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Original poster

Reflux baby - suddenly worse

44 replies

user1479905737 · 03/03/2017 09:00

Hi all,

I posted a few days ago as my now 13 week old has suddenly started having very bad nights. Up until 12 weeks she was sleeping peacefully through the night, occasionally having one feed and going back down easily. Since 12 weeks old she has been waking frequently, screaming crying, and refusing to take milk until we can eventually calm her down. She then ends up with painful hiccups, and it takes ages to get her back down. We are barely getting any sleep and it's really affecting us as she is just not her self. During the day she is barely feeding and flinching and aggitated whenever she is eating.

After giving up on the GO who is useless, we went to a and e. They said it sounds like her reflux has gotten worse, and to give her two satchels of gaviscon rather than one. This has made no difference and I'm really worrying about how exhausted she looks and constantly upset / aggitated and hungry. She also seems to keep choking (obviously just mildly for a moment as otherwise I would be back down a and e). I am not sure if the related but she has also started grunting as though she's really upset or in pain.

None of the NHS services seem to be interested in helping me resolve this. I know she isn't herself at all. Has anyone experienced this with their reflux babies?

Thanks x

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PonderLand · 03/03/2017 20:26

I got told the same about giving the ranitidine 30 minutes before feed but as she's breastfed it'll be hard to tell when she's next due a feed so I wouldn't worry too much about that, getting her to take it will be a challenge enough at the moment it seems! I would give my DS his medicine inbetween feeds if I could so he doesn't vomit it back up.

Really glad you've been given a medication to try that is different.
I'm wondering, could she be generally feeling unwell and it's unrelated to reflux? Perhaps caught a bug or something that's making her go off her milk? I hope she settles back into her usual self soon, it's awful when you don't know what to do for the best.

Original poster

user1479905737 · 03/03/2017 20:31

Oh dam - she woke but I have her the medication whilst she was drinking her milk (I do that with calpol too otherwise she spits it out!). As she has drank so little I'm going to do a dream feed, which I don't normally, so that hopefully she stays hydrated. Her forehead felt quite clammy. Praying this medication works quickly?!? Don't think I will sleep much tonight!

OP posts:

Original poster

user1479905737 · 03/03/2017 20:34

TBH she does have a viral infection too - but she's only had that since Tuesday and this situation happened two weeks ago yesterday. I think the infection is just bad timing as she has been like this for two weeks, really really aggravated and waking up crying. The doctors and a&e know she has a viral infection but linked the behaviour to her reflux. Poor thing :( just want to hug her all night but I am too scared to co sleep!

OP posts:

PonderLand · 03/03/2017 20:44

Poor thing :( she's not having it easy is she. I'm just glad you've been listened to by your GP. Did they tell you to go back within so many days if no improvement? My son showed a difference within a few days and after 3 weeks he was a new baby. That was also when we started the neocate so unsure if that was the turning point for him.
Sounds like some good trickery with the latching on to give medication! Did she have a good feed?
I'm unsure of the exact signs to look for in terms of dehydration. My son had no wet nappies and sunken fontanelle. Have you checked her temp if she's feeling clammy?

Chocarocker · 03/03/2017 21:00

No experience of ranitidine but your LO sounds just like my LG just over a year ago. She was refusing feeds and getting very distressed. We ended up on the children's ward at hospital after seeing out of hours doctor and the paediatrician put her strict onto omeprazole. This improved things a little but still wasn't feeding well as she associated feeding with pain. 4 weeks later we had her milk changed to neocate and within 2 weeks she was a different baby. She is still on both these over a year later but is now happy and thriving. Just wanted to say you aren't alone and that I know how hard and upsetting it is. Fingers crossed that the ranitidine works for you.

Original poster

user1479905737 · 03/03/2017 21:08

What is neocate? The doctor said to give it a week and go back if we aren't happy. TBH this reflux escalated so suddenly I'm not confident that just medicine is going to cut it - I think we will end up changing milks.

Out of interest how much do your reflux babies drink at once? Even before this got worse, she will only drink 3oz at a time, despite being nearly 14lb!

OP posts:

PonderLand · 03/03/2017 21:20

Neocate is a milk given to babies with a cows milk allergy/intolerance.
I'm not sure if there is any different milk to give babies with reflux? Maybe a thicker milk? Really not sure though!
My son is 8 months and has drank 7oz every 3/4 hours since 5 months. He's 16lb 6oz, on the 2nd centile for weight.

I can't really remember how much he drank when he was younger though, we breastfed until he was 4m. Do you have any friends with babies who are similar in age? Do you have a health visitor/weigh in clinic you could go to? They may have some advice about feeding.

Original poster

user1479905737 · 03/03/2017 21:30

Right ok, I'm going to see what happens over the weekend but I won't wait a week to go back to doctors if this goes on. She's woken again already, screaming, she is SO out of character at the moment and aggitated!

OP posts:

PonderLand · 03/03/2017 21:35

Yeah i never waited the recommended time. You'll know if it's making a difference by Monday I think.

123bananas · 03/03/2017 21:36

OP please take her back to A&E. The reflux could be a bit of a red herring.

She could have something else going on like bronchiolitis. She is so little, distressed and not feeding well. She needs to be seen again.

123bananas · 03/03/2017 21:37

Posted too soon. Grunting is a red flag sign. I would phone 999 if she is doing this as it can be a sign of respiratory distress.

Chocarocker · 03/03/2017 21:39

I definitely agree not to wait a week! I would keep a close eye on her overnight and if her feeding doesn't improve get her checked out again ASAP.

123bananas · 03/03/2017 21:49

Breath sounds to watch out for.

Original poster

user1479905737 · 04/03/2017 07:15

UPDATE: we have had a completely different night since the reflux medicine last night. She woke an hour after I gave it to her, and drained a 5oz bottle in minutes (hasn't done that in 2 weeks). She then slept through til 5am and drained another 5oz bottle - no tears or screaming fits either time! She's just woken now (7am) we have given her the medicine and try to feed her again in 20 minutes. It may be a coincendence but this is a much more 'normal' night for her and behaviour.

She is still grunting and has a viral infection so if she doesn't drink what I would normal expect her to we are going to take her straight back to a and e this morning.

Praying last night wasn't a coincendence and that this medicince has kicked in already.

OP posts:

Cakescakescakes · 04/03/2017 07:32

Has she just had a set of vaccinations? The rotavirus one is very hard on reflux babies apparently as it upsets the stomach. My refluxer was terrible for a couple of weeks after the second and third set of jabs.

PonderLand · 04/03/2017 09:36

Fingers crossed it's the medicine!

Original poster

user1479905737 · 04/03/2017 09:55

Cakescakescakes - yes she had them Monday when she was technically 13 weeks. This definitely started before that, but she's had this cold all week so I think the mixture of both of these has massively thrown her off.

She only drank 3oz at 7am but tbf at 5am she had had 5oz so I guess she wouldn't drink a whole bottle. She seems more settled today though and has been lied flat in her play gym for a while. Fingers crossed for her next feed...

OP posts:

Sassenach85 · 04/03/2017 10:21

We used a jumperoo to keep dd upright but can't rem from what age

FartnissEverbeans · 05/03/2017 08:42

Ranitidine starts working within two hours so it sounds like it's having an effect already

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