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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Help reflux baby!

30 replies

BettyBoo246 · 17/09/2013 17:26

Hi - not sure if I'm in the right place :) my lo is 6weeks old and was prescribed gaviscon two wks ago for his silent reflux. It worked a treat to start with, however over the last 2-3 days its effect seems to have worn off? He is on two sachets per 6oz bottle.
I took him to the gp today who really was so unhelpful and said there was absolutely nothing else he could take and to wait till he grows out of it :( my question is what else can I do or where else do I go from here! I really don't want to go back to how he was before but it looks like its going to

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Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 17/09/2013 19:11

Bump

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ipswichwitch · 17/09/2013 19:16

We used to raise the head end of DSs cot which did seen to help. He did grow out if it eventually if that helps!

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 17/09/2013 19:58

Thank u we do do that too :)
I just hope he grows out of it sooner rather than later!

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stargirl1701 · 17/09/2013 20:07

GP is talking bollocks. Is there another GP you could see? After Gaviscon DD was on Ranitidine. You will probably be prescribed the lowest dose. Go back and ask for a higher dose if your LO gets no relief.

Stellarella123 · 17/09/2013 20:10

Hi , my ds had terrible silent reflux as a baby, we popped a couple of books under his cot feet to keep him at an incline, or a towel under Moses basket mattress, also when feeding don't pat baby's back to wind, try rubbing, I would push for ranitidine if the gaviscon isn't working, it helped us, it's a hard one as most doctors don't have a clue what it's really like, I hope you have some support, someone who can give you a break, I had loadsa advice though mumsnet, and Internet, is the baby gaining weight ok? It will get better in time, x

Shenanagins · 17/09/2013 20:11

Agree the dr is talking bollocks. Go back and get a referral to the paediatrician.

mine had it really badly and it was the paediatrician who prescribed omezeprole (sp) which finally worked.

duende · 17/09/2013 20:11

Hi, silent reflux is horrendous and only a small percentage of babies improve on gaviscon alone. You may have to ask for ranitidine, and if this fails, omeprazole. Google crying over spillt milk, it is a great website, has lots of info on symptoms of reflux but also different types of treatment, medication, etc. if you go back to see your GP, go armed with information. Good luck!

lem31 · 17/09/2013 20:46

Gaviscon is rubbish. Don't take no for an answer. If your lo is in pain go back and ask for a referral to a consultant. My gp referred us as he wasn't convinced if it was reflux (even though it was obvious to me) and consultant put him on ranitidine which was amazing for a bit. Took about 2 weeks to kick in, but worth the wait.
You know your baby better than anyone and its awful to have a baby always in pain who doesn't eat properly or sleep. It's not good for either f you.
Best if luck. X

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 17/09/2013 21:01

My thoughts exactly - my gp doesn't see what ds is like when feeding, it really is heartbreaking :( all they care about is that he is putting weight on.
We lift his basket, feed him upright, keep upright atleast 20 mins after and try not to pat him too much when burping.
I told the gp his breathing thru the night sounds really raspy and congested and she tld me it could be a cold lol! I know reflux can cause this type of breathing if the acid gets into his airways but she said not!
Who do I ask for a referral - do I just call the surgery or do I need to ask the gp directly?

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Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 17/09/2013 21:04

Will have a look at that thanx duende

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stargirl1701 · 17/09/2013 21:14

Film a feed on your phone. It really helped us with the GP. She was quite shocked, tbh. To get a peads referral I saw 6 GOs in 8 consecutive days. I refused to take no for an answer.

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 17/09/2013 21:21

stargirl1701 actually a friend told me to video a feed and show them so might try that one
I've been to docs three times now, I will give it two more days and if still no improvement I'll ask up see a diff gp if they refuse to help I will ask for a referral - can they refuse this?

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stargirl1701 · 17/09/2013 21:26

Honestly, I don't actually know. There's always A&E as a last resort. If your LO isn't feeding and is very distressed then head to an A&E with a peads consultant. You may get a referral - and better meds!

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 17/09/2013 21:35

There has been times I have felt like taking him to a&e especially with his breathing noises at 3am in the morning, he wakes himself up he's that loud :/
Think its worse when something worked for a week and we had a happy normal baby and now it looks like we're going backwards again :(

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MinnieMousse · 17/09/2013 21:47

Can you see a different GP? They vary widely in their attitudes towards reflux, even within the same surgery. Unfortunately with some GPs you have to be very persistent. Refuse to leave until you have been given something else to try. Insist on a paediatric referral. If I were you I would keep phoning up and bothering them every day until they give you what you want. As said above, filming on a mobile phone may help? Do you know any other parents who have got reflux meds for their babies who could go with you to the GP to support you?

