Toddler with trapped wind at night

[Tellytub]

Hi, I am new to mumsnet. I have a ds 18 months, who has suffered terrible tummy pain and trapped wind since birth, being unable to sleep for any length of time at night. He has seen so many docs but we are told that he will most likely grow out of it. We have had trials avoiding all sorts of foods but it seems that all food upsets him. I am constantly searching the internet on information on toddlers with abdominal pain and trapped wind and came across a message on mumsnet from Fimbles who has dd, same age as my ds, with near exact symptoms. Alas the message was posted at the end of 2003. I am desperate to find out if fimbles found a cure for her dd but unable to contact her by CAT messaging. If anyone knows or is in contact with fimbles I would be most grateful if you would let her know of my message. If anyone else has any advice to offer please help. My son has recently been started on Lactulose 10 ml twice daily and Senna 10 ml at night. Initially he passed a lot of wind and slept pain-free for 5 nights but his symptoms recurred and he has been in agony again for 2 weeks. There is also a question of silent reflux and he has been on Ranitidine syrup for quite a while but again we are not really sure if this helps. He also now seems to be in pain, holding his bottom, when passing stools which is maybe once or twice a day.

no advice, sorry but bumping for you

I dont have any advice I'm afraid, but I did a quick search for you and no-one has posted under the name 'fimbles' for a few years. She may have namechanged though. You might want to start a thread namechecking 'Fimbles' in the title to see if it catches her, or anyone who knows her, attention.

Hi, I'm also new to Mumsnet and found your message surfing for a magic answer to my son's nightly trapped wind. He's now 2yrs and 3 months old and has been the same since birth (also had colic and gastric reflux til c8months). We've also been given Lactulose which seems to help with his constipation and told he'll 'grow out of it' which I find quite annoying - is he just to suffer every night until then??? Anyway, I'm afraid I have no magic answers but thought it may help to know there's someone else also searching for the same answer - if i discover anything, I'll post it on here and please ask that you do the same. Many thanks and crossed fingers

Hi, I'm also new to mumsnet. Unfortunately I have no solution to this problem. My dd also suffers from bad wind,and seems to be only at night. She is now 15 mths and has had this problem since birth. She trashes around at night something fierce and as for the crying and screaming. I too have been told she will grow out of it - but when? If anyone gets some helpfull advice would be gratefull. Likewise if I ever get a solution will let you all know.

Hi. I have a 13 month old son who is waking up in the night screaming with trapped wind. He throws himself backwards or kicks his legs up and thrashes around. He can't lie still and gets upset as he can't settle himself. I have to try winding him but it can take anything between 1 to 2 hours to shift his wind and get him back to sleep. I try Gripe Water but it only works sometimes. He was diagnosed with reflux at about 3 or 4 weeks old and was put on Gaviscon Infant. This helped his reflux and we gradually weaned him off it by about 10 months. He has always been windy and, although his reflux appears better, he keeps waking in the night in extreme pain. I have been writing down what he has had to eat and it seems that he is worse when he's had cheese. I've cut this out of his diet for 5 days and he has been a bit better. I took him to the doctors today as my health visitor keeps saying he shouldn't be suffering with wind by now and that she thinks he has a sleep problem instead. The doctor has put him back on Gaviscon and wants to see how he goes over the next 4-6 weeks. If there is no improvement he said to take him back and they will look down the route of food intolerances. I have been finding it so frustrating as no-one seems to believe me that he has wind. The health visitor said he would be like it in the day too if it was wind!!! I hate seeing my son in so much pain and I'm totally exhausted from the sleepless nights.

I had this problem with my DD (2.4) until she was 2.I used to rub her tummy and gently push her knees back until it passed (so to speak)

No magic cure I'm afraid but she did grow out of it.

hi, dd grew out of this last month(ish) -at least its certainly been a while since she last woke in pain. She is now 21 months.

I used to mix a couple of teaspoons in a bottle of warmish water for her to drink when she woke, it certainly helped, and the action of drinking helped to pass the wind.

homeopathy might also help?

I have an 18 month old girl and she has been diagnosed with silent reflux and with a "Milk Protein Intolerance" it means that her tummy has trouble digesting the protein found in cows milk, soy etc (this includes by-products eg cheese). I personally have found that when she eats even a tiny piece of cheese or a couple of spoons of yoghurt then she has bad wind for days afterward, especially at night. The dietician and allergist have recommended she only have "Rice Milk". The doctors have said that after she reaches 2 her system may start to cope with it better.... or not.... as her cousin has the same thing and he is 9 and is still on the Rice Milk. Just thought I'd give you some food for thought...

One day we'll all get some sleep....

i know this thread is quite old...but felt I should re-open it given I have same problem with DS - 2.3 yrs. Especially when teething. But 5 nights this week he is waking with wind pain. He can go a while without problems, then we have a spell of problems (since birth) I have find elminating banana, any rice products and grape products have helped- but molars coming through and dribble is crazy and problems have returned....

Did anyone have any other solutions..?????

Thanks........here's hoping this catches someones eye!!!

My ds had reflux when he was a baby, which was cured by cranial osteopathy.

