Is this normal when changing formula?

[mrssibbe]

My 4 month old has reflux and has been taking Losec for some time now.  She seems to be getting better, but she still has really bad gas all day long.  She won't go down to sleep until she has all of her burps out and even then, she will still wake up from her naps to burp.  We spend a lot of time listening to her screech because she has a burp stuck.

I thought I would try changing her formula to see if that helps.  At first I tried just mixing in one scoop of the new stuff (Good Start) with her old formula (Similac) to introduce it slowly.  Then I ran out of the old stuff, so I have been giving her just the new formula today.  She has been screaching most of the day and spitting up a lot, so I'm not sure if the formula doesn't agree with her or if it is just the transition that is giving her trouble.  Is it normal to have problems for a few days when you change formulas?  How long does it usually last?

[motherof3]

How long had you been mixing the new and old together?  Abby also has reflux and the first 4wks of her life we were switching formulas a lot to find one she could tolerate.  We always went cold turkey b/c I really wanted to see if the new one helped her or not.  Sometimes the comfort proteins in the Good Start help and sometimes they don't, it won't if it is a MSPI issue.  Some babies are also milk soy protein intolerant (MSPI) along with reflux.  I have read that 48% of babies with reflux have MSPI also.  So if the Good Start doesn't help you might want to try a hypoallergenic formula to see if it helps the gas.  Abby could not take Good Start but she does have MSPI and ended up on Nutramigen till 4 months and then Neocate.  She vomited so much on the Good Start.  She ended up in the ER b/c of it.  If is seems to be more spit up then normal I would probably call the dr and she what she/he says. 

Andrea

[mrssibbe]

Thanks.  How did you know Abby was MSPI?  Is that the same as being lactose intolerant?

[motherof3]

No, MSPI is different.  There is actually a MSPI thread on the allergy forum.  It was really just trial and error when it ceme to figuring out she was MSPI.  She did much better when we switched her to Neocate so we knew that the milk proteins in the Nutramigen were still bothering her. 

Andrea

[mrssibbe]

How long did you stick with a formula until you knew it wasn't working and switched to another one?  Did you check with the doctor each time?

I only mixed the GS with the Similac for a day or so until I went to straight GS.  She has been on straight GS for two days now and she is throwing up more than normal.  She also fusses quite a bit when I try to give her a bottle and unless it's been more than four hours since her last feeding, she only eats 2 oz.  I thought it was because she is used to the Similac and doesn't like the taste of GS, but now I wonder if it really doesn't agree with her.

Our doctor isn't sure what to do anymore, so she's referred her to a pediatrician.  The problem is that we can't get in to see the ped for another two weeks.  I'm not sure if I should stick with the GS for that long or try something different.

[jennyh]

my paed told me it takes up to 14 days for the old formula to leave the body completley...hth...jenny

[em_here]

My babe has MPI and the only way we got her sorted was 5 hospital attempts, if she seems really really bad you could do what I did and take your babe to casualty, I did that and they sorted her quickly.

[motherof3]

If Abby was worse on the new formula then we switched her right away.  Especially when she was throwing up more and was WAY more fussy.  We went from Simlac to soy to Nutramigen to Good Start to Alimentum and then back to Nutramigen as she was better on this then any of them.  This was probably all with in 2wks.  Then went to Neocate at 4 months.  We didn't call the doctor with all the switching.  We probably did switch too fast but since she did have MSPI waiting it out for longer wouldn't have helped.  If she isn't doing too bad you might want to wait it out a few days.  But when Abby got worse when we switched I couldn't have imagined trying to wait it out.  I could just tell that the new stuff wasn't agreeing with her, kwim.

You might want to try a hypoallergenic formula, JMO.  I wouldn't imagine that there would be a huge difference in taste b/w Similac and GS.  But if you do try a hypo formula make sure that you do it gradual b/c there is a major taste difference. 

Andrea