Similac Alimentum Stool/Bowel Movements and Increased Gas on Prevacid?

J.-I am a 3rd time mom. I too am 38 and my daughter was born on Dec. 4th 2007 (and my b'day is the 3rd). Crazy coincidence, huh? I also have a 6 1/2 and 8 year old. The formula game can drive you crazy. My older two wound up on Enfamil Lactofre, but my daughter is now on Alimentum too (for about 4-5 weeks now). All babies have different cycles. My daughter used to do one poop a day if we were lucky while on Goodstart. When we switched over to Alimentum (because of gas, pain, etc.), she went once a day more easily, but it was much much looser. It sounds like the Alimentum may be fine, but I wonder if the reflux med is causing some additional problems (?). It may be adding gas and b.m. frequency. I know of a couple of friends who helped their babies reflux by adding rice cereal to their diets (as early as 8 weeks). I would absolutely try that before meds...even if the pediatrician frowns on it or thinks the med is the only thing that will work. You will soon realize (if you haven't already) that the pediatrician does not always know best. Sometimes you have to listen for your "mommy instincts" and follow those. Maybe try taking him off the prevacid and start adding 1 tsp (mixed with formula to a runny consistency) to 2-3 of his feedings. Give it a couple days to get the prevacid out of his system though.And start slow with the cereal. Give his little system a few days to get used to it. My daughter just started cereal and I'm not sure her system is ready for it...remember every baby's system is different. You'll know if it is a help or a hinderance.

By the way, my oldest is my only boy and he definitely had the toughest tummy issues out of my 3. He was the gassiest and spit up a lot. It seems to be more typical of boys. Also---don't let anyone make you feel that you wouldn't have these problems if you were nursing. Not all of us are able and I have a girlfriend who nursed and had all 4 of hers on reflux meds. And most importantly,remember---all of this is fleeting. It will pass. And while you will be relieved when the tough stuff is over it will also be a little sad how fast he grows up. Good luck with everything and listen to your instincts.

My oldest was on the Alimentum and we had no problems with bowel movements. It may be because you just recently switched formulas. As for the gas, I don't think it's from the formula. Mine didn't have gas from it. Hope this helps.
Jenn

(mother of 4)

J.,

My son, who is going to be 13 had the acid reflux, thankfully he grew out of it. I didn't really change his formula but I did put him on 2% milk along with cereal and small amounts of baby food. I have 5 kids ranging in age from 12 to 23. These pediatricians today are using your kid as an experiment. Do what they use to do in the old days, ask your mom, grandma. I put all my kids on 2% milk, cereal at 6 mo. PLUS, if you had runny stools two to three times a day and were gassy, how would you feel. Go back to what you were doing. They should be going to the bathroom o1-2 times a day with soft stool, any color. Theier butt has to be red and irritated by all this. Acid reflux, they grow out of it. Stick with the formula that gives him the best stool. Don't give him that prevacid. Give him a little cereal, make sure he has a soft stool once a day, if it becomes too hard add some cairo syrup to it (a drop) that loosens everything up and call mom and grandma.

Let me know how it goes. ITs your child though and he has to be in pain with all that gas and runny stools.

You might want to ask you doctor is it's ok to give him a probiotic. If you don't know what that is it adds the good bacteria back into his tummy. They make them specifically for infants. I got one that is for 0-5 year olds. My son is 5 months old and we used it for him - he also had reflux, but was on Zantac. Not anymore thought.

Good luck!
T.

If I were in your situation, I would try to get a second opinion as to what is going on... The digestive systems of baby's take some time to develop and doctors will be quick to prescribe a pill before waiting it out for nature to take it's course... In most cases I highly believe (with exceptions, obviously) that all of us are born perfectly with what we have to survive. I am thinking there may be an allergy you son has... It appears there is milk and corn in this formula? These can be very harsh on little digestive systems! Ask about a soy-based or try something different... Nestle Good Start? I nursed my son to try to avoid much of this and highly researched and tried the samples of formula with my son... I know many mom's do not want to nurse or simply cannot due to other issues...

Please, just be careful with the Prevacid... I personally feel as a mom and yes... as a "naturalist" that this can be over prescribed given the training I have had on the digestive system... I have even heard of some bad reactions with this med and little one's that I do get medical updates with.

Best of luck and stay calm!

I did foster care for almost 100 children and specialized with special needs children. I had a couple of children on Alimentum. It is normal for the stool to be runny. The stools are usually so sticky that they will clear a room. The gas is pretty normal too. I wouldn't be concerned.
I ordered the Alimentum through my pharmacy. I just let them know when I needed a shipment and they ordered it and called me when it came in.
C.

My daughter was on alimentum for almost 5 months and her stool was definitely not solid. We too had a difficult time finding it. we lived in hawaii at the time and only could find it in drug stores. My daughter too was put on an antiacid. She would spit up half off all the formula she was intaking. we used antigas drops before and after feeding and she NEVER took more than 5 oz of formula ever. The gas is like methane gas, the worst i've ever smelled. We did after about 5 months switch to Good start with comfort proteins which is much more affordable and she seemed fine with that. I know some peds don't like good start, but you know sometimes you have to do what YOU think is best. We would stop and burp her after every ounce and then after eating put her upright in her swing, but do not swing. It will get better. Both of my girls were big spitter uppers. You should always keep an extra shirt with you.
Hope this helps, we too were in the same situation.

C.

Hi J.!
My son is 10 months (almost 11-THEY GROW TOO FAST!!) and he has been on Alimentum since he was about 2 months old. He was severely colicy when he was yougner and was also a big boy when he was born (8lbs 11oz, hard to believe since I am only 5'2!!). We tried MANY different formulas to supplement my brest milk. Long story short his ped suggested allimentum and it worked REALLY well. He also has a VERY sensitive stomach so this was very easy to break down. The first thing I notice was that his stools were very different from any time on any different formula. It took about a week or maybe even 2 for his system to get used to it. During that time his stools ranged from DARK DARK green to greenish brown, to yellow-ish. Once his system adjusted it has been pretty much dark green, he is on solids and table food now so that changes it all up. It was also very pasty, sometimes runny almost like diarreha. When a baby has diarreha you will know, with my son, it soaks immediately into his diaper, there really isn't much stool to wipe off his bottom.
ANYWAY-The point I am trying to get at is that what you are describing seems normal for allimentum. Now how long has he been on it? And are you nursing him also?
Hope this helped! Good luck! =]

Hi J.,
My youngest is highly allergic and was placed on alimentum at 18 months. His stools at first were loose but not to the point of diarrhea. The loose stools seem to be caused mostly by consuming foods he is allergic to. He is still on the formula after 5 years and everything has improved. What kind of allergies does your son have? Have you seen an allergist?

It sounds to me like your son is still eating something he is allegic to. My first child was allergic to cow's milk. His reaction to cow's milk in my diet (I nursed him exclusively) was gassiness, explosive green bowel movements (very runny/liquidy), crying in pain when he ate or right after, man-sized burps, and projectile vomiting. We were told he had reflux as well, but his symptoms improved greatly not after I started him on reflux meds, but when I cut all traces of dairy out of my diet. I don't think a child has to have blood in their stool to be allergic to something. You might want to check with your doctor about that.

I can't really give you any advice on the stools/bm. However, if you're concerned about it talk to the doctor. As far as the prevacid - any antiacid has a tendancy to make a person gassy. My husband has Acid Reflux, and our youngest daughter who was 4 weeks early also had it. She was on a liquid form of prevacid as well as something else (can't remember what) as well as diet modification - we added 1/2 cup cereal to every 8 oz. bottle to make it the consitency of a shake. I'm pretty sure with allergy problems this wouldn't be an option. But, she was very gassy. The smell that you are getting is probably the smell from the formula breaking down in his stomach. I see the same thing with my husband when he takes it. I look at it this way - gas is better than the vomitting any day.

The side effects of Prevacid is "Side effects may include:
Abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness or headache (more common in children), nausea" this is directly from PDR Health website.

Hi J.,

I know you will be bombarded by emails, and some will probably be the same as mine, so sorry for any repetition. Have you had any second opinions? My nephew had some similar symptoms on the stomach/gas, taken off of breast milk, formula, soy, and was on a strict Nutramegen formula until 1 year. He was constantly cholicy, and my sister was exhausted. I finally talked her into seeing my son's pediatrician who after four years of issues with his stomach has been diagnosed with an allergy to beef.

Also, is your son's gas extremely smelly? The two symptoms listed seem to point to a food allergy. Is it possible your son is a siliac? Allergic to wheat gluten or something similar? Let me know if I can give you any further information on these topics.

C.