Home › Forums › Infant Reflux Information › Miscellaneous › is it colic, reflux, gas, or food intolerance????
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May 21, 2011 at 11:06 am #68405
Anonymous
InactiveThis post is long, but I’m so confused I just put everything out there hoping those of you with experience in reflux babies can tell me whether my son’s behavior is typical of a baby with reflux or food intolerances or just colic and gas. My husband and I are first time parents and we, especially me, are at are wits ends with our situation. Since this is our first child and we really know no one who has dealt with reflux we feel like we are grasping at strings making choices for our son and we just want to make the right choices.
I have done extensive research on reflux, food intolerances, colic, baby gas, medications, etc. and because of this have been able to predict the Dr.’s course of action before each appointment, but now our Dr. has prescribed Reglan and I’m extremely hesitant to give it to our son, as I have been about Zantac, which made no difference, and Prevacid, which may be helping him a bit…Our son is just 2 months old and while he is gaining weight steadily he is not what one would call a “happy chucker”. He was born at 6.14 and now weighs 11.15, and though he is gaining weight well he is extremely irritable among many other symptoms.My question to all of you parents out there is multifaceted because I’m so lost and just want to make the best, educated choices, for our son.First of all, I want to know what all of you think of my son’s habits and symptoms.Crying: We are lucky to get about an hour of happy awake time in the morning and again in the afternoon, but for the most part our son spends the majority of his awake time crying. And, no matter what we do, most of the time, we cannot get him to stop. What worked yesterday never works today. He also wakes from his sleep crying, during the day, all the time. I think I’ve seen him wake peacefully maybe a handful of times. At bed time, he has crying jags that can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours and at those times it is impossible to stop the crying.Sleep habits: When we 1st brought him home he was much easier than he is now. He slept fine in his bed, in his pack and play, our arms, wherever…and alot, but that is understandable. Now, he sleeps best on someones chest. He will actually sleep soundly, when laid down on the couch, which I feel is unsafe, but anywhere else he rouses in a matter of minutes. Even the couch is not failsafe. If I want him to get any sleep I pretty much spend my day sitting with him glued to me. Even then his naps last 45 min on average tops. At night, after his crying jags I usually can get him down for about a hour to 3 hours but it varies and is only about 25% of the time. The other 75% of the time he will only sleep on one of our chests. After his initial sleep spurt it is impossible to get him to bed on his own and I am resigned to sleeping with him on top of me. Otherwise, I’m up every 30 minutes getting him back to bed. In our bed I can get a 4 hour stretch and a 6 hour stretch. But, sleeping is miserable for me and I worry about him rolling off me onto the floor so my husband gets a sliver of the bed and I create a pillow fort, but that too makes me nervous because our son could roll into one of the pillows and smother. My only consolation comes from an apnea monitor he is on, due to family history and the Dr. has now kept him on due to reflux, because it will alert if he has not taken a breath in 20 seconds.Vomiting/spitting up: We go through burp rags and clean shirts like there is no tommorow. He will spit up to some degree without a doubt after every feeding…Also between feedings. He projectile vomits at least 1 time every day. Then there are many instances when he is upright after a feeding, on my shoulder, where food is coming up in abundace but I’m unable to say definatively whether he is vomiting or spitting up due to his face being against my body. I don’t know what is common spit up/vomit wise among reflux babies. Our Dr. is concernded over 1 vomit a day and no great response to Zantac or Prevacid and that is why he’s advanced to Reglan.Other symptoms: Hiccups multiple times a day, wet burps whenever we can get him to burp, lots of painful gas which he will wake from screaming, hates tummy time, constant stuffed nose, ocassional chest congestion, back arching often while crying, lots of drool, breastfeeds well at night and maybe 2 times a day, but fusses at the breast more often than not and feeds for a max of ten minutes most of those times,and then back on the breast in about an hour, ocassional red eyes he rubs, spit uo is ocassionally like curdled milk and mucousy, really runny poops 1 time a day since intro of Prevacid-where pretty normal previously. I think thats it.As a food intolerance precaution I’ve had no dairy for almost 2 weeks now and trying to stay away from soy, but need to reevaluate my diet much more to accomplish that as soy is in everything that