Similac Alimentum feeding and vomiting issues. PLEASE HELP?!

[Taylorsej17]

Hi, I'm pretty new to posting but I could really do with some advise, information or just anyone who has had a similar experience and can offer any help.

So from about 2 weeks old we've been back and forth to the Dr's with our little girl. At first it was just a rough case of colic, try infacol/anti colic bottles if you want but she'll just grow out of it. Fine, okay we can deal with that.
We were on Cow & Gate stage 1 regular formula at first and at 3 weeks old were told she had reflux as well as the colic, which I suspected (dd1 had reflux... Similar symptoms here but much worse) we were given gaviscon and sent on out way.
Gaviscon did absolutely nothing except for make her sick lumpy (whereas gaviscon helped dd1 immeasurably and almost immediately) so we went back to the GP. Try comfort milk they suggested. We did, she vomited more than ever, so back again... This time we were told to try anti reflux (stay down) formula -whenever we tried a medicated formula we stuck to cow and gate- day 1 and 2 of the Anti-reflux milk, Anti colic bottles and infacol combo went great. Then she was back to vomiting after every feed - not possetting, she's my 4th baby, I knew the sick wasn't normal- so back to the GP again (all this in the space of about 3 weeks) now my ds2 was lactose intolerant and given everything we had tried and the fact dd2 was still throwing up loads constantly I was beginning to suspect similar.
Our GP referred us to Paeds. During the wait for paeds appointment we kept her on anti reflux milk but 3 times during the wait she threw up, except didn't spit it out, tried to swallow it back, choked on her sick and almost stopped breathing. (one morning I left her in her crib and went to make a bottle and came back to find her with sick pouring from her nose, choking and barely breathing and had to stick my fingers down her throat to clear her)
Anyway, this morning was our paeds appointment. The paediatrician suspects Cows milk protein allergy and has prescribed similac Alimentum so far today she has had 3 bottles of this (although has gone from her 6oz of the anti reflux milk to only 3oz of the similac) she is incredibly unsettled and throwing up more than she was on the anti reflux milk (in fact probably more than she ever has) is this normal? Is it because it's a new formula and different brand, is it because her body is getting rid of all the previous cows milk formula? How long do I persevere with her like this before going back to the GP? Is this to be expected?

Edit: I've not left her on her own anywhere since the choking incident, I felt terrible and I'm now petrified to even lay her down and she comes everywhere with me constantly.

Also any help, advise, just reassurance that this will get better. Anything. Would be much appreciated!

Edit 2: I think I initially posted this in the wrong section as I posted in Allergies etc. Hoping I've found the right place now!

Edit 3: So she's been on the Similac over 24 hours now. She's still vomiting large amounts, it's quite mucousy sick almost stringy (she does have a cold) but she's still doing her choking 'trick' she's still taking 3oz rather than 6oz and she seems to be going longer between feeds. Now she does seem a little more settled/cheerful within herself at times, but then goes back to being a screeching nightmare.
She's thrown up that much I've run out of clean tops, she's pooped a strange mixture of her usual yellowy poop mixed with a dark green sludge/slime delight, had a bath which she screamed through (she's just stopped screaming through bathtime) had a feed and vomited some up in a snotty mess and shes been asleep for 2.5 hours (gone 3.5 hours between feeds, usually does 3) it took an hour to stop her throwing up and get her to sleep.

Is this all normal from changing formula? Am I expecting to see results too quickly? How long do I leave her like this.. I'm worried she's not feeding enough and worried she's going to drop weight, I'm worried she's going to choke again, I'm just really really worried. Am I worrying over nothing? Is she just getting used to another new formula? Clearing her little system so that the hypoallergenic milk settles her? When ds2 went on lactose free milk it was an almost instant result and within 48 hours he was a different baby.... Am I expecting too much?

I feel for you, my DD has CMPA, and the early days were a nightmare. She has never been on Similac, she was on Nutramigen and then Alfamino, however, we never had symptoms like you describe when changing over. At no point did her symptoms worsen, it was just a case of time until they subsided. Is there a possibility there is an ingredient in the Similac, that wasn't in the previous milks, that she is reacting to? It's possible that she has more than one allergy/intolerance.

