reflux nightmare!

[LPO]

My DS is 3months old and suffers badly from reflux. He's kicking his legs and fighting to feed and then being sick hours after feeding. He's been given medicine for it but it doesn't seem to do anything. And he's also on an anti-regurgiation formula.
Today he's completely flipped and what used to be a happy baby is now a shouting, scream and kicking little one who's clearly in lots of pain. I am completely at a witts end as nothing i do it's helping him.
Does anyone have any ideas or are you in a similar position?

My DS had reflux

what meds is he on? They take IME, around 7 days to really start working

are you keeping him upright after feeds for as long as possible/using a sling etc?

I sympathise, it's horrendous. DS started at 2 weeks and still has it at 9 months now but it's alot easier now. He is on meds too. The meds help DS about 50% in the irritability but not the constant regurgitation/coughing. DS also has bad choking episodes. All I can say is it does get better, insist on hospital referrals if you are worried, anything with movement helps, we have a hammock for sleeping. There is a fab book called 'colic solved' which really helped me. Covers everything. Good luck.

He was on motilium but as it's got worse he's now on zantac.
I keep him upright during the feed and as much as i can.
How does movement help?

My LO was on Ranitadine (neutralised the stomach acid so that when they were sick, it stopped hurting i.e. no more acid burn). He was also on domperidone (which opened the bottom stomach sphincter, so that the stomach did not stay too full and thus there was less to be sick!). He was also on Enfamil AR (anti-reflux) formula, which worked brilliantly but the gastro-paed said it was pointless being on both as the ranitadine made it curdle (tmi!!) and that a normal formula would be fine (he moved to SMA, having been on Aptimel when the reflux begun).

I found lots of careful, meticulous winding (along with Infacol) helped the discomfort as well as keeping him upright after a feed for at least 30 mins. He also fed better when lying in his rocker chair rather than being cradled (sad for me, but a relief to have him feeding well). The dummy really helped too as the sucking tended to keep his food down!

As others have said, it does get better, although I do sympathise because when you are in the middle of it, it is horrible.

Thank you for all your ideas, I had him at the doctors yesterday as he was clearly in loads of pain, it was awful to see him like that. The Zantac that he's been put on now is supposed to neutralise the acid in the stomach so am keeping my fingers crossed. Apparently the motilium was the wrong medication and has therefore caused it to get worse!

I use the Nestlé AR formula for the past 2 months but it hasn't worked at all. Doctor has said to keep him on it though.

My dd had reflux as a baby. We kept her at an angle while she was sleeping, as lying flat allows the acid to flow back. She was in a cot and we raised one end of it slightly with blocks.

She also liked to spend time held upright over my shoulder after a feed - although I was permanently covered in puke!
I know how horrible it is to witness and how helpless you can feel. The only consolation is that it does get better. Hope the meds start working soon.
We used 'Omnicomfort' formula for dd - it was almost gloopy in texture and stunk, but it stayed down a lot better than the others we tried

Good luck.

Hi - sympathies, my ds had it since birth - he is now 12 months and has only just started to get better. My GP would only prescribe Gaviscon, as he was gaining weight, so I had to watch the poor little mite in discomfort a lot of the time.
I remember being so fed up at always having sick all over me, the carpet, sofa, and especially him. He permanently had a bib on, but the sick often soaked through so had several changes of clothes per day and the washing machine permanently on.
But just wanted to post and say that it does get better!
I honestly thought everyone was lying to me when they told me this as it never seemed to, but it eventually has!
He is still more sicky than other kids but at least I can let him crawl about at someone else's house now without fear!!!

Also, it will probably be frowned upon, but I put my ds in his buggy at 4 months old and he was soooo much happier than lying flat in his pram. I am fortunate to have the Quinny buzz, which can face you and also gives a lot more support for a young baby than something like a Maclaren forward facing buggy.
Just a thought if you happened to have this type of buggy.

I'm there with you LPO, my 3 month DS on ranitidine, gaviscon and domperidone. Seems to be doing the job in combination with me avoiding tomatoes, strawberries and melon as still BF. We've wedged his cot mattress and find he sleeps best in his car seat as like Blondissimo says, keeps him upright a bit more for the day naps. (Works especially well when placed on the cooker with the extractor fan on (I do make sure the cooker switch is off at the wall though!)

More reassurance, my first DS had exactly the same symptoms and treatment and is now a brilliant little eater and is calmer than the average 3 year old despite the traumatic first months of his life!

Hang on in there.

When my DD had it she improved tremendously when she could sit up unaided and then when solids started, teh reflux stopped.

Propping up the cot really helped too. It's horrible but they get through it eventually.

My son had reflux and my sympathy goes out to you.

He stopped eating and wasscreaming with pain. Turned out he had a very severe kidney infection. Reflux seemed to get better after getting his infection sorted out.

"avoiding tomatoes, strawberries and melon as still BF" who gave you this advice Kirstymon? DS 10 wks is suffering from silent reflux rather than the vomiting one. Am BFing and as is summer tomatoes, strawberries and melon are frequently eaten.

Hi nct. The health visitor suggested strawberries (and onion) may irritate him, and it was just a pattern I noticed with the other foods. I have relatives in Germany who were told to drink fennel tea when BF as this is good for baby's digestion. Am doing so but who knows if it helps or not!

Might be worth a try! It is a killer though, I love tomatoes and it restricts a lot of meals! at least its not chocolate