Blood in stools

[Anonymous]

I just recently found this forum while desperately searching the internet for information and am asking for any help I can get! I’ll start with some background information.

I am a FTM with an almost 4 month old son (DOB 11/11/12) we EBF and early on (around 2 Weeks) I stared to think he was reacting to something I was eating since he spit up large amounts throughout the day and was extremely gassy and at times cried out in severe pain with bouncing and tummy massage helping. I also started to notice his orange seedy poop turning to green…which the doctor said was normal but it still seemed odd to me.

I have had stomach problems my whole life but a diet of Whole grains, limited dairy and avoiding refined sugars seemed to help. So given my history I started avoiding all dairy, tomatoes (as a child acidic stuff bothered me some) and gassy veggies, garlic, onions. Since this was right in the middle of holidays and birthdays it was hard to avoid dairy at gatherings but I got strict with it in January. I then started to think I was seeing blood in his stools it was brownish purple and my husband said it was probably just brown and not blood but I started researching everything I could and looking for pictures on the internet and there was nothing that looked like what I was seeing. I read about MSPI so I cut out soy except soy oils. His reflux improved. Around 10 weeks I saw red blood in small specks throughout his diaper, his stools were still green and somewhat mucousy and often looked like chopped spinach.

He is now 15 weeks and he is still having specks of blood in his diapers. I know he had a flare up of reflux and large spots of blood after having to eat a wendys chicken sandwich (sure dairy and soy)on vacation that led to days of him having difficulty sleeping and periods of inconsolable crying. Over the last 5 weeks I have been desperately researching to figure out what is causing the blood and his fussiness and difficulty sleeping. The dr confirmed blood in stools but was no help just told me to keep doing what I can to figure out. I keep a food journal and believe he is reacting to beef and soy oils as well so I have cut those out for 2 weeks and started eliminating the top 8 allergens and gluten. His mood and reflux have improved and he is starting to sleep better.

Lately his diapers have started to be orange and seedy some mornings with no noticeable blood and as the day goes on turn green and slimy with blood! This makes me wonder if that means it is something I am eating during the day still. I’m eating a lot of rice, free range turkey, apples, spinach, squash, beans and enjoy life products and only eating what I prepare (even now while in a hotel). Im thinking of starting TED but now questioning rice and turkey?? I feel like I am loosing my mind so if anyone can offer some guidance I would love some help and encouragement.

Also can anyone recommend a naturopath near Asheville NC or any specialist that is helpful and supportive if EBF?

I ordered Klaire probiotics and researching enzymes but need guidance there.

[hellbennt]

I would do the TED and after 2 weeks, if need be, then cut out turkey for about a week, record you r findings, add it back in & cut out rice for a week and do the same…

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/INTOLERANCES 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=9242

More recent post – TED and success also using probiotics

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15293&PN=1

Exposure 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=1

probiotics, 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=enzyme

https://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=enzyme

[hellbennt]

EVERYONE READING THIS,

PLEASE

PLEASE

PLEASE

add to it!!!

Looking for GI: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=660

there are recommendations for ped GIs in your area…

[Anonymous]

You are an absolutely wonderful mom!!! You have done and are doing SO much to help your baby! And I am totally impressed at how well you’ve done with cutting foods out of your diet. I am so glad that you are still nursing your little one!

Blood in the stools… that one really scared me with my little one, Quinton. Yes, the screaming in pain for many hours without stopping, the major projectile vomitting, etc bothered me too but I was really concerned as to what was causing his intestines to bleed. When Quinton was about 6 weeks old he had a barium enema done and all that it proved/showed was that his intestines were raw, inflamed, and bleeding. Well, I knew THAT! I wanted to know WHY!!!

As I found so often… the doctors didn’t have answers as to “why”. They mostly just suggested different formulas, meds, diet change, etc. I am always in search of the “whys” in life and sometimes (often) I have to just “accept without understanding” instead.

