Author Topic: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help  (Read 20335 times)

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Offline bjutka1

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feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« on: March 20, 2011, 10:55:20 am »
Here is the story so far:

Very unsettled baby girl from about 2 weeks. (She is nearly 12 weeks now) Suspected reflux and MPI. Been on reflux medication for 3 weeks now (5mg Losec once a day - she weighs 5.6 kg.) Hasn't seemed to help. A visit to the allergy clinic confirmed that she has an allergy/intolerance. I have been dairy free now for 3 weeks and egg free and wheat free for 2.5 weeks. DD is not getting any better, she cries loads and loads, her poo is consistetly musucy.

I went to the allergy clinic again a week ago who suggested giving up breastfeeding (there was blood in her poo when we were there) and putting her on neocate. This upset me deeply but we tried and she didn't take the formula. Not for me, my husband or the nurses in the hospital. So then they suggested tightening up the diet even further and it's been nearly a week now that I am on no dairy, no egg, no soya, no wheat (or other grains expect rice and millet found in rice bread) and no citrus fruits, nuts.

Still, the only improvement is that her skin is a lot better but she is still crying the same amount and there was blood in her poo again this morning!!!

I am in despair, don't know what to do, afraid to eat anything now and the whole family is a mess. (Tired husband, unsettled 16 months old baby boy who is not getting enough attention.)

Please help.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2011, 10:57:08 am by bjutka1 »
Jutka - lucky mother to 2 gorgeous babies
Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
Married to a loving and proud husband on 25 Aug 2007

Offline bjutka1

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2011, 11:28:29 am »
Have been reading up on food intolerances. Could she be intolerant to Salicylates? How would I know if that's the case?
Yesterday I had some sweet potato and avocado - both of which are meant to have high sal contents. Was maybe this the reason for the blood in the poo a wee rash she developed when she woke this morning? How do you determine if that's the case?
« Last Edit: March 20, 2011, 13:08:53 pm by bjutka1 »
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Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
Married to a loving and proud husband on 25 Aug 2007

Offline *Sandra*

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2011, 12:52:59 pm »
I know nothing about food allergies but I just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you and your baby girl and wishing you the best.  Can you just keep going to the Dr and insisting they do more for you? 

I hope this gets resolved quickly


hugs

Offline Buntybear

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2011, 14:26:30 pm »
Oh honey, I am do sorry you are going through this. It can be so very hard ESP at first when you are still trying to work out what the allergies are. There are some recent threads that have about sals intolerances and some links that you may find helpful. i am on my own with olly this aft but will find them later on for you.

Just wanted to send some hugs and say KEEP GOING you are doing brilliantly!

Xxxxx

Offline firsttimemummy

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2011, 14:52:11 pm »
Just wanting to send you some hugs too - I know how stressful it is thinking about everything you eat and how it affects your LO.  It wont be long until she is much better - the first few months most LOs are unsettled, windy, etc ... I have since discovered (after he was fully weaned around 13 months) that DS1 has milk (possibly dairy) and soya intolerence as well as carrots, citrus fruits, berries, apples and sometimes tomatoes issues.  I breastfed him exclusively and he was a misery as a baby but around 4 months he was a LOT more settled, so hope your LO will be too!  Just wanted to give you a glimmer of hope that your LO will be more settled too.

Lots of hugs.  You have done amazingly to last so long and hopefully you find more answers soon.  Your LOs digestive system will be more settled soon so hopefully you will be able to pinpoint her issues soon.  Out of interest how did you get involved with the allergy clinic?
L x Having a bw break from 1 Feb 2012 - if you want to get in touch please send me a pm.  I may not be here but you are all in my thoughts xxxx (probably be back some time)

still happily married, just not counting!

Offline deb

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2011, 15:39:17 pm »
If possible, I would try sticking with nothing but meat and vegetables for a while, maybe eliminate grains entirely for a bit. I know we had some reactions here with crucifers - broccoli, cabbage, and the like -as gas-causing, but not outright allergic and blood in poop bothersome. :(

Are you giving her probiotics, by any chance? There are some dairy-free ones available, and they can help re-balance the gut flora and help with digestion.

Offline bjutka1

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2011, 17:02:28 pm »
Thank you for that! Thinking of going on this diet:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t041200.asp

Anybody has any experience?
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Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
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Offline deb

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2011, 17:55:37 pm »
Interesting point about range-fed meats. Many - most, really - meat animals here in the States are fed soy as a large portion of their diets, and corn as well (corn can also be allergenic! :() so it stands to reason those proteins would be in the meat. (Chicken, too, so in the eggs.)

That diet actually looks really good to me, and I'd probably also go easy on potatoes as they're nightshade veg (like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants) and can trigger reactions in sensitive people; sweet potatoes aren't related, though, I don't think.

If you go on this diet, you HAVE to make sure you get "good fats" into your diet or you will be RAVENOUS. Coconut oil (fine at any temperature, can even eat it straight! Best for high-heat cooking), olive oil (low-heat applications only), flaxseed oil (ditto), fish oil when you add seafood in again (also ditto). Ghee/clarified butter is tolerated by some dairy-sensitive people since it has the milk proteins removed, but I'd take that out at first as well to give dairy time to clear your system completely, since even hidden trace dairy can trigger reactions. Do be careful with rice milk, BTW; I had been drinking one with carageenan in it and that caused Nat's pops to turn spinach-green; when I removed it, back to normal, tried that brand again and back to green, couldn't use it for a few more months without issues.

