Baby with colic/CMPI/reflux/constipation etc etc

[peonies1988]

Hi everyone

Very long story but newborn (5.5 weeks) has suspected CMPI and reflux. Is on nutramigen. Had also had tongue tie corrected. Cried and cried until she had reflux treatment which is gaviscon at present. I know this can cause awful constipation but her prescription formula seemed to stave it off for the first week. Now she still poos every day but it’s hours and I mean hours of crying leading up to every poo, she’s utterly inconsolable. The GP prescribed lactulose for the constipation but I think this hurts her tummy too and gives her explosive poos.

Ideally would like to remove gaviscon but her reflux is really bad and I know that causes her pain too. Ranitidine is no longer prescribed as it’s a potential carcinogen so only other option (I think?) is omeprazole. What are people’s experiences of using it and just any advice in general would be great.

I struggled very badly with PND with first baby and very much headed down that route again.

Thank you xxx

Hey check out the 'baby reflux lady'.
The problem of reflux is the baby swallowing air, or/and gasses being over produced in the stomach.
The gas forces the acid up. Tummies are meant to be acidic to break down the milk/food, so when a baby is given an anti acid medication or gaviscon it then cannot breakdown food properly, causes the problem to be prolonged. Gaviscon made our baby worse and so did anti acids, it is a short term relief if any.
We had osteopathy for baby which was the beginning of his reflux stopping, then removing all cmp/changeing my diet (breastfeeding), tongue tie cut, and making sure he burps after feeds. He is now reflux free and has been tor ages.
I know how hard it is and noone really seems to help especually doctors who just prescribe crap and no realy solution.

Thank you so much. So you noticed improvement simply from removing CMP? I’m not even convinced she has the allergy tbh, awaiting appt at children’s hospital. The gaviscon definitely worked at first but not convinced anymore.

Did you find any bottles helped you in particular? Know they’re all a much of a much/bit of a gimmick. @LulaLuna

Yes gaviscon gave us some short lived improvement, as stomach acid is needed to break down food, and when the gaviscon neutralises the acid it means the milk cannot be broken down and then gasses are produced more and then reflux gets worse longer term.
Gp's are crap and do not know much about baby reflux, the problem is too much air in tummy not too much acid!

Yes our baby defo is cmpi, but solely breastfed, so im not great with helping with bottles unfortunately.
Any food i had with dairy he would react in pain within 4 hours or so it must come through my breastmilk.
It took about 2 weeks of no dairy to see a real improvement but once we had osteopathy he slept the night through and it was onwarda and upwards from then. If you can see a cranial osteopath you should see alot of improvement.

The osteopathy adjusted tensions in.his neck and head very gently but enough to mean he was feeding better without swallowing air.
The tongue tie also helped with that too.

When i accidently had dairy he was in pain again but it passed within.2 days.

Defo keep cmp away from baby and after 6 weeks it is fully out the system.
Do try osteopathy too if you can its worth it.
Sending blessings and well wishes.

Hi @peonies1988. My DS suffers from reflux and CMPA. He is also on nutramigen. We tried gaviscon for his reflux but it made him badly constipated so we stopped. Now he has 1 and a half spoonfuls of instant carobel in his milk to thicken it so it plays his reflux up less and hes on lansoprazole which has seemed to work wonders! This started when he was about 6 weeks old, straining, crying, in discomfort etc. And hes now 5 months and doing well! We went through a private paediatrician as our GP was rubbish. We also only use MAM anti colic bottles which help and he has prebiotics in the morning to help keep his digestive tract moving. It does get better and easier! I'm a first time mum and all this made me very down at the beginning but it does improve with time.

Thank you @mio1994 - so you can definitely use carobel on CMPA babies? How do you give little one the lansoprazole? Can I also ask which prebiotics you use?

Thanks so so much x

Yes you definitely can. Nutramigen is so thin isn't it so my paediatrician recommended the carobel and it definetely helped alongside the medication.

With the lansoprazole, they are 15mg tablets, I dissolve it in 5ml of boiling water then use a syringe to suck up 1ml, then given to him in his mouth. It sounds complicated but is really simple when you do it every morning. I know there was a shortage of lansoprazole so we have a back up of omeprazole if we can't get it, however have never had to use that yet. I'm not really sure what the difference is between the two! I think lansoprazole may work faster.

The probotics our pediatrician advised are BioGaia. We do 5 drops on a spoon. I can't guarantee they work but let's just say DS would go 2 days without passing a stool, on these he goes once a day and seems much more content.

No need to thank me, I was at my wits end and just wanted it sorted, so I hope it helps!

Hi @LulaLuna

"Yes gaviscon gave us some short lived improvement, as stomach acid is needed to break down food, and when the gaviscon neutralises the acid it means the milk cannot be broken down and then gasses are produced more and then reflux gets worse longer term."

So would this be the same with other treatments such as Lansoprazole? It's so hard to know what to do as some mums obviously report improvements with medicines but gaviscon definitely not doing the trick.