I'be just had a look at the ingredients for Similac and can see it has milk protein in it. It is broken down, but some babies will still react and need a completely dairy-free formula. I'm also scratching my head as to why this has been prescribed for an infant with suspected CMPA/I, as it contains soya. Standard advice is for CMPA children to also avoid soya, as if they are allergic to one they will very often be allergic to the other....

So really we need a trip back to paeds? The consultant we saw was convinced this would be the right milk for her and said we should expect her to take a week or so to 'settle' onto the milk but I can't take a week of this.
Her symptoms were genuinely better managed on the Anti reflux milk. Even tho it didn't stop her vomiting she wasn't anywhere near as sick as she is being now and she settled much quicker and fed better. I've been debating whether or not to just put her back on it, but then I know the paediatrician wouldn't have prescribed different milk etc if it wasn't needed, but by the sounds of it this could still be the wrong milk for her?

This sound awful, poor you. My gut feel would be that ‘settling’ onto the milk would be a slow reduction in her symptoms, rather than instantly fine. If she is worse, I would take her right back to the paed. You cant muck about for ages with little babies and vomiting. Keep an eye on her hydration if she is vomiting so much. Just out of interest, have you tried a little cool boiled water? If she vomits after that, maybe its not the formula, but something with the swallowing...

Her nappies aren't as wet either. Before we started the Similac we had to change before feeds and halfway between, she's now going from feed to feed and the nappy still isn't full. I'm just really not happy with how she is, I know a milk changeover will take some time for her body to adjust to but this is hellish, I feel like I should have just kept her on then anti reflux milk and she'd be okay. She seems worse than ever before and now I feel guilty and feel awful for her because I feel like I can't do anything.
I think I'm going to go back to the GP Monday and ask for them to get in touch with paeds as they said they won't see her now for 3 months. I just don't know what to do for my little girl.

Is she being medicated for the reflux symptoms ie. Ranitidine or omeprazole? That would help to take away some of the pain from vomiting/refluxing, helping her to settle faster.

Mucousy vomit sounds like an allergic reaction, based on my own experience of accidentally ingesting my anaphalaxis allergen. I'd be asking for a referral to an allergist to work out how allergic your child is and how to help her best.

SeaToSki we've tried water yes and she still chokes in that. The paediatrician has said she won't see us now for 3 months and in the meantime to go back to the GP if we have any problems.
She did say 'IF' the milk change doesn't work then maybe we go back to regular formula and try a different reflux medication but dd is only 8 weeks old tomorrow, there seems to be an awful lot of ifs and buts and trial and error going on when she's just so young

No she's not on anything now for the reflux symptoms but paediatrician did say if reflux symptoms worsen or 'come back' as it were to go back to gp and they will prescribe reflux medication

I added a gaviscon to her bottle she's just had, just to see if she keeps it down any better. I just don't know what else to do other than keep going back to Gp and keep trying with her but it's really hard. It's hard to know we're doing the right thing, especially when her symptoms seem worse than before and she's taking less feed and going longer. I feel like she's not getting enough, but if she wanted more she'd take it or wake sooner surely?

She went 6 hours between feeds, had 3oz at the 8pm feed, woke at 2am and has taken 4oz (with added gaviscon) so far no sick

Nope she was still sick, even with the gaviscon in the bottle. Not as much but still sick.
Is it possible the paediatrician has said CMPA but in reality dd could just have severe reflux?

Oh my word, my heart goes out too you. My youngest was very poorly with, as it turned out, silent reflux. Her symptoms were very different as she she didn't tend to be sick just refused to feed for hours on end. The awful cycle of GP, peads referrals etc is so difficult. She also stopped breathing, she didn't choke but apparently the acid produced when a baby has silent reflux can cause it. I was an absolute wreck and 19 months later still haven't really got over it so I really do sympathise. Her older sister has a CMPA so she was first treated for this and put on Aptimil Pepti, this was what her sister was on (my 2 are very close in age so were both on formula at the same time) it made no difference, what actually ended up helping was getting her reflux medication right. She was eventually put on ranitidine which made all the difference in the world. She grew out of needing it by the time she was about 1. Sorry, long post but I really wanted to send you sympathy and also to say it might just be reflux related and not linked to any allergies. The person I found most helpful was my older daughters allergy consultant, does your son see anyone regularly? They are much less likely to just jump to conclusion that because you have one child with an allergy you must have another. Hope that all makes sense, it's very early in the morning, and I really hope you get you daughter settled soon.