is not organic.I know I have a LOT of information here, but I don’t know what is typical for a baby with reflux or food intolerances or colic or gas or whatever it is making our son soo unhappy. I’m just looking for those of you with experience to evaluate what I’ve said and tell me what your opinion on our situation here.I don’t want to force medication on our son when I feel like they’re making little difference and I certainly don’t want to give him Reglan without feeling one hundred percent certain it would be benificial. Our Dr. is great, but he is a big “reflux” Dr. and jumped to prescribe meds each time we had a discussion over our son. I’m planning on visiting a different Ped before giving him any different medication just because I want another opinion.This may be my first child, but I’ve had a lot of experience with babies and newborns and I know my son’s behavior is not what is considered normal.. and I know I am a good mom, but I feel like a miserable mother when I have to put him down because I cannot handle a second more of his crying or having absolutely no personal space at any time during my day. I just want to get this situation figured out so we can have a happier baby. I don’t want him to be miserable because it is beginning to make me pretty miserable as well.Please help me with your opinions and advice. I greatly appreciate any input any of you may have.SarahMay 22, 2011 at 8:31 am #68407InactiveThis sounds alot like my son at 8 weeks old. He was silent refluxing though.. The cough, chest congestion, has he ever had bronchitis/pneumonia? Is it all the time? Have your baby ever had a chest x-ray? Need to ask about aspiration if this is a continous thing. My son was aspirating. He was placed on a NG tube which helped only for a little bit. He then had surgery to put in a G button and a fundalication done. 6 weeks later he passed a swallow test and is now drinking out of the bottle and is a “normal” baby once again! What kind of formula are you using? We finally had to use Ready to fed Alemintum. The powder formula has corn in it. I not sure if any of this helps but just thought i would share it with you just incase! I wish you the best of luck. The best of advice i have is keep pushing the doctors until you get the answers you like!
May 22, 2011 at 6:29 pm #68409Inactiveno bronchitis/pneumonia and he is stuffy almost all the time. no medical procedures of any sort. i breast feed so no formula at all. i’m going to call the ped i went to as a child and get an appointment for this week because i want a second opinion on everything. i really would rather try to figure out exactly what is going on before we keep medicating him. i appreciate your input.
May 22, 2011 at 7:04 pm #68410InactiveI totally agree with they medicine and getting a second opinion.. That is great no bronchitis or anything.. Stuffy most of the time? Mine is right now well both my kids,, allergies? They put my oldest on allergy meds and he is doing great.. My youngest i can’t cuz he is too young i guess. Just keep pushing until you get the answers you want!! I am no doctor but it kinda sounds like a little bit of everything. I wish you the best of luck!!
May 23, 2011 at 8:44 am #68414Inactivetwo kids? lol my husband and i, at this point, feel very reluctant to go through all of this again, but i’m sure as things improve our minds will be completely changed. our son is a little miracle..as all babies are.. no determined allergies, but i’ve beein eliminating dairy from my diet, but upsettingly after 2 weeks no dairy i accidently slipped up two days in a row.. thats what going out to dinner and potluck at church will do to a determined person i guess =(. anyhow we will see in time… im glad your children are doing well at this point! and again i appreciate your input so much.
May 23, 2011 at 11:00 am #68415Inactiveya 2 kids,, our first child didn’t have any of the reflux. He just was MSPI.. Which wasn’t too bad which by 1 1/2 he grew out of it. He was on rice milk for awhile. We still have to watch what he eats and drinks though. Our oldest is 2 and our youngest turns 6 months tomorrow. After having our youngest I’m pretty sure i am done having kids.. Just keep your head up.. I know its very frustrating and not very many people will understand what your going through and that will make it even more frustrating.. Just keep pushing the doctors as much as you can.. If they don’t kow the answers ask them to refer you to someone that will have them..
May 23, 2011 at 8:17 pm #68420hellbennt
KeymasterReasons a breastfeeding mother might think her baby is reacting to something in her milk:
*poop that is not ‘normal’ mustardy yellow, seedy breastfed baby poop
*mucous in poop; mucous can look like: snot, jelly, cottage cheese, stringy like the inside of a banana
*foul-smelling poop
*stinky, foul-smelling painful gas
*straining and grunting to poop and, when baby finally does poop, it’s soft
the TED takes two weeks and then you start adding foods in to see what you CAN eat.
Research all you can! You are your baby’s best advocate!
