Help with possible reflux for 7wo dd

[HopelesslyHopeful87]

DD is 7 weeks old.

We've had a nightmare of a time in these first early weeks. I have posted before and got good advice at the time but now we think she has reflux and I'd like some further help.

She started on aptamil first milk. By age 6 days she was constipated and having pains and was generally unhappy. We persevered but by 2 weeks old the hv advised comfort milk. The comfort milk made her ten times worse and she was screaming in pain every time she passed wind. She was prescribed lactulose.

Hv then advised moving to cow and gate. We did and used first milk. This had no improvement. Gp prescribed colief. This helped her symptoms but she had an allergic reaction to it and we were advised to stop it. Hv then advised cow and gate comfort. Initially this helped for about three days but then she was back to screaming all day and all night and in pain.

Then she developed a new symptom and started vomiting clear fluid. It would fountain out of her effortlessly. She was coughing a lot, grunting, squirming, thrashing around.

I then found out that aptamil and cow and gate are exactly the same and we'd essentially done the same thing twice with the milks. After advice here I moved her to hipp organic.

Gp prescribed gaviscon as the new symptoms sounded like reflux. Gaviscon instantly stopped the vomiting and she's generally more settled. She was prescribed 2 sachets per feed as she's over 10lb but this made her very constipated and this was an issue already so we use just one sachet in most feeds but two at the bedtime bottle. However, she is still grunting and writhing around.

Is there anything else I can do? Do I need to be asking for ranitidine? Or should I carry on with the hipp organic, gaviscon and lactulose?

I wonder if it's just your gp? My baby was prescribed it when he was a newborn.

It's definitely liscensed. I think you've possibly been fobbed off OP. I'd see a different gp.

I'm waiting for a call back from a senior gp to discuss. Not impressed tbh

It's a no. Not prepared to prescribe anything else. Keep on with gaviscon.

Screenshot from the bnf for children. I know I've been fobbed off. Link attached. Where do I go from here?

bnfc.nice.org.uk/drug/ranitidine.html#indicationsAndDoses

Partner took the call as I was otherwise engaged so I have just called back myself and passed on a message back to the Dr that it is in fact licensed and these are the doses and I won't be fobbed off. I stated I appreciate that they are the trained professionals but they aren't the one with a baby screaming in pain.

The Dr's original message to me stated that nothing else can be given, it's normal to have reflux and that the gaviscon will help the discomfort. I stated it may well be settling the vomit but it is categorically not improving the discomfort. I know when my baby is in pain and I want a 2nd opinion.

I have an appt with a different gp on Thurs for her 8 week check so if I don't get any joy by then I will show them the link and the screen shot and I may end up quite rude.

There a mussel that prevent the acid rising - this is open in babies that suffer reflux - it closes naturally when they hit 6 months and sitting up more

So every time you lie the baby flat the acid rises

The only way to prevent this is to keep head above stomach at ALL times, nappies changes, sleep, playtime etc

Ask your surgery for their complaints procedure and go from there. So sorry OP this is not what you need when you have a screaming baby. Reflux is not normal and if gaviscon isn't working another medicine is needed. In mean time try have crib on slight tilt. It's awful seeing your baby in pain and some doctors don't take it seriously and call everything colic; it's appalling.

It's okay for them as they're not he one with a screaming baby in pain all night and day. Can you imagine them doing this to an adult? They wouldn't. They overlook babies when it comes to this issue. My gp gavee ranitidine easier than this but I had to jump through a few hoops and waste time with useless gaviscon that did nothing .

the

That's exactly what I said. It's not them living it is it?!

I have a hiatus hernia and if I don't have my meds I feel dreadful. And the heartburn during pregnancy was so bad I was on ranitidine. Can't imagine them not helping me with that.

Keep at them OP, you'll get a result in the end. So sorry for you and hope your little one is okay

Hi OP I have been where you are and always feel compelled to try and help someone going through it. It's awful. A nightmare. My DD is 4 now and reflux may be far behind us but we have a constipation issue now!

