Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Allergies and intolerances

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Is it possible to have a 'mild' CMPA, and be ok on comfort formula?

13 replies

Lucinda15 · 19/08/2017 20:49

I have a 5yo DS who had a CMPA, recently outgrown in the last year or so. We never fed him formula as breastfed.

I now have DD, who is 10 weeks. She had tip and tongue tie which went undiagnosed, and the problems stemming from that meant I had to stop breastfeeding. So she has been on formula since 3 weeks.

We found regular formula made her unhappy and constipated. After a few days we switched to comfort formula which was better, but continued to use the ready mades on occasion for ease (night time and when out and about). After a week or so, we saw blood on stools, rash and explosive nappies. But her weight gain was steady and she was hungry for the bottles. Generally content as well. No unusual sickness. Two consultants (one NHS and one private) both suggested it looked highly likely she had CMPA and prescribed nutramagin. This made her miserable and she became very sicky, and inconsolable. We stopped at 24 hrs and returned to comfort while we arranged for an alternative hydrolysed formula. Over the week it took to arrange this, all her symptoms cleared up! The consulants were baffled, said an allergy would cause constant shmotoms and unlikely to clear up like that. They suggested staying on the comfort until any further symptoms arise/return.

Since then we have had a few issues with sickness which we think we have resolved since the TT has been fixed. But I am watching her like a hawk and wondering if the milk is disagreeing with her still. Her nappies can still sometimes be runny and explosive but far far better than before and I think could be normal for comfort formula. But she does have a slight rash that can come and go, and has also become quite an unhappy grumpy baby. She has had a really bad week, screaming inconsolably and very hard to comfort. I have put down to recent jabs and TT release. But I am still suspicious of a milk allergy that could be making her uncomfy.

I have been wondering if the normal formula was too much for her to tolerate, and perhaps the comfort formulas are broken down just enough to reduce the reactions but could maybe still be making her uncomfy? Does anyone know if this is possible? Or would the comfort still cause as much of a reaction as the standard one?

Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience perhaps....

We have a prescription for aptamil pepti to try (if symptoms return) and I'm thinking about asking the consultant to give that a go but don't really have many symptoms to go on at the moment... just a hunch. And I want to wait a while for things to settle after the TT release before I try anything else. But wanted to scope things out in the meantime! x

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 19/08/2017 20:52

Does comfort formula not have lower lactose (the milk sugar) rather than having the milk proteins broken down?

Lucinda15 · 19/08/2017 20:52

(I forgot to mention that I wondered if the symptoms eased after we returned to comfort formula following nutramagin, because we stopped using rhebready made cartons! Could they have caused the symptoms rather than the comfort... but then perhaps the comfort still making her uncomfy?)

OP posts:
Lucinda15 · 19/08/2017 20:53

Comfort formula has slightly broken down milk proteins and reduced lactose.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 19/08/2017 20:54

Ah I see some whey protein is broken down too

dementedpixie · 19/08/2017 20:55

Yes the reaction could be from ready made as you don't get comfort in cartons

Lucinda15 · 19/08/2017 20:58

Yes i know the comfort dsnt come in the ready mades. I was just wondering if anyone has experience of someone being allergic but managing to tolerate the comfort formulas? As in, could my DD still have CMPA but not show many/any symptoms on comfort? Or wld I expect a CMPA to cause a reaction on comfort regardless?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 19/08/2017 21:03

Could it be an intolerance rather than allergy?

Lucinda15 · 19/08/2017 21:09

Hmm perhaps! I will ask consultant next time I see him. I did see the lactose drop things in the chemist, made me wonder. I just thought it was very rare to be intolerant and more likely a CMPA due to sibling. But perhaps I will give them a try!

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 19/08/2017 21:11

I don't mean lactose intolerance as you can have cows milk protein intolerance too (as well as allergy). Might be different degrees depending how much is ingested

Lenl · 19/08/2017 21:27

My son is 2 now. He was exclusively breastfed then continued to have breast milk as his only milk until 10 months, when he started having formula 3 daytimes a week while I was at work. He had breast milk all other times. He regularly ate cheese and yoghurt. He continued having formula on my working days until round 15 months then he had the odd bit of cows milk instead as was by then drinking water and still breastfeeding.

When he was 17 months I stopped breastfeeding and his intake of cows milk went up sharply, he wanted it all the time. I noticed he started pooing lots everyday, and they were really painful for him to pass - he often screamed and cried - however they were very very soft so shouldn't have been difficult. His bum also got very sore and this was hard to keep on top of. After 3 months (still feel bad it took so long for me to clock what was happening) I took him to the GP and took him off dairy entirely, nothing with any milk ingredients at all - within 2 days his bum was better, he was pooing less and it no longer seemed painful. However he had no symptoms until he started drinking cows milk Regis! Cheese etc was fine.

When he was ebf he went through a period of green mucousy nappies. Hv and gp didn't care and lost the stool sample I took. Looking back I think this coincided with me eating more dairy than normal. I don't drink milk or eat much normally.

So long old post short I think a mild intolerance is possible for sure. We're now doing the milk ladder but currently stuck at step 2.

Lenl · 19/08/2017 21:29

Wtf is Regis? This phone has a mind of its own. Should say regularly

Lucinda15 · 19/08/2017 22:08

lenl that's really interesting thanks for posting! Given me something to think about. I mean, I assumed it would be possible to be more allergic to the standard formulas than the comfort. I'm suspicious that's what has happened here. I just have a hunch she may be tolerating the comfort just enough to eradicate the more obvious symptoms (blood in poo etc) but perhaps it's making her grumpy and miserable. And upsetting her tum a bit. I may ask consultant if we could trial the aptamil pepti!

OP posts:
Henee · 21/04/2025 18:51

I know this was SO long ago but this is literally like reading my exact experience right now to the letter.
did you get to the bottom of it? Currently on comfort and wondering if it’s masking CMPA symptoms slightly

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread