Beginning to Think This Might Not Be Normal (reflux/allergy?)

[SweetPea3200]

LO is about 3 and a half months old and he was born 6 weeks early. He's been quite fussy since the beginning and I finally got him diagnosed with reflux sometime around 2 months. He's been on Ranitidine (sp?) since but I'm not sure if it's really helping. I once forgot a dose and noticed that he woke up more frequently through the night but other than that, everything seems the same.

He still spits up after every feed and between breasts when I burp him. Honestly, it's worse if he doesn't spit up because I feel like he needs to. He also fusses and pulls off the breast a lot. I think I have a bit of a fast letdown and I also think he gets impatient with the slow flow at the end of the feed. However his poops are almost never green but also aren't solid AT ALL. No seediness or anything just completely watery yellowish/brown poops.

He often cries when he first comes off the breast and lately has need to be basically fed to sleep and held in my arms for 20 minutes before I lay him down. He sleeps on his belly and WILL NOT sleep on his back regardless of whether he is swaddled or not.

I'm beginning to think that it isn't reflux at all but I've heard that a true milk allergy or lactose intolerance is very rare. He also doesn't really get rashes just the occasional red area on his bum and some scaley dry skin on his arms and legs.

Is it worth trying to cut out dairy from my diet? Does anyone think it could be a milk issue or is there anything else it could be? Or has anyone's babe had reflux but the Ranitidine didn't work for you? Any advice would be great!

 

[jodilee6]

Will post a full reply later...

This sounds just like my youngest tho he's now on formula, I've been back to the GP today who's agreed to do a lactose intolerance test and gave me a prescription for dairy free milk to try.

If you're not happy then I'd go back to your GP

 

[KylasBaby]

Wouldn't hurt to cut out dairy. You can always add it back to our diet if it doesn't help. Keep in mins through that it takes 2 weeks for all the dairy to be out of your and baby's system. My daughter I found has a cows milk protein intolerance. She was on exclusively pumped milk. I cut out dairy. Or so I thought. I didn't have milk or cheese or yoguer or ice cream or anything that seemed like it had dairy in it but it was still hidden in things I ate and she was MISERABLE!! Started her on nutramigen (Enfamils hypoallergenic formula) and she is a completely different child! So happy!

She went from screaming for HOURS of the day to not screaming at all and crying very rarely. Just keep on mine dairy is in so many things! And can take 2 weeks to be out of your system.

Some symptoms my daughter had:
"Colic" which basically just means she's in pain we just don't know why
Mucousy green poop
Few drops of blood in like 2/3 diapers
Dry skin/cradle cap
Reflux
Spit up (honestly it's worse on the formula though)

She is also on Zantac for her reflux. Honestly I'm not sure if it does/ever did anything. There are other meds they can try if you feel it's not working.

 

[jodilee6]

Will post a full reply later...

This sounds just like my youngest tho he's now on formula, I've been back to the GP today who's agreed to do a lactose intolerance test and gave me a prescription for dairy free milk to try.

If you're not happy then I'd go back to your GP

 

[SweetPea3200]

Does anyone know anything about the Ranitidine? Apparently it's very weight sensitive. Is it possible that it's just not working as well because of him gaining weight and usage staying the same?

 

[jodilee6]

Does anyone know anything about the Ranitidine? Apparently it's very weight sensitive. Is it possible that it's just not working as well because of him gaining weight and usage staying the same?

It is weight dependant, we had our dose changed 3 times as LO grew but it didn't really make much of a difference for us

 

[KylasBaby]

We've had ours adjusted as well and I don't think it's made a difference.

 

[SweetPea3200]

Just want to bump up this thread in case anyone has any other info. LO is now six months and was doing great for a month or two but now the problems are back. I just don't know what I'm doing differently to cause this. I haven't changed formula or what I'm eating (he gets both breastmilk and formula). I did try solids but it's been almost two weeks since I stopped. Doc put him back on Ranitidine a week ago and it doesn't seem to make a difference. He's been waking up every three hours at night for a quick feed which is really unusual for him. He's super whiney and I'm exhausted and really sad. Sometimes he'll also refuse to feed from me and I'll have to make him a bottle. It sucks. Any advice or help would be amazing

 

[_Meep_]

Could he be teething? Mine had several full on nursing strikes from 10 weeks, accompanied with refluxy behaviour, dribbling, awful sounding stomach etc. and in the end, we realised she was a prolonged on-off teether. She still has symptoms for months before a tooth arrives (she got her first at 5 months), but thankfully doesn't get it nearly as bad as she did when she was tiny.

She also had a posterior tongue tie (invisible) and getting that cut at 4.5 months really helped.

 

[Lil mole]

Sounds like my youngest who has both cmpa and reflux. She is on lansoprazole and gaviscon for her reflux. Ranitidine, ompeprazole and lansoprazole all work by reducing the acidity of the stomach contents (although each works in a slightly different way). They will not reduce the frequency or volume of vomit but reduces the damage and causes less pain when they do vomit.
If struggling with weight gain maybe need something like gaviscon which works to reduce the amount of vomit by forming a layer on top of the stomach contents.
If you want to trial dairy free bare in mind that it can take 2-6 weeks to see improvements and also that quite a large number of cmpa babies cannot tolerate soya protein either, so if you don't see improvements dairy free you may need to try soya free too.

Hope you have a comfier, happier baby soon x

 

[AP]

Does anyone know anything about the Ranitidine? Apparently it's very weight sensitive. Is it possible that it's just not working as well because of him gaining weight and usage staying the same?

Not only is it weight dependant but there is a range for weight too (ie an lower and upper dose) and they may well be keeping you on that lower scale.
I didn't learn that one til further down the line!

I realise this is a bumped thread but I guess it still applies. If ranitidine fails to work then other meds are available as mentioned by previous posters.

 

[Willow82]

My DD is on ranitidine but it doesn't seem to be making much difference. She's been referred to the hospital and in the meantime, we're going to be trying neocate formula in case the reflux is being caused by cmpa. I've ordered some carobel to thicken it up as apparently it's really thin and could make the reflux worse if it isn't cmpa.