Please believe me, the GP is not authorised to prescribe the meds your baby needs and you need a paediatrician. At 4 weeks my daughters reflux was so bad she stopped breathing. We went to a children's hospital a&e. We stayed over night for observation. We tried ranitidine for a month but it was crap and too weight sensitive. They then gave us omeprazole and what a difference!

My DD tried every milk even prescribed expensive stuff and always ended up with side effects like bad constipation and rashes. You need a paediatrician xx

Your GP is talking out of his/her arse. Ranitidine is routinely prescribed - by GPs, rather than paediatricians - up and down the country, for infants who are distressed by reflux, every day of the week.

If they are refusing to treat your child to alleviate their distress, then they can jolly well refer you to a paediatrician on an urgent basis.

I would be tempted to complain, and suggest they need some urgent CPD to ensure they are fully up to speed with current practice. Beggars belief they would leave your poor child like that. I bet they're one of those 'all babies cry' merchants, who think all mums are paranoid thickos.

So on your behalf, OP.

ShovingLeopard Completely agree...

They never called back again and are now closed. I thought they closed at 6.30 so tried to call to get an update before close of play bur apparently it's 6.

I would ring them first thing and ask to speak to practice manager and to find out what's going on. Could you see another doctor in the mean time?

A GP can prescribe it and you don't need a pediatrician. It was a GP that's prescribed it for ds this year.

Sorry I mean last year! Keep forgetting we're in Jan!

It will have to be Monday. I'll find out if she has responded to me and if not demand to be seen by an actual gp this time. As I said up thread, I do have an appointment already booked with an actual gp on Thursday for her 8 week check and imms.

Thank you all for your advice so far. I'm so annoyed. The good thing is that upping the lactulose to 5ml and the change in milk has eased the bowel side. She's pooed three times today. She's never done that.

I’m going to go against the grain here. I have three kids, one of whom had reflux. Nothing really helped, not even ranitidine.
I’m going to go against the grain by saying that it is completely normal for babies this age to be up all night, to struggle with wind and cry over getting it up/out and to feel uncomfortable. Winding them for what feels like hours is completely normal. This should all be gone by the time your baby is six months.
By all means try ranitidine but please do bear in mind that discomfort/thrashing/needing a lot of winding is normal in babies

Ranitidine certainly does help with vomiting, as that was my DS's main symptom (he didn't have as much discomfort as your poor lo but he was an absolute puke factory). Within two hours of ranitidine being prescribed the puking had settled down. Any time we missed a dose I would end up covered head to toe in vom - so that didn't happen very often!

I completely sympathise with your shitty situation. I remember well lying awake at night listening to my tiny baby choke and gag, crying my eyes out because I was so scared and didn't know how to help him.

Your baby is very lucky to have a mum who has done her research and will not be fobbed off. In a few months this will all seem like a distant memory. You're doing the right thing.

With regards to dosages, my son was on the lowest dose and we only actually changed that once as I felt it was losing effectiveness.

Leaving the Ranitidine to one side for the moment, I’m shocked they have prescribed Gaviscon to a baby already on constipation meds. The first port of call is supposed to be Carobel www.amazon.co.uk/COW-GATE-INSTANT-CAROBEL-135G/dp/B00ARV1LIW?tag=mumsnetforum-21 and I see SO many horribly constipated babies on Gaviscon with very little benefit (although of course it works for some). However if you’ve tried Comfort milks then carobel probably won’t crack it either.

As for them saying Ranitidine isn’t allowed

It was when she was on the cow and gate comfort that the bad vomiting started with the clear liquid fountains coming out of her. Is carobel just a thickener?

It isn't just the wind and thrashing around that's the ptoblem, it's the very obvious acid hurting her. I am aware that wind is normal. This is my 3rd dc. I know what's normal and what isn't.