Please help - Is this really 'reflux'?

[Tippytoes]

My DD is 17 weeks old and since week 8 she has hardly put on any weight. She spits up, I would say, the majority of her feed during the 3 hours in between feeds.

Doc has tried her on infant gavisgon for a week and it didn't work.

She was admitted to hospital last week because she just wouldn't stop crying, they diagnosed a viral infection in her throat. They didn't say, but i am wondering if this if from acid from her stomach perhaps.

She is on SMA gold and I am wondering whether we should change the milk to one that the docs can give a prescription for, for children with alergies. So far the doctor is reluctant to change. But surely it is worth a go?

Am going to the hospital this afternoon for a check up and a weight in, but I can't see that she will have put any weight on. They are talking about doing blood tests, but I would really like to give the change of milk a go first.

What do you think?

Thanks.

sounds like it to me
my DS had silent reflux - Gaviscon didn't help and he had two meds called Domperidone and Ranitadine
I think you should try to get a formal diagnosis - and they will be able to give you the Meds
the milk may or may not help - my DS was on Enfamil for a while, but it made no difference
IIRC the milk is "heavier" so theoretically harder to bring up but it won't help with the discomfort from the acid etc
FWIW my DS was admitted to hospital because of his reflux - wouldn't stop crying, bloated stomach and quite poorly - he got put on the meds by the Docs there - wouldn't actually bother with the milk over and above meds at this stage IMHO

Thanks Rubyshivers - I am going to mention these meds to docs this afternoon. Really don't want her not to gain any weight indefinately, seems to have gone on a long time undiagnosed, even thought I first went to docs weeks and weeks ago!

sounds like reflux, which does affect weight gain. Sometimes gaviscon doesn't work for some babies, but doesn't mean it isn't reflux..if that makes sense!

sometimes babies can be intolerant to cow's milk, which is basis of most formulas, and changing does help, though again, not everyone.

Acid can make the throat really sore, my ds eventually started crying when I tried to feed him and generally became really grumpy . Ranitidine and gaviscon did help, though he's sometimes still sick, just not as often / as much. I noticed a big change in how often we were getting changed each day!

I've seen cranial osteopathy recommended here by others, not sure how it works though.

keep on at your GP, change of milk worth a try, ask for ranitidine too, will help your DD throat.

Sorry can't be much more help, but just keep pestering your doc - best way to get anything done.

Yes it does sound like reflux, my dd lost loads of weight after she was born and was admitted to hospital because of it. She continued to be sick through changes of milk (tried Neutramigen, she wouldn't touch it), gaviscon, until she was finally prescribed Ranitidine and Erythromycin by a paed consultant. She was sick almost daily until she was about a year old, but it didn't stop her gaining weight once she was on the meds.

The acid from the stomach refluxing back into the throat can give them sore throats and infections so that seems even more likely that your dd does have reflux.

What docs keep saying though is that it is strange it started happening at 8 weeks and not from the very beginning, which is why they are not sure it is reflux? Did this happen in your case or right from the start?

Also Tippytoes, try to get referred to a paediatric consultant at the hopsital rather than relying on your gp, some of them are a bit clueless about reflux (not that yours necessarily is, but a paed will know more about it)

Yes, it was right from the start, admitedly. THe symptoms of your dd still do sound like reflux though.

Yes we are under the hospital now since we went in last week with the throat thing. Going there this afternoon to childrens ward.

Good luck. I do remember asking if I should change my dd's milk (she was also on SMA gold) and intially they weren't keen as they didn't want to 'mess around' with things too much while they were trying the meds. They did think at one stage that she was milk intolerant I think, but the trial of neutramigen was a disaster, like I say she hated it and what I did get down her was STRAIGHT back up as opposed to being vomitted back maybe an hour or so later as with the SMA.

how did things go at the hospital Tippytoes?

hope you got some answers at the hospital. Looking back ds did have reflux when he was born. At first I just thought he was posseting, and h/v said they all did that. He was also really snuffly and mucousy, which was said to be due to c - section (fluids not squeesed out as would happen normally!) but he barely put any weight on each week, 2oz here and there. When he was finally diagnosed at 12 weeks and started on meds the snuffly symptoms dissapeared overnight and he started putting on weight. although is still quite light for his age.

Did your dd possett from the start, some people don't nec notice anything's wrong until dc starts to seem in pain, weeks down the line, which was what happened with us.

Hope you find out what's wrong

oh, and some babies have "silent" reflux where symptoms don't show up at all til later on, they just stop gaining weight, despite having put on a reasonable amount before.

Hi

She had put on a small amount of weight, but dropping further off the scale.

Because she has put 'some' weight on, they are not worried about her.

Put me on gavisgon infant again! for 3 weeks this time, as they recon that the 3-4 days worth she had before wasn't long enough.

They didn't want to change her milk, as she has no other symptoms of being allergic to it.

Have an other appointment at hosp next week with a different doctor, one I really like and trust, so maybe when I go there he will help me more.

Thanks for your replies.