Confused, help needed!

[Anonymous]

Forgive me in advance for the long post…

I’m so happy to have found this forum a few weeks ago and have been a silent reader, gaining so much useful information for my situation. My baby girl is 2 months old today and has been struggling with reflux/allergic colitis since she was 4 weeks old. I have a 2yr old son and as soon as my daughter started blood curtling screaming in the middle of the night, I knew something was not right (not to mention her poop had turned green). Our dr tested her diapers (positive for blood) and diagnosed her with reflux and allergic colitis, prescribed her with zantac, and told me to go off dairy and eggs (my son was allergy tested at 13mo after he broke into hives from his 1st birthday cake – dairy and eggs were his 2 strongest reactions). After 2 weeks without dairy/eggs she was doing so much better but still had episodes of pain/struggling to poo/screaming/etc. We went back to the dr at 6 weeks and she told me to eliminate soy and wheat as well. Things were going pretty good, eating tons of fresh produce, chicken/grass fed beef, and rice. Then she had a HUGE flare up, wouldn’t nurse, lots of screaming, not sleeping (1st time it impacted her sleep). The only different things I had eaten that week were corn tortillas and oranges. After researching on this site and others, I realized it could be the citrus. I debated what to do for a couple days (continue with just no dairy/soy/wheat/eggs/citrus? or follow an elimination type diet because I didn’t want to see another flare up ever again (I know, unrealistic, but was at my breaking point emotionally seeing my baby girl in so much pain). So, I decided to go on my own modified elimination diet (based on what I already had feelings she could/could not tolerate). I picked chicken, rice, pears, potatoes, grass fed beef, green beans, carrots, olive oil/salt/pepper. On the 4th day, she had her 1st full day without having one pain episode, all of her poos were the right color (still mucousy which I realize takes time), and she was smiling/happy (finally!). We had 3 days in a row of this and 2 nights ago my husband asked if I was allowed to have squash. I told him its in Dr Sears elimination diet, so assuming it should be fine. We made a rice pasta with chicken and yellow/green squash with olive oil/salt pepper. We had it for dinner and she had a great night. Yesterday I ate the leftovers for lunch, and then we made the same meal for dinner again (husband was happy to have variety, he’s been doing his best to stay as close to the diet with me for support). She had a great day yesterday, but then last night she woke up sooner than usual, and she was screaming in pain. I immediately felt panicked, its just been a long 5 weeks and I thought we were finally on the right track. She only screamed for 15min and then gave up and went back to sleep without pooping. This am she woke up happy, pooped and went back to sleep. She’s basically been sleeping all day, just waking up to nurse and go back to bed. No more episodes, but I’m super paranoid because we went 3 full days and 2 nights without any apparent pain.

So…finally where I need help 🙂 1st, during the healing process do babies still have some bad screaming/struggling to poop/hard belly/loss of sleep moments even if you’ve figured out the right combination of foods that seem to be working? Or is her episode in the middle of the night last night an indication that she reacted to the green/yellow squash? Her poops look exactly like they did the last couple days (right color, a little less mucous than at her worst). Is being extra sleepy sometimes an indication of healing? Or should I be concerned? She’s honestly been a pretty good sleeper thru all of this, just sometimes needs to be in bed with us, but she seems to be even more sleepy than usual today. I’m just afraid to overreact and cut out the squash, but I’m also afraid to keep it in and have her get worse again. My 2nd question is how long does it typically take for a flare up to normalize again. The week that made me decide to do total elimination made me think it took almost a full 6 days since the last time I had oranges to see ANY improvement…is that normal?

Oher things to note – We always giver her the zantac as prescribed (twice a day .8ml) and I just ordered the Klaire labs infant probiotic last week so I plan to start that as soon as it comes. I myself have been taking probiotics since pregnancy with her. She is gaining weight wonderfully as well.

Thanks for being here, it helps to just be able to get this stuff out of my head and I know everyone but my husband and my parents think I’m crazy and being extreme. I would do anything for her, and my goal is to definitely not stop breastfeeding her. I nursed my son until he was almost 15months old and would love to be able to do the same for her.

Thanks!

[hellbennt]

hmm…I am by no means an expert…but I know that it takes about 3 to 4 hours for what you eat to make it into your milk, so then the feeding after then, that’s what’ll affect the baby and you’ll see that effect after the milk is digested – either immediately or up to two hours later…and later…

as far as how long it can take to clear out of their system- it’so much trial & error- if you believe it was 6 days then it could have been…

It sounds like the squash is ok? I might try it again?…

sleeping is good! as long as it’s not so much as to cause weight loss, but some extra hours means she’s healthy & growing & comfortable enough (healing) to sleep…

here’s this:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12876&KW=reidun

hellbennt2012-03-02 13:59:56

[Anonymous]

Isn’t the zantac helping her?

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for the reply! And for the link, very helpful! I tried the squash one more time and she didn’t have any reaction/flare up, so I think I was just being paranoid. It’s just been a long 5 weeks trying to figure out what seems to keep her comfortable. She had a dr appointment yesterday and 2 out of 3 diapers were blood free, and one just had a very small amount so we are definitely on our way. How long is typically best to keep her baselined before I start the challenges?

About the zantac, I think it is working but I guess at this point I don’t know what she would be like without it to really tell. She is approaching one full week of being SOO much better than she was the last 5 weeks…having another great day today and couldn’t be happier!

[hellbennt]

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=9242

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

babywearing SAVED US!
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1044&PN=1

http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum

Milk allergy/night wakings/lLoveMySophia:
https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10017&KW=

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the info! She has been on the probiotics now for 5 days, and last night and today have been AWFUL. I read the probiotic links and realize that what she is experiencing is die-off of the bad bacteria, but wondering if you could share your personal experience with your babies on how many days they seemed much worse before getting better once you started them on the Klaire labs probiotic?

Thanks!!

[hellbennt]

oy. really give every thing two weeks. i know like I sound like a skipping CD, but…I don’t know how long it’s supposed to take…but every change truly seems to take two weeks…

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