does this sound right?

Question

my 6 week old has acid reflux and just recently it seems to have gotten 10 times worse. he is sleeping alot now and if he is awake he is screaming out in pain. he spits up during and after every feeding and he stiffens his legs out straight. does all of this sound like normal acid reflux symptoms?

Answer 1

Spits up or vomits alot???? Have a tried switching formula? Is he going #2? Does not sound like reflux to me... Reflux they should not be in pain.... Check with you Dr.

Answer 2

It sounds like severe reflux that should be followed by your pediatrician...if he/she doesn't prescribe the meds other moms have mentioned...maybe you should get a second opinion.

Things to try if you haven't already tried:

1. Make sure to feed and keep your son elevated at least 30 degrees during the feed and minimum 30 mins after the feed (burp him also ofcourse). You can also try having him sleep in at least a 30 degree position also. If he should vomit/spit up, make sure to turn his head to the side so the puke empties to the side and doesn't go back down which isn't good. Also, try thickening his formula...with single grain rice cereal or a formula thickener. I used about 1/4 teaspoon rice cereal for my son. Oh, and taper the feeds...like give him less but more frequent so he still gets the same volume of feeds but has to digest less at a time.

2. Try a different formula if you are not strictly breastfeeding...enfamil gentlease...soy...(alimentum is usually the last formula recommended if all others fail)

3. Dr. Brown's bottles are good but expensive...and not the simplest bottles to use but i used them and it helped my son with his gas/reflux so it may be worth it (but not as severe as what your son is experiencing)

4. FYI - The Nissen procedure ... Nissen fundoplication...is a major surgery and should not be considered until you have tried pretty much everything. The stomach is surgically moved so it is closer to the esophagus so there is less likelihood of reflux....because it gets to the stomach faster and less distance pretty much

5. FYI - Pyloric stenosis is usually detected within 2 wks to 2 months of age and is accompanied by projectile puke...Pyloric stenosis is when the passageway of the stomach is very narrow so all the food/feeds gets backed up and then builds up to the point of projectile puke. I would not worry about pyloric stenosis unless he puking lots and with force.

6. Severe reflux can be serious because it can cause aspiration which leads to a 911 situation so do follow up and try the things you can until you can get to your pediatrician. Remember...you can always ask for medication. If you are an all-natural type mom, all I can say is that the reflux meds are pretty benign.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Yes, unfortunately it is. My daughter had acid reflux and it was a horrible experience for me to see her go through that. My daughter had acid reflux for at least a few months. She was a good sleeper up until that time and then during the night she would wake up crying every two hours and I would feed her a little bit at a time. Also, she slept in her baby swing with me close by. It made her feel better being inclined and the movement soothes her when she was sleeping. It's a very difficult but common problem for parents. I just held her a lot and kept her in an upright position as much as possible.

Answer 4

Okay, at 6 months my son had really bad reflux, which made him wheeze, due to damaging/irritatating his broncial tubes, he had to have a bronchoscopy done, all this while on zantac, and prevacid, it eventually led to him having to have a feeding tube put in for 7 weeks, because it then caused a swallowing dysfunction, he also, on the same day had a procedure done called a NISSIN, which is specifically for acid reflux. 7 weeks later, he was completely healed!!! Thank God, his reflux is gone, the tube is out, and he's a happy little 9 month old. Do not let the reflux go as they are linking more and more kids with reflux to aspiration......However, every child is different, some more severe than others, just make sure you have him checked out and speak to your doctors. My son saw pediatric specialist at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA United States..and I know they know what they are talking about

Answer 5

Yes. My son screamed constantly from when he was 2 months to 4 months old. He arched his back, stiffened up like a board and spit up large amounts. My mother, who is a nurse actually figured it out, not the doctor. They put him on Zantac and all his symptoms went away. He was like a different child. Your baby will most likely outgrow this. My son went off the Zantac at a year old and was fine. And btw, whoever said colic, it's not colic! GERD (gastroesophegeal reflux disease) can occur independently of colic. Initially my doctor suggested that too. I think they sometimes say that when they don't know what else is wrong. Good luck to you and your baby :)

Answer 6

If he's formula fed, probably. If he's breastfed, see if it's a gas problem as well. Hylands colic tabs get all the gas out so they don't spit everything up. I've heard thousands of horror stories about formula, so if that's what he gets, you may need to go to the pediatrician a lot until you find something that agrees with him better.

Answer 7

yes, he is colic that is why he screams, you know how painful it is for us when we have acid reflux? now imagine a baby and the only way he knows to express his pain is to scream.
its normal. sorry you have to go through that,
I did with my first, it is usually over by 3-4 months

Answer 8

aaawww, poor baby and poor mommy! I feel what you`re going through. Mine is doing the stiffening and straining, too. I switched his formula to Enfamil Gentle Ease (the purple) and Dr. Brown`s bottles and that helped a lot.
My boy is sleeping in his car seat most of the time, he hates his bassinet.
I hope your boy feels better soon! Good Luck!

Answer 9

sounds like acid reflux. you should try switching to a gentler formula. if he's colicy you can also try gripe water (they sell it at babies r us) or gas drops. if he's vomiting all of his formula or breastmilk it may be pyloric stenosis (PS). my son had this at 4 weeks and had to have an in and out surgery for it. it's a simple procedure and he's never had problems digesting his food since then. Good luck!

Answer 10

yes- that does sound like typical symptoms for acid reflux, but also gas. have you changed his food? if breast feeding, have you eaten anything weird/different?