Does it feel weird to eat that way? Yes, for sure, but remember that before mankind had farms and grew grains, there was only meat, veg, fruit to eat plus whatever was foraged like eggs and seeds and nuts, so it is possible. :)

Offline bjutka1

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2011, 18:49:49 pm »
I was referred to allergy clinic by GP who suspected that she has intolerance issues.
Since I can only eat rice and potatoes, how do I go easy on the potatoes? I really don't know how this is gonna work. And I'm thinking that both butternut squash and pears are something that don't grow in Northern Ireland, they are imported so probably treated with chemicals etc. I'm petrifired that this is gonna be another failed attempt and she will keep on crying...
Also, I'm not sure that the meat I got is range-fed, it's really hard to source stuff like that.

Any other diet suggestion that worked for people?

Also, I have found Solgar ABC dophilus as probiotic. It's dairy free. The doc said he wouldn't recommend probiotics. Not sure, why?
Jutka - lucky mother to 2 gorgeous babies
Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
Married to a loving and proud husband on 25 Aug 2007

Offline Buntybear

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2011, 19:01:25 pm »
Hi,

Here are some previous threads that have covered links to websites with ED diets esp with info on chemical intolerances...

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=188571.msg2165958#msg2165958

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=188418.msg2165873#msg2165873

I will also ask Eloise to pop in and see if she can help with any questions you have.

xx
« Last Edit: March 20, 2011, 22:09:59 pm by Buntybear »

Offline bjutka1

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2011, 19:29:21 pm »
I feel like I'm losing my mind. So much conflicting advice on websites and I don't know what she is reacting to. Now even this diet doesn't seem like the answer cos what if she is reacting to sals and sweet potato is high in that. Also, the meat that I got is probably not range-fed.

Anybody has any good tips - a diet plan that works and I would be able to get the stuff here in Northern Ireland?

LO just will not stop crying - only little spellt of sleep and being content but mostly unsettled and crying, poos are either mucusy or watery. I'm going crazy.

Feel like giving up and going on neocate but then every inch of my body is protesting against stopping breastfeeding.
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Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
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Offline deb

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2011, 19:34:49 pm »
I would pick ANY starting point at this point, give it a few days and see if it makes a difference, and then go on if necessary. If salz are the things you haven't yet eliminated for, that might be a logical next step. Eloys is a great resource for that. :)

Given you're not in the States, the odds of you getting meat that hasn't been raised on soy is a lot higher than it is here. Wild-caught fish may be easier for you to get as well?

Offline EloysH

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2011, 20:54:43 pm »
Hi Hun,

Keep up the good work! I feel your pain I truly have BTB.  :-\ It does take time for symtpoms to settle - around 4 weeks.  I think Dr sears is too restrictive and doesn't take into account  salicylates, amines and glutamates, - naturally occurring food chemicals that commonly cause problems for babies.  It would take an eon to get back onto all food if you did that diet too.

I have been on a low chemical diet low in sals amines and glutamtes for 12 months now, originally it took 6 weeks to find a baseline. THe diet involves going allergin free (wheat/dairy/nuts/soy/etc) whilst you eat low amounts of chemicals. Originally it took me 6-8 weeiks to reach baseline - no mucus poo and settled baby.  I was eating a ew too many salicylates though as I chose to start on the "moderate" chemical instead of purely "low".

Here is where you can read about it... it is pretty hard to do without a dietician but I can give you the link for the US support group if that's where you are.

http://failsafediet.wordpress.com/about-food-chemical-intolerance/an-introduction-to-food-chemical-intolerance/

Let me know if you have any questions.

HTH

Eloise xx

Offline bjutka1

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2011, 21:26:22 pm »
Thanks! I actually think LO is getting worse. It feels like she never stops crying. Like 5-6 hrs a day. Up every 3 hrs at night. Surely, she should be crying less, not more than say a couple of weeks ago??

Would you be able to send me a menu plan? List of things that you have been eating. My head is away with all the latin stuff.
IE. Can I eat rice bread? It's got millet in it and stabilizers, though all natural, it says on the box. Can I eat banana, sweet potato, parsnips, ham? What meats did you have? Just lamb and turkey? I can't find range fed turkey.

A list of safe foods would be really really appreciated.

Did you find your LO was crying more when you did ED? Or was there a gradual improvement? I really think I should see improvement by now but she seems worse...
Jutka - lucky mother to 2 gorgeous babies
Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
Married to a loving and proud husband on 25 Aug 2007

Offline bjutka1

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Re: feel like I can't go on anymore - please help
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2011, 22:12:32 pm »
Eloise, I found the list, thanks.

A couple more things. Am I allowed rice crispies in the morning with rice milk?

And, if I was to put LO on neocate, would that mean that her suffering would stop? That her misery would end?
Jutka - lucky mother to 2 gorgeous babies
Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
Married to a loving and proud husband on 25 Aug 2007