Hi.... I have a now 2 month old. He has been diagnosised with GERD/reflex and is on zantac for the heartburn. My concern is that up until recently, he has done fairly well since he's been diagnoses and put on the medication. Now it seems that everytime he wants to eat he is fussy and very upset. He wants to eat but acts like he is in pain. I do breatfeed and supplement with the bottle (with formula). When he gets into one of these fussy periods, he does not latch on well (and cries and gets frustrated) and then he also does not want to take the bottle (again with the crying). It is almost like it is painful for him with the heartburn and the reflux. I can tell he is super hungry. Do you think his zantac needs to be changed? If he is not nursing, then I use a soy-based formula. Should I try another formula if I am not nursing him?? Any thoughts? He has his next check-up with the Ped next week.
You have to change your diet. Eat only organic everything, fruits, veggies, chicken and meat... eat lots of fruit and veggies... no cruciferous veggies. Get rid of the formula and get him off the medication NOW!! Do the research... that medication is being prescribed off label because it's not approved for use in children, let alone infants... and it will destroy his digestive system. Also get a new doctor!!!
Hi C.,
You should try taking all dairy out of your diet. Many babys of breastfeeding mothers can't handle the dairy, especially when they have reflux. This was my problem as well with my son. We put him on zantac, and then my ped. said to cut out all dairy, which takes about 2 weeks to completely be out of your system, and he was an angel. No more problems being fussy while eating. Also, I would switch him to nutramigen as well instead of the soy formula. I didn't supplement with my son, but with my daughter I had to formula feed her, and with the refulx the dr. said nutramigen. Soy formula can also cause a baby with dairy protein allergy to have the same reactions. Also, as your baby grows your meds might need to be increased. If you have any questions, feel free to message me. Take care, and hope your baby feels better!
Hi C. --
Since he's still having issues while on the Rx, I'd try changing your diet. If he acts like he's in pain he probably is. Dairy/milk in your diet could be the cause of his reflux. I breastfed DS, and tried to supplement on occasion with a bottle, but he did Not do well on any formula, and also had issues when I ate cucumbers... go figure.
Best of health,
S.
If you are breastfeeding, you might consider going on an elimination diet for a week or so and then slowly adding back food ever other day or so to see if there is a reaction. Dairy was an issue for my daughter and once I eliminated it from my diet many of her fussy symptoms disappeared. Also if you haven't already, try different nursing positions. If that isn't effective, you might consider switching meds. You may need totry several meds or combinations of meds to find relief. We went through four different meds before finding the right ones for my son. www.reflux.org has a lot of helpful info. Hang in there!
My niece had GERD and I felt so bad for her. I completely understand how bad you feel. I know there are special formulas for children with reflux. I believe that the formula she used was Enfamil AR. There is also a GentleEase formula. I'm sure Similac has similar products if you prefer that brand. Soy formula is good for certain things, but soy vs milk may not be your baby's issue. I would try one of these formulas. It seemed to help my sister-in-law. God bless.
try Enfamil Lactose free formula. Enfamil is the only one that makes one as far as i know. you can probably find it at your grocery store.
Make sure to rule out any heart problems. When my son was 4 months old, he was so fussy like that. Didn't want to take the bottle any more and screamed during feeds. Turns out, he had an atrial flutter and ultimately, b/c it went undiagnosed for about a month, he was in heart failure. (He has made a full recovery). Even though the chance of a heart problem is remote, I always tell people to rule that out when you have a baby who screams when eating. If they have a heart problem, the sucking is so tiring for them so that's why the scream. I'm sure your baby doesn't have a problem, but I just wanted to pass on my experience....
