Reflux and Food Allergy / intolerance

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michelle on January 31, 2008 at 13:12

Hi - sorry you are going through this. It is so hard and I completely know how you feel. My daughter is 4 months and I also cut out all dairy and soya from 6 weeks and after 2 weeks it really made a huge difference. However, she has now gone rapidly downhill over the last month and is waking 6 times a night and crying a lot more during the day. The consultant gave us another drug to give in the evening but it only made a bit of a difference (3 wake ups), so on his recommendation I have just given up breastfeeding as he said there could still be proteins which are passing through which don't agree with her. She is now on so many meds and neocate formula. Am feelling really fed up with the whole thing now.

Hang in there, it does get easier. My son is 2 and he also suffered with reflux and is now the happiest fun little boy!

Where are you in London - I live near Olympia.

Michelle x

Permalink Reply by Francesca on January 31, 2008 at 15:51

Hi there

i live in Streatham and if there are any Little Refluxer Mummies out there who would like to meet up and are close by do get in touch. I have tried going out and about but with Little Vommy it's hard! If there is anyone close by...

I am still breastfeeding and will continue to do so for as long as i can. Not sure how long that will be to be honestas i am sooooo tired. Thing is, he would never take formula from a bottle (only my expressed milk) so the chances of him taking the hypo allergenic milk are even more remote.
But one day at a time, hey!
We were given a thickener and ZANTAC and we did try the thickener which made him worse and was totally impractical. If youfeed on demand then giving it half an hour before a feed is near impossible. He does roughly eat every 4 and a half hours but the thickener and getting the timings right was too difficult. Once he had the thickener in him he was nOT hungry. When he was hungry i hadn't prepared the thickener etc etc. The ZANTAC we decided NOT to give and to try other things. No not the raising the bed and holding him uprightand all those sorts of things (been doing those for the last 5 months). but things like Slippery Elm and me drinking loads and loads of fennel tea. The slippery elm really worked and then the nutritionist i was referred to as i have to cut out dairy, freaked as slippery elm for a baby is not good inher opinion. So now he is on NOTHING and he possets all the time and wails and moans and screams if he is on his back.
I had googled slippery elm and it seemed to be ok for babies but i guess there isn't as much research that goes into plants as there is into these money making drugs like zantac. We just want to NOT give the meds for as long as possible in the hope he outgrows it. We may have no choice though. I am aware of that.
I am simply exhausted by it all. I really am. No one (apart from my sister who also had a reflyux baby) understands and its lonely aseveryone just sees me as neurotic and miserable and frustrated, when that isn't it at all. But anyway....

Permalink Reply by Helen on February 8, 2008 at 12:24

Hi there, I am so unsure about this link between reflux and food allergies. You get mixed advice from the Health professionals (Hey, what's new there then??) My son has hypolactasia - he has no lactase enzyme and therefore can have no lactose whatsover. He also still suffers badly from reflux and he's almost 3yrs. Sometimes I think these things are connected but I'm not sure. What I do know is that for almost 3yrs this has ruled our lives and although he is no longer in pain all day long he can still have periods of terrible pain and discomfort - not to mention the sickness. He actually helps to clear his own sick up now as its part of his life! The diet is mangable but like you say, tricky! Lactose is in everything and I have no idea if he will ever be able to be a regular kid and have school dinners or go to parties. Helen