Rotavirus vaccine - 1 week on

[bluebury]

Has anyone else experienced a huge change in their LO with bowel movements and wind after the 8 week vaccines? How long did it last?

My DD had her vaccines a week ago, the first night after she screamed with wind pain for hours before finally doing a huge poo and falling asleep for a few hours. Ever since she's had terrible bottom wind and thicker poops that are much more regular. She's gone from around 2 a day to 5+ a day.

She's wriggling around as if she's uncomfortable, straining and doing farts, even in her sleep. Then after around an 30 minutes to an hour of this she gets really upset and I have to comfort her until she has a bowel movement or huge fart. I then get an hour maximum of her being alright before she's uncomfortable again. I contacted the doctor who said that it was probably the rotavirus vaccine as 'flatulence for sometime afterwards' was a side effect and it should pass.

I'm getting pretty much no sleep as I'm spending almost all night comforting her. Then even when she's does go down she's straining, whimpering and farting really loudly in her sleep.

We've tried Gripe Water, massage, warm baths and everything else. Sometimes they help her release but then it's an hour max before she's uncomfortable again.

She was such a happy baby before her vaccines, but now she just seems so uncomfortable and exhausted.

Is she breastfed or on formula?

@GenevaMaybe
She's breastfeed... and currently biting my nipples as she's trying to poo again 😬

It might be unrelated to the vaccine. Their digestive systems go through a lot of rapid development from birth to 12 weeks. Have you changed your own diet at all?
You can try baby probiotics (biogaia for example)

@GenevaMaybe
I was starting to think that because a week seems a long time for side effects to go on. But I've read a (very) few posts online where people are asking the same.

I can't think of anything I've changed in my diet. I'm stilling living off the same massive freezer stash from pre brith.

Only thing that did change was the morning of the vaccines I stopped giving her the Nystatin oral drops that she was on for thrush.

Haven't tried probiotics so I'll give them ago. Open to anything to try and get her back to her happy playful self.

My babe had terrible cramps for about a week after the rota virus... totally normal! Not only that, but we were told to change her diaper with gloves fir ten days - my husband didn't and also got terrible diarrhea lol ..! Hang in there mama, it'll be better soon!

Unfortunately it's now been almost 2weeks and she's not any better.

Saw a doctor and was completely dismissed. At wits end, it's starting to affect her feeding as she's so uncomfortable. 😞

What are her symptoms now?

My DD experienced the same. I declined the subsequent rotavirus doses. I considered the risk of DD getting it to be very low (and breastfeeding protective) and the reaction she had was awful.

I can see it has its place in third world countries where D&V is often fatal, but it seems like a very harsh thing to be giving in a country where D&V is quickly treatable. Im not sure if the benefit of the vaccination is more for our health system by reducing attendances at GP and A&E of anxious parents, rather than benefiting babies and children who (as long as not already vulnerable) can cope with a bout of D&V.

I hope she settles soon for you. Only other thing - are you sure it’s not reflux? Just the unsettled during feeds bit

My DD stomach was upset for a good 2 weeks after the first round of rotavirus. She was doing about 5 poo's a day and was just generally unsettled for that time. She has reflux and I've heard that the vaccine can upset that and now I'm dreading round 2 next week!

This vaccine wasn't available when I had my first. He was in and out if hospital with d&v for the first 18 months of f his life. Keeping him hydrated was almost impossible so I would say the vaccine definitely has a place.

My second had it and got her first tummy bug at 2 years old.

With my first, the diarrhoea would last up to 21 days. It was awful but small babies can take time to settle down.

How are her poos now and how often is she going?

Sorry it's been a long couple of days with very little sleep.

I don't think it's reflux cos she's happy to be put down after feeds, especially if she's managed to do a poop and clear her wind.

I started giving her probiotic drops on Monday. Her bowel movements have slowed down as of Tuesday but she still suffering from horrific wind which wakes her up every hour through the night.

I think I might just delay the second vaccine. It's just over a week away and I don't feel like she's fully recovered from the first one. I know there are risks associated with that but hopefully she has some level of coverage from the first vaccine plus from being breastfed. Will go in for all the other jabs and ask for an appointment to have the rotavirus in a couple of weeks.

I wouldn’t delay the second, because you’ll need to have the full course again, and rotavirus is much worse than the side effects.

It might not be wind waking her up, how do you know it is?

Had her weighed yesterday, in the 2 and a half weeks since the jabs she's dropped from 50th percentile to the 25th. Have to go back next week for weighing again. Finger courses it'll be back on track by then, but if not hopefully the lack of gain will make the doctor will take us seriously.

@TeddyIsaHe
I don't believe that is the case, the vaccines have to be at least 4 weeks apart, but can be up to 8 weeks apart. So I'd move it from 4 weeks apart to 6 weeks apart.

@GenevaMaybe
Mainly because she's straining and wriggling in her sleep while doing small farts. Then wakes up starts scream and only calms down once she's done a huge fart. Plus her stomach feels very bloated a lot of the time.

Mine isn’t as bad as yours, but having had the 8 week jabs a week ago (Friday), it took until Tuesday for dd to have a poo, and much farting/writhing/sudden screaming along the way. She has been getting better since, but the sudden screaming still erupts occasionally. I feel so sorry for her because previously her digestion was fine (unlike dd1, no reflux/colic). Will go ahead with course, but am surprised by how much of an impact it had - dd1 sailed through with no side effects. Sympathies, looks like you had a particularly rough time.

Also sorry to hear you had a rough time- had a quick look at the package insert and NHS website and she was very unlucky for side effects to go on for that long. Comparing it to rotavirus I'd rather go through a few days of that! Personally I'd also delay/ not have and look into more first. Best wishes

Poor DD and poor you!

My DD was hospitalised with rotavirus years ago, though. They dehydrate very quickly so it's worth completing the course.

Hi bluebury,
Can I ask how long your daughter had problems post vaccine and if you then had similar problems following the second dose?
My daughter had first jabs weds and has been having very similar symptoms to your dd since then. She had had similar symptoms to this previously (had about 2 and half weeks of the night time grunts, squirms, straining etc with only an hour or so of being settled) but this had been much better the last 10 days after starting treatment for? Reflux and cutting out dairy.
But now we appear to be back to square one 😬. And you're right, it's bloody exhausting as you don't get any sleep and feel bad for them too 😢. I'm hoping a few months down the line your little one is now well and thriving!

@bluebury How did it all turn out in the end?? I am dreading rotavirus vaccine tomorrow... my 8 week old already has loads of gas and is already experiencing what you describe and he hasn’t even had the vaccine yet! I’m really hoping he responds ok and it doesn’t affect him terribly.