He is 11 now, and sitting beside me having woken up with trapped wind! This happens fairly regularly, he's drinking peppermint tea now, when he's finished I'll pat his back, he'll do a couple of big burps and be fine. The peppermint tea works like magic, I know it's not the kind of flavour that would appeal to little ones but it might be worth a try.

Hi all
I just wanted to add my recent experience that may help. My boy is 13 months and has had tummy problems/wind/constipation and sleep problems since birth. He was recently diagnosed with cow's milk protein intolerance and we have gone 'dairy free'. the change is remarkable, he is happier (he was always quite 'grizzly'), his runny nose has cleared up, his constipation gone, and trapped wind an occasional rather than regular night-time problem. Just my experience, but may be worth trying. Do insist on seeing a paediatrician and dietician, and keep insisting until the GP agrees. good luck.

thanks for feedback- hope your boys tummies continue to get better.

Anyone else got any advice? Did Tellytub cure problem?

It is 4.56 am and I am up with my one year old boy who can't sleep due to trapped wind. Just wanted you to know that the only thing that has helped him is seeing the cranial osteopath. It does recur when he's teething or like now recovering from a stomach bug but she seems to be able to help release the tension in his system, thus enabling him to "release". Just wanted to offer some comfort to mum's of fellow sufferers.

I am having exactly the same problem with my 13 month old. It has been going on since he was a few weeks old with terrible colic, reflux, trapped wind. The reflux turned into silent reflux we have been on gaviscon, then ranitidine and domperidone and now omeprozole (Losec). My son is on a dairy free diet but a lactose free formula once a day as he will not take the dairy free formula (it tastes foul!). We are under a consultant who suggest may be a dairy intolerance/allergy. I am still BF morning and night. He wajes at least 3 times a night crying usually with trapped wind. The omperozole is helping the silent reflux but the consultant wants to do allergy testing and coeliac testing but not til he is 15 months. He has never slept through the night since he was born and the last weeks he has been waking approx 4-6 times a night.

My little one has the exact same problem. he has severe reflux and is on zoton tabs and Zantac liquid. he is dairy free too but makes no difference. We just had a ph probe done to see how bad the reflux is and hope we get answers then but at the mo we get no sleep. Anyone had anything that helps?

Hi
My daughter is 2years 2 months and has suffered the same. Just to say that homoeopathy has worked very well - go to the Society of Homoeopaths page to find a qualified one. Also try an Osteopath to assist with relaxation which can help the wind to come out. I have also found some yoga moves - head to knees and lying on back with knees over to one side and then the other - helps.

Another thing to add to my previous post. The progress continues with our son. The things that have worked:

1. Dairy free(including the hydrolyzed formula called Nutramigen)
2. Seems obvious, but we now avoid wind inducing foods - for our son we stopped onions, raisins, baked beans and strawberries.
3. We saw a fantastic paediatric ENT specialist who said that he also has large tonsils which were getting infected and adding to stomach pain (from the glands in the stomach) and put him on 6 week course of antibiotics.

We found a sympathetic GP who took us seriously (rather than the normal - wait until he's two and it'll sort itself out - argh) and we insisted on referral to specialist paediatric support. It was a long and stressful road but he is doing really well now (fingers crossed). This post in just in case any of this helps anyone else in a similar position.

For anybody else seeking help I have recently found Fennel tea at 6.30 on an evening means that my daughter - now 2 years 7 months gets a full night sleep.

I am wondering if my son who is 16 months is suffering from trapped wind. He has started waking most nights and is crying and trashing around and is very difficult to calm. Often he doses on and off before I can get him back to sleep. I am thinking trapped wind as I have heard some little farts.

Any thought and solutions would be appreciated as until recently he was a pretty good sleeper.

hi i would just like to tell you all how glad i was to find this web page my daughter has been suffering from all the above symptoms for the last 16 months and i have been exhausted from lack of sleep and worrying about what is wrong with her, i can now see that having trapped wind and problems passing wind is not unheard of! i have tried everything i can imagen to try and help her but nothing seems to work, veg and beans are the worst for my daughter and leave her screaming in pain all night, i have to massage her belly to try and help her pass wind and sometimes it works and she may sleep for an hour or so, but other times it is impossible and she wakes up every 15minutes all nite thrashing about in pain my fingers are crossed that this is just something that she will grow out of but at least i have read all your post and know iam not the only mum going through this! thanx everyone and please if anyone finds that miracle cure post it up a.s.a.p!!!

Hi, I'm so pleased to have found this thread. My son is 11 months and he has suffered from wind since he was tiny. I took him to see a cranial osteopath when he was about 6-8 weeks old and she really helped. I then took him back again at about 7 months as he was still suffering with wind/poo problems. His emotions always seem to have been ruled by his bowels! At about 5-6 months he would be really grouchy for a few hours and then he would lean right forward, fill his nappy, and then be the happiest baby ever! The cranial osteopath did seem to help. The last time i took him he slept through that night for the first time in about 2 months, but only for one night. At £38 a session, we can't afford to take him every day!

I'm pretty sure he has a citrus intolerance as his wind is a lot worse after citrusy foods so have cut out satsumas, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, kiwi, etc.

