11 Mth Son - Cycle of Congestion/ear Infections, Has Reflux, Doesn't Sleep Well

hi S.!
i wanted to respond to you b/c i'm in the same boat you are. My son is 10 months old, (he was 2 months early and spent 7 weeks in the hospital right after birth)is on Zantac 2x/day the same Meto(reglan) 4x/day and was on prevacid but have been off that for several months. He used to sleep through the night just fine 8-10 hrs even!!! We were SO blessed with that. It wasn't until about 3 weeks ago that he got sick with something and the dr only gave us anti biotics that gave him aweful diarreah and also diaper rash. (Melaleuca Renew lotion gets rid of this perfectly by the way). He was given an anti-biotic shot last week on friday and tried 2 differant meds. He is also getting an RSV shot monthly. I feel as if i'm doping my kid up.... he doesn't sleep through the night anymore, if fact, we're lucky if its a 3-4 stretch. My husband has to be at work at 7 so i get up a lot. I stay home with him so i'm tired. I can also tell you that instead of elevating the mattress we put a boppy under his sheet which works MUCH better!! :) We don't do the rice cereal before bed but we've tried feeding him in the middle of the night thinking that would put him back to sleep but NOPE! He does grab at his ears but dr's say it looks fine and clear...i'm also wondering if fluid is behind the ears and maybe tubes are needed. If you do find anything out...please let me know, i'm probably as drained as you are and tired of all the meds!!
S. kirkland!

Hi S., my 4 1/2 year old son has a history of reflux (which was just diagnosed this past summer), chronic ear infections and night time coughing which we found out was really asthma triggered by the reflux. The best thing we did for him was bring him to a pulmonologist. He has seen every other kind of specialist...ENT, GI doctor, etc. But the pulmonologist we found was SOOOO knowledgeable about the relationships between reflux, ear infections, chronic cough, throat clearing, poor sleeping habits...I can't stress enough how much I wish we knew to bring him to a pulmonologist on day one of his "diagnosis". Reflux can influence all of these other problems.

I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Copenhaver...he has offices in Dallas and in west Plano. He also works closely with Dr. Ann Whitney..a well known pediatric GI doctor.

Good luck!!!!

Have you considered taking him to a chiropractor? I have taken all three of my kids since they were small. They recommend it for babies/kids with reflux and ear infections. I don't know how the adjustments help but they do! Just a thought. Good Luck!!

Hi S.,

You've already received so many great responses. I have just a couple of things to add:
ear infections can be treated successfully with garlic oil. Nothing fancy. Just mash some garlic cloves, put them in a bowl, then add some olive oil. Let it sit until it gets good and stinky (an hour or two or a couple of days). To apply to your son's ears, heavily saturate a Q-tip with the oil and put it in your son's ears. It can also be applied to the back of his ear (on the bone). I have treated 2 of my son's ear infections with this - no antibiotics. It helps if you can catch the infection very early.

Whether or not your son is allergic to milk, dairy products definitely worsen congestion. At least discontinue ALL dairy products (yogurt included) when he is congested.

For great natural remedies, see:
An Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants, by Mary Bove

I've used this book since my daughter's birth (she's now 4 years). It's my first defense. When these don't help, I call a doctor. That doesn't happen too often!!

Good luck.

M.

http://onenaturalmother.blogspot.com/

What have you got to loose, certainly not sleep! I would ease of the route you are taking, and try going natural...Shaklee makes excellent supplements, and I bet there are some reputible brands at Whole Foods. If he has been on antibiotic, you need to start him on quality probiotics, which will increase his bodies 'good' bacteria that will help fight 'bad' bacteria. Also, if he is in a crib, raise up one end of it with blocks, so when he sleeps he will be at an incline. Get rid of carpets if you can and limit stuffed animals in the house. Also, change your laundry detergent to Shaklee's powdered brand. The toxins in detergent are horrible! Start one thing at a time, so you do not get overwhelmed, and so you can notice change. Maybe try one new thing every 4 days. The change can be made slowly so that it is less expensive and less overwhelming. I'll give you more info, if decide to contact me, as I do my best to keep our home less toxic. Take Care, K.

