13 week old with cows milk allergy?

[Nightfall1983]

Just after hand-holding really.

13 week old DS has just be diagnosed with a probably cows milk allergy (more likely intolerance) and put onto special prescription formula called Neocate. His symptoms included reflux (was originally diagnosed with GORD), ezcema, constipation, sinus/blocked nose issues, colic-y screaming, stomach cramps - all of this meant that he refused to eat much and has now started losing weight.

I suspected a CMA (thanks Dr. Google) but the GPs have been rubbish and very dismissive even when he started actually losing weight and in desperation today I took him to a&e. They were brilliant and the doctor immediatly identified a probably CMA (I didn't suggest it) and started us on the cows-milk-free formula. We won't know for a couple of days if it's working but was just hoping for hand-holding and also positive stories if possible?

Hi, hope your dc is feeling better!my dd had cma, I was bf so cut out all dairy and it soon improved :) after six months I gradually introduced a small amount of dairy into my diet so dd got a little. She was sick again, so left it a few weeks before repeating. By eight months she was over the allergy, though if she has lots of yoghurt (which she loves) she's sick occasionally still. Doctor said can use soya milk over six months when cooking and for drinking at 1+ instead of cows milk.

Good luck!

Hi Twinkling, that's great news that your DD got over her allergy around 8 months - I was hoping for an improvement by 12 months so it's nice to hear that it's not unreasonable to hope for that

BFing failed here (another thing to feel guilty about) but I'm relieved it was possible to get the prescription formula

Hi Nightfall, I know you started this last week but I havent been on and wanted to reply to you.

My DD, who is now 2.8, is allergic to CMP, eggs and nuts. We carry piriton and epipens.

I began to realise that she had some sort of intollerance to dairy products when she was about 8 weeks old. She was breastfed and would be violently sick after feeds - I worked out that she was worst when I had eaten lots of raw dairy. In fact if I had a bowl of cereal one morning, the next morning she would be so so sick. Beyond this, she didnt really have any other symptoms. I decided to cut out raw dairy products from my diet. We noticed a huge difference within 24 hours.

We continued with this until my DD was 6 months old. I am very embarassed to admit this, but, even though I knew that my DD reacted to me eating raw dairy, I didnt put 2 and 2 together and very stupidly I gave her yogurt when she was 6 months old. This resulted in my DD having a severe reaction which was very scary, though she was ok. I cannot believe that I didnt realise that it would affect her so badly - although to be fair, my DH didnt either.

We were very lucky to be referred to our allergy clinic (which is actually just a paediatric clinic as there are no immunologists in Scotland apparantly ) by the a&e consultant - we were seen within 2 weeks at the clinic and by the dietician. My DD was also prescribed Neocate, however, she was breastfed until she was 2.5 so we didnt need to use it.

Allergies are very scary but it is somthing that you learn to live with - my advice would be to push for a referral to an allergy clinic as soon as possible. I have heard via mumsnet that some children are not seen for months and you will be thinking about weaning in a few months. You will need to be aware that there is CMP in lots of products - even ones which you would never have thought about!

Sorry this probably isnt very helpful but just wanted to reply and share our story with you - its actually quite a common story, although I did not realise this until I came on here. I felt so alone weaning my DD as no one else I knew had a child with an allergy.

And yes, you can use products like soya and oat milk for cooking once your DC is over 6 months old.

Harverina, Dr Hague at Yorkhill is an immunologist. Both my DC are under her care, maybe if you're close enough to Glasgow you could get a referral?

Nightfall, my DS has CMPA. I was bfing and suspected from 12 weeks that it was an allergy, but the GP was very dismissive as was the Dr at A&E when DS came out in hives. He was prescribed all sorts of reflux medication instead, and when that didn't work, the GP said there was nothing more he could do and that as Ds was gaining weight, we'd just have to out up with the screaming and him being up all night .

Hopefully now your Ds is on Neocate things should settle down and become easier for you.

There are some great threads in the allergy boards here about substitutes.mit takes a bit of getting used to at first, but 6 years on its just normal for me to cook dairy free, it does get easier honest!

3 of my 4 dcs are allergic to cows milk and egg.ds1 the most severly and was on neocate lcp which really helped he is 6 in dec and still veruy allergic.dd2 had neocate too but her recent skin prick tests and blood tests show she is slightly better so mat grow out of it by 5.ds2 7 months is v poorly if I have any dairy in my diet (he is bf) but we are managing.there are lots of great products out there neocate spoon has been good whilst weaning and if your dc ok with soya there are a lot of milk/yogurt/cheese substitutes. Good luck

Trixy, yes we are fairly close, in fact we go to RAH in Paisley, but Yorkhill is not far at all from where I live! I searched google when my DD was first diagnosed as I was worried that she was not being seen by an immunologist and just accepted that there were none in Scotland! However, I will now ask about a referral to Yorkhill. My DD's consultant seems to have alot of experience with alergies and we have been reasonably happy with the quality of care that she has received. We were seen very quickly after her first reaction and we have been seen pretty fast if we have had any issues, so its not like I have any major complaints about the clinic that we attend. But, its somthing to think about....

Sorry to take over thread but Trixy, thanks for that info...I have sent you a PM, hope you dont mind :)

Sorry I have only just read all this (this thread slipped off of my I'm on list) but just wanted to say thank you for the tips and experiences.

We've been refered to a dietician at the hospital who is hopefully going to help us with weaning when its time - not had appointment through yet though...

DS is thriving on the Neocate and is so much better. He's not in pain, he's eating well and is like a different baby. His ezcema is no better but I guess we'll have to keep working on that one. He does have occasional off days but I think this is more teething related than anything else.