Milk intolerance, symptoms?

[Momma J]

Hello!  I haven't posted in a long time but am now in need of some help (or sanity if you can spare some!)

I have two children, a DS who is almost 19mo old and DD who is almost 2mo old.  Both were born at 37wks.

My DD, Addison, (a touchy baby) is on Prevacid for reflux and I began a no/low dairy diet a few weeks ago.  The things I noticed before the meds and diet change were:
- she seemed to want to nurse constantly (comfort nursing)
- extremely congested
- began vomiting at least once a day

Since the meds and diet she's been better.  But for some reason I keep testing the dairy intolerance - want to know for sure which is helping her.  Well, today is strike three, dairy is out.  The past two evenings I've given her BM pumped before the diet for one feeding each (getting her used to a bottle and letting me pump to build a stash).  Addi was fine yesterday but today not so much.  She will NOT sleep at all, or will only go down for less than 10 minutes before waking completely.  I've tried everything short of letting her sleep on my chest - just can't do it with my toddler.

Is this a common symptom / effect of dairy intolerance?  I'd post our EASY routine but I haven't been able to establish it with her extremely inconsistent napping.

[CCCmom27]

Hi Jaime my DS has reflux and I also had to go off dairy.  After 2 1/2 weeks of me being off dairy I decided I hadn't seem any difference and started back on dairy ( I was dying for a glass of cold milk!)  This is when I noticed me being off dairy did make a difference.  Three nights before I started back on dairy he was sleeping in his crib only waking every 3 hours to eat until around 4 when we normally have problems getting him back to sleep.  The day I started dairy again he woke up after an hour- hour and a half of being asleep.  I don't know for sure if they are related but I'm now off dairy again and hope it helps.  The thing that I really noticed about dairy is that it makes him poop... a lot!  Before I ate dairy again he was only going 1-2 times a day now he's back to going almost everytime I change his diaper.  Today is my first day back off dairy, I wish I had made the connection before 4 days of eating dairy!  Good luck

[Momma J]

Thanks for your reply CCCMom27.  Sounds like you're in the same boat as me.

I have to admit though I didn't realize the solids in the Prevacid solutab were the actual medicine...   Tuesday night I put the tablet in her bottle and the solids plugged up the nipple.  I flushed them out thinking the medicine had already dissolved into the milk, poor thing didn't get any of her dose.  Now I'm back to wondering if it's dairy related or not.  She's done better today, took a 2hr nap (with some resettling at the 20min mark), and then a 45min nap with no resettling.

[Mydreamcametrue]

Jaime:

Not sure if your doctor told you, but prevacid MUST be given on an empty tummy.  You put the solutab in a syrienge and bring up a little bit of water, shake it really good and squirt in their mouth.

Wait as close to 30 minutes and then feed her. 

What I do is when Tyler wakes up, I have his medicine in the bathroom.  I mix it up, go into his room, give him the medicine first thing, change diaper, and then downstairs.  I try to distract him and then feed.

[Momma J]

Shoot, did not know that either.  Thanks for mentioning it Mydreamcametrue!  Now I'm wondering if she even needs to be on the medicine since I've been giving it right before feeding (within 10 min), and am just now giving her the full dose...   

[momtoandrewandthomas]

We had tons of trouble getting the Prevacid out of the syringe for Thomas.  I ended up letting it dissolve in a 1/4 teaspoon of water in a medicine cup and then used a rubber tipped baby spoon to scoop the paste out and gave it to him that way.  That was the best way for us to ensure he got the full dose because he did not do well unless he did (we ended up holding him all night long otherwise).  It is definitely trial and error.  I also give the Prevacid with his vitamins and supplements first thing when he gets up and he is actually used to not eating right away.  He never did like a bottle first thing when he was a baby either.  He eats within the hour after taking his pills.  It is amazing how tolerant they become to the whole thing.

[Mydreamcametrue]

Well the way you were giving it before, I am sure she was getting some of the medicine, just not the full dose.

Maybe all you need is to do the dairy free diet and that will take care of it.

You could always try no meds and stick with the dairy free diet and see how it goes.  After 2 weeks on the dairy free diet, if she starts to be really fussy and in pain, then you know she does need the medicine.

[lhuberdeau]

Hello, this is my first time using the post... new to this sort of thing. I've been reading what you have written... you have mentionned somehting about medication for reflux? How common is that? I'm in Canada and I have never heard of this type of medication.

[Momma J]

Sounds to me like medication for reflux is becoming quite common here in the US. 

I do think I'm going to stick with the dairy-free diet.  Two nights ago I had chicken alfredo.  Yesterday evening Addi started becoming harder to get to sleep, and it's continuing today.   

[Mydreamcametrue]

I would deft. stick to no dairy in my diet.  Good Luck and keep us posted.

Wendy