My son had all of those symptoms as a baby, minus the ear infections. He now is recovering from autism. This is all the result of too many vaccines, too early with too many toxins in them. Your babies body is trying to detox and your doc keeps treating "symptoms" instead of giving his body what it wants to heal. Don't vaccinate anymore, find a GREAT doc who can help you do that (a homeopath, DAN! doc, Dr. Rao in Plano, Dr. Hamel in Arlington). Rice milk is good. Remove gluten from his diet (wheat products). Look at some websites to educate yourself on this.
http://www.family-wellness.com/
http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html
http://www.gfcfdiet.com/
http://www.autism.com/ari/
http://generationrescue.org/

I would not recommend soy or almond milk for a child with these problems - the rice milk will be the least allergenic. Also, adding probiotics to his diet will really help his immune system and help rebuild the health bacteria in his gut that's been totally destroyed by the antibiotics. The probiotics should also help the reflux. In adults (I'm not sure about kids), reflux can also be due to undiagnosed celiac disease, which is an intolerance to the protein (gluten/gliaden) found in wheat, rye, oats and barley. Given that he is on solids, he likely has a far amount of wheat in his diet and that can be the root of all his problems. Any good pediatric GI doctor should screen for celiac. If they won't found another one or do the test yourself through enterolab: www.enterolab.com

Hi S.. Bless your heart, I am sure it is a daily struggle. That really stinks for both you and him! I have a dear friend who has always done things the "natural" way and I didn't really know what he was all about until I had my first child, 10 yrs. ago. I had the same type of issues with my son and it was very hard. My friend told me exactly what I needed to do for the reflux. Like you, it started with the reflux and then other things started to follow. It is the all natural stuff, for example, Calmag is a great source for Calcium and Magnesium. I give my kids Calmag every day. It is really great stuff for kids because they could always use more of that. I have other ideas that could really help if you are willing to try. If you are interested then please email me and I will let you know exactley what I did. Good luck with everything S..

Dear S.,
I have a now 4 year old who had all the same problems you are talking about. I went to her pedi, her ENT, and allergist and everyone told me the same thing. She has reflux. the poor thing constantly had these rosey red cheeks that would blister and her bottom would also bleed. I was nursing at the time and was told to stop all dairy intake and to supplement with the very expansive baby formula as well. Nothing seems to help. I started asking around to friends and they suggested I see a homepathic pactioner. She has done wonders for my daughter. We learn that she couldn't tolerate not only dairy but beef, some fruits and vegtables and other foods that are so common to new moms to give their littles when they first start to eat solids. I don't know if we are allowed to share that info on this site. But I don't mind sharing my number so feel free to call me at ###-###-#### - D.. We did at one years of age have tubes put in and adonoids removed which seems to help with sleeping. But wonders with removing a lot of the foods that she is sensitive to. I hope this helps and that you can find some peace in helping your little. D.

WOW! You poor thing!! And the things your little baby boy are going thru! Have you ever heard of Shaklee? Shaklee is the number one, natural nutrition company in the world. They have been in business for over 50 years. They have a wide range of products that include all natural, non toxic household cleaners, to vitamins and supplements...all 100% natural. Check out my website for more information...there is all kinds on children's nutrition! If you find any of this information helpful or want to try and get your son off prescription medicines, this is the way to go. Just check it out, no obligation...you can contact me thru my website if you would like to discuss any of this further. Hope this helps! I have sooo many success stories of people on prescription drugs for years, switched to Shaklee natural products and haven't been on their medications in years! Good luck!!

www.shaklee.net/S.

What I've used with my kids is ear oil from a health food store. It contains tea tree oil, eucalyptus, echinacea, garlic and mullein in an almond oil base. It has cleared up ear infections within a day for my children. I've heard bad things about soy milk--I'd avoid that. You might try fresh goats milk. My doctor also recommends Dr. Scheusler's Bioplasma, also called cell salts. You can get them in the homeopathic section at health food stores. They are tiny tablets that dissolve instantly in your mouth and contain minute amounts of trace minerals. Oftentimes the ear infections clear up just with that--the body is missing some minerals.