The order of medications to try are:
Gaviscon (generally not much help)
Ranitidine (wide range of doses - ask for the minimum and maximum safe dose for your baby's age).
Omeprazole
Trial of hydrolised or dairy-free formula

Insist they give you Ranitidine to try. Until you get that (and while transitioning) keep up with the gaviscon, try to keep LO upright as much as possible.

I know it's not generally advised, but i found giving my DDs a tiny bit of warm (not hot) boiled water sometimes helped.

When one GP said she didn't want to give DD1 Ranitidine (despite it having been advised as a next step by another GP), I burst into tears in the surgery and she gave it to me then. This could be a last resort!

lem31 · 17/09/2013 21:58

My gp referred me after lo had blood in his poo. I filmed him and gp said that it was obvious he was in pain, but wasn't bothered as said it wasn't conclusive as to why!
Definitely get a second opinion - you are entitled to that. The amount of times I've been in tears while trying to feed...it's just awful to watch. My heart goes out to you both.

GPS don't take it seriously as its common, but not to that extent. When we were in the waiting room at hospital there was another lady there whose baby had a hole burned in her lung through Undiagnosed reflux! It can be very serious so if your lo is in pain, keep fighting.
X

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 17/09/2013 22:44

It's good to hear I'm not the only one :) well not good but reassuring lol!
Thanx to you all - I will ask to see a different gp and ask for ranitidine, if they don't prescribe it I'll ask for a referral and if they don't give me that I think a trip to a&e as a hole in a lung sounds horrific!
It really has amazed me as a ftm how utterly unhelpful some gp's and hv's can be! If a tiny baby is in pain u would of thought they would take us seriously!

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Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 17/09/2013 22:53

MinnieMousse he really struggles with water, chokes and gags almost instantly with that :( has to have lactolose too due to the gaviscon giving him constipation, which gp says its not due to the gaviscon when I know it is!

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Shenanagins · 17/09/2013 23:25

I took to going to the dr on a weekly basis and then demanded to get referred to the paediatrician. The gp i saw who referred me got me an appointment with the paediatrician on the same day.

it is tough and i think they initially put it down to me being a hysterical new mum.

mawbroon · 18/09/2013 13:06

I would suggest that you also investigate the possibility of tongue and lip ties as they can also cause reflux.

list of symptoms in this article

article here from Dr Kotlow who is a leading expert on tongue and lip ties.

VomitingVeronica · 18/09/2013 13:50

6 weeks is prime growth spurt time, my kids reflux definitely got worse around every growth spurt. It will get better again but it always worth getting more under control before the next one. I agree that Gaviscon is rubbish and a trip to a&e when they won't stop crying can help speed things up if your GP is reluctant to prescribe anything other than Gaviscon.

Good luck, you just need to wait out the hellish post growth spurt week.

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 18/09/2013 15:53

I didn't realise it can get worse during growth spurts?! I av another appointment this afternoon with gp and if he won't give me anything else I will ask for a referral!
mawbroon he had his 6 week chk yesterday would they not pick up a tongue/lip tie then?

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pommedechocolat · 18/09/2013 15:59

With dd2 ended up in a and e with her screaming her head off unless she was upright dozing on my shoulder. When I told the triage nurse it was like this most of the day she marched off and got me seen to. We had omeprazole. Worked wonders for the reflux but made her sleeping worse!

As she moved towards 6/7 months and was sitting the reflux got much better and we stopped the omep.

Its a heart breaking thing reflux, really hard and constant. Talking to someone whose been through it might help you.

mawbroon · 18/09/2013 16:06

Ha! In an ideal world they would pick up ties at birth, but sadly, most HCPs are absolutely clueless about tongue and lip ties, or worse than being clueless, are badly informed and spread misinformation

There is a long thread on MN full of people who were told by HCPs that their babies were not tied, only to find out later that they actually were. You need to find somebody who specialises in it.

Is he having any of the other symptoms on the list I linked to?

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 18/09/2013 18:15

Well 2bh it has crossed my mind purely because when I breastfeed him I had very sore nipples they also had a mark going across them which mw said is caused by a tongue tie, but she checked and said he didn't have one! He always seems to av trouble with the teats now too on bottles struggling to get them in comfortably, also makes a clicking noise when feeding, so yh it does make me wonder if that could be a possibility. The gp has now referred us to a paed :) just hope it doesn't take too long to get seen.

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