Although I am VERY happy to have learned the the reason my children can’t break down protein well is because they don’t produce enough digestive enzymes and that by giving them enzymes it makes them be able to eat dairy and other high protein foods… I now want to know why they don’t make enough enzymes. But beings I am a mother of 3 I don’t have a lot of time to research so I am sort of being content and happy with them just taking digestive enzymes every time they eat.

I am also pleased as punch to learn (at least this is my opinion) that the reason my son had bloody stools was because his probiotics (which is supposed to line his entire digestive system) was low, if not completely depleted, and this caused his intestines to become rubbed raw, get inflamed and bleed. I believe that the “why” his probiotics were depleted is because of several reasons…

1. Babies don’t get their probiotics built up until they are ages 3-6 months.

2. The first dose of probiotics a baby is supposed to get is when traveling down the birth canal. My baby was born c-section.

3. Antibiotics kill probiotics. My son and I were both placed on antibiotics as soon as he was born due to my temperature rising to 101* during labor. (Which I now believe to be simply due to the long epidural I had. Not an infection)

4. Acid kills probiotics. And my son was having acid reflux before he was even a week old.

OK… enough about me.

What kind of probiotics did you order from Klaire Labs? My understanding is that they have a lot of different strains to choose from. And it is also my understanding that it is really important to take a probiotic supplement with at least 10 different strains of probiotics in them. I’m not saying the ones you ordered won’t help if there are just one or 2 strains in them. But what can happen sometimes is that they can help for awhile and then stop because the body is also low on other strains.

As far as the type of enzymes to use. I recommend plant based ones because the body can become dependent on animal based ones. It is also important that they are broad spectrum enzymes meaning that they have all the different types of enzymes needed for all the different stages of digestion.

Beings it is so late and I should be in bed sleeping rather than writing… I hope I have made sense in my sleepy state. Maybe I will write more tomorrow. Feel free to ask questions if you have them. I am not an expert but just a mom that’s been doing some research and has found that probiotics and enzymes have truly been life changing for us!

[Anonymous]

Thank you all so much for responding it helps to not feel alone in this! This is the probiotic I ordered for my son http://www.klaire.com/prod/proddetail.asp?id=K-TIF and this is what I plan to take http://www.klaire.com/prod/proddetail.asp?id=V775-06. If the links do not work it is Ther-biotic complete and infant formula. They hopefully will be delivered today. With the enzymes will it be helpful with just me taking them (EBF) or do they have a form safe for a 4 month old?

[Anonymous]

The infant probiotics have 10 strains of probiotics and the adult 13 so those looks good to me. 🙂 You might just try you taking the probiotics first. The slower you introduce them, the less likely they will cause your baby to feel so sick. Some babies don’t get sick from them (my children didn’t) but for some it will cause them to temporarily feel worse. This is not a bad sign but a good one. It means that bad bacteria and yeast are being killed off.

When I was nursing and took enzymes it worked fine and I didn’t need to give my baby and except when I supplemented with formula and when she started solids.

What we use is called “Digestive Health” sold by Core Health Products. It does not say on the bottle it is made specifically for babies but I took it while nursing and gave to it directly to my baby also. I spoke to the owner of the company once and asked specifically if they were ok to give to babies and he said yes. He said that the ingredients were all plant/food based and the body viewed them as food. So there really wasn’t such a thing as overdose with them. The Digestive Health contains 13 strains of probiotics, over 20 broad spectrum digestive enzymes, prebiotics (food for the probiotics)(I noticed that the adult probiotics you ordered contained prebiotics too.) and also the Digestive Health contains several soothing herbs for the gut.

I have searched for plant based enzymes made especially for babies (because a mom was wanting to give the probiotics and enzymes separately. Although there are some digestive enzymes available just for babies I was not satisfied with the looks of any of them. I might suggest that just you start taking them and see if that helps.

[hellbennt]

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=12227&KW=enzyme”>https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12610&KW=enzyme/

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12227&KW=enzyme

[hellbennt]

any updates? how are things?

Looking for GI: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=660

hang in there, everyone!

laura

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