Hey S. -

I'm not sure if you've already heard from someone about this but I wonder if it could be related to the household products you're using at home. Quaternium 15 is a cheap preservative found in almost everything (including baby shampoo and daiper wipes!). It is a formaldehyde releasing ingredient and has been linked to ear infections and is a suspected carcinogen(cancer causing ingredient). And since both of my kids had chronic ear infections and tubes to boot as little ones (9 mos and 2 yrs), I FIRMLY believe the two are related although of course it cannot be proven.

I shop at a company that makes almost 400 safer, healthier products for your home from head to toe and door to door. Everything you use on a regular basis with no toxic ingredients. My family is so much healthier thanks to this store.

I don't know if it will be the answer to your problems but at the very least it would take the dangerous chemicals out of your home and give you peace of mind knowing the products you would be using would not be contributing to any health issues. I love that part! I've been with them for over 4.5 years and if they don't make it, I don't need it and don't have to buy it!

Please feel free to contact me. I would love to share more info with you.

K.

Hi S.. Sorry if I am late at responding. I have been in your shoes twice. Both with my son and daughter. My son , however was put on zantac which I love. It helped the heartburn and projectile, however you spell that. I have a wonderful pediatrician if you are not comfortable with the one you have. I personally find raising the head end of the bed works best for it elevates them much more better than laying flat. Also both of my children were on breathing treatments for congestion , allergies , sinus - you name it. They are both doing much better. They also were both on soy formula as well as now drink Silk ( Vanilla flavor ) . The reason is because they have lactose issues and their tummies may have a hard time with milk on top of reflux. My daughter started out on Prevacid (the pink tablets that dissolve ) but I begged to switch to Zantac. Prevacid gave her stomach aches and too would wake up in the middle of the night screaming. But different kind of screaming , kind of as if she was in a trance. Come to find out that was a side effect of Prevacid so we switched to Zantac real quick like. But she too also has special needs : speech , motor . I am 100% believer and recommend tubs for the ears. My son did not have any ear infections but of course my daughter did. Ear infection back to back. My pharmacy started calling me by my name when I went in. My daughter was 1 yr old when she had her tubes put in by her ENT. If you want their number they are fantastic. Keep me posted on how it goes. I wish you the best and know exactly what you are going through. As well as your little guy.

We started taking our kids to a chiropractor for their congestion and ear infections. Sounds very far fetched but I was ready to try anything because we were on a cycle of antibotics that was never ending. It is now 5 years later and none of my children have had an antibotic since starting the chiropractor. My youngest started going when they were only a few months old. But find one that works on children. I live in Mineral Wells and use Dr Turk. For the reflux, try getting some Crazy Water at a local Whole Foods.

I'm so sorry to hear of your little one's conditions. 1st be careful, please, of giving anything but water to help him sleep. There are now additives of flavor for water. Have you ever thought of a humidifier? or even a little vapor rub (cherry is my favorite) to help with the congestion. I know that there are home remedy books for ear infections and my Mother-in-law alway put a cotton ball with clove oil on it in the ears for my nieces and nephews when they have a ear infection. I really hope and pray that the Dr. can help you and find a lasting and complete remedy for your son.

S.,
I'd try everything Mary B suggested. And I'd get the ear tubes. His ability to learn speech properly can be affected by constant ear infections. Ear tubes are safe, so why not get them? Anti biotics can be very bad. Sometimes they're good, but for ear infections like your son has, I think tubes are the answer.

S.,

There is some wedge that can be used for babies with reflux. I can't remember the name of it, but it really keeps them semi-recumbent during the night. I almost had to use it with my youngest who was also on prevacid until he was 3 or 4 months old. I just jacked up the pack n play to about 60 degrees and used a receiving blanket to keep him from sliding to the foot of the bed. This won't work for you since your baby is older. I think I came across the wedge by searching GERD on google. My older son also struggled with ear infections. He got tubes put in when he was almost 2...best thing I ever did for him. I would think they would help your child too because they would allow the fluid to drain and bacteria would not have a place to fester. (they love warm, moist environments). We used Dr. Bauer (pediatric ENT at ENT for Children). He is right off 121 on the west side of Mac Arthur. Good luck! Hope this helps.

S.,
Please listen to this and I know it may sound out there for you but there ARE alternative things to do that will help you. First there is Craniosacral therapy. It is amazing for kids like yours with ear infections, etc. It is expensive but SOOO worth it. There are people who say they are cranio therapist but you need to see one who is highly certified. Here are some names and numbers. Kenny Piercy in Dallas ###-###-####. He is fabulous, Also, SUzane at Pediatric Therapy in Dallas or Plano###-###-#### and A FANTASTIC woman named Doris Weiner in Dallas ###-###-####. You can look on www.upledgerinstitute.com and read about it. Or email me and I will give you more info. Also you could try homeopathy. It has done wonders for us and my son has been doing it since he was 6 months old. I have a doc if you are interested in Dallas. In my opinion I would watch out for the vaccinations , especially while your son is having all these digetsion and other health issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have the choice, don't let your doc tell you otherwise!!!!!!!
Email me if you would like.
L.

S.,
Bless your heart! I can totally understand what you are going through. My son had reflux and couldn’t tolerate regular formula. He too wanted to wake up at various times at night. We did the cereal bottles before bedtime. (Mix rice cereal with the formula, thin enough to suck through a bottle.) Not sure how much it helped, but if it was suggested, we were desperate enough to try it! I will say that even with the fullest of bellies, you'll still have to set the boundaries with your infant about sleep time. In my experience (and that is really all I have to go off of), we didn't get any reprieve until we finally put our foot down and let him cry (this took several nights). It is totally agonizing, trust me you'll want to give up and give him what he wants so you can get some sleep...I understand, however, children are so smart and he knows where your boundaries lay. I also put Mylicon drops in EVERY bottle. I wonder if the apple juice is part to blame for keeping him awake? The sugar (even being a small amount) might not help at night, just a thought. We also battled with ear infection after ear infection until we finally got tubes, which cleared that up almost instantly. We would sprinkle acidophilus on his food during the times he had to take that awful antibiotic. You can buy that at any grocery store in the vitamin section. You can also get acidophilus in yogurt. That will help with the diarrhea. You may still have some diaper rash, but it won't be near as bad. I would recommend getting him on a good daytime schedule, limit naps if need be to adjust him to this schedule, and come bedtime...lights out. It will take some training. He will not accept this right at first. Stay strong. That's all I can say. Start with 30 minutes. Don't go in there, let him cry. The longer you can stay out of sight without him harming himself, the better. Again, this might take a week. He has to see that you are serious. I truly hope this helps you. This is coming from a mother that has been in your shoes and I'll tell you…that would be why we haven’t had the 2nd child yet. We are so scared of going through that again. My hat goes off to you and I wish you all of God's blessings and strength for what you are going through!!!!!

Best wishes,
D.

With your descriptions of your son's symptoms he definitely has a weak immune system. All those antibiotics can definitely lower the immune system. I would recommend going to a health food store and ask about immune boosters. His system must be detoxed or he will always be sick. Check on natural treatments and I think you will be pleased. It takes some time to build his little system but well worth it. How do I know what I'm talking about? I have a 20 year old daughter and an 18 year old son. My daughter went thru 13 years of school and missed no days for sickness. (Just for funerals and such as that) and my son has missed only about 8 days of school for sickness. I learned lots about natural healing from my parents and proved it works.You have already seen the damage that to much medication can do. His little body is full of toxins and can't work correctly. Hope this helps.I am a Chiropractor and I have seen much good results from this. God Bless. J.

I am not sure if this has been mentioned yet or not but my twins had acid reflux and both were on prevacid etc. I purchased some wedges off of Pollywog.com (I believe this is the site) and they were not cheap but it worked for both of my girls. This puts the child at the correct angle so that the reflux does not bother them. It also helps prevent ear infections. It looks a little crazy when you see the harness that prevents them from rolling off but it really did help a ton. In fact they slept through the night the day it was purchased. Good luck, I know how hard it is. Let us know how you are doing.

I am so sorry that you and your family are going through all of this. If I were you, my first move would be to make an appointment with another very qualified pediatrician and have your son looked at more thoroughly. Good luck.

D. H.

ok i know you have a lot of responses but i thought i'd add one. my son had problems with reflex and no formula was working. i had him on similac but that was the worst thing for him. my mother in law told me that her youngest son had such bad reactions to formula she had to put him on goats milk. i know sounds funny but she said it really worked. good luck.

