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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Calpol for reflux? Please don't judge x

69 replies

Halleberry · 08/06/2015 21:18

My 3 week and 4 day old baby girl has severe Reflux. I mean really severe. We have tried everyrhing and are still trying everyrhing. My friend suggested maybe some Calpol (not all the time) but on occasion when she is at her worst. I'm just wondering anyone has tried that and if it helped? Is she to young? I'm at my wita end trying to settle her and if I thought it would help her pain Id try it x any advice? X

OP posts:
Mrsjayy · 08/06/2015 21:23

I dont think you can give calpol to babies under 8 weeks can you ask you Hv for advice or your gp btw i am not judging you its hard when they are in so much pain

Mrscog · 08/06/2015 21:26

I wouldn't as you don't know what the dose should be for a baby so young. Also if her reflux is very bad surely it's unlik to stay down long enough to work.

chippednailvarnish · 08/06/2015 21:26

Please check with your GP, it's a lot to do with how heavy the child is.
My DS had horrendous reflux (got to the point he would only sleep sitting up) and I really had to push my GP, don't let them fob you off...

Pumpeedo · 08/06/2015 21:29

Painkiller is not suitable for reflux. Is she having issues with her feed? My DS2 had severe reflux with wind and diarrhoea. Turned out he was allergic to milk protein. I had to stop breastfeeding and put him on to amino acid milk. You have my sympathies. A sicky baby is a lot of hard work and it took 19 weeks for them to refer us to the paediatrician for him to make the diagnosis of protein allergy. All the best.

Magicalmrmistofeles · 08/06/2015 21:29

Calpol won't help reflux.

Has she been medicated for it?

Tiny babies can have calpol but would need to be under supervision and calculated by weight.

OddBoots · 08/06/2015 21:29

It would be very hard to measure accurately the correct does for such a tiny baby which is why the bottle says 2months onwards. It's a big risk that you will overdose her which would cause her even more pain and harm over all. Have you been given anything to help like gaviscon? Do speak to your GP or HV.

Shenanagins · 08/06/2015 21:29

Keep going back to the Dr and get them to refer you to a paediatrician. I got fobbed off for weeks - it's your first, all babies are sick, etc, but it was only when I saw the paediatrician it finally got sorted.

Original poster
Halleberry · 08/06/2015 21:30

She has silent reflux. She is very rarely sick at all. This confuses me to be honest. But she is hardly ever sick but docs say it's silent reflux? We have rinitadine and gaviscon which we stopped bevause she was so constipated it made her worse. But we have tried everything. Special bottles and elevated mattress and meds etc etc etc but she is neber happy Sad it's horrible to see her In pain and it's exhausting for me and DP. She cries all the time unless being held and hardly sleeps. It's starting to make me depressed because I'm not enjoying her. I hate admitting that. I love her so much but in not enjoying any of this just now because it's constant crying Sad x

OP posts:
Original poster
Halleberry · 08/06/2015 21:32

Been to a specialist too x medication that doesn't seem to work Sad

OP posts:
Rosesarelovely · 08/06/2015 21:32

I would not advise calpol for a baby as young as yours op, Have you been to the GP yet? Ds2 had gerd and we started him on gaviscon infant after he was prescribed it. After seeing a pediatrician he was given domperidrone and something else that I have forgotten the name of. We just kept him upright the majority of the time, even when sleeping by wedging up whatever he was sleeping on just to avoid him laying flat. It is very hard, my dp wore a flat track into the carpet from walking him about through the tears.

ginagslovechild · 08/06/2015 21:34

You need to demand a stronger antacid such as omeprozole.

Mrsjayy · 08/06/2015 21:34

Yes keep at your gp to give you something for her if you are ff you might need to change milk. I used to lie sit dd in her car seat or bouncy chair so she was upright it seemed to helpa little bit i also let her sleep in it

redcaryellowcar · 08/06/2015 21:37

Ds2 had silent reflux, it took until he. Was 3m to be diagnosed, a very difficult three months! I don't think calpol will help, we found infant Gaviscon was the best thing, but different stuff works for different children, I agree with a op that you need to keep going back until you get it right, there are other options for medication. I think sadly babies with reflux are hard work, not because they want to be but because they are in so much pain. Things improved dramatically once ds2 could sit up and was spending more time upright, have you got a bouncy chair? A sling was a life saver for us too.

Rosesarelovely · 08/06/2015 21:38

I was slow to post and just noticed other responses, It didn't get easier for us til we blw at 5 months. We started giving cucumber (because its alkaline) before this, in those mesh food bags that you can get from the baby aisle in supermarkets. Your baby is too young for this now so sadly its just a wait til you can wean but it does get easier once you can.

Gileswithachainsaw · 08/06/2015 21:39

Are they sure it's reflux?

are there any other symptoms that may or may not be related. anything at all?

eczema? congestion?

Original poster
Halleberry · 08/06/2015 21:40

Thanks everyone. I will hold
Off on Calpol and speak to doc again about stronger meds. We have changed milk and the Gaviscon don't help. She is upright most of the day to and will sit in her chair for all of 5 minutes before she is screaming again Sad then I have to hold her. She is also never in a deep sleep. It's awful and I feel like maybe it's me Sad

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 08/06/2015 21:40

has anyone mentioned milk allergy/ intolerance. they tight dd had silent reflux but she needed prescription milk. different baby instantly

PenguinPoser · 08/06/2015 21:41

As others have said - please don't give calpol to a baby this young UNLESS it has been specifically advised by a doctor in the correct dose. A paracetamol overdose (which would obviously be unintentional) could have absolutely disastrous consequences. Babies livers are immature too and the liver is needed to metabolise paracetamol. Sorry you're having such a hard time though Flowers

Magicalmrmistofeles · 08/06/2015 21:43

You need to push for the max dose of ranitidine - they tend to start on the lowest dose. Give dose 20-40 minutes before a feed. If it's not working you need a stronger antacid - omeprazole is the next one. Also remember the dosage is done by weight so she will need to be weighed an dosage adjusted regularly.

DTs had horrendous reflux. The Gaviscon does cause constipation, we used to give them infacol with every feed too which seemed to help with that.

We also had Domperidone but I don't think they prescribe it anymore.

It's tough - I hope you find something that works.

Magicalmrmistofeles · 08/06/2015 21:46

Oh and vibrating bouncy chairs saved our sanity - they had all daytime naps in them until they were 1. Have a look at the fisher price infant to toddler rocker if they still do them.

Original poster
Halleberry · 08/06/2015 21:47

Well my nephew had a milk allergy .. We suggested this to docs and they said it couldn't be because she isn't sick or diarreah enough????

OP posts:
Shenanagins · 08/06/2015 21:47

Omezoprole was the only thing that really helped although I di try baby massage and rotating his legs up in the air - sometimes it helped, sometimes not.

Manic3mum · 08/06/2015 21:47

Cranial osteopathy apparently - expensive but brings instant relief I am told.

Mrsjayy · 08/06/2015 21:49

Lovey it isnt you i know you are exhausted but dont ever think its you

ActiviaYoghurt · 08/06/2015 21:49

Infacol works very.

Please don't worry about being judged. Just post whatever you want, name change if you want to.