Silent Reflux

[~Debbie~]

I took Aiden to the Paed for his 6week check up on Thursday (he was 7weeks 2days).
Paed said he has Silent Reflux, which explained why he was feeding so often, his poos where the way they where etc etc. And started

He told me to give him 3 - 4ml of mylanta as needed, and a script for losac if i find the mylanta doesnt work.

So, i started giving him mylanta on Friday night, when he got really upset after his 6pm feed and 8pm feed, and he feed again about 9ish, and he slept thru till 7.30m Saturday morning. And Saturday, he was fine, like back to how he was only a 1 week or so earlier. Just happy, content, no really 'arsenic hour'. Sunday after noon, from about 4pm, it all went DOWN HILL BIG TIME.

Just could not get him to settle, and if we did, would be for about 20min if that. Was giving him Infants friend, and Mylanta. Trying not to give him to much, or 2 close together. Eventually, got him to sleep about 9.30, slept till 12.30, awake again at 3.30, 5.30, and now, has been unsettled since about 6.30.

I dont know what to do.

His poos got more solid, not so runny, more 'mustard seed looking', more regular, less smell etc, more skids, all that sorta stuff, so, i thought it was all working.

Could I have overdosed him? When feeding him, i could not only hear, but feel his stomach turning. His poos are a creamy yellow colour, and smell vile.

Do i go back to the paed, stick with the mylanta, get the losac script filled? I have had a out of wack week, and the weekend was the same, just on the go constantly, could a couple of 'normal' days at home help out?

The paed also said that cause he was feeding so much, that he was getting to much foremilk, which was causing the problem. And to express off the foremilk, so he just gets hindmilk. Anyone done this with any success? As i am exclusivly expressing, its not a drama to do it, and really, it made sense, as i had a supply issue, which now seems to be better, and when it did get better, he got better, for a day.

I just hate seeing him in pain, and feeling so useless.

[blue daisy]

Hey Debbie

you know your baby better than anyone...if you are not happy I would be ringing the paediatrician pronto and telling them you need to be seen today

in regards to the breastfeeding...that is an area that is best addressed by a lactation consultant. Your body makes breastmilk specifically for your baby's needs, there is probably no reason to express off the foremilk...all breastmilk is important for your baby

infant massage is very helpful in reducing the symptoms associated with reflux, as it helps mature the digestive system.

hope this helps, and you have a better day

xx yogababy

[mummycate]

i had many issues with dd's reflux. she only got diagnosed at 6 months, as i thought the vomiting and feeding problems were normal (first baby, how was i to know?). after many problems bf, she's been ff since 3 weeks old. she's now on AR formula. have you tried using a food thickener? karicare make a food thickener you can get from some supermarkets and several chemists. mix it up with some ebm and give it before, during and after a feed and it should make the bm thick enough to stay down. we've just got our third paed appt for tomorrow and we're getting investigative tests done. endoscopy and barium swallow etc to find out what kind of reflux and then what would be better to treat it. i think you should start the losec, as it can take 2 weeks to really start working but in the meantime take baby back to the paed and get a definitive diagnosis. dd was on mylanta which made the heartburn less painful but her reflux is mostly silent, with almost daily huge power vomits. it's been suggested to me that she has delayed gastric emptying so i'll mention that to the paed. tell your paed everything. burps, farts, arching of the back screaming, turning head away from breast, hiccups, straining. everything your baby does tell the paed. all the info adds up and they can find out what the problem is and what's best to fix it. good luck! i think we all need it.

[~Debbie~]

thanks guys.
I think the mylanta does the job, but, i also think it gives him a belly ache. His sleeping is gone out the window now. He was a great sleeper at nights, but now! About 4hours last night.
Considering he used to sleep for about 6hours, then feed, then another 3hours, and on friday night just gone, he slept thru for 9hours. Since then, all bad.

Someone else on here mentioned baumer? or something? Have a natural stomach relief thing, which they gave their bub for silent reflux. I would like to try that before i give him losac. He doest vomit, is ebm feed, farts alot in the evenings, doesnt really scream, more like just screws his face up, goes all red, and crys, but, not screaming. always had the hiccups, but now, it seems to upset him, where as before it didnt.

