reflux?

[hotheels]

Ds is 8 weeks and has always been a hungry boy taking 7oz every three hours 5-6 hours at night. Past couple of days he's been really unsettled during and after feeding. Is now dropping to 4-5oz every three hours. He is sick pretty much after every feed and tbh when he is feeding he doesn't really go for it. He hiccups and has the occasional cough and struggles to sleep. Does anyone know if this sounds like reflux and what the g.p. is likely to prescribe? crap doctor btw

You used to be able to get Infant Gaviscon from the pharmacy without prescription, not sure what age it is ok from, maybe walk to the local pharmacy to ask would be a good idea.

certainly could be reflux - though wouldn't like to say it wasn't anything else. My ds had horrendous reflux until he was 6 months old and was sick constantly. It varies in intensity though, so though yours sounds more mild than my ds it would fit the pattern.
I found keeping him as upright as possible after feeds for as long as possible helped a bit.
Doctor gave us baby gaviscon which binds the tummy contents into a stiffer substance which makes it harder to spill up, but have to get balance right as can cause constipation at the other end. also got medicine to reduce amount of tummy acid whose name I forget (renitidine?).
It is caused by the muscles at the bottom of the oesophagus not being developed so the tummy is an open channel up and down making it easy for food to reverse direction. It improves naturally as muscles develop around 6months though sometimes later.
Hope things get easier. :)

Thanks for the replies I'm so worried about his feeding and the fact he isn't settled whilst feeding. I have two dds already and they were both 'easy' babies iykwim and poor little ds is really struggling. He was born at 35+2 weighing 6lb 7oz had jaundice so were literally pouring milk into him on the mw's advice until he started to gain weight after the usual loss so I'm pretty obsessed on how much he takes during a 24 hour period and his intake is dropping quite dramatically. Am really worried about him

Sounds like it could be reflux- I had similar with my DS (16 weeks)- he had been great at feeding, putting on weight but at around 5 weeks he started to go off feeding, became VERY unsettled and starting dropping down the weight centiles, as well as having a choking type of cough, and being sick often.

I went to the docs and was fobbed off quite a few times (got the impression I was viewed as a neurotic first time mum) but eventually got given gaviscon, which helped for a while then stopped. Several more docs visits later I ended up breaking down in tears in there saying I couldn't cope with seeing DS in pain anymore, and came out with a rantidine prescription, I think just to shut me up!! He has this 3 times a day, along with gaviscon and enfamil reflux formula. Since then DS is a totally different boy, so chilled out and happy, sleeping through (only 30 mins at a time before) and piling on weight.

I wish I'd pushed more earlier, so I would say that if you feel something's not right, don't be afraid to make a nuisance of yourself!! I know a few people with DC's with reflux and they have had similar probs at the docs, so unfortunately I think it's one of those things some docs just aren't too hot on.

Well I have been to g.p. and as usual he tried to tell me to use aptimil ds is on c&g which is the same bloody formula anyway the long and the short of it is he has prescribed him gaviscon half a sachet with every feed. Ds had a feed at 5:15 and the improvement was instant! Thanks for all the help!

He could be reacting to cows milk. If it gets worse again, try comfort milk. If that helps, push back to your GP for hydrolysed formula.

Oh that's good that you got something for it! I had to really push for one as well - DD developed classic reflux from about 6 weeks.

Wrote down all her symptoms clearly, HV agreed was def reflux, GP just laughed at me & said she'd grow out of it she was in such pain!

When I asked for a paed referral to see if they thought it was reflux, GP backtracked & prescribed ranitidine which worked wonders. It's like having a different baby.

(however this is the same GP who told DH to "just wear a bigger scarf" when he went with a throat infection/cough that had lasted for months...)

Yeah I'm really not happy with the g.p. at all tbh had to call him back this morning about the dose of gaviscon for ds (half a sachet) and he was so dismissive like I was wasting his time have phoned the surgery to ask about changing g.p. and they said I had to write in to ask and there was no guarantee I could I dont know what's happened to him he used to be very thorough and understanding but now you can't even finish what your saying and he's answered you. It's so frustrating

Sounds like reflux to me, although my dd screamed a lot with hers. If you think your lo is in pain you really have to push for medication as they don't seem to give it out willingly. Mine started on gaviscon, then domperidone, then ranitidine, then omeprazole (which finally worked).

Have seen hv this morning also and she was surprisingly brilliant, gave me some excellent advice better than crap g.p. she told me to drop his bottles down to 6oz as reflux babies in her experience never get to 8-9oz and among other things If the reflux persists to start early weaning at 16 weeks as that should improve the problem. So we shall see how he gets on. He is slightly better as the day continues thankfully! Hope this will continue

Baby gaviscon is vile stuff that in my experience makes them really constipated.

If I were you I would give it longer than a couple of days to see how bad it is. My LO has days when she voms quite a bit then days where she hardly does at all. I also wouldnt put it in every feed. The hungrier she is and the more she has the less she seemingly voms .

I think it is a myth that they take more as they get older, particularly if they have had an initial catch up. Mine also will not feed every 3 hours at any time, maybe try spacing them out more so the previous feed has been properly digested?