Over the last month I've started giving him 'New Era tissue salts for indigestion, colicky pain and Flatulence' from Holland and Barretts. They definitely seem to have helped. The first couple of days he really 'loosened' up, and that was only on half a tablet am and a whole one pm. Since then I think he;s gradually got used to them and i now give him a whole tablet with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The last few nights have been a nightmare, I'm not sure if it's something he's eaten. I did give him tinned peaches for the first time so wondered if it could be that? I'm tempted to increase the dose of tissue salts but I'm not sure if i should. I took him to the doctors (again) on Thursday and she suggested leaving it another month (again), and she also wasnt sure about the dosage of the tissue salts as they have sodium in.

Anyway, I'm now trying gripe water tonight to see if that helps. Last night he woke at 10.30, 11, 11.30, 12, 12.30 and then i fell asleep feeding him until 2.20, went back to bed and then he was up at 6.30.

Anyway so sorry for the long rambly post! If anyone has any suggestions then I'd love to hear them.

This all sounds so familiar. I finally convinced my GP enough was enough and told him to refer my 14 month to paediatrician -had to wait 10 weeks for appointment! He changed her medication from lactulose and senna to movacol - hasn't changed much tho. Her constipation and trapped wind has stopped her sleeping through since we started weaning (she was fine until then). She's been in bed 3 hours and I've already been up to her 4 times as she's been in pain, she generally ends up in bed next to me in the night to make it easier for me to help her pass wind - rub her tummy clockwise and gently push her legs - with her knees bent - back and forth towards her tummy. Sometimes i'm amazed that such a small child can have so much gas. Paed did also suggest probiotics.

So glad I found this thread, joined Mumsnet just to join in.

My DD2 is now 15 months and was an angel sleeper sleeping through most nights 7-7 with a dream feed at 11 from 7 weeks to 6 months when we started solids. Prior to that I did find that if I ate onions she woke with wind, if I had red onions it was horrific, screaming in agony day or night.
:(

She has never had reflux and has tested negative for lactose intolerance,
She is still waking with wind, if she is teething it can be every couple of hours 7-7.

I wondered if it was dairy or wheat as an issue, then she had my Mum's lasagne and slept all night!!! I will say if she has alot of wholemeal she is bad, it's usually at night but if she was weetabix or shreddies for breakfast she wakes at her lunchtime nap with painful trapped wind.

Yesterday she had raisins at 11.30am and passed some of them whole in her nappy at 5.30pm, just 6 hours later.. then woke at 8, 9,12, 1, 4 and 6

DD1 used to wake between 4 and 6 every morning with the same thing, she stopped overnight at 15 months when I stopped giving her a breastfeed at bedtime, perhaps too much after her dinner for sleeping tummy too cope with. DD2 screams the house down if I try and give her less milk at bedtime.

It's worse when she's teething and I just hope she will grow out of it, meanwhile she has a crap diet with little fibre and restricted wind inducing fruit and veg.

Hi everyone - i just wanted to add to this post incase it helps anyone as i myself have trawled the internet looking for help over the past few months and i came here myself feeling desperate....we had months and months of upset with our twins waking in the night with trapped wind and we tried everything to try and ease it, every over the counter medicine, massaging, you name it - in the end i decided that i would take their bottles away and replace them with sippy cups with straws (noby sports cup) to see if this had any effect - i hadnt planned to take their bottles away from them so young (they are 14 months) but we tried it and it has been our saving grace. they now sleep for 12 hours a night undisturbed and have no trouble with wind whatsoever. this obviously may not work for everyone but i just wanted to let people know that defnitely could be a possibility. we had no idea they were taking down so much air just by drinking from the bottles - so i hope that this will help someone!

Hooray I'm not the only person in the world who has to hoist a toddler over their back for winding at silly o' clock at night!

I have twins who are 2 yr 3mth, my daughter was diagnosed with reflux at 6 weeks and was in hospital for a week to stabilise her condition subsequently put on Enfamil formula and ranitdine which greatly helped but didn't stop the wind at night. From about 2 years old I have seen a marked improvement in wind at night and is rare if she wakes up at night now.

Sadly my boy is a different matter, he was a very difficult baby to wind and had bad colic with Colief seeming to be the only thing that helped slightly. We have wondered if he has silent reflux but our GP doesn't recognise this and as he doesn't lose weight and is otherwise healthy we are fobbed off with our request to see a paediatrician. He is only windy at night so guess it's to do with the lying down aspect, and I am up between 2-6+ times a night to pick him up, rub his back where he will burp from one end or another and settles back down to sleep. The poor mite does seems to be very distressed when he cries out and settles back down after burping but I keep thinking it can't be normal at this age.

Some things I have found helped are: -

Replacing bottle with sippy cup

Limiting the amount of liquids after 6.30pm

No heavy meals late at night

Fruit is given during the day and not after tea

Giving him at least an hour to digest his food before bed

Also giving him some warm water has helped move the trapped wind at night

It is really rubbish when you won't be taken seriously and night after night of broken sleep I am just hopeful it is a stage that he will grow out of.