The severe acid reflux thread

[JumpingIn]

Our sweet 2 week old baby boy suffers so badly with reflux he wakes himself up around every 5 minutes in gurgling pain. He's currently on Gaviscon and we're desperate to get him something stronger, nobody is sleeping at all and he's clearly suffering, but the GP keeps fobbing us off.

We keep him basically upright most of the time, otherwise he's in agony. Changing nappies is a nightmare. He's only happy when he's propped directly upright (as when burping) which is obviously not practical.

I can't stand to see someone so tiny suffer so much We haven't left the house since being back from hospital because of all the extra care he's needing. We've had to give him a dummy just to create more saliva and offer a bit of comfort and I'm also having to express all my milk as feeding is often too difficult for him.

Just seeking support I suppose and to know we're not alone with this

 

[Cattia]

Try really hard to push for a referral to a paediatrician. My DS was like this and we also got fobbed off by the GP. I even took in a film I'd taken on my phone of him screaming in pain but still no joy. We saw a paediatrician when DS was five weeks old (co-incidence as we got referred to the hospital for blood tests for prolonged jaundice) and I asked them about reflux. The Dr agreed with me and wrote to my GP asking him to prescribe omeprazole. It really helped. They also told me at the hospital to cut out all dairy and soya from my diet as I was EBF and I think that made a difference too (well it certainly helped me to lose my baby weight pretty quick if nothing else!).

ETA: I also had to carry DS around all day in a wrap as he would not be put down anywhere, even in a bouncy chair. We had to prop his pram mattress up with loads of rolled blankets too as he hated lying flat.

 

[bathbabe]

Keep going back to the drs. My dr prescribed gaviscon and wouldnt let us have anything else. I went back and asked to speak to a different dr who gave us ranitidine (sp?!) which helped alot with the pain - nothing helped with the constant puke! X

Ps, wearing my son in a carrier and tummy sleeping (naughty I know but when you need sleep, you need sleep!!) really helped him xx

 

[ElizabethK_]

The reflux gets better. Mine was exactly the same from week one. She was suffering. I could see... Doctor kept saying it was colic. Gave us medicine for colic. Formula for colic.... Nothing worked.

Then one day I decided to research her symptoms and BAM it hit me. She has reflux. I changed her pediatrician and he immediately diagnosed her and we also did more tests to make sure. He then prescirbed us with Epadoren and formula specifically for reflux and since then she's a different baby.

She does have her moments, she spits up she wakes up a few times in the night and has trouble falling asleep if I put her down too soon after she's eaten. But she sleeps at least 3-4 hours straight sometimes 5 and then goes right back to sleep after feeding once or twice in the night. So it does get better.

And I agree with Bathbabe. Tummy sleeping... It's a no no but not for reflux baby. Many a times I have seen my baby gasping for air while laying on her back on the changing table and me scrambling to turn her round and pat her back so the milk can come out... Tummy sleeping is a saviour. If you're afraid to let your baby sleep during the night on his tummy then use a swing.

 

[Button#]

My friends LO had bad reflux and she ended up paying to go private to avoid having to fight for a referral. My LO has reflux as well but it doesn't seem to bad so hoping she might grow out of it without needing meds.