What is reflux??? Need clarification

[TearingMyHairOut]

My ds1 has been diagnosed with reflux by my gp and has been given an array if medication which doesn't seem to be helping. Another mum I know took her baby to a different doctor with same symptoms and was told it wasn't reflux! WHAT exactly is reflux and what kind of symptoms/ behaviour would you expect to see?

Mintymum
My dd is nearly 11weeks and what you describe is exactly the same as her - gaviscon doesnt seem to be agreeing with her at all either and since cutting out lactose (firstly with colief and then with prescribed lactofree milk) her skin which was quite bad with baby acne has cleared up brilliantly but the screaming and not taking more than 4 oz continues!! Have you had any luck resolving your los feeding issues???? x

My ds has had reflux since he was born (he's 22 weeks now). He used to scream with pain all the time, and this was due to stomach acid coming up with the vomit. In many babies this can be the cause of them refusing food - they associate eating with the pain the vomitting causes. Think heart burn and you'll get an idea of how much it must hurt them.

We eventually got a prescription for Ranitidine, which has stopped the acid altogether. There's not much you can do for the vomitting (we couldn't use Gaviscon either as it gave him dreadful constipation) except keep a bib on and expect to be cleaning up sick all the time.

Just keep in mind that it will end. I've spoken to many Mums who said that it stopped for their baby at 4 months. At 5 months ds's vomitting is starting to get better, and the paediatrician says that reflux usually clears up between 6 and 8 months.

Just wanted to add my experience in case it is of help. My DS was diagnosed with Reflux at 8 weeks. He would projectile vomit about once a day but the main problem was the scraming in pain - he had real trouble sleeping although he was putting on weight really well (constantly breast feeding - probably too much which was not helping the vomiting). He went onto gaviscon which did help in our case in that it more or less stopped the vomiting (DS was never constipated although I know this is a common problem) but it did not stop all of the pain. The thing is the pain, though intense, only seemed to happen about once a day (lunchtime nap)so the Paediatrician did not seem to think it was the reflux itself but that something was triggering the reflux. He prescribed Merbentyl, which is an anti-spasmodic, to take once a day before his lunchtime feed. It worked! My main advice would be to hang in there and to keep pestering the doctors until you find a solution - our GP told us there was nothing wrong with DS and then that there was nothing that could be done. INSIST on being referred - and quickly! Oh, we were advised that thickened feeds do not necessarily help - they help with the vomiting because they keep the feed down but they will not necessarily stop the acid washing up - baby needs to digest as quickly as possible to speed everything out of the stomach. Good luck - it does get better but you need support and the right medicine to get you through until then.