Silent reflux - advice required!

[douglebatch]

Hi, I am a first time poster and relatively new mum and after scouring various websites I hoped to post my own queries and seek advice from other mums out there whose children have silent reflux.

My LO is only 6 weeks old, and 4 kg, and over the last 2 weeks has become progressively unhappy after each feed - approximately 60 minutes after each feed she becomes very distressed - crying at high pitch and excessively, arching her back, inconsolable and cannot be laid in her moses basket or flat as this exacerbates her discomfort. It's been agonising seeing her in such pain and we have both been in tears on many an occasion. We have tried positional supports in her pram and cot with limited effect. We have had to hold her bolt upright for hours on end and she has slept poorly or not at all on some days.

I had thought that maybe I had a more than usual fussy baby, and my GP was dismissive that she had reflux until I took her to the children's A&E after a particularly distressing afternoon. She was prescribed infant gaviscon which had no effect other than making her extremely constipated (creating it's own raft of painful symptoms for baby), and then ranitidine. After the latter we had 3 days of a changed baby - happy and smiling, sleeping soundly and for prolonged periods. Within a matter of days the previous symptoms returned and I am in tears as I type as she has not stopped screaming all day, except when she feeds (frequently, which appears the only means of comfort for her). I have seen a paediatrician yesterday who has confirmed her diagnosis and prescribed domperidone as well as the ranitidine (0.5mls TDS) . After one day's treatment she now appears to be bringing up her feed more readily (which wasn't a problem prior to the domperidone), and has been extremely distressed. I've been advised to try this regime for 2 weeks to see what the effect is, but I have to say this seems an interminable wait.....

I don't know how long it would take for this combination of treatment to take effect, but in the interim I am really finding her upset and constant cries really distressing and challenging, and would love some advice from fellow parents or carers re: their experiences with this medication regime. Many thanks ++++

Baby Reflux sell the Tummy With Mummy which can certainly aid with the symptoms described. They have them in Addenbrooks Hospital in Cambridge where it helped our dd enormously. Hope that helps. Poor lamb.

Is she bottle fed formula?? If so you need to discount cow's milk protein intolerance, which is relatively common. Suspect this if mucus in nappies, curdled vomit several hours after a feed or any eczema type symptoms.

There are specialist prescription formulas available from your GP if they agree to a trial.

:( :( :( poor you -it's hard going with a refluxy one.

Ah bless you, I have been were you are and I know how hard it is :(
I would really recommend trying to get them to prescribe omeprazole, much better than the ranitidine. We tried every single drug combination going and finally settled on lanzoprazole and while it eased his distress slightly nothing truly worked except time... A lot of it! That's probably not what you want to hear but tends to be the reality of reflux. Try and make sure you get to see a gastro paed they know much more than a regular paed about all this, otherwise you may find your treatment options limited. And if you aren't happy keep going back and back Untill you find something that works.. Don't let them fob you off

I know this is a lil late buuuut I've experienced all this before!
( still am!)
Ask for omeperzole. Try for the suspension- it's expensive but worth it.
Keep her elevated for as long as you can after feeds. Baby slings/ carriers are great.
Try milk and soya free diet- special milks available from gp.
Ask for a referral to gastric paediatrician.

:)
My experience comes from my own ds.
He's 21 months old.
Suffered from reflux since birth.
Dont let gp fob u off please!!!
That's what has happened with us!
Ds was really bad. Hes still not grown out of it- which I think 95% of kids do.
Ds has now got peg feeding tube due to food aversion caused by reflux. He's still got the stupid reflux too!
He's having gastric emptying scan plus his gastric consultant wants the reflux correcting surgery too.
He hardly eats orally. Or drinks.
If you can afford private google dr mike Thomson gastric paed.
He is brilliant and charges £250 for initial consultation.

Don't force feeding but encourage it. Little and often is the key.

I'm here If u need me x

Dr Thomson does nhs too. Ask your gp to refer to Sheffield children's hospital to dr mike Thomson.
We drive 2 hours to see him!

I really feel for you. We were in an identical situation. My now nine-month-old suffered awful silent reflux for the first six months of his life. He would wake five or six times a night with a high-pitched shriek and practically lived in a sling during the daytime. As fazsaeed said, it's often a case of time being the greatest healer. He slept in his pram at an angle overnight, and I cut out dairy and soy, which seemed to alleviate the symptoms a little.

As for you and your partner, seek out as much support as possible. You need to take breaks and do something for yourself once a week, even if that's a long nap on a Saturday. Are you near family?

Could it be colic rather than reflux? The symptoms you described in your post sound like possible really bad colic and that may be why the reflux mess aren't helping. Just a thought. Have you thought about cranial osteopathy? Sorry I'm not really being much help. I really hope you find a solution for your LO

Meds not mess