Hi S.,

It sounds to me like your son has some milk allergies along with his reflux. I'm no doctor, but it seems like all the congestion might indicate a reaction to the whey protein that is found in dairy. I'm guessing that if you start reading labels and making sure that he doesn't ingest ANY milk then his congestion will clear up. It may take a few days as most foods stay in one's system for about 4 days.

As to the reflux.... My daughter has GERD and I'm like you, I didn't want to put her on all those medications. I did a little research and discovered that organic apple cider vinegar, honey and red delicious apples are the trick. You said that your son is on solid foods but in order for this to work you will need to take him off of any foods that are not soft, no chips, crackers etc... Each morning give him a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar, you'll probably want to diguise it in a cup of orange juice as the stuff is pretty vile. The honey can be given any time his esophogus hurts, the honey sooths. The benefit of honey is that if you buy a local variety it will help to build his immunity to environmental irritants in your area, ie ragweed, pine, cedar, grasses and so on.... The red delicious apples are good too, for some reason that no one seems to understand, they calm reflux, these are great to use if you are out and about and can't get to some organic apple cider vinegar.

I would take him off of those meds and begin this regime immediately, I've seen it work!!! Let me know what you discover! I really hope this help you and your sweet baby.

best wishes,

Meliss

It sounds like you both need some tender care!!It's very difficult for the body and immune system to gain enough strength to fight off things, if your little guy is not getting enough sleep. Which its hard to sleep if your hungry( viscous cycle)Is your son on any solid foods? sometimes once they began to eat solids the reflux tends to decrease. Why did the dr increase his dosage? Teething can be an area that causes stress on his body and make him change his eating habits. Another area to look at is the air quality in your home. If you spend alot times indoors the fumes from cleaners and air freshners tend to cause very similiar symptoms ( congestion, sinus problems). Now is a good time to air out the house while the weather is nice. Place some camphor or eucalyptus oil in a pot of boiling water and it will help clean the air. It may be something to consider:)

With the rash your son has from the diarrhea I would recommend replacing your disposable wipes(if you use disposables) with a wash cloth(or very soft paper towel) and cool water to help cool and sooth the rash. I agree with you, the less use of antibiotics the better for your child and yourself.

As for MOM, you need a Mommy day to your self!! So you can be refresh and rejuvinate and not be tired and drained ( very important) Don't forget to take care of yourself so you may better care for your kids:)

I would take him off all dairy now, it sounds like a Lactose Intolerance issue. The combination of Milk and antibotics will cause a internal yeast infection which will cause diarrhea and diaper rash. He needs soy or rice milk. Start him with yougurt that contains live active cultures, this will restore the ph balance in his stomach from all the antibotics he has taken. My daughter had 3 sets of tubes and a major surgery when she was 5. I learned all this after she went through this 5 year long battle with ears, stomach aches and no sleep. You can also rinse his sinuses out daily with a nettie pot or sinus aide to remove bacteria from his nose and ears. I also discovered ear candling that I still do to my growm daughter when she gets stopped up. Good Luck

Hi there,
I do have a great treatment for diaper rash, even tho this is not what you were most concerned about. It's easy and costs nothing, and it works! Take some of your baking flour, put it on a pan and then in the oven, and burn it. Let it cool, then use it like baby powder. It works, I promise. I learned it from an old wife, a very wise lady. Best of luck with your other issues.
W.

Your story sounds so much like mine. My son has the same issues although his only 5 months old. After alot of trial and error my son was diagnosed as Milk/soy protien intolerant. We also tried alimentan formula but it still has 20 % of the milk protien in it so we switched to Elecare (a medical grade formula). He is doing so much better. If you want to give me a call I can tell you alot of information we found out, but I would demand that your poediatrician do a RAST blood test that tests for common food and airborne allergies. I would also suggest seeing a Gastro Intestinal specialist. They deal with these issues alot more than your pediatrician does. Kids that have the milk/soy protien intolerance usually outgrow it by a year but they often have a great deal of allergies. My son is on Prevacid as well but we were told reflux is a symptom of the intolerance and should resolve on its own. Truly, the reflux is really not an issue for him anymore but we will keep him on the Prevacid for another 2 months just to make sure! He is also on zyrtec for the hay fