One Year Old Throwing Up

Hi C.,

I'm sorry to hear what your little guy is going through! If you are open to trying alternative medicine I know of a great chiropractor in West County. I've been seeing him for over 5 years now. Both me and my son were diagnosed with reflux and I was told I would have to go on prilosec. Since I knew this really wasn't going to solve the problem but just cover it up I went to the chiropractor who put me on digestive enzymes and adjusted me several times and I am completely off pepcid and all of those. My son is also doing great. He was having vomiting spells at night time in his sleep and he was put through all kinds of tests so I finally took him to the same doctor and he was adjusted (he said it has to do with your spine) and no more throwing up spells. I'll give you the info in case you are interested.
Dr. Duane Marquart @ Primary Care Chiropractic
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Take care!
E. T.

Oh Lord, you sure you don't have my kid? LOL...we got rid of diaper rags and moved onto beach towels VERY quickly! 7 times in the past month...well we were at LEAST at that marker, if not more. Been there, done that.

Yes, I did the reflux meds but ALSO combined them with allergy meds. It's possible that he may just suffer from the post nasal drip gunk that we all get here in MO & KS. Their little tummies just can't handle it so everything comes up. The reflux meds help more with preserving the esophagus than with the puking part...sorry to tell you that, but it's true. The allergy meds might cut down on the puking but it probably won't eliminate it. All I can say is, keep your towels handy, ALWAYS carry extra outfits in the car and plastic bags for clean up, and keep a smile on. Your son WILL outgrow it. But how he handles it is completely on you. We would just try to keep our sense of humor about us (because we would be in the shower with him with all our clothes on b/c he had gotten us and it was the easiest way to clean up). Apologize to those around you in public and just let it go...don't get angry at him, just be concerned, ask if he's feeling better and let him know that's it's ok. You didn't mention how old your son was but if he's getting vocal, perhaps you could encourage his help to let you know when he's going to puke so you can have barf bags ready for him.

My son is now 5. We don't have the projectile vomiting anymore (he could be in the middle of our king size bed and hit the wall 6 feet away- Regan from the Exorcist had nothing on my son!) but we will still get car sick and it is volumous...he can let me know that it is coming on, but there is little time to move...so you have to have the bags ready. I'd say we have maybe 3 incidents a year now in car sickness, and I've always noticed that my allergies were flaring up around the same time (and of course, he had eaten food). You might also want to cut down on the dairy...if it is the post nasal drip, dairy just exhasterbates the mucus. Feel free to contact me anytime if you just want another sounding board. :)

Try slowing his eating and drinking down. Smaller amounts, spread out. Is he still on a bottle or milk in a sippy? If so, reduce that amount and sread it out. Best wishes!

My father had projectile vomiting and it turned out to be allergies. Before putting your child on medicines, I certainly would consider having allergy testing done on him.

Diet is important with acid reflux. He has to watch foods with to uch acid, tomatoe sauce orange juice, ect keep an eye on his diet and write down what he eats then when he has an episode you can narrow it down I had it and remember it will erode his throat gradually. I was on nexium and after a few months I dont have near as many as I did.

Is he too young for Prilosec? I get my best relief from that. I don't see how it could hurt him. I read on the insert that they gave mice up to 1000 times the dosage without any effects.

I've aspirated acid reflux when I was sleeping and it's VERY painful. I think he needs the meds too.

S.

You need to get him on some acidophilus. It's perfectly safe and they have some that is children's strength. It's all natural and basically the stuff that's found in yogurt. It helps with digestion. Adults who take acidoophilus find that their acid reflux goes away completely.

I started my son 6 months on it because he spit up all the time and I didn't want him on so many meds. It has help the situation greatly.

