What age to grow out of silent acid reflux?

[jellybeans]

Hi I have DS 4 months and since he was 4 weeks have been struggling with horrible horrible reflux. He was diagnosed after he choked and went blue and couldn't breath. He is sick alot but his main problems are pain/irritability, scary choking, hiccups, violent regurgitation which you can hear and he gulps back down, wind. I am bf and have tried strictly dairy, egg and soya free for 4 weeks, no difference was made.

He has been on Gaviscon (didn't work) and now on Losec suspension and Domperidone (has been on it about 2 months), he used to be irritable 24/7 when awake but now is only irritable about 2 hours a day, usually when we can hear the reflux and he arches his back etc. Not sure if the meds should stop it totally?

Anyway has anyone got any words of wisdom as to when they grow out of this? I am so stressed as there is not much I can do when he is inconsoulable, the doctors seem to fob us off and we are still waiting for paeds review. HELP!!

Hi jellybeans, I'm so sorry your LO is still having pain with his reflux - how frustrating to be being fobbed off, makes me for you (and for me, I remember similar!).

Do you have a paeds review appointment, or are you still waiting for a date? dd was on domperidone and ranitidine (no idea what Losec is, sorry) and they helped a lot, but tbh not 100% - only time did that. I would say it was a lot better by the time we started weaning at 5 months (teeny amounts, she didn't really get going with solids till about 7 months - when we discovered BLW was the way forward for her) and we carried on meds till 18 months when she was walking.

If the meds your ds has aren't strong enough, there are more - omeprazole is even stronger than ranitidine, for instance - so I would badger the doctors for a re-evaluation asap (I'm sure you are already, somehow) though usually its the paeds who prescribe them.

Its awful feeling unsupported with silent reflux, I wish I could wave a magic wand for you

Hi jellybeans, reflux is really a nightmare, I know. You are already giving him all the meds he can take (Elibean, losec=omeprazole), other than increasing daily dosage, there is little you can do. Some have success with cranial-osteo (I hadn't), others have tried homeopathy, but it just takes time. For me , it did get worse before getting better when I introduced solid. I started, then stopped, then started again,.... fruit (apple, pear, banana) was a disaster, raw, cooked, pureed, ... , thick texturee, like potato,squash, were the worst,he choked. Soups were the answers for us, minestrone, pea soup, anything he could suck, like aspargus, broccoli, and big slices of watermelon and the dark green melon, whose flesh is pale yellow and juicy.

It started getting better around 8 months. DS2 was on Lanzoprazole and gaviscon, and bf 24/7!

Ah - thanks, gordon, in that case yes, all the meds he can take

We found, when weaning, all pureed foods were a disaster - dd did much better on things like pasta and meat sauce, and her first success was pizza crust (she sucked it and it dissolved in her mouth). How's it going today, Jelly?

Hi thankyou both so much for replies, sorry you have had to deal with this too. I am still waiting for an appointment with the paed. It gives me hope, though, to hear things get better. It's one of the hardest things I have been through! Sorry to be dumb but what is BLW?

DS has been OK today, a few small chokes and bit sick/whingy. Thanks again.

baby led weaning - current fancy words for babies basically helping themselves to what they fancy, rather than being spoon-fed

We found all 'bits' easier for dd than 'mush', though I would think it varies from baby to baby, depending on their type of/cause of reflux...this is just our personal experience.

Hang in there, it really is incredibly hard and feels never-ending, but it will get better - just yell anytime you need a shoulder!

Thanks Elibean Have his paed apt through for 2 weeks.

Roll on 2 weeks, then

Just an update took DS to paed, they upped the meds and said we can try baby rice etc and puree as DS is hungry all the time and can sit up etc. They more or less said we will just have to wait till he grows out of it Had a rough week with screaming and constant regurgitation, choking etc. He takes the rice etc but can gag on it and makes him more sick. It's so hard with 4 other kids as DS takes most my time, I feel bad on them. I just can't wait till he grows out of it, it's one of the hardest things I've done.

Jellybeans, my dd2 had reflux and I know how hard it can be.The best med we found was omeprazole. DD lost weight and I was demented with the constant vomiting and crying.

I am probably telling you stuff you already know, but have you looked into things like raising your ds' cot at one end, so that he isn't lying flat? That definitely helped dd. Also, keeping him upright for as long as possible after eating? She also liked to be up over my shoulder during a reflux attack

As dd got older, the symptoms started to ease, but to be honest she was around a year old before we saw it improving drastically.

It's odd, but even at 4 she still gets hiccups a lot!

Good luck, I hope you find things that help. It can be incredibly time-consuming, but there is an end to it -promise!

thanks SR glad your DD is alot better. Thanks for the tips. Yes we keep DS upright and he sleeps in a hammock with his head up. DS is on Omeprazole liquid. Not sure if it is working. DS is settled more although he still refluxes every feed. He is most irritable at night.

DD got loads better when she could sit up by herself and by 6 month, when weaning we didn't have to use medication.

It does get better - honest!