then mostly bf until 6 weeks, formula creeping in then taking mostly over until 10/11 weeks then change of formula.