We have done osteopathy but didn't see any improvement sadly :( xxx

Thanks so much @Mio1994 it's so, so hard isn't it. I'm honestly losing the will to live with the constant crying. When my husband came home from work at 11pm last night, I went walking in the dark like a mad woman because I needed some silence after hours of crying on top of my toddler. Will speak to GP today, thanks again xxxx

Probiotics helped us too. ProVen was the brand.

You have my sympathy - been there.

We had a combination of various things early doors - Nutramigen Lipl, gaviscon, domperidone and ranitidine. Her milk intake was extremely low and she cried through most of her feeds and whenever she pood.

Leg cycling and lots of nice baths did help a little.

However, we moved from gaviscon to Carobel when there was a shortage of gaviscon. That helped a lot but you need to be careful how long the bottle sits for as it goes like custard.

The big change came when she went on omeprozole. Her milk intake when up 50% within 24 hours and she was like a new child. She finished a whole bottle once just sitting in the park - it was the first time she had ever managed to complete a whole bottle or feed without screaming blue murder. She didn’t cry but I did!

I have a younger child who was BF and had CMPI but none of the other issues - it was bliss in comparison.

I wasn’t sure that was how infant gaviscon works. I thought it simply made the milk thicker so less likely to wash back into the mouth with stomach acid.

Thank you @Passmethecrisps can I ask how you gave the omeprazole? We actually have some but finding it tricky to dispense

Thanks @Mylittlepony374 will give a go!

@Mio1994 what size teats did you use with Mam bottles on carobel please? X

@peonies1988

Hi everyone

Very long story but newborn (5.5 weeks) has suspected CMPI and reflux. Is on nutramigen. Had also had tongue tie corrected. Cried and cried until she had reflux treatment which is gaviscon at present. I know this can cause awful constipation but her prescription formula seemed to stave it off for the first week. Now she still poos every day but it’s hours and I mean hours of crying leading up to every poo, she’s utterly inconsolable. The GP prescribed lactulose for the constipation but I think this hurts her tummy too and gives her explosive poos.

Ideally would like to remove gaviscon but her reflux is really bad and I know that causes her pain too. Ranitidine is no longer prescribed as it’s a potential carcinogen so only other option (I think?) is omeprazole. What are people’s experiences of using it and just any advice in general would be great.

I struggled very badly with PND with first baby and very much headed down that route again.

Thank you xxx

My son started having terrible reflux around 4 weeks old crying for hours on end and ended up losing his voice. Was started on thickener had it once and was so sick. Then tried gaviscon and like you say constipated him and actually stopped working after a week or so. He's now on omeprazole and it has been a lifesaver. No more tears, no constipation and is so happy. Omeprazole goes by baby weight so he started on 5mg and is now on 10mg so there is room for the dose to be changed to suit your baby. He is now 7 months old and starting to wean off it as he is taking solids and doesn't have much reflux anymore. Definitely go back to your GP, it's horrible seeing baby so uncomfortable

We were given it in tablet form so we had to snap a tablet in half and mix with 10ml water. It was prescribed by the paediatrician as I believe it wasn’t licensed for use with babies under 1 year at the time. It needs careful management as it’s an acid suppressant and needs weaned off or you risk an acid flood

There are different formulas for babies with CMPA. Often the first ones prescribed just have the cmp broken down but it’s still there. You may need to try different mills.

We use size 3 teats so he doesn't have to work so hard to get it out and fall asleep!

Thanks @Mio1994 I’ve just been and got some - not sure if I’m being dense but I don’t understand the instructions for the carobel. I’m making up 4oz/120ml bottles - have just put half a scoop in but don’t know if it should have been a full one. She’s just taken the first two ounces easier than she’s ever taken a bottle x

The instructions for the carobel are confusing! I was told to just find the right amount for your child. Enough so they would have their milk but not too much so they would become constipated. It takes a while to get it right and for their body to get used to it. My DS has 1 and 1/4 in a 6oz bottle. Its trial and error like everything! But I'm so glad shes taking the bottle a bit better already, that's a good sign! Just persevere! x

We tried an osteopath. DS vommed all over his shoes. LOL.

We didn't find anything to help. I hope you do but if not, know that they grow out of it quick (feels like a long time when you are in it.) Do what you need to do to get through it including handing the baby over when you need to.

Thank you @Mio1994 god I hope it doesn’t make her constipated! That’s the last thing we need 😭

Oh @SummerHouse that’s funny, my daughter really didn’t respond to it either sadly. Honestly, I’m not convinced anything will fix it - it didn’t with my first but the thought of a hundred more days like yesterday makes me honestly so, so low and anxious and scared. The inconsolable crying is just horrific xxx

God I know. The crying! DS would cry all the time. Didn't matter what we did. People would say "ahhhh, is he hungry?" And I would think no, if he was hungry I would fecking feed him

I wish I could say something to help. I know you will get through this. My reflux baby is 8 now and he has been a joy to parent as a toddler and boy. He makes us laugh every day. I wish this for you.

Can you do some things for you? Yoga, walking, running, bath, meeting friends. Anything to protect your mental health might just make it a little bit easier while you search for whatever makes it a little better.

Aw @SummerHouse your message made me really emotional - in a good way. Thanks for giving me hope. We’ve just started tonight’s screaming fit, wed had such a good too I was beginning to be hopeful! X