Just good children's acidophlius. The brand I use is Nature's Way.

it sounds like he needs the meds. i have given hundreds of kids these meds...zantac, prevacid, axcid, etc, and never seen any of them seize because of it...i mean, i guess it could happen but i wouldn't be expecting it. if he continues to reflux it will scar his esophagous and if he aspirates the gastric contents he can get a whopping case of pneumonia. i would try the meds again, elevate the head of his mattress in his crib/bed, and watch for side effects. but again, i have NEVER seen a kid seize from these meds. good luck! love, a peds nurse

Poor little fella.. Were you ever given a cause of the reflux? Often the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach is immature at birth, but improves as the baby develops. The medications used to treat reflux reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach (prilosec), while others neutralize the acid that is there (pepcid), to reduce the irritation to the esophagus. If you aren't getting the answers from the pediatrician, take him to a GI doctor for a more in depth look at the problem. In the mean time, you can try smaller, more frequent meals (6/day instead of 3), and making sure he stays upright for at least 30 minutes after eating. I'm not sure where you live, but Children's Hospital (St. Louis) has a wonderful on-line referral system that you can do yourself if you need it. Hope this helps!
Wishing you the best from a fellow mom (and nurse) of 3!

Personally, my own reflux became severe over the last couple of years,(even life threatening when I aspirated it in my sleep one night) and the meds were not controlling it. Long story short, I was finally diagnosed with sleep apnea. We got that under control, and the reflux almost magically disappeared. Apparently this is very common. I am told, infants and young children can have sleep apnea, also. Maybe you would want to ask your pediatrician about this ? If he/she ignores you, seek out a sleep specialist in your area on your own.
Maybe that's not it at all, but then again ..... who knows ?

My one year old has been on Previcid since she was about 1 mth old herself. She has always been a thrower upper. Every time she has a runny nose (which seems to be ALOT) she has a hard time and usually vommits at least once during that cold/allergy reaction. The Dr. doesn't seem to be worried about it as long as she is gaining weight. His idea is when she gets older she can tell us if her tummy hurts or if she has burning ect. I would see what meds the Dr. wants to put your son on and do some serious research. We sprinkle the previcid on her food at night. She certianly doesn't like it but is seems to cut down on the vommitting episodes. Hope something I said has helped and feel free to let me know if you have other questions!! Good luck!!

Hi C.-
I agree with some of the other comments about the possibility of food allergies. Also, have you considered taking him to a chriropractor? I have heard great results with reflux after they have been adjusted. Sometimes things are out of place in the spine from birth and this can cause the reflux. I have the name of a great husband/wife chiropractic team who could help your son. They can test for food allergies as well as adjust him. And, provide any nutritional supplements if needed. Please give them a try---I know they can help you!
Cardin Chiropractic (Cardin Center for Wellness)
9159 W. 133rd
Overland Park, KS
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www.cardinchiropractic.com
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I'd absolutely say it's a food allergy. Not sure if someone has suggested that yet but I'd bet my shoes that's what it is. He's a year old? Has he just started whole milk? My daughter, though she's only 3 m/o, has a severe milk allergy and this is exactly what happened until switching to Neocate (amino acid based formula- not milk or soy). Neocate (her 6th formula) and Nexium (her 4th reflux med) have cleared a lot up. (She has severe reflux but I truly think it only got "severe" because the milk allergy was causing it to react even more. Also, being on an amino acid based is good because if you're allergic to milk, you're usually allergic to soy.) I would start an elimination diet (in him, only you if you're still BF) and see if anything helps. Start with you most common allergens; dairy, soy, egg, nuts (if he's had any "hidden" in food), wheat, corn (weird, I know). You can Google pediatric allergens and I'm sure it'll come up with a lot more.

C.,

I'll send you a more detailed message privately, but Reliv nutritional supplements are excellent at helping people of all ages with acid reflux. Reliv isn't a drug that heals or cures, but such a perfect food that it nourishes the body so well that it can build healthy cells and function the best it possibly can. I hate to see anyone having to resort to drugs for this problem, but especially little guys like yours.

Blessings,
M.

The little boy I baby sat had severe reflux. We had to watch what he ate and when he ate it and how much he ate. Popcorn would make him throw up and even though he is four now he still cannot eat popcorn without a severe reaction. In your case it sounds as though you son has developed an allergy to something. Since he is a year old now I'm sure you are trying new things that he hasn't had before. Keep a food journal and journal when he gets sick or hick ups. That will help you pin point what he is eating or drinking when he throws up. And may help you know which food or drink he may have an allergy to. It may not be entirely related to the reflux. Good luck and God Bless.

Have you thought about and asked his doctor if any of this could be allergies to something he eats or drinks? Keeping a diary of what he eats/drinks and then what happens can help you see patterns also. Good luck.