Don't know where else to turn

[* Paula *]

Hello there,

I am hoping that someone will be able to give us some advice as we are at our wits end at the moment and do not know where to turn.

Since Wednesday our DS has not been himself.  He is 6 1/2 months old and is one of the happiest babies you have ever met - that is until Wednesday night.

After his night feed at 6:30pm we put our DS to sleep (the same as every night), and he fell immediately asleep until 2 hours later where he woke up screaming and nothing would console him.  He kept on arching his back and bringing his knees up - although now the arching his back is more common than bringing his knees up.  He did not sleep all of Wednesday night only getting a few minutes every so often when he fell asleep on my chest before he woke up screaming in pain again.

On Thursday morning we went to the doctors, when we walked in our DS was full of smiles and clapping his hands - The doctor examined him and said that he could not find anything wrong with him and that we should just give him paracetamol and monitor him.  Through the day he was ratty due to the fact that he had no sleep but would not be put down in his cot and just started screaming.  We got through the day with play and entertaining him.  After his 5pm dinner - 3/4 of a jar of veggies/protein he settled down for about half an hour before starting to scream.  He dirtied his nappie which was quite soft and runny and screamed most of the evening. 

We contacted the out of hours doctor and went to go and see her.  Again when we walked in there he was full of smiles, clapping hands and saying dada.  The doctor put it down to a mild case of a stomach bug and said that we should cut out his food for 12 hours and just feed him milk - which we did.

On the Friday during the day he seemed quite happy and content although would still not go to sleep in his cot and would only fall asleep sitting on our lap or lying across our chest.  By the evening he started again only drinking 3 oz of his bottle and refusing any more.  Again we called the out of hours doctor and went to go and see him.

This doctor suggested it may either be a stomach bug or a milk intolerance and prescribed a soy formula - He told us to keep off the other formula and see how it goes.  By this time it was 9pm at night and there were no pharmacies open and no shops that stocked the soy formula.  We got home and DS was screaming with hunger as a last resort he we gave him 5 oz of his usual formula which he was quite content with.  15 minutes later her started screaming and arching his back and would not settle.

By 3:30am we could not take this anymore and took him to the emergency room where we saw a doctor who says it may be a case of reflux and prescribed him Gaviscon - She said that it did not sound like a milk intolerance and that we should try the Gaviscon and go back to them on Wednesday.

We eventually got home at 6:30am and DS was exhausted and we were able to put him down for 1 hour before he woke up crying.  We gave him his usual 8oz bottle with the Gaviscon in it and he has not settled since.

Yesterday he was at least happy throughout the day, but now things seem to be getting worse.

We do not know what to do and are going onto our 4th day without a propper nights sleep.

We are hoping that you will be able to give us some suggestions on on what to do.  We have elevated his mattress in his cot but will still not go down in it.

Thanks for reading and for listening.

Paula - Mum to Thomas - 12 July 2005

[Ennypen]

Hi Paula
My William is just a few days younger than your Thomas and in his eary days he had his share of tummy aches and terrible wind so I am familiar with the experiences you describe.
The only thing that helped William in the end was using Omneo Comfort formula from Cow and Gate as it is very gentle on the tummy but if your LO is intolerant to milk based products that would not help.
I hope that others can come along and help you soo. Until then I just wanted to offer you a hug and assure you that you are not alone.

H xx

[Johno & Aurelias Mum]

Have you tried some drops like Infacol before food?  It seems a bit sudden for milk intolerance but I don't know much about it.  I would imagine the lack of sleep is probably not helping now so I would do whatever it takes to get him some sleep right now.

Hugs to you

[* Paula *]

Hi All,

Thank you so much for your support.  From the sounds of what people are saying it sounds like it could be either an intolerance or reflux.

He has been on the gaviscon all day today and he seems a bit more settled, but is still having a lot of wind from both ends.

The doctor also gave us a script for a Soy milk so I am going to try this and see what happens.  He is having some veggies and protein for his dinner so will give him his milk later and see how it goes.

Will keep you posted.....

Thank you so much for all your advice and hugs.

Paula

[Johno & Aurelias Mum]

Just thought the other thing to try when he's in pain is a nice warm massage - used to calm DS down no end when he was going through similar.

clockwise on the tummy, with just gentle pressure.  If there's wind, try a bit of leg bicycling as well and if you lay him on his back, bend his knees back up intowards his tummy.  That's usually great at relieving wind!

[Mydreamcametrue]

Please keep us posted as I am curcious as to what happens as I am dealing with the same problem.

My son since about 2 weeks old always arched his back, screamed in pain, never slept.  They said he had colic and gave him a hypoallergenic formula (normally used for infants with an intolerance to milk).

Anyhow from day one I thought it was reflux, but No who was I was, just his mommy..

Now at 6 months old, and after changing doctors, he has been dignosed with acid reflux.  Personally that is what is sounds like to me.  If it was a milk intolerance, that normally takes about an hour after eating to show signs.  If within 15 / 30 minutes after eating it is normally reflux.

I hope things get better for you on the medicine, we are finally on medicine also so we will see!

Good Luck

[Sylvia.]

i have no advise to offer, just hoping that things are improving and that you are all getting some much needed sleep

[* Paula *]

Thank you so much for all you replies.

We have just recently been discharged from hospital.  Thomas was diagnosed with having a tummy bug, which has now caused reflux and he was highly constipated.

I am just relieved to get to the end of it.

Thanks again for all your hugs and replies.

Paula - Mum to Thomas - 12 July 2005

[Mydreamcametrue]

Hello Paula:

I am very glad to hear that he is okay.  Since posting last, my son also had a bad stomach bug and they said that is was caused his reflux to flair up really bad.  After we dealt with that this past week he became very irritable again.  We took him to the doctor Saturday and to much of our suprise, he has strep throat.  Very uncommom in infants.

I am glad things are better.

-Are you still on the soy formula or did you go back to your same formula?

-Wendy

[* Paula *]

Hi Wendy,

I am sorry to hear that your son is unwell.  Hope that he gets better soon.

To be honest after taking Thomas to the hospital they suggested that we do not even use the Soy milk as they thought it was a bit late for him to all of a sudden have a lactose intolorance.

Once Thomas got over his tummy episode, he too also became ill again - this time he had Croup - had a very stressful and sleepless weekend, but he seems to be on the mend today - touch wood - been in bed for 1/2 and is fast asleep.

Keep us posted on how Zach is doing.

Paula - Mum to Thomas 12 July 2005

[RosieMum]

I'm so sorry you're having such a difficult time Paula, sending you and your son healing hugs.
My little girl has had 2 tummy bugs in the last 3 months and after both of them developed a temporary intolerance to lactose (producing lots of liquid poo!) but I didn't change her forula as each time it only lasted about 4 days and the Doc said there's no need due to it being a temporary thing.
I really hope Thomas is well soon and you get the sleep you need xx

[* Paula *]

Hi Rosie's Mum,

Thank you so much for your support - It is so amazing that one feels so much better after visiting the site as you get so much support and hugs etc.

Although I know that it is a trying time, Thomas was a textbook baby who only cried when there was something wrong, so know that it will only be a matter of time before we get our textbook baby back.  It may take some time and a few more sleepless nights but we will all get there in the end.

Thanks again for your support.

Take care

Paula xxx