Anyone have the wonderful experience of reflux??

sk62108

I took Baby K to the doc today and they're thinking reflux. I feel horrible because all the signs have been there for a few weeks, but I didn't realize that it could happen at 6 months. I've got these (irrational?) feelings of guilt that I didn't catch it right away and she's been in pain.

So what were your child's symptoms? How old were they when they were diagnosed? What course of action did you take and how long did it take for the symptoms to fully disappear? 

Boizmom

Z started spitting up immediately after birth.  Reflux was mentioned but nothing was done about it because he was so new.  At 3 months old he weighed almost 14 pounds.  At 4 months old he lost 3 pounds.  The spitting up was then projectile vomiting.  We started seeing a GI Dr.  He was initially put on Zantac, and then Bethanechol, then Prevacid.  He was removed from BFing, put on EnfamilAR, then Nutramigen and then Neocate.  All the while he was still spitting up something terrible.  We did a barium swallow and x ray, sonogram and a swallow study.  Not only did he have GERD, but also a spasmodic pylorus and milk protein allergy.  At 9 months, his GI wanted to start weaning him off Neocate as they usually do it around that age, because he had had significant weight gain and growth.  Z was doing fairly well with it.  Eventually he was 100% back on regular formula.  Spitting up seemed to almost be a thing of the past.  Then it reared it's ugly head, he started breaking out in rashes and having bloody diarrhea.  We had another follow up with his GI Dr 3 weeks ago.  He was taken completely off all dairy, to the point to where I have to read labels.  Today we went back.  He still has not gained any weight.  He has been the same weight and height since he was 9 months old and he is now 12 months old.  Because of reflux that we cannot manage with medication or diet, poor growth and lack of appetite, we are now doing an endoscopy to look for esophageal esophagitis.  Essentially he has suspected multiple food allergies which are not seen on the outside and they can only see on the inside that can cause reflux and a multitude of other problems. 

 Sorry this turned out to be a novel.  Today's news is still a shock.  This is what we've been through.  It's not been a fun ride and it's not nearly over yet. 

shotzie

((Hugs)) to Boizmom, I hope they can figure out what's wrong and how to help.  What a frustrating situation. 

OP, DD was diagnosed with reflux at 4 months.  I feel quilty looking back as well, because I think she had symptoms well before then.  I wish I'd known then what I know now.  She spit up after every feeding, sometimes even an hour after, she had hiccups very frequently, she had some horrible nights where she'd cry if we put her down, sometimes her throat sounded congested, her voice got hoarse, eventually she'd refuse to nurse sometimes, but she'd take a bottle.  When she would refuse to nurse, she'd cry and arch her back. 

She's been on Zantac since her diagnosis and it helps a ton.  Her dose has had to be increased several times as she's grown and gained weight.  Now I know when she needs her dose increased because her symptoms will start to come back.  I hope your LO gets feeling better soon.  It took about 2 weeks of DD being on Zantac before she really started showing improvement.  In the meantime, I made sure to burp her really well after feedings and to keep her upright as much as possible (and especially after feedings). 

mrsadamc 05

Katie has silent reflux ( no spitting up).  She was diagnosed at around 12 weeks.  We started on Zantac but it didn't work.  The Prevacid tablets she's on seem to be working, she's much happier now.  

leslie13510

Yep, except for us it was the other way around, and doctors were making me feel crazycakes for even thinking it could be reflux.  Even when she was hospitalized at 6 weeks old the effing fruitcake pedi on call brushed me off like an annoying mosquito.  It wasn't until almost a week later at a follow-up appointment with a different pedi that she was FINALLY diagnosed, and we were able to start treatment. 

Riley's was pretty bad.  Not much actual spitting up, but she fought eating so much that I grew to dread feeding time, and if she laid flat she would sometimes aspirate everything that was coming up and would stop or have difficulty breathing for a few seconds.  An episode of that, which lasted over a minute in the middle of the night (thank God that DH had woken up to go to the bathroom and happened to check on them when he heard some weird rustling noises) is what landed her in the hospital.  With a "seizure" though, because it couldn't *possibly* be reflux.  Sorry I'm still bitter and angry at that stupid doctor even almost 2 years later.

Zantac did nothing for her, but that's what the pedi who diagnosed her put her on until we could see a pedi GI.  It was finally a combo of Prevacid and Reglan that the GI put her on that made all the difference in the world.  She was like a totally new, and very HAPPY, baby within days of starting the Prevacid. 

We weaned her off the Reglan at 6 months, and the Prevacid around 7 months, and she's been fine ever since.

Oh, and she used to have a bit of rice cereal in her bottles to thicken them up some, and we had to incline her crib mattress so she wouldn't stop breathing at night.  I think I shaved 10 years off my life from the months and months of worrying about her living through each and every night, even once her symptoms cleared from the medicine. 

Lambie.

Ugh. Lila was diagnosed at about two weeks. Like PP the real problem was multiple protein allergies and it was a long road/progression getting her from BFing to Neocate. Since she has been on Neocate her reflux has been much better but she is still on Prevacid.

sk62108

shotzie:

OP, DD was diagnosed with reflux at 4 months.  I feel quilty looking back as well, because I think she had symptoms well before then.  I wish I'd known then what I know now.  She spit up after every feeding, sometimes even an hour after, she had hiccups very frequently, she had some horrible nights where she'd cry if we put her down, sometimes her throat sounded congested, her voice got hoarse, eventually she'd refuse to nurse sometimes, but she'd take a bottle.  When she would refuse to nurse, she'd cry and arch her back. 

This is exacly K. It just breaks my heart knowing she's in pain.

Biozmom, I'm so sorry that your little guy is going through that. I hope he's feeling better soon.

So basically, reflux sucks until it's over. *sigh* It kind of scares me to think of her on meds at such a young age, but obviously I'll do whatever she needs to feel better.