Look for all posts by Erinntx! (be SURE to read her ‘sticky’ – the link is below)
here’s some more light reading for you :MSPI ‘Main’ page:
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2697
best EXPLANATION OF FOOD ALLERGIES/INTOERANCES and their RELATION TO REFLUX that I have found, to date: 2nd post: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2697&PN=2
Misconceptions about how Neocate & Elecare work: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6013
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT:
Erin‘s sticky: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12948&PID=105126#105126
More Erin: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13175&PID=106395#106395
Erin post: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13576
Great anne post: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9242Exposure to foods & blood testing: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12993
Sheri’s allergy/intolerance explanation: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10223&PID=87638#87638
Another Sheri explanation- intolerance/allergy post:
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11579&PID=97442#97442
Accuracy of allergy testing & great post by sherri explaining IgE and IgG (intolerance/allergies) https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10815
(sue again, replying to gina- breastfeeding info to (TED)https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11324&PN=1probiotics, brands used:
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8970&PN=1
erin posts that mentions enzymes:
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12781&KW=enzyme
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12610&KW=enzymehttps://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12227&KW=enzyme
Post from me:
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12200&KW=enzymeMay 23, 2011 at 11:05 pm #68425InactiveFirst of all you’re doing a great job, hang in there. I only have little experience with reflux as my second son had reflux but it was easily controlled with Zantac. HOWEVER, my third son is 9 months old and has multiple food intolerances. I am also BFing. Here’s what we encountered:
He always had baby acne/ezcema, reflux sypmtoms mainly a constant stuffy nose, painful gas, periods of cry (mainly in the evening), mucuousy stools, and then the last symptom was awful bright green stools with blood. Long story short, he has mulitpile food intolerances that we determined through an elimination diet. His symptoms improved only after eliminating dairy and soy from my diet, and then all symptoms cleared after eliminating dairy,soy,egg,tomatoes from my diet. It took a good 4 wks to figure it all out and I got a lot of help from the TED board on here.I would say definitely eliminate ALL dairy AND soy from your diet, hidden and obvious for at least two weeks and see if makes any difference.Again, I don’t know much about reflux medicines, but I would just encourage you to read about Reglan if you’re worried about using it.It know it’s hard to eliminate so much from your diet, but you can do it! Read labels, be dilligent. Get help from this board, and godairyfree.org, kellymom.com has a list of ingredients that you can use as a research when grocery shopping. Reflux can definitely be aggravated by a food intolerance.Again, I would say eliminate soy as well because its protein is very similar to dairy protein. If he improves you could always trial soy later on.I feel like there’s so much more to say! Let me know if I can help some how! Good luck 🙂May 25, 2011 at 4:27 pm #68428Inactivethanks for all the input ladies, i really appreciate it.
i’ve stopped all medications for the time being and he seems to be pretty happy, not as happy as i’d like, but the prevacid was making his gas and potty issues worse. while on it he was straining, farting smelly farts, grunting, and having gross nasty runny brown poops.i’m looking into treating everything through probiotics and seeing if that will help.definately decided NO to reglan because he is not vomiting as much as he was and he is thriving just fine. i don’t like the risks involved.we’ll just keep trucking along and see what happens.. i feel like he’s more in pain from an upset belly than anything else… so i’ll just have to stop eating the dairy again and soy and just see if that helps.. because medicine has done nothing.grr.. i’m envious of “easy” babies, but i would not trade my son for the world.May 25, 2011 at 6:40 pm #68429Keymastersounds like a plan
I wouldn’t necessarily write off medicine all together…if your baby was reacting, most likely it was the form of it- was it solutabs? a compound made at the pharmacy?‘Prevacid 101’ can really help explain all about the PPIs and there’s even info about zantac, pepcid & axid (you might want to try zantac or pepcid or axid at the PROPER dose…)
Here is Prevacid 101, scroll to the last page of this post, (it’s actually also about other PPIs like prilosec, too)
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1936&PN=0&TPN=1October 29, 2012 at 12:07 am #71124InactiveHi there, what you’ve described is exactly what we are going through with our 5 week old son.
How did you end up resolving the issue? we had a Dr. appointment a couple of days ago and he said that he either has reflux or cow milk allergies. Although the symptoms are the same, we are thinking it is more like reflux.What did you end doing? Did Zantac help? It is hard seeing him cry after, almost, every feeding.Appreciate your input.ThanksJordanOctober 29, 2012 at 1:36 pm #71127KeymasterReflux and food intolerances/allergies can go hand in hand:
best EXPLANATION OF FOOD ALLERGIES/INTOERANCES and their RELATION TO REFLUX that I have found, to date: 2nd post: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2697&PN=2
I have a LOT more to say & most of it is in the link below- please read through it, scroll through it & come back to it- it’s LONG but TRULY will help!
