Frustrated

[Anonymous]

My son starts screaming and crying around 10:00pm and doesn’t stop until about 2:30am. We try everything.
I get so frustrated cause I’m so tired, I know he is tired too but it doesn’t stop.
He is on Sensitive R S formula(this is his 3 formula since being born) we feed his smaller doses more often since he does spit up, and he is on Zantac(2MG 2 times a day). I don’t think the Zantac is even working.
He has his 2 month check up next Wednesday but I know I can’t wait that long, I am putting a call into his doctor tomorrow(which is our family doctor) and I am gonna demand something else be done or refer us to someone else.
I have 2 other children(ages 13 and 11) and didn’t have issues with them so this is all new territory for my husband and I.

Any advice?

Thanks so much!!

Kristy

[Anonymous]

Hi Kristy,

My son also fussed and cried all day long, which turned into all-out screaming by around the time you mentioned, every night. He would basically scream himself into complete exhaustion, and then crash every morning around 1:00 or 2:00 am. We dreaded every single night for awhile.

For us, most of his screaming fits were due to major protein intolerances. I was breastfeeding, and once I started the total elimination diet he was much better. This involved removing ALL milk, soy, and other proteins for me — even hidden ingredients. I don’t know anything about the formula you mentioned, but is it possible your son has a protein intolerance in addition to reflux? Many babies do, and some require mom to be on TED or a formula like Neocate or Elecare. How are your son’s bm’s? If they’re mucousy or bloody, that almost always means there is a protein intolerance.

Also, Zantac wasn’t worth the bottle it came in for either of my boys. We moved onto Prevacid (PPI drug, like Nexium and Zegerid) at a high dose (check out http://www.marci-kids.com) and then we had a happy baby.

When you call the doc, I’d probably first ask for a PPI prescription before changing formula again, but I’m not sure. Hopefully more ladies will chime in soon. This is a wonderful site that will help you SO much!!!

[Anonymous]

I would second everything Paula said and if you think there is a problem with the formula too, take in a fresh stooled diaper and have them check it for blood, it takes about 10 min and is a quick answer. The blood isn’t always blood you can see. (my son’s wasn’t) Also does he have excema like skin, rashes or a lot of diarrhea, mucous or noticable blood in the stool.

Otherwise I would start with a PPI also and get that under your belt that could help a lot of your problems.

[Anonymous]

Hi Ladies.
Thanks for responding.
I haven’t noticed any blood in his stools. He is mostly constipated, but yesterday he did have 2(which was good) but nothing so far today. No mucous or anything like that either. No skin rashes or anything like that either.
I really do think it’s the Zantac.

Thanks again.. putting a call into doctor right now

[Anonymous]

I vividly remember the day I knew something was really wrong with my guy. He woke up and started screaming and didn’t stop until 2:30am the next morning… I think only out of pure exhaustion. Of course that was 2 days before we left town for a week to spend a week at the beach with dh entire family… that was hell. When he wasn’t passed out from exhaustion he was screaming and I was under so much stress. We went to the doc right before we left and of course he was as sleep so she didn’t see anything physically wrong but when we got back we had our 2 month check up and that is when the ball got rolling another formula change (to nutramigen) started Zantac and then got an upper Gi and started prevacid and then with multiple does adjustments we had our happy baby. Be an advocate and push to make your lo comfortable. That is all you can do.

[Anonymous]

Took Jacob to the dr today..
I had to say to her about the Zantac being weight sensitive(she said let me check his weight and how much he is getting) of course the dose is way to low now for his weight. So she wrote down how much he can have now.
I asked her about an upper GI and she didn’t act like he needed one. Just said it was to see if they had reflux.
Then I asked her about other medicines like Prevacid~ she said that it isn’t good for babies until they are 6 months of age.
I asked her about Mylanta~she said oh you might buy it and say it works wonders the first day, but the second day it probably won’t work.
She did switch his formula to Alimentum so he has had one bottle of that for now, we will see.
She is now saying he probably just has colic

I’m so frustrated after that doctor’s appointment.

He goes back in next week for his 2 month check up so we will see what happens then.

Thanks for listening!!

[hellbennt]

This tells you it’s reflux, not colic:

Wondertime article/colic solved: http://wondertime.go.com/learning/article/interview-colic-expert.html

check dose of zantac:

Zantac dosing- my/other’s question: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9539&PID=82914#82914

[Anonymous]

I am saying this just b/c it sounds like you have an unflexible doc on your hand, but you may want to look into a different doc. My son started prevacid at 11 wks old. And I know of other lo’s on this site who have started as early as 4wks so it is totally safe. DH is a pharmacist and he wouldn’t let me give Cooper anything that wasn’t safe. He warned me against the reglan when we were given that and I only gave him 1 dose so if the prevacid wasn’t safe we wouldn’t have and I know other moms wouldn’t have used it. maybe try the marci-kids site and print off the research to take to your appointment next week… otherwise I might look into a different doc.

[Anonymous]

Thank You Beth..
I wrote on something under the Doctor section(don’t remember what’s it called)
but I was wondering if I need a referral from our family doctor to see a specialist?
Do any of you know

Thanks so much ladies!!
You guys are life savers.. I could be on this site all night if it was allowed by baby

[Anonymous]

It depends on your insurance whether or not you need a referral. Under our previous insurance, we needed referrals to specialists. Our newer insurance does not require referrals. I would call the 1-800 number on your insurance card and check with them.

[hellbennt]

there’s a link (near the top, lol!) to finding a specialist near you, here:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=853&PN=1&TPN=1

(I encourage everyone to post on that thread about their ped GIs- the good & the bad!)

[Anonymous]

Dylan didn’t get on prevacid until several months old, but Carter was on at 10 weeks (prilosec) and it was still a week before his due date, so definitly, at least in our docs oppinion, they can have it much younger than 6 months…

I would also try to find another doctor unless there is some reason you are attached to this one. You can always go for a “second opinion” and not tell your first doc, so if you don’t like the new ped you see, then you can still go back to that one you already see depending on your insurance.

Hang in there!!!

[Anonymous]

I agree with you all. If your doctor is not willing to work with you, go else where. Our first doctor was not willing to try anything different and kept saying it was colic and a little reflux. After a weekend of a screaming and constipated baby I found my own specialist who turned out to be excellent. He was willing to listen and was open to new medicines. We were on Zantac first and it did nothing but make him fussy. We are now on Prevacid and Neocate with great changes. Dont give up now, it gets better.

[Author]

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