Reflux Support Thread

[CoreysMummy]

Me too!!

ONLY improved with heaps of meds and weaning at 14 weeks !!

 

[sparky]

so how is everyone battling on with the REFLUX OF DOOM!! ha ha, inspired by Becs.

Isla isnt as sick as she was but its still a constant battle to get enough milk in her, the HV siad not to worry as long as she is putting on weight, but she doesnt have to battle for an hour with each feed on the plus side probably averageg about 26oz per day now, shes about 13lbs

Got pead's app, on 18th December...she'll be about 4 months 2 weeks so might have the early weaning conversation with them. She has started waking from about 4am for the past week not feeding til 6 at the earliest, just having a good thrash about, moan.

 

[lillou]

hi ladies, just had the on call doc on the phone. . Ava will not take her bottles the doctor says it sounds like reflux -

she will take a few gulps of milk - scream - we can hear the milk or somthing coming up as she is trying to take her bottle - more screaming and not wanting anything my poor baby.

this has gone on for two/three weeks now. doc says although it sounds like reflux ava is a bit old to be getting it now. she is 14 weeks old but was 6 weeks prem so not sure if that makes a difference

after reading this whole thread i am convinced this is what is wrong with Ava. i am finding it really really hard. Ava is so hungry but wont take more than 20 oz a day, sometimes 23oz if we are lucky

i am taking her to the docs tomorrow and hopefully they will be able to advise us on what to do next. i just hope they dont fob me off too, its getting me really down.

 

[laracomps]

hi ladies, just had the on call doc on the phone. id had enough of being fobbed off by my HV and called the doc. Ava will not take her bottles the doctor says it sounds like reflux -

she will take a few gulps of milk - scream - we can hear the milk or somthing coming up as she is trying to take her bottle - more screaming and not wanting anything my poor baby.

this has gone on for two/three weeks now. doc says although it sounds like reflux ava is a bit old to be getting it now. she is 14 weeks old but was 6 weeks prem so not sure if that makes a difference

after reading this whole thread i am convinced this is what is wrong with Ava. i am finding it really really hard. Ava is so hungry but wont take more than 20 oz a day, sometimes 23oz if we are lucky

i am taking her to the docs tomorrow and hopefully they will be able to advise us on what to do next. i just hope they dont fob me off too, its getting me really down.

FWIW Phoebe's reflux got dramatically worse from 12 weeks onwards. She finally got diagnosed at 4.5 months. I read on a reflux website that it normally peaks at around 4 months, and for us it certainly did.

I would insist on trying infant gaviscon. If they refuse to give it to you I'd go and buy some over the counter to try. That way you have a bargaining tool if it works.

It is so so hard, I saw 6 doctors in 2 weeks (if I remember correctly) - only one of those (a private one I might add) agreed that it was reflux and prescribed us gaviscon. Until this point, and after(!!!) I still kept getting told it was colic.

You know your own child better than any Doctor. If they had to sit at home with a baby screaming in pain 24/7 they would know it was not just 'colic'! If they keep saying thats what it is, insist on being referred to a paediatrician

Oh and its more common in prem babies I think?!

xx

 

[daftscotslass]

this has gone on for two/three weeks now. doc says although it sounds like reflux ava is a bit old to be getting it now. she is 14 weeks old but was 6 weeks prem so not sure if that makes a difference

This makes me sooo mad and I can't add much to what Lara said. Becky's reflux was also diagnosed around 4 months (probably around 3 1/2 months in fact). Don't be fobbed off - if necessary get some Gaviscon from the pharmacy (it's a "P"/pharmacy only med so it's behind the counter) and if it works you have ammo. It annoys me sooooo much that you get fobbed off almost as though you have some sort of new mother paranoia syndrome.

We are struggling on with our one sachet. Sickness is still there but just shortly after a milk feed. She's been much better on solids. If we don't give her any Gaviscon she is still uncomfortable as well as sick. We are due a review now-ish but apparently the GP is happy if we review with our HV rather than him which we have done. Got to bite the bullet and not give her it in some of her daytime feeds. She has dropped her milk feeds way down now and is probably having about 400ml a day (HV wants her to have 600 apparently ). We will keep soldiering on!

 

[lillou]

thanks for your reply laracomps and daftscotlass

i am not letting them fob me off, it is really hard to hear your own baby screaming in pain and seeing the pain in her eyes when she takes any milk is heartbreaking. it is reassuring to hear peoples stories of how they coped with this.

i do feel they are treating me like a first time, over paranoid parent

i am quite disappointed with my HV, i have been in touch with her nearly everyday about Ava and she has blamed it on the changed of SMA milk. i to a degree started thinking this too but it never explained why ava would be ok with one bottle then with the next she would scream.

i will update with what the doc says tomorrow. if she doesnt take me on at all i will buy it over the counter and it it helps at all i will be back to them to show them the difference.

xx

 

[daftscotslass]

thanks for your reply laracomps and daftscotlass

i am not letting them fob me off, it is really hard to hear your own baby screaming in pain and seeing the pain in her eyes when she takes any milk is heartbreaking. it is reassuring to hear peoples stories of how they coped with this.

i do feel they are treating me like a first time, over paranoid parent

i am quite disappointed with my HV, i have been in touch with her nearly everyday about Ava and she has blamed it on the changed of SMA milk. i to a degree started thinking this too but it never explained why ava would be ok with one bottle then with the next she would scream.

i will update with what the doc says tomorrow. if she doesnt take me on at all i will buy it over the counter and it it helps at all i will be back to them to show them the difference.

xx

All the best

 

[sparky]

good luck with the docs, whilst you are there ask for a peadatrician referral as the remit of most GPs doesnt seem to extend beyond gaviscon, dont get me wrong gaviscon might be enough but if it isnt at least you will be in the que for an appointment.

Big hugs to you too, its sooo hard when they wont feed

 

[lillou]

just back from docs, doc wasnt really convinced it was reflux at first as ava is 14 weeks old but once i explained this has gone on for 3 weeks she started listening to me.

she examined ava and found nothing and then weighed her. she has out on a bit of weight from last week so no worried there....yet!

she has prescribed infant gaviscon for a week then i have an appointment next week to see if it has helped.

yesterday i went to the chemist and purchased the infant gaviscon and so far, fingers crossed it works! i didnt tell the doc this though but next fri if it continues to help il tell her the wonders it has worked. it really made an instant change when ava was feeding, to see her enjoying her bottle even made me cry


thanks for all advice you have given me

 

[CoreysMummy]

I really hope it works for you hun!!

If it dosent then take her to A&E, thats what I had to do, as my HV is crap and GP is even worse!!

 

[helsbels]

Hi all
My LO Hattie was diagnosed with reflux last week (she is 7wks old) after the docs thinking it was pyloric stenosis - eek! She was prescribed infant gaviscon and ranitidine and it seems to be helping. Thing is now she seems to be suffering tummy ache and tummy gurgles and I think it could be constipation. Does IG cause consipation? I was wondering about reducing her dose to half a dose per feed as she is currently on the maximum (6 perday). Does anyone has experience of this?
Thank you so much, dealing with this reflux is hard!

 

[daftscotslass]

Hi all
My LO Hattie was diagnosed with reflux last week (she is 7wks old) after the docs thinking it was pyloric stenosis - eek! She was prescribed infant gaviscon and ranitidine and it seems to be helping. Thing is now she seems to be suffering tummy ache and tummy gurgles and I think it could be constipation. Does IG cause consipation? I was wondering about reducing her dose to half a dose per feed as she is currently on the maximum (6 perday). Does anyone has experience of this?
Thank you so much, dealing with this reflux is hard!

It can do, yep. If she's bottle fed you could always offer her some water but we always had the problem that water was easier to puke up I would speak to your doc about changing the dose, though - is she on one dual sachet (i.e. one set of sachets stuck together) or a single sachet?

Glad it seems to help though

 

[jellyfish]

Hi all!

DS has silent reflux, and we just started on Gaviscon this week. Up to now, he's been screaming with the pain, but doesn't often spit up, and when he does it's just small amounts.

Since starting the Gaviscon, he's been spitting up after each feed (after he has the Gaviscon). Sometimes it's quite a lot that comes back up.

Is this something that happens with Gavison before it improves, or should we stop giving it to him? Anyone got any experience with this?

Thanks,
Lizzy

 

[CoreysMummy]

Afraid not - did nothing for us.

How long has LO been on it? Id give it a week max, then go back to Dr's and tell them its not working.

Have you tried a comfort milk at all? Its thicker, my LO could keep it down, but it didnt help the acid, but then, gaviscon works for alot of people, it didnt for Corey. Only high doses of drugs have helped. SOoooo, fingers crossed, your Dr can do something for you!

 

[jellyfish]

Thanks for that. The past two days have been better with less spit up, so I'll keep going for now, thanks!

 

[claireyfairey]

Hi, can I join?

Saw nurse this morning who prescribed us infant Gaviscon....fingers crossed it works!!! I was wondering, do you all put it in every feed? I was told Isla can have up to 6 doses a day, but my cousin uses it with her little boy and they just give him 2 sachets a day - one in the morning, one in the evening

 

[daftscotslass]

I would give it every feed really. It only works in the feeds you give it so you should see a difference immediately.

 

[laracomps]

Second that for every feed.

It took a good week or two for us to notice a MASSIVE difference.

I am very happy to add that over the past ten days, we have successfully decreased Phoebe from a dual dose in each bottle to a single dose

 

[claireyfairey]

Thanks I've been giving her one sachet in each feed.

It seems to be working in the sense that Isla's taking more at her feeds - we're managing 5 ounces sometimes now!!! Which is brilliant. We still spit up at times....like before, sometimes more than others, but I think I've seen an improvement

Only one problem though....Isla's poo It was quite solid yesterday, and I would say it was this colour....any suggestions/advice? I have been offering her 20 - 30mls of water a day, a few sucks here and there in the hope it will help. Ikky though!

C xxx

 

[laracomps]

Thanks I've been giving her one sachet in each feed.

It seems to be working in the sense that Isla's taking more at her feeds - we're managing 5 ounces sometimes now!!! Which is brilliant. We still spit up at times....like before, sometimes more than others, but I think I've seen an improvement

Only one problem though....Isla's poo It was quite solid yesterday, and I would say it was this colour....any suggestions/advice? I have been offering her 20 - 30mls of water a day, a few sucks here and there in the hope it will help. Ikky though!

C xxx

Poo is normal Phoebe's used to look like bright yellow playdoh! As long as she isn't having any problems passing it, don't worry