Silent reflux in baby

[PL2021]

Hey all, wondering if anyone can help a very stressed mama. My 11 week old DS was breastfed until 8 weeks when we decided to switch to formula for my mental health. The first week or so everything was fine, but gradually he seems to be starting to become a little unsettled after feeds and in the last week has started to refuse his bottles after taking just a small amount. He has started drooling loads and constantly rubbing his face and nose and sucking his hands constantly, aswell as licking his lips a lot and rolling his tongue and being really unsettled at night, and we were starting to wonder if it is early teething but he has been refusing his bottles for over a week now and he used to be such a hungry baby.
He doesn't cry a lot or anything like that after or during feed, he just seems fussy and whingy and not happy. When placing him on my shoulder he will stiffen his body and cry a little until I take him down. He is also super windy, burping for what can be hours after a feed even though I burp him really well during and after a feed. We have also noticed him swallowing quite a lot when sleeping, aswell as having quite raspy noisy breathing after a bottle. We are wondering if it is silent reflux causing the issue. I have been to the GP today who has prescribed Aptamil Pepti 1 to try incase of CMPA but I am not entirely convinced it is this as he doesnt really show any other symptoms. And I am reluctant to try it because I have seen so many reviews saying it is super thin and makes reflux worse.
He is currently on Hipp organic formula. Is it worth trying a thickener in it or is there another formula I could try that might help?
Please could people give me their thoughts. I spend most my days crying with the stress at the moment and I am severely lacking in sleep. I just dont know what to try

My baby had silent reflux (many years ago) and it does sound similar, although she was in a lot of pain with it. Medicine like infant gaviscon was instantly effective, as well as prescribed antacids such as omeprazole. You could buy infant gaviscon at chemists but only for babies over 1 year old, otherwise it needed a prescription. Could you ask for a second opinion at your doctors?

@MakeItRainthank you, yes I think I may have to ask for a second opinion

You say you don’t think it’s CMPA @PL2021, can I ask what makes you think that it’s not?

It is a long time ago but Ds had silent reflux, so he would only take some of a bottle before refusing the rest, arching his back and crying in pain, a definite different cry to his hungry cries. This happened from around 10 weeks. Before that he was a very happy, settled baby. He also sicked up a lot and I knew it wasn't from over feeding on the bottle as he hardly had any. My HV was useless because as far as she was concerned he was gaining weight, but only because I was having to feed him every couple of hours just to get enough milk into him. He was my second child.

We filmed him, this is the best thing you can do so you can show a GP or if he gets referred, a consultant exactly what he does when feeding. We took him to the GP and he prescribed gaviscon.

This didn't work so we were referred to a paediatrician and we were seen within 2 weeks. We laid Ds down and it was about 2 hours after his last feed and he leaked clear fluid with white flecks in out of his mouth which confirmed he had silent reflux. The paediatrician said he preferred to start them on an anti reflux formula before going down the medication route. We had that on prescription until he was over 1 and it worked. This was in conjunction with, a propped cot (on something designed for reflux) he had nappy changes in a propped position, he was hardly ever laid flat. He also slept upright on me during the day.

So film it, edit stuff down to shorter clips to show how it starts and how he changes, then book in to the GP.

@ExplodingSmittenshe just doesn't really show any other symptoms of it. He doesn't have eczema or any skin reactions, his stools are normal with no signs of mucus or blood. He has been gaining weight really well too. We have used the new Aptamil Pepti 1 for the last few feeds and his reflux was so much worse during and after the bottles and he was even more unsettled. I have read about a thickener likely being needed but my GP refused to put one up until we tried without it first so I am really unsure what to do going forward for his feeds over the weekend

I think you may be confusing the two types of CMPA allergy here OP. She doesn’t need Eczema or blood to have CMPA. I have it and have neither of those symptoms.

Have a read of this from allergy UK

@ElixirMakerthank you, I will start taking some videos of him. Was it a hypoallergenic formula you were given or just an anti reflux one?

It was only available through pharmacies as it was 20 years ago and I had to order it in, they didn't stock it. Now you can buy it in the supermarket. It was Aptamil AR now just called Aptamil anti reflux.

It was that thickened formula and the upright positions that helped my son. Hopefully you can get help for your son too. The hardest part is trialing new formula for a while to see if that works.

@ElixirMakerthank you so much, yeah the trialling is definitely the hardest part