New here and looking for opinions

[kj1126]

Hello fellow allergy sufferers

I am new here (posting). I have been reading mothering posts for a while but this is the first time I have ever really needed advice and I saw someone suggest posting here for advice so here it goes.

My son is 15 weeks old and we have been dealing with GI issues since soon after he was born.

His current symptoms are:

Spitting up often

Back arching, seeming like he's in pain

fighting feeds from reflux (better now that he's medicated ) and also straining during feeds from gas

restless sleep/short sleep

bowel movements that range in color from that perfect golden yellow to gross brown to flat out army green

mucus in the stool (lots)

test at the doctor found blood in the stool

generally fussy, sometimes worse than others

extreme gas/painful gas

Super congested

So far the doctor (regular ped and GI doc) have diagnosed him with reflux and said he is likely allergic to dairy/soy. Well, I have completely eliminated dairy and soy for quite some time now with no improvement. I have also now cut out nuts at the prompting of the GI. He is currently on Prevacid which he started last week and that has helped his reflux symptoms a great deal, but that seems to be causing him even more stomach issues (more gas and difficult to pass bowel movements). I have tried the elimination diet for a short time but I noticed a huge drop in my milk supply and I was starving. I have tried food journaling but how do you do that when it seems like he reacts to everything?

I am trying with everything I have to avoid a switch to formula but if I don't come up with something soon I don't know how my husband is going to agree to let me keep nursing.

I did have an over supply and overactive letdown which I continue to try and keep under control.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what my next step should be? You ladies all seem so knowledgeable and I am in need of some serious guidance.

Thanks

[scsigrl]

Supply issues, are you block feeding now?  That can cause a lot of issues.

If you have found a TED to tough on your supply, I would suggest starting with a Top 8 elimination and maybe add corn and caffeine into it.  (So dairy, egg, soy, shell fish, fish,tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, corn and caffeine).  Log with that for 3-4 weeks and see from there.  That should leave you with a lot of options. 

I know with my DS it wasn't until he was 14 months old and we had him tested and I eliminated all his allergens that he finally was sleeping, eating normally and didn't look like he was punched in the eyes!

In your log, I would also be sure to list his issues.  Then you can see "well he had a bad BM on this day this and this and I ate XYZ, AH HA!" kind of thing.

I would also consider a probiotic for both of you if you aren't on one already.  A good DAIRY free one (they often are grown on/in diary so be careful!)  Also, check your supplements for traces of allergens.

[kj1126]

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, I am block feeding. Not so much a time block because my left breast is a much larger producer than my right but I empty each breast fully before moving on.

As far as probiotics, I was going to order the Solgar brand based on some stuff I read here. I had one for him but I realized it contained dairy. Is there a list somewhere of acceptable allergy friendly probiotics or does anyone have any experience with the solgar brand?

[scsigrl]

I have only used Custom Probiotics for myself and my kids.  We are HUGE fans. They sent us a sample that was about a months worth and we have been hooked on it ever since!  

[sbgrace]

That does sound like my experience with reflux in my son. It wasn't foods for him but we tried that angle for a long time. Why did they suspect dairy and soy? With no improvement...well, I kept on the restrictions with my son and, as I said, it wasn't food for him. That said, I want to say Prevacid had soy?? I can't remember..check.

Is he dosed three times a day? Little ones need three times a day dosing with PPI's. They also need adequate doses. Often things are under-dosed or not dosed 3 x's a day but hopefully a ped. GI does it right...check. My son benefited a lot from Zegerid. I used to recommend Marci Kids for dosing 3 x's a day and correct dosing information but their site has been updating/not usable for a while now. I found this which copies their chart. http://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2668 You might contact them and ask for information if you might need dosing adjustment from the doctor. Proper dosing finally (my son was 18 months before we went to Zegerid and 3 x's per day) helped my son. I wish we had known sooner. I hope you're dosed correctly though.

If you really suspect food I agree TED is a good way to try to track if you can handle it.

Kirkman labs will be all allergen free. That said, I really like Klaire probiotics. I believe they are dairy and soy free but it's been a while since we were dairy free I can't find it on their website. http://www.protherainc.com/prod/proddetail.asp?ID=K-TIF This would be the infant one and they sell adult too. If you order directly Dr. McCandless, in her book, gave permission to use her name to place orders. That said, you can order from outside labs and even Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Klaire-Labs-Ther-Biotic-Infant-Formula/dp/B001PYXMV4

Ah, this link says:

All Klaire probiotics undergo DNA fingerprinting and cell-surface analysis to ensure the highest quality of strains. Every formulation is hypoallergenic, uses kosher-certified vegetarian capsules, and is delivered in a prebiotic base of inulin. We guarantee our products to be dairy free, gluten-free and free of corn-,wheat-, and rice-derived maltodextrin as well as other common allergens and ingredients that may interfere with absorption. All of our probiotic strains are manufactured to United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) standards and undergo regular analysis for purity, quality, microbes, and potency.

http://www.vitalitywellness.com/shop/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=324

Their probiotics are really top quality.

[SweetSilver]

If you are pretty certain that dairy/ soy has shown no improvement, wouldn't you add that back in first before eliminating something else?  It just seems torture to eliminate everything all at once.  It's just a thought.  Others, I'm sure, know more about ED while nursing.  (Definite agreement on eliminating caffeine for a touchy supply.  I discovered this and didn't add it back in until I was finished nursing.)

[scsigrl]

Originally Posted by SweetSilver 

If you are pretty certain that dairy/ soy has shown no improvement, wouldn't you add that back in first before eliminating something else? 

I found this not to be helpful for us.  Again, it IS/WAS allergies (vs. what looks like it may be a reflux issue, I have no experience with that myself).  I did do 2 dairy/soy eliminations with no improvements.  It wasn't till I took out egg, fish, shell fish and on and on when we went for allergy testing at 14 months.  So in our case, doing a top 8 elimination would have helped us 8 months sooner :(

Again, that's our story.  If it's reflux, it's all a nonissue anyway.

Was your baby full term? I know some preemies have reflux issues big time (my niece had it BAD!!!)