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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Reflux? Colic? Please help as my doctor is useless

24 replies

roslily · 29/10/2009 09:43

Sorry, this might be long but I am getting desperate.

My ds is 7 weeks old. Since 2 weeks he has been being sick. Not just after a feed, sometimes a couple o hours after. He also screams for much of the day, arches his back, red face- seems in real pain.

he was breastfed for 5 weeks, but for various reasons I stopped. He has gaviscon, but it doesn't really make much difference. He is less sick, but still arches back and seems in pain.

Doctor says there is nothing else he can do, I just have to wait for him to grow out of it as he is gaining weight. He eats loads as he keeps being so sick that he is hungry again an hour later. I try dummy, water etc but he is hungry.

I am not are how much more screaming I can take. Anyone got any suggestions? We have tried infacol, Dentinox and cranial osteopathy.

OP posts:

olivo · 29/10/2009 09:54

hi again roslily. sorry to hear ds is still so uncomfortable. my dr was similar - he said if gaviscon wasdn't working, there wasn't anything else to give dd. i requested ranitidine or domperidone and he looked things up and gave me domperidone. i had to be quite assertive - as you know from my thread, i was at my wits end. she is much more calm and much less sick
can you go to another dr at the same practice and stand your ground?

Stigaloid · 29/10/2009 10:07

My son was the same and had a milk allergy and had to be prescribed Neocate - does your son have eczema or acid smelling poos?

Original poster

roslily · 29/10/2009 10:13

He does have ezcema and a constant snotty nose. He suffers a lot from nappy rash and has a kind of burn on his bum.

I think I will go and see another doctor.

Would it be worth me trying Lactose free or soya formula?

OP posts:

Stigaloid · 29/10/2009 10:24

Definitely go and see the Dr. We saw a consultant at the hopsital for the same reason and the burns on DS's bum were where the acid in his poo was burning his skin. He arched his back alot and even in sleep was spasming. Lactose was not the problem, protein was. Protein in Milk and Soya so Neocate was prescribed as the protein is in the milk but already broken down so the body doesn't have to do it. Push for Neocate not Nutramigen as the protein isn't broken down properly in that.

I was reluctant to give up breast feeding but the protein in my milk was causing him so much pain. Nutramingen didn't help but once on Neocate he was like a different baby - i could finally hold and cuddle him without his tummy causing him huget upset.

he did continue to have reflux for about a year and it took till 15 months for him to outgrow his allergy but now can eat all dairy and soya.

Good luck.

Discodolly100 · 30/10/2009 11:35

My son suffered too so I appreciate how you feel - SO difficult. We were never given any medication for it, but the thing we always did which helped was to keep him upright after a feed for at least an hour. You can get special wedges, or we just used a V shaped pillow (under supervision of course because of cot death risks). The worst thing for him was being put down flat. You have to do it for at as long as poss - at least half an hour while he digests the feed. This made night time breastfeeds VERY tedious as I would have to wait to put him back in his cot, but it did help him. We also put two of the cot feet up on blocks to raise the angle further. We tried having him sleep in his bouncer too I think but ours wasnt at the right angle. He did grow out of it by about 4 months though so hang in there. My daughter DIDNT have reflux and I cannot believe how much easier it is having a baby WITHOUT reflux. it really is tough and people who havent experienced it really have no idea! I sympathise.

Longtalljosie · 30/10/2009 11:50

My DD has reflux and I'd bet your DS does too. That's nonsense from your doctor about not being able to do anything...

As Olivo says, the next step is either Ranitidine or Domperidone. Is it essential you see the same GP again, or can you make an appointment with another one?

Original poster

roslily · 30/10/2009 19:27

Going to see different gp on monday and mention the different medications. He sleeps pretty well at night (2-3 hours) but not during day and often wakes up screaming. He will only tolerate being on my shoulder after feeds, so stays there for ages.

Thanks for support. The other issue is not knowing how much he is eating, as he will eat 4oz then be sick so much, then be hungry quite soon.

OP posts:

posieparker · 30/10/2009 19:30

Sounds like reflux to me, rantitide or something was what we had....

go back again and again, read up all you can and educate your DR.

posieparker · 30/10/2009 19:30

My ds was bf and fed every hour for 6 months because he was so sick.

Reallytired · 30/10/2009 19:36

Surely this is something for your health visitor rather than a GP.

Life with a newborn is often vile and health visitors have more practical suggestions on surving colic/ reflux.

Longtalljosie · 30/10/2009 20:34

I'd argue reflux is a job for a GP - that was certainly where my health visitor sent me, anyway...

alypaly · 30/10/2009 20:41

roslily....sounds as if he may have thrush on his bum if you say it looks burnt. Thrush or an ammonia nappy rash looks like a burn..or scalded skin.

alypaly · 30/10/2009 20:43

does his sick come out like a hosepipe spraying....sorry TMI

Original poster

roslily · 30/10/2009 21:13

Sometimes it shoots out, sometimes it runs down his mouth. Sometimes it is like cottage cheese, sometimes milk, more recently watery almost clear.

OP posts:

jellybeans · 30/10/2009 21:25

My DS has reflux, he is 11.5 months, it started about 2 weeks old with constant irritability/screaming, back arching, being sick, choking, coughing, gulping, violent hiccups. He didn't sleep more than 20 mins at a time. He stopped breathing due to the choking and so was diagnosed in hospital and given acid suppressants and motility drugs. They helped with the irritability by about 40% but the reflux is still with us so we are hoping he will grow out of it soon. It sounds like reflux (could be allergy) to me, I recommend a great book 'colic solved' from amazon, i still refer to it, covers everything and advises what to do/meds etc as well as the causes of reflux.

alypaly · 30/10/2009 21:56

if it shoots out like a hose the doc needs to have him checked for pyloric stenosis. My DS1 had it and it was awful. Its more common in little boys too

trixymalixy · 30/10/2009 22:10

Your GP sounds like mine after gaviscon was doing nothing for my DS. "I'm sorry Mrs H, but as far as i am cconcerned your DS is gaining weight and the screaming is a minor inconvenience that he will grow out of."

Go and see a different GP as others have said there are other medications to try.

It turns out DS has many allergies ncluding dairy, soya and egg and once I cut them out of my diet he was fine.

imoscarsmum · 30/10/2009 22:14

No experience myself but friend of mine had very similar problems with her DS. He ended up being on prescription formula for 12 months - he was like a different baby within days.
There is help out there - please see your GP again and push for it or ask to see a different GP.

Longtalljosie · 31/10/2009 06:15

"I'm sorry Mrs H, but as far as i am cconcerned your DS is gaining weight and the screaming is a minor inconvenience that he will grow out of."

WTF is wrong with these people? Just because a baby can't articulate that it's in pain, s/he should have to put up with it? You'd never say that to an adult!

Original poster

roslily · 04/11/2009 13:17

Been to see different doctor. Been told to reduce amount of gaviscon, won't give us anything else.

Also given us colief. dismissed idea that he might be dairy/Lactose intolerant.

He screamed for 5 hours this morning from 5am. I feel wretched.

OP posts:

PoppyIsApain · 04/11/2009 13:23

Should you ask for a second opinion, please dont give up, has your baby lost weight at all?

olivo · 04/11/2009 13:38

can you speak to your HV and ask if she can refer you to someone? it really can make a huge difference if you can get a treatment that suits your baby. definitely try to get a second opinion.

CantSleepWontSleep · 04/11/2009 15:06

Get to a pharmacy and ask them to order for you (if they don't have in stock already) nutramigen 1 formula. It's more expensive than normal stuff (maybe £18 a tin), but just get enough for 2 or 3 weeks. If he is better after this time (should see a diff by end of 2 weeks if he's milk intolerant) then go back to your gp and tell him, and INSIST on a repeat prescription for the nutramigen, and a referral to a paed.

Original poster

roslily · 04/11/2009 16:39

Thanks. I went to the baby clinic and cried on my HV. She is brilliant. She is going to come to see me tomorrow and we can have a long chat about it.

I think I will ask the pharmacy to order some.

I am also going to see my doctor for my anti-depressants so going to talk to her about it. I hope she is more sympathetic.

OP posts:

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