Things are getting worse and worse

[Lu Lu]

I really don't know why I am posting this as I don't think anyone can help but I need to offload somewhere.

I think this is all down to an unmanaged reflux/ lactose intolerance issue but until we see the paed I have no idea and that might not be for a couple of weeks. I'm not sure I can cope for that long.

DS is 12 weeks now and I thought things were supposed to get better as they got older but he is getting worse. We started EASY and a bedtime routine with him when he was 7 weeks and he was doing so well to begin with.

Then he had his 8 week immunisations and it all went a bit wrong. Then he started the ranitidine and got a bit better for a few days and then worse again. Colief seemed to help a little but again no massive difference. Now he has been referred to a paed but nothing seems to be working anymore.

He now takes ages to settle to sleep after his bath and feed. He just cries and cries for ages and then just gives in through exhaustion I think (we're with him not CIO). But then he will only sleep for a couple of hours and he's awake again and will not settle at all. We've gone back to cosleeping for most of the night and I am feeding him in bed constantly.

I guess that also means I am feeding him to sleep again.

White noise helped last week but not this week. He breaks out of the swaddle after 5 mins (and I have a miracle blanket which is very tight) and we had to stop swaddling over the weekend anyway as it was too hot. We have a sleep positioner with wedge on it that he sleeps on and that doesn't make a difference.

I am not getting any sleep and DH only a bit more than me and to be honest I don't think i can do this much longer. I really expected him to be getting better and now he's nearly 3 months he should be growing out of his windy problems but it's worse and worse every night.

Obviously we can't do any sleep training again as I don't know if he's in pain adn I don't want to upset him more.

He has even started to fight me with daytime sleeps in the wrap. We have a good 3 hrly EASY during the day and he has good naps most of the time as they are still in my wrap, but as I say he has started to fight these and I can't do that for much longer as he won't let me sit down anymore and there's only so long I can stand up!

I don't think anyone can give any advice (?) but thanks for letting me offload.

Praying the paed appointment comes through soon.

[EloysH]

oh my goodness my heart goes out to you!  DO not worry one bit about bad habits etc as you said your bubba is in pain.   I really do know how it feels to be out of control (I have had two refluxers now and not be able to do anything for them whilst they are in pain).     The worst thing is not having a battle plan in place.

We started on Ranitidine (Zantac) and it didn't really help.  Is there any way you can ask your GP to prescribe you a PPI for the reflux so you can start straight away? That's what we did whilst we were waiting to see a paed, so we saw some relief within 5 days, and then at the paed the dosing adjusted.   If you tell the paed office that you have a baby with severe reflux they usually get you in much sooner, we got in within a week. It also help if you shed a few tears over the phone 

I really hope he's not having a reaction the the vaccination, I think reflux is much easier to treat.

If it helps, I was just reading "Colic Solved"   - its all about reflux  and  the author who is a GI says that reflux symptoms build up to be the worst at 2 - 2.5 months and stay like that if untreated.


If you are open to it acupuncture is doing us wonders Ds2s reflux and helpiing him sleep alot better.

huge hugs xxx

[Jiinx]

Oh, hun!!! I couldn't read through the last paragraph bc it all just sounded to painful to read and so familiar.
 
 When my lo was born, she was incredibly calm and peaceful. She slept so soundly that nothing could wake her. Fast forward to 2 months and it was like somebody handed me a different baby.

 I had NO idea what was going on until the ladies here on BW suggested acid reflux. I had tried everything - colic calm, gas drops, feeding whilst laying down, elevating the cot..

 I was put on ranitidine as well. It made things better for a day or two, but then made it worse as ranitidine made her very drowsy and she would scream with any outside stimulation.

 PPIs worked. It took a week and half for the acid to stop burning her esophagus and then took time to heal. Like Eloyse suggested, could you get a PPI in the meantime?

*hugs* It IS tough. Reflux is absolutely hard...
We're here for you.

[Lu Lu]

Well, my doctor wasn't very keen on giving me a different medication when I saw her, she just said the paed would sort it all out.

I've put him back on the ranitidine and colief to see if they help again but so far no good. 

[newmamma81]

i feel you! I could have written you post. Funny as our little boy started slowly waking up more in the night after his shots at 10 weeks and now at 16weeks its out of control. I am not sure if it is a coincident or actually something?

He too was doing so well, sleeping for long stretches waking 2-3 time at night, we were so close to getting on to a good schedule. Now we are all over the place. He is up 7-10 times and taking ages to settle. He is also on Zantac which hasn't made a difference. We are too are struggling, I really feel your pain.

I can't really give any advice but just wanted to let you know, you are not alone. It is so hard and frustrating.

btw what is PPI?

[Jiinx]

Lu Lu and newmamma it's so tough, isn't it?

Lu Lu..argh..it's so frustrating being on the receiving side. could you see another GP? Could you call the paed's office and tell them the urgency? You're the only advocate your lo has!

newmamma - PPI is short for a protein pump inhibitor..similar to Prevacid, Nexium. It's very effective in many los who have no luck with ranitidine as it shuts off the acid produced in stomach.

[Lu Lu]

Lu Lu..argh..it's so frustrating being on the receiving side. could you see another GP? Could you call the paed's office and tell them the urgency? You're the only advocate your lo has!

I don't know who he will be referred to as there are loads of pediatricians at our hospital and I really have no idea who would be the person to deal with issues like this.

If I haven't had an appointment through by Tuesday I am going to go back to see the doc.

[EloysH]

Lu Lu, your GP has probably never had a baby with reflux and has no understanding of the pain that he and you are going through or any experience with PPI's.    Seriously try another GP.  There are so many out there that DO understand, just need to find the right one.     Ranititide takes 5-7 days to start working.  So does a PPI.  It takes about 2 weeks before both are in full force. That's why I'm thinking you need to get a script for the meantime, so you can stop the acid burn on LO's oesphagus from doing damage.

We are on omeprazole - its a PPI.  It is great.  Zantac did not work well for us.