Cows milk protein intolerance???

[Amy2018]

Hi all, looking for some advice really. I’m a first time mum to a wonderful 9 week old boy, unfortunately he has been suffering with silent reflux since he was 4 days old, tried infant gaviscon which seem to make it worst, now on ranitidine which has helped a little but not enough to make a difference, I’ve been thinking for a while now that he may have CMPI but Doctors just keep saying he has colic, my little one always seems uncomfortable grunts and groans a lot even in his sleep, he has some periods in the day where he screams for no reason and can’t really console him, he doesn’t sleep well, he’s very restless never stays still, he arches his back a lot so has great head control for his age. He hates being put down always wants to be held or walked around, he has mucus poo which my doctor said was normal, he sneezes a lot, he rubs his head on my chest sometimes as if his face is itchy or he’s really uncomfortable, his face sometimes flushes red after a feed but not every feed, on days where he seems more unsettled/uncomfortable his left eye is swollen but again this comes and goes. Also he hates being winded he screams, his poos and farts also smell very eggy but he is on comfort milk which I’m guessing can cause that. He farts loads. Is this just silent reflux and colic or is it an intolerance?
My doctors are so rubbish just wanna fob me off each time saying once he is 12 weeks he will be better. They said it can’t be an intolerance as he would have terrible eczema?
Just looking to see if anyone else’s little one ever had similar to my little one and if they had an intolerance to anything?

This sounds just like my daughter who has CMPA! I fought my HV who robbed me off with colic and it wasn't until she actually passed wind in the HV presence that she was finally diagnosed!
She was put on Nutramigen prescription formula and she was like a different baby almost straight away!
Mucus in poo is a major sign of a reaction to something!
You know your baby, could you speak to your HV at alll?

My babies seemed to react to the second set of immunisations, both twins poo changed colour and became mucousy but one continued to have problems and vomited after feeding. She didn’t seem to be in any discomfort however I cut out milk/cheese etc from my diet (ebf) and she stopped vomiting. Luckily at about 15 months she grew out of it.

My health visitor has been pretty good tbh she has said I should ask my GP for my little one to be referred to paediatrician which my doctor wasn’t prepared to do, saying nothing is wrong apart from the reflux which he will grow out off. My doctors have really been terrible, I have his check and jabs on Thursday and I’m refusing to leave until they take me seriously!!!! Thank you for your reply, my Doctors make me think I’m going crazy and being over the top but i know my baby and I know he’s suffering!!!

Can the HV not refer you to a dietitian? I know that's what happened with us, it was a long wait until we saw them but in the mean time the HV was able to get in touch with the doctor themselves and asked for DD to be prescribed with nutramigen!
Doctors don't really like diagnosing it apparently, not sure why though as surely they'd want the baby to be happy and healthy?
Are you able to see a different doctor?

My little girl has CMPA and didn’t have eczema so that’s nonsense. She did have awful reflux and I went dairy free at the same time she started Ranitidine and she improved immediately. Some of the symptoms you describe are similar to those discussed on various CMPA groups I’m in. While I wouldn’t usually suggest an exclusion diet without medical support, if it is a cows milk protein allergy the improvements will be shown very quickly ie within 3 days so if there is a reaction you can go back to the doctors and get a referral to a dietitian. If you are breastfeeding, it will take 3 weeks to come out of your system and a further 3 weeks to get out of your boys system. Although my little girl didn’t have eczema when I was consuming dairy and breastfeeding, if I ever have a slip up now or give her frozen milk when there were accidental traces of cows milk in my diet, she has dry rosy cheeks amongst other symptoms so I know she is having a skin reaction. If you are not breastfeeding, you may need to see a dietitian to get prescribed a specialist formula.

Just a note, I believe the term intolerance is being phased out as it minimises the impact. Now it is IGE allergy (blood reaction eg anaphylaxis) or non-IGE allergy (all sorts of other symptoms but can’t be tested via blood tests). I might not have explained that properly but it’s worth looking into.

My hv said that if I get nowhere Thursday she will see if she can refer my LO to dietitian but it’s difficult as my LO is gaining weight well, I’m seeing a different doctor Thursday, my Hv said to ask for dairy free formula as there is no harm trailing it as it’ll most likely make a difference within 24 hours.
I feel sad I can’t enjoy my baby I feel like a terrible mum

My little girl is 5 weeks old and has identical symptoms. We are on day 1 of a trial of Althéra (like Neocate/Nutramigen) - milk suitable for babies with CMPA. Fingers crossed.