Vomiting is an allergic reaction.

Didn't want to read and run as we have been in a similar position as my ds had silent reflux as a result of cmpa and was prescribed similac alimentum too.

Apologies if you are already doing this but are you gradually transitioning on to it, so mixing maybe one oz in to existing milk per feed for a couple of feeds then upping proportions over a few days?

The reason I ask is that when we first changed on to it I was so desperate for a quick answer that I just changed all at once and ds was violently sick after every feed. I stopped it and did the gradual introduction and then the sickness did stop and he settled well on it.

As a pp said it may be that you need a totally dairy free formula but I thought the above was worth mentioning. Good luck!

Nicae no she does see anyone regularly other than baby clinic each week and the GP because we're there so often! The paediatrician said that if the milk didn't help then she would ask for the GP to prescribe ranitidine and we could go back to regular formula as it's unlikely to be an allergy if she's not settling on the milk? I think I'll just head back to the Dr's on Monday.
Hoviscats no I've done exactly what you did at first, I'm that desperate for her to be better I've just stopped her old milk and put her straight on to the Similac and she is sick after every feed again. Horrendously as well, not just like a bit of sick. I'm wondering if today I should try as you've suggested before I do go rushing back to the GP.
She's just so uncomfortable again and so unsettled, it's really difficult to see and to know what to do!
Thank you all so very much for sharing with me and giving me a lot to think about. It's been awful not knowing what's wrong or what to do

Hi
I know this is an old post but I could have written it myself... 24 hours into similac and we’ve have constant vomiting, nappies a lot less wet and she’s just not happy again. Not sleeping.
Did you ever get to the bottom of it? Did you sick with similac?

What was the outcome to this post? I understand it old , but my LO just changed to similac & is projectile vomiting I have reduced the feed but will be feeding more often to try & ease her in! I wonder whether it’s due to the former milk coming out of her system! Any ideas are welcomed?

Hi,
We changed again to Neocate. No soy and no protein (Similac still has both just more broken down) this helped a lot. But we are now on reflux meds too - finally getting better!

Help! We are having the same issues reflux with random "episodes" of projectile vomit followed by choking on thick mucus and baby doesn't now and has not had a cold! Did the neonate clear up the choking episodes and mucus for your LO?

My LO settled on similac after a few days, I gave her smaller feeds more often to get it into her system! Few days after she was prescribed ranitadine for her silent reflux & I have a happy baby ! Finally, it took long enough. I have been advised that if at any point similac stops working she will change to neocate, but so far so good! Hope it works out for you xx

Hey sorry all for such a late response I've had no notifications? And to be honest totally forgot about this and I've only just come back on to mumsnet!

So we went back to the Gp and we're advised to stick it out another week whilst they referred us back to paeds.
I did not.
I put Dd2 back onto Cow & Gate anti Reflux formula no gaviscon, no medication etc
Instantly she went back to taking more feed, being more settled and vomiting less.
She's been on the Anti reflux formula since then and is now 11 months old (over the last month she's come off anti reflux and on to follow on formula as she's basically fully weaned now except for her morning and bedtime bottles)
She is still sick, she always has been, just nothing compared to what she was on the Similac.
She's not been in any discomfort or had any more choking episodes either so massive bonus there.
Basically, I've no advice to offer anyone other than stick with your instincts, you know your baby better than anyone and if something doesn't feel right it probably isn't. Also Cow & Gate anti Reflux formula altho it may not be 'medicated' as such and just another version of the basic formula with a thickener added, has worked wonders for us in the long run. I think I was expecting miracles at first and for her to just stop throwing up completely. Once we stuck with it she got a lot better.

Not directly relevant to all the unhappy babies in the feed discomfort / reflux / CMPA constellation but had to comment after reading the original post.

If a child is choking please don't EVER stick you fingers down their throat! Look up info on Basic Life Support for Children to find out about back slaps and abdominal thrusts.