Infantreflux.org | Screaming during feeds...NEED HELP .. DESPERATE

This topic has 10 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 12 years, 6 months ago by hellbennt.

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April 11, 2012 at 10:25 pm #70238

Anonymous
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My son is 12 weeks old and was diagnosed with silent reflux around 3 weeks old. Just a little background we were originally prescribed Axid at 4 weeks old which helped a little but not really well…so pedi then prescribed Prevacid solutabs 15 mg to take 1/2 am 1/2 pm. Hudson has been on Prevacid since he was 6 weeks. We were doing ok but still struggling with what I thought was abdominal pain. I stopped BF around 4 weeks and was supplementing anyway as I was unable to produce enough. Hudson was on Similac Advance forumla for 2 weeks, then Good Start Gentle for 1 to 2 weeks, then I decided to try Good Start Soy. The pain went away with the soy but he was very constipated. We were still dealing with gagging and choking episodes and he was started to fuss during bottle feeding. I made an appt with highly recommended GI in our area (Dr. An in Dallas). At this time, Hudson was really starting to cry during some bottle feeds and was obviously uncomfortable but happy if he is not eating. Dr. An said his meds are ok and to continue Prevacid but he added a med called bethanechol which did absolutely nothing. We scheduled a modified barium swallow which showed that he does not aspirate and swallows fine so I was sent back thinking it was something else. Dr. An said to try hypo allergenic formula so I did RTF alimentum but in order to keep in down had to add rice cereal…did this for a week….then he really started screaming during feeds which prompted another pedi visit and I insisted we were missing something.

After several Pedi appts we scheduled an upper GI to see anatomy. Results showed huge amounts of gas and reflux. We were switched to Neocate infant formula on Saturday and he is still screaming during each feeding. I’m giving him gas drops at every feeding thinking thats causing him to scream, but it’s not working. Still on Prevacid solutabs 15 mg and docs keep telling me to give it time. My biggest fear is he will start to lose weight and develop major bottle feeding aversions. I want to figure out whats hurting him. We are obviously missing something. Dr. An said it might be behavioral…personally I don’t think an infant could have behavioral feeding problems unless its being caused by an underlying problem that we are not treating properly. NEED HELP!!! Why won’t my baby eat and why is he screaming only when he eats? He is a happy baby otherwise!

Is the prevacid dose enough? I was told by GI dr that he is on a teenagers dose and therefore it is high enough.

Could the prevacid cause low appetite?

Could the prevacid be causing abdominal discomfort/gas?

to make a very long story short….Hudson is 10 lbs 10 oz and is only eating between 12-16 oz a day and its a struggle to get it down. He eats better while sleepy but generally screams and screams during every feed now. He will eat an oz then cry and cry.

What should I do? He was born full term at 5 lbs. 13 oz. and is otherwise healthy. Ears and throat have been checked and rechecked by pedi…no sign of thrush either. What could it be….???

April 12, 2012 at 7:50 am #70240

hellbennt
Keymaster

if baby isn’t eating neocate, transition slooowly- adding one ounce at a time to ‘old’ formula if you have to- once on pure neocate it can take up to two full weeks to see any improvement-

as for the prevacid, it should be enough for now- split & give it two or even three times a day-make sure you give solutab on EMPTY STOMACH followed by a meal 30 minutes later. if you have any zantac you can give that, too, just space it 4hrs from the prevacid

there’s a lot of important info from this link – also look for HOW to Administer Solutabs 🙂

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=1

your doctor is recommended by more than one parent here…

it all takes time…hang in there!

April 12, 2012 at 8:08 am #70242

Anonymous
Inactive

It’s not that he just won’t eat neocate we were having same problems with alimentum and soy. I don’t have Zantac. How much time do I need to allow? This has been going on for weeks.

April 12, 2012 at 1:57 pm #70244

Anonymous
Inactive

enorton, my son did not improve until I got him on 30 mgs of Prevacid daily, but he was about 16 lbs when we started it at 5 months. By then he had already developed a feeding aversion and gave up the bottle. I had to spoon feed him his breast milk. He would take it from a spoon but he’d scream at the sight of a bottle. Your doctor is right that that the screaming during feeds could be behavioral, but behaviors have causes and the cause is probably reflux pain.

Spreading the Prevacid over three doses is best. Are you using the solutabs? Giving them on an empty stomach, then feeding 30 minutes later?

My son managed to thrive on 15 ounces of breast milk per day with a little oatmeal twice per day, so don’t worry so much about the amount he’s eating. If his weight is okay, he’s getting enough. If he’s in pain, that needs to be addressed. But it could be that like my son, his pain is better, but he reacts so negatively to the bottle because of the feeding aversion. My son continued to scream at the sight of a bottle even after his reflux pain was under control. Does he seem to be in pain throughout the day, or is he fine as long as you’re not trying to feed him? Does he sleep well? If he sleeps well and cries mainly during feeds, he may not actually be in pain anymore. You said he’s mostly happy and screams only when he eats. To me this indicates a feeding aversion, not that he’s in pain. This is exactly what happened to my son.