Groupie IntroOctober 29, 2012 at 9:31 pm #71129InactivePlain/simple reflux can be caused from a lack of probiotics. Depending on the severity of symptoms, some doctors won’t even prescribe anything but for some babies Zantac will help them feel better and spit up less for several months until their probiotics are built up. Some doctors may suggest a probiotic supplement. But for some babies, doctors will prescribe a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor) For some babies they may stay on this for more than just a few months but most babies will outgrow simple reflux.
Here is somethings I copied from an article I found when doing some research on colic…
Whilst in your womb, your baby’s intestinal tract is sterile – and so its free from bacteria. From birth though, your baby begins the process of acquiring the friendly bacteria in the gut that play such a critical role in health and wellness.
How your child is born, strongly influences what kind of bacteria your child will acquire. Infants that are born vaginally begin accumulating beneficial bacteria including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Escherichia coli (commonly abbreviated to E. coli) and Enterococcus in the birth canal with the very process of birth. These bacteria form the foundations of a healthy digestive flora and originate from healthy maternal vaginal and fecal flora.
Babies born via cesarean on the other hand, receive a different mix of bacteria at birth. This comes from the maternity hospital itself, notably from nursing staff and equipment and includes Clostridium and Streptococcus.
Following birth, the acquisition of digestive flora continues until your baby is around two to three months of age with most of this beneficial bacteria coming from the mother via touch, suckling and kissing.
The way in which you feed your baby also has a strong influence on his or her digestive flora. A breastfed baby tends to have greater numbers and types of beneficial bacteria than a formula fed infant, notably Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus. These bacteria, specifically those belonging to the Bifidobacteria clan (genera) thrive in the presence of breast milk proteins and constitute up to 90% of a breastfed infant’s micro flora. They help prevent harmful bacteria colonizing the infant’s intestine.
Newborns have an immature digestive system that has never processed food. The gastrointestinal system is literally just learning to function. Muscles that support digestion have not developed the proper rhythm for moving food efficiently through the digestive tract. Furthermore, newborns lack the benevolent bacterial flora (probiotics) that develop over time to aid digestion. This explains why a lot of infants outgrow colic within the first six months.
But if reflux is to a worse than just spitting up and some gas, like crying for many hours, green, mucousy, or bloody stools (and more symptoms) then it may be due to not being able to properly break down the proteins in milk and/or soy. This is most often referred to as MSPI (Milk/soy protein intolerance). Generally Zantac will not help enough for this and doctors will prescribe a PPI and and if that doesn’t help much they may suggest cutting dairy out of the nursing mother’s milk or changing formula to one that has the proteins extensively broken down like Alimentum or Nutramigen.
enz
Some doctors but not many may suggest an enzyme supplement because enzymes are what break down proteins and if the nursing mother isn’t eating enzyme rich food (all foods have enzymes unless they are cooked or processed) then the baby may not be getting enough to break down their food. Babies pancreases (they produce enzymes)are just learning to work just like all their other organs and it can take them awhile to really start produces a lot of enzymes.
I have heard of some babies that have taken enzyme and probiotic supplements for several months then they are fine without them. For my children thought I am afraid that they have inherited pancreases that just don’t make very many enzymes. 🙁 As long as they take enough supplements during the day they can eat anything but they may have to always take the enzyme supplement. Kinda like the diabetic has to take insulin.
My oldest was on Zantac for a little and it didn’t help him. Prevacid helped much more. So when my second child came along we started him on Prevacid right away. They took Prevacid till they were 1 and 3. And thanks to the probiotics and enzymes they don’t have to take Prevacid anymore.
But every child is different. And every parent is different in what they want to try. So do what feels best to you and if it doesn’t work, then try something different until you find the right thing.
I really like a book titled “Colic Solved” written by a pediatric GI specialist. He says there are 2 types of “colic”… reflux and milk intolerance. He feels that the word colic shouldn’t even be used anymore. This book could help you decide if your child had reflux or a milk intolerance and it could help you decide how best to treat it.
I wish the best in finding the answers you are looking for.
October 30, 2012 at 5:54 pm #71132KeymasterWondertime article, Colic Solved:
page 2 of the article tells what probiotics help babies (so you don’t have to wait to read the book
probiotics, brands used:
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8970&PN=1
hellbennt2012-10-30 17:54:55
October 30, 2012 at 6:33 pm #71133InactiveThanks Laura for posting that link. Nice to know about it! 🙂
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