Fingers crossed you get somewhere with the doctor, it really shouldn't be this hard should it?
Be persistent, DD was gaining weight very well but I knew something wasn't right. My HV wasn't very good to start with but me being persistent definitely worked! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you x

Thank you everyone!!! I will keep you all updated on Thursday x

I have a near 3 year old with CMPA. It took months for us to get him diagnosed as his symptoms only appeared once we started weaning him. His symptoms were colic, bad nappies, horrific nappy rash and screaming all night. After 4 or 5 months I tried him on soya milk formula as a last ditch attempt! Within 12 hours I had a different baby (he was 9 or 10 months at this point) and on going back to the doctor they agreed it was a milk allergy and prescribed Neocate which was brilliant for him. He stayed on it until he was nearly two. It's very expensive so I expect that is why it takes some time and evidence to get it prescribed. He is non Ige so doesn't react immediately to milk protein which is a relief. Looking back, whilst breastfeeding was being established in the first couple of days after his birth I gave him a couple of mini bottles of aptamil and he had some blood in his poop. This clearly was the milk protein affecting him. He doesn't have eczema or asthma or other allergies and has now been for ige testing to see if he has any immediate allergies to anything. We get by now quite easily with oat milk fortified with calcium and lots of home cooking. It's hard on holidays and in restaurants!

I now have a baby and she has dreadful eczema, none of symptoms DS had but I think it's dairy linked again, it started at 6 months when I started weaning and even though I have cut out dairy from her diet now it's still quite bad!

It's a minefield working out triggers, all I can say is go with your instincts. With my DS, I thought I was going mad! I was at the docs once a week saying something wasn't right and they just weren't that good at establishing what it was. Keep on, you will get there.

Just to add re the weight gain. It's a red herring, my DS was 10lb 6oz when born and over 100% on growth charts. Despite his allergy he stayed on the same growth trajectory. Just because they are big and look healthy doesn't mean they can't have allergies!!

Hi all, update from Doctors today still not really got anywhere, they saying mucus in poo from comfort milk so to change milks, I’m gonna try HiPP Organic. She asked if he had blood in stools which he hasn’t so she’s saying she doubts he has an allergy to milk, with regards to his silent reflux she it will go as he gets bigger, she said after 12 weeks he’ll most likely be more settle, well that’s only just over 3 weeks away so we will see, She did say though if the Milk change doesn’t help his mucus in his poo she will need to investigate as it could possibly be milk allergy, I am hoping he doesn’t have it so hopefully new milk will work. He’s very unsettled tonight but to be expected as he’s had his first immunisations

I could have written your post and my son has CMPA. The head rubbing on my chest was because he was so itchy. GP fobbed me off with the colic excuse, so I went private and the paediatrician diagnosed him before I'd even sat down. He was 5 weeks old at this point.

Lucky my HV had put him on neocate at 11days old, and the paediatrician said it would take a further 3 weeks to get the dairy out of his system. This was spot on and he became a completely different baby.

Thought he'd grown out of it as he's 4 now, but he's had a cough that he just can't shift and I'm convinced it's the dairy.

It’s so bad how much we have to fight with Doctors these days.
Well an update my LO had a small amount of blood in his stool, took him Doctors for them to say oh it’s probably an anal tear, I just had enough and said I’m not happy and that something else is going on I want him looked at by a paediatrician, doctor still continued to persist she was right but for my reassurance will send me up to paediatric assessment unit, went up there and explained his symptoms and they straight away said CMPA, he’s now on similac Alimentum, been on this since Tuesday so hopefully will start to see a difference in him soon, and good news is I can go back to the paediatric assessment unit rather than my Doctors if he doesn’t get any better or I’m concerned. As for my own GP I’m putting a complaint in!!!!

It's so frustrating when GP'S don't listen!! My youngest has cmpa and his only symptoms were green vinegar poo with the white protein blobs in it. (sorry if tmi) no blood, no eczema. I was breastfeeding him so I cut dairy out of my own diet and the change was incredible! I can't imagine how tough it is pushing for a dairy free formula, but keep going. You know your baby.

I'm glad you've managed to get something now, hopefully it works soon. But it can take a couple of weeks for the milk to completely leave their system so hang in there if it doesn't appear to work straight away!

I was on a cmpa FB group for a while and the amount of stories about GP's who just didn't get it was worrying.

Fingers crossed he improves soon!

Hi Amy2018,
I'm just after reading your post and you're after describing my 14 week old baby boy with the exact same symptoms! He's on losec for reflux since 6 weeks but I suspect he has CPMI also. We have an appt with pediatrician next Tuesday. This will be our 3rd appt!!! How is your little fella doing now and did the similac help? I know your post was over 2 years ago but when you describing such similar symptoms I had to ask I hope you don't mind. I'm a distraught Mammy

@Deevie how have you managed to get an appointment with a pediatrition at the moment? I have been told everything has been put on hold and my doctor isn't interested. It is driving my crazy seeing my son clawing at his head and face 😩

Hi @Amy2018,
I read your post afew weeks ago as it caught my attention as you literally described my son to a T! It's been so hard to see him so distressed and unsettled. He's 19 weeks old now and I started him on neocate last week and he's improving slowly. He's still in omeprazole for silent reflux but the screaming crying has lessened and sleeping better. I know your son is well over two now and I hope he's doing great. I was just wondering how you got on with the new formula and onto weaning after? Was it CMPA in the end?

Hi @Geminirose,
I'm so sorry I just saw this message! We took him to the Vhi pediatric clinic in dundrum and they couldn't have been more helpful! I hope you got sorted but you can call them to make an appt if you can't get your pediatrician. It's a stressful time to have sick or unsettled little ones