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Allergies and intolerances

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Original poster

Wit's end - what ELSE can it be?!

18 replies

hobnob57 · 28/10/2007 14:33

Please help me as we (DD, DH and moi) are at our wits' end. Our dairy-and-gluten-intolerant-silent-refluxer wee one has been bloated, screaming and writhing in pain for 3 days now and it shows no sign of abating. She is farting for Britain. Once she gets rid of some yet more appears. WHAT could this be?

Her intolerances both caused these symptoms, with mucusy vinegary nappies, but her dirty nappies at the moment seem as normal as they get (a bit on the dry side, but then I can't get her to drink for love nor money). She's had the same 4 meals in rotation for a week since we were at my parents', and the symptoms started on the last day. No strange food at all.

She is still BF morning and evening (to try to get fluid into her) but is not feeding well ATM due to her massive discomfort. I have still been strict with my diet (no dairy or gluten) apart from last Sunday (a week ago) I had gravy with Bisto in it. It contains wheat starch. She has a few night waking episodes after that, but nothing on this scale. Could it still be that?!

I have been to the GP and dietician about her ad nauseum. They just say that she'll grow out of this and her wee gut will mature one day. She's even seen a surgical consultant, although she was concentrating on treating the reflux. She sent through an appointment to see the Gastro , but this isn't until December. I can't see her in so much pain for that long! I just want to know what's wrong and what I can do. Short of standing at the door of the Children's hospital and demanding to be seen, what can I do?

Any ideas VERY welcome.

OP posts:

SofiaAmes · 28/10/2007 15:07

I had terrible troubles with my dd when she was a baby. They were similar to what you are describing. She was exclusively bf until 5 months, at which point our paediatrician in the usa suggesting supplementing with one bottle a day of Enfamil AR (you can get it on prescription in the uk to get it for free, or get it without a presciption, but for some reason they keep it behind the counter in the chemists, not on the regular shelf). It is a special stay down formula thickened with rice starch (most others are thickened with corn starch). It made a huge difference. Dd was so much better. And eventually a few months into solids, she outgrew the problems totally.

Original poster

hobnob57 · 28/10/2007 15:11

I forgot to say that DD is 11 months old, so she is well onto solids now and has Pepti formula (well, I try to give her some in a cup) during the day. Thanks for your message Sofia.

OP posts:

SofiaAmes · 29/10/2007 09:30

Has she been checked for Crohn's Disease or celiac?

GothicCandles · 29/10/2007 09:33

Have you tried taking her to a cranial osteopath?

tatt · 29/10/2007 10:17

only thing I can think of is that somehow she has got a trace of something someone else was eating onto something. That doesn't seem very likely but anything else seems less likely.

I'd suggest you get a probiotic into her if you can get a dairy free one locally and maybe some colief for the lacatase in it. If that doesn't work try the hospital. I'd also video her if you can to show a doctor when you see one even if she does improve now.

You may also want to send for some peptyzide enzymes to try her with if it happens again.

Sympathy - a crying baby is very hard on the parents.

Original poster

hobnob57 · 30/10/2007 21:34

Thanks for your ideas. We did take her to (what we thought was) a cranial osteopath when she was younger, but she ended up just showing us baby massage techniques and charged us £45 for it! I was disappointed at that since she had been recommended to us by a pre- & post-natal yoga teacher. Too broke to try again.

I asked the GP about coeliac, and that's when he said it was unlikely to be anything sinister like that and she'll probably grow out of it. He gave me the impression that they don't take this seriously until about 18 months or so.

5 days on and she has settled down a bit, but still isn't back to normal. She's still bloated and farty and waking up in the night, although not for so long and in so much pain. Her dirty nappies are soft and varying in colour from pale to dark brown. I'm not sure a trace of something else would have an effect this long on tatt? Are there any other allergens which go for the gut like this? I know sometimes effects can be delayed, but how long is delayed?

I find this all so confusing and exhausting. Why don't they come with a troubleshooting manual?!

OP posts:

Original poster

hobnob57 · 30/10/2007 21:35

Wish I'd though of the videocam on Sunday when she was screaming and writhing so much she exhausted herself and fell asleep between shouts!

OP posts:

SofiaAmes · 31/10/2007 04:30

Hey, have you checked her for pin (thread) worms? Some kids get more severe reactions than others.

tatt · 31/10/2007 11:36

it sounds like she is still getting something that is upsetting her - 5 days is longer than I'd expect for a one off. Gluten or milk would be the obvious contenders if you weren't already excluding them.

Honestly don't know what else to suggest except double checking anything she eats to see if the ingredients have changed.

Original poster

hobnob57 · 31/10/2007 20:33

Hmmm. Have done that and honestly can't find anything. I guess we'll just have to wait this one out. No great improvement today. In fact, her reflux has started up again. Will be going to a party where one of the mum is a GP this weekend, so I'll speak to her

OP posts:

TheEvilDediderata · 31/10/2007 20:36

Is there any history of haitus hernia on either side of the family?

Original poster

hobnob57 · 31/10/2007 20:47

Not that I know of?

OP posts:

TheEvilDediderata · 31/10/2007 21:07

Well, my brother (now 44) has a haitus hernia. My parents always said he was a 'difficult' baby with wind and pain and crying.

When a child grows, the symptoms can diminish - although I vividly remember my brother always belching very loudly whenever he ate toast/bread. He still does.

In later adulthood, the symptoms return.

It's a long shot, but it's worth writing down as a possible, and bringing it up with your GP.

Fingers crossed for a good night's sleep tonight

tatt · 01/11/2007 10:06

certainly worth checking the stomach around by (usually just above) the navel for any side of a small bump that comes and goes. I knew a baby who had this problem but her lump became very obvious - she was operated on and is fine now. Maybe worth seeing your gp to ask about possibility of hernia?

Original poster

hobnob57 · 01/11/2007 13:55

Will do. I have noticed that she doesn't appear to (like me still!) have abdominal muscles that meet in the middle above her belly button which struck me as odd since she hasn't been pregnant!

She was up once last night, but managed to thrash around her cot and get rid of her wind herself and settle down again. I am SO grateful she's crawling now!

I'm sure that this flare-up of whatever it is won't be the last one, but thanks for your ideas. Will continue musing.... Thing is, it makes it difficult to decide when/if to challenge her with yogurt or cheese when she's never really totally settled.

OP posts:

tatt · 01/11/2007 18:56

should have said that the baby I knew did have similar symptoms - in fact I was trying to get the mum to take milk out of her diet completely when the lump became visible and the real problem was obvious. Hernias are not that unusual in babies apparently.

CarGirl · 01/11/2007 19:06

you know if you do turn up at a hospital A&E they have to see you.......

Original poster

hobnob57 · 01/11/2007 21:52

Yeah but I just feel such a fraud/waste of time with an otherwise alert and smiling baby (she LOVES strangers!)

OP posts:

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