I would suggest trying to spoon feed him for a while and see if he forgets how much he hates the bottle. My son never went back to a bottle, but he was much older than your son when we finally got his reflux under control and by then the feeding aversion was deeply entrenched. Your son is younger and may forget. You could try giving him a bottle when he’s sleepy before naps and bedtime, but use the spoon the rest of the day. I used to use a plastic picnic type of spoon because they are deeper than baby spoons. Just prop him up in a bouncy chair and place the spoon on his lower lip. Most babies will slurp liquid from a spoon just to try it out and if they are thirsty or hungry they will continue to slurp. I fed my little guy 3 ounces by spoon about 3 times per day and then he drank a 6 ounce bottle before bed every night when he was falling asleep. That’s all he ate except a little added oatmeal twice per day and managed to grow. I don’t know how, but he did.

Good luck . I know how hard it is to care for a baby who won’t eat. I hope it gets better soon.ndrose2012-04-12 14:01:18

April 12, 2012 at 9:09 pm #70246

Anonymous
Inactive

I put a call into GI dr this morning asking if we should change meds..got a call back from assistant that they were calling in Nexium. Has anyone had luck with this medication? Also, took Hudson to a pediatric chiropractor this morning…I’m trying everything. Has anyone heard of reflux treatment through chiro?

Christine:

Yes, generally he is happy and smiling and is able to be soothed with paci. He is even able to fall asleep on own while lying in crib which I never had with my older son. My older son never slept (no reflux) and Hudson seems to love to sleep. He occasionally will wake up crying in pain and fusses a little bit once he is done eating but ok with paci. Today was a better day. He ate almost 16 oz!!!! Going to try and feed him again before bed. Still fussed a bit but not nearly as much as usual. Typically he sleeps from 10pm to 5am then I feed him and he goes right back to sleep 🙂

The main problem is bottle feeding 🙁 I can try to feed him by spoon but wouldn’t that upset him more since he doesn’t get it fast enough? Can a 3 month old slurp liquid from a spoon easily?

Thank you so much for advice!! It’s nice to know I’m not alone dealing with similar issues.

April 12, 2012 at 9:11 pm #70247

Anonymous
Inactive

Oh, what about product called colic calm? Anyone use this?

I have mommy bliss gripe water which I have used a few times to calm him down during feeds.

April 12, 2012 at 9:22 pm #70248

hellbennt
Keymaster

can’t use gripe water with PPIs…and yes, nexium is a PPI that is used. the dosing for it is also on the dosing page linked from prevacid 101

I would see about using one of the products w/ it so you don’t have to time around meals- also linkedfrom prevacid 101

I did bring my ds to a chiropractor! I was desperate! did it help? well, not enough for me to claim it was wondrous or anything. On the otherhand, it didn’t hurt!

rather than gripe water or colic calm, maybe try probiotics?

I think if you would like to pursue the ‘colic‘ route, then read here:
Wondertime article, Colic Solved:
http://wondertime.go.com/learning/article/interview-colic-expert.html

page 2 of the article tells what probiotics help babies

and, probiotics, brands used:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8970&PN=1

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=1

hellbennt2012-04-12 21:25:47

April 13, 2012 at 11:48 pm #70251

Anonymous
Inactive

Finally got nexium approved through insurance…going to start tomorrow am, but got a question. GI dr prescribed 20 mg to administer 1 x a day. Does that seem right? From what I read here it is suggested to break it up into 3 doses during day. Just curious. Thanks.

April 14, 2012 at 9:28 am #70253

hellbennt
Keymaster

babies have fast metabolisms. that’s why it’s best to split the dose into two or even three doses. if you give it all at once, they ‘speed’ through it and then it’s out of their system- doesn’t last long like it does w/ adults-I would get the product https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14939 to make the nexium into a liquid that you don’t have to time around meals.

in the meantime, if you have any zantac around, I’d give that, too, spacing it 4hrs from the nexium…

April 14, 2012 at 9:37 am #70254

Anonymous
Inactive

Hellbent: thank you for that info…however, from what I read on post (unless I missed something) the nexium has to be capsules for that to work….I have packets of 20 mg. Can you please help me understand? Thanks so much. Sorry for the silly questions. Still trying to understand all this stuff. 🙂

April 14, 2012 at 1:14 pm #70255

hellbennt
Keymaster

yes I believe you’re right. the packets you have you need to give on an empty stomach and follow w/ a ‘meal’ 30 minutes later. in the meantime, you can ask your dr for a rx for the capsules (& if questioned just say you’ll give the beads on your finger- you’d like to try it that way)- and you can also contact the company & ask if you can use the packets because who knows? it looks like you can use solutabs and you never could before…
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Screaming during feeds…NEED HELP .. DESPERATE