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Excessive vomitting ?Reflux

11 replies

morewine · 26/01/2007 11:18

Can anyone shed some light for me. I have a baby that vomits large handfuls of milk all day, everyday and as a result needs feeding 2hrly. I am exhausted. GP says its reflux without any test or even examining baby and says she will grow out of it! not much help for me, all i do all day is clean up vomit and feed not to mention countless changes of soggy clothes baby and mine. Anyone with any ideas on management of it would be much appreciated. Is this normal?

OP posts:
wurlywurly · 26/01/2007 12:17

bumping

Glassofwine · 26/01/2007 12:24

My dd did this, the Dr didn't say it was reflux, but equally just said she'll grow out of it. I found it very hard, she would vomit the whole contents of her stomach once or twice a day even once she was on solids - can you imagine? She was growing just fine and that was all the Dr was bothered about.

In the end I took her to see a private peadatrition - he explained that there were so many different things it could be that the only way to find out was to send a camera down her throat - she was about 6 months. We both agreed that it was too invasive and he said that she'd probably grow out of it around 12 months, so if it continued then we should do it. At about 11 months it stopped, for no apparent reason.

I do know how you feel, it's not nice - I was also pg and found the whole thing totally exhausting. Luckily she stopped just about the time her brother was born.

I did find certain foods made it worse, but it sounds like you baby is still just on milk. Fruit was a major culpret, so I stopped it and only gave her veg. She is 5 now and a complete fruit a holic! She is still a bit prone to being sick.

morewine · 27/01/2007 10:21

Thanks glassofwine at least you have given me some light at the end of the tunnel of vomit!

OP posts:
taylormama · 27/01/2007 10:26

hi - most likely to be reflux. My DS had severe silent reflux and was put on medication and it was like having a different baby. I was also offered the camera test but refused as he had all the symptoms and felt it was very invasive ... i found he radically improved at around 6 months when he was more upright and i started to wean him off his meds - he is 99% ok at 7.5 months - most babies grow out of it by 1 year but some do earlier ...
You can try the medication route - usually start with Gaviscon, and then ranitadine, domperidone and then Losec in severe cases ... speak to your GP again ...

tibsy · 28/01/2007 13:26

my dd has recently started vomiting milk after every feed, and she does seem to be very uncomfortale wind wise and is trumping like a trooper when lay down at night. it wakes her a lot and seems to really hurt sometimes. have tried following some advice given re. introducing small amount of baby rice after feeds, giving infacol before feeds, keeping her upright for 30-60 mins after feed etc, and that has helped slightly. havent approached gp yet, do you think i should?

taylormama · 28/01/2007 14:17

tibsy - i would go to your GP. If it is reflux, infacol won't do a thing to help it.

essbee · 28/01/2007 14:26

Message withdrawn

Elibean · 28/01/2007 15:05

My dd has silent reflux - she sometimes vomited, but not after every feed, and not an unusual amount: just lots of pain. I had no choice about the camera test: she has a 'floppy larynx' (laryngomalacia) and the only way to confirm the diagnosis is via laryngoscopy...and no one would prescribe meds for the reflux without a formal diagnosis.

In her case, she needed treating not just to reduce her pain and stress around feeds, but also because the acid reflux made her breathing worse and she's already had bronchiolitis on top of her somewhat restricted airway. But as someone else said...different baby once the pain is addressed, and I think it would have been worth it for that alone.

She was given Gaviscon by the GPs, which was pretty useless because its main function is to limit the vomiting - which wasn't her problem anyway. Now she's on Ranitidine and Domperidone, and although still windy, a lot better. Wind we can deal with - reflux she was inconsolable.

For the OP, I'd push for giving Gaviscon a go - it might help the vomiting, it ca'nt hurt (apart from causing some constipation!) and you can always stop it if it doesn't help.

And for anyone faced with the 'camera test', FWIW it was a teeny tube down her nose and she yelled for a second then was fine...it was very quick. Yes its invasive, of course, and if I could have avoided it I would - but as dd ended up on nasogastric tube feeding, cpap oxygen and an IV drip for her bronchiolitis it didnt' seem like too much if it could help us avoid that again. And she tolerated it really well. That said, she is only just nine weeks old...maybe an older baby would have a harder time with it, I don't know.

morewine · 29/01/2007 23:41

Cheers for all the advice. We got so fed up we saw the GP and have been on Gaviscon for about 3 months now, but its done nothing and if anything the vomiting is getting worse. It doesnt seem to be affecting our DD and she is putting on good amounts of weight, but just so difficult to manage that I don't go out often now as a result, which can be isolating and I think she misses out on some play, as lying flat on a baby gym is a no no. We persisted and returned to GP and now have ranitidine, but its such a strong flavour for a little person who has only ever tasted milk. I am tempted to wean early, as the ranitidine doesnt seem to be working that well either. I get the impression GP thinks I am paranoid first time parent but it does wear you down.

OP posts:
wotzsaname · 29/01/2007 23:52

I used the bottles with the collapsible bag liners, less air. Did help us.
DD could projectile vomit over 8 feet. Bought lost of cheap towels. No advice given from HV other than she would outgrow it. My sympathies to all of you and this problem.

Laura032004 · 30/01/2007 07:36

morewine - I started a similar thread yesterday about my DS2 (7m) who has a similar problem.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=138&threadid=270734&stamp=070130071029

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