[Ngala]

Debbie

Hugs to you.. Its so stressful isnt it!! Avaleigh has got reflux and its really reared its ugly head in the past week. She's been crying/screaming a lot and nothing will settle her and she is not really sleeping during the day but last night we had a real good sleep of 7 hrs (longest night sleep ever!). I am hoping tonight will be the same as its been identical from last night.

I hope you find somethng that works.

[Matryoshka]

Debbie i think you might mean "Brauer" they make lots of natural baby remedies.... i never tried the Brauer one for reflux as DS was on Zantac which did the trick but i've tried the other ones (teething & pain relief - you'll find the whole range at your chemist) and they really do have an effect so worth a try.

As for the mylanta if you think its making him worse i would go back to the paed and discuss it, its just about finding the right thing for him, we had to go back and forth with DS's zantac dose many times before we got it right, and when it did work, as you say they are a changed baby.

Good luck and i hope you find the right thing for him soon!

[PlonkeeMumma]

Hugs Deb - the whole reflux thing is not nice - sorry to hear Aiden has it - bless him. Have to admit the mylanta or zantac didn't work with will's reflux (although wasn't the silent variety) so we went onto losec and that did work well and didn't have any side effects for Will. Hope you find a comfy solution for you both very soon
Julie xxxx

[aussienic]

My son Isaac had Silent Reflux and I was given a can of karicare thickener to add to his feeds. I was expressing full time so it wasn't hard to add to a bottle.. but you can also give it before a breastfeed if you are breastfeeding.. There are instrustions on the tin

[~Debbie~]

Thanks guys.
I ended up getting the losac. Will start him on it tonight. How long before it kicks in? will it work immediatly?
Aussienic... i ebm, but, nothing i read on the tin of thickner i have says anything about adding it directly to ebm, so, how much did you add?

i also brought today novalac for reflux, as Aiden has 1 - 2 ffs a day, so, i am hoping that will help as well. During the day, its not so bad, but, at night....it is shocking.

[aussienic]

Aussienic... i ebm, but, nothing i read on the tin of thickner i have says anything about adding it directly to ebm, so, how much did you add?

Um! I can't quite remember the amount.. I think I was told whatever it said for formula.. Or it might have been a teaspoon.. Will ask DH tonight when he gets home if he remembers

[christy]

I think it depends on the thickener, some you give prior to the EBM so it starts thickening any contents before the EBM hits and some you mix into the EBM. I was told to give it prior to the EBM. If the thickener isn't working you can also give 1/4 of a capsule of slippery elm mixed with 5mls of EBM 10 minutes prior to feeding. I used to do that with Jovie to help her reflux. With Matilda I did the medicated, thickened formula route & with Jovie I did the homeopathic route. I have to say, Jovie's been heaps easier.

[scarlet121]

Hi Debbie, I am sorry to hear that your little one is sufferring so, but I can tell you that you did the right thing on getting the losec over the mylanta.

Mylanta has aluminium in it which isn't very good for little ones, and it also has a high salts in it and should only ever be given for less than 2 week periods. the other problem with mylanta is that it only works on the acid that is there then, it will neutralise the acid, but in many instances by the time you get to using it your child is in so much pain, and there is too much acid for it to neutralise.

The losec on the other hand, works to stop at shutting down acid production, which means less acid and less damage. It may take up to two weeks to 'kick in; though hopefully it will be sooner.

How did you get the medication made up? If you got the tablet to dissolve, then the beads are the medicine these have to go in intact, otherwise it won't work. Since you are in Perth, I get my losec compounded from St John of God Pharmacy in Subiaco, they do it into a liquid, which I get refilled every 2 weeks, as I notice my sons symptoms coming back around then, they do say that it will lasts 4 weeks, but it doesn't always, that is the only downfall.

I know Caro here, gets hers from there too.

Good luck, and let us know if you have any questions.

[~Debbie~]

Hi
Losac is a marvelous thing!
We went the tablet form, paed said its better? But, have got it working well. I disolve it in a medicene cup, and then tip it into a bottle teat that i made the hole bigger, and he just drinks it out of that easily.

I have been putting thickener into his ebm, as per the instrustions on the tin for formula, 1 scoop per 100ml formula, so, that seems to be working.

His reflux has pretty much gone. I can tell by his cry when it bugging him, or come back, how ever it works, and he has been really good from the moment he got the first dose...

Thanks all for your advise, it has been great!

[aussienic]

Thats great to hear