Silent reflux help?!

[Syndilou]

So my lovely Evelyn is now 3 weeks old and I'm pretty sure she has silent reflux. She is never and I mean never content... Every feed is a battle, she always seems like she is in pain, hiccups all the time, you can hear her swallowing what you would assume is nothing and screaming probably 90% of the day!! I assumed it may have just been colic as she's worse in the evenings but something just isn't right. I've tried colief which seemed to help for 48hrs but now we're back to where we started! I've got dr browns bottles which have slowed her feeding a little but that's it!
She is killing me slowly with all the crying and with a 14month old as well I'm really struggling!!
What I wanted to ask was if any mums who's babies had silent reflux what were the symptoms you spotted?
And what treatment have you been using?

Thank you x x. X

 

[littlemonkey]

Both my boys have had it, although with my youngest it wasn't as silent!!

The symptoms are really similar to colic, so sometimes it's a bit of trial and error to see what helps. It also means being prepared for a fight at the doctors cos they will constantly fob you off with colic.

My eldest was a really grumpy baby. He was never really content, cried a lot and always wanted to be held. He hated being ladies flat anywhere and would only nap for half an hour at a time (and even getting him to sleep was a mission!). He was never sick much after feeds. Instead he had really sicky sounding burps, like you could hear more than wind coming back up. He also had constant hicups and would feed little and often. Eventually after 12 weeks he began to be really fussy with his feeds until he would scream as soon as I put him in the feeding position. He was eventually given ranitadine which helped hugely. He also had reflux milk which is thicker.

My youngest was projectile vomiting from day one, about once a day but was much more content compared to my eldest. He had some fussing on the bottle, so we moved him onto reflux milk and he seemed to be happier for a while. Then it started again, we tried gripe water and he improved a little, but that just upset his stomach and gave him bad poos. We took him to the doctors a few weeks ago because he was fussy when feeding all the time like my eldest, aged he's been given ranitadine and now is feeding better, happier and not throwing up.

 

[littlemonkey]

Gripe water is meant to be an anti acid so might help if you suspect reflux. But as I said it didn't agree with my little fellas tummy.

 

[Ams1985]

My son had silent reflux before it became really forceful projectile puking. Main symptoms were vile smelling breath. Super unsettled but especially bad after feeding, couldn't ever lie him down, had to have him sleep on me upright which was a killer. Only other place he'd drop off was the car seat. If I could put him in his cot once he'd fallen aslee he often did a word cough before along up and screaming again.

 

[Kay Kay]

My lo was diagnosed with silent reflux I think at about 8 weeks but we had been struggling with him since the start. The only thing that worked was omeprezole. The gp couldn't prescribe it, I had to go to the local children's hospital (gp referred be straight away when I told her how worried I was that he wasn't feeding well. He was terrible taking a bottle). Best thing I ever did as it really helped. The first thing to try though is baby gaviscon. It didn't work for my lo and made him terribly constipated so it's not something I would recommend. It's so hard though, you have my sympathy xxx

 

[Mummybexee]

Docs to try gaviscon - explain symptoms - that may help - if it doesn't , you'll have to keep going back - reflux is a long painful journey - we are still on it 16 months later

Def get your HV on board aswell

 

[Rooster30]

Oh gosh that's a sad thing to read mummybexee! My daughter just got prescribed gaviscon... I was hoping it will flip my daughter into a happier one! (trying it tomorrow).

 

[littlemonkey]

Oh gosh that's a sad thing to read mummybexee! My daughter just got prescribed gaviscon... I was hoping it will flip my daughter into a happier one! (trying it tomorrow).

They usually advise babies grow out of it by six months when they're more upright and taking solids. My eldest stopped his medication with no issues at nine months. Reflux can also be a symptom of other problems like milk allergies etc which is usually when it drags on longer than the first few months.

ETA I'm considering getting my youngest tested for cows milk allergy after both my boys having it. Although my doctor mentioned them both being sections could cause issues with their oesophagus too.

 

[Mummybexee]

Yep they love telling you it will stop when they wean or get to 1 year

But reflux actually can be life long with no allergies .

I weaned my son - he threw up food! Got to 1 - and 3 unsuccessful periods of weaning off meds

There's a FB group - living with reflux charity. Loads of helpful mums and dads on there

 

[Rooster30]

Nooooooooooo.

 

[Ams1985]

Yeh the sitting up thing wasn't true for us either, if anything it often meant a more forceful projectile to clean up. And early weaning didn't help either, just colourful vomit to clean out of the carpets. Prescriptions formula, thickener and high dose omeprazole are the only things that help even now at 14 months. We've tried to wean off the medication but the unsettled painful cries soon come back.

Go to your gp, perhaps gaviscon will help your little one. If not then go back and get them to refer you, it took months before we got anywhere but I'm glad I didnt just let them fob us off.

 

[Syndilou]

Thank you so much ladies! Well I took her to the doctors yesterday who had prescribed the gaviscon! Hopefully it will make a difference but I'm just as nervous about the prospect of constipation!! These poor babies! It's really hit us like a tonne of bricks as my first was such an easy baby! Doc also said to leave her on normal formula with the gaviscon and go back if no change xxx

 

[Rooster30]

Likewise syndilou. I'll be buying a couple of size 3 teats today to accommodate the gaviscon.

 

[Syndilou]

Likewise syndilou. I'll be buying a couple of size 3 teats today to accommodate the gaviscon.

Let me know how you get on, feeling so drained and helpless x

 

[Rooster30]

No change after two doses. She guzzled it down though so I guess that's a good thing.

 

[Syndilou]

No change after two doses. She guzzled it down though so I guess that's a good thing.

Evie's been on it for 24hrs but no change as of yet however I've heard it can take a while to work although I've only been given one box worth so I can see myself back at the doctors by the end of the week! Xxx

 

[Rooster30]

Gosh, I was given about three boxes! I hope it helps our babies soon.

 

[Syndilou]

So I thought we were making progress but she seems to have gone back to before!! She always seems to be crying unless she's asleep or feeding!! It's getting really hard work, even her wimper makes me feel like I have to be prepared to go into battle! I have bought some aptimil anti reflux but I'm hesitant to try it! I'm assuming we can't use the gaviscon with it as it is a thickening agent! Or do I wait til I go back to doctors! It's so hard being so clueless! X x

 

[littlemonkey]

Don't use the gaviscon in reflux milk, you'll end up with jelly!! Yes I am talking from personal experience!!

If gaviscon hasn't made any difference go back to the doctors and ask for something else to try. It is a matter of going back until you find something that works.

 

[Allthingsgirly]

Does silent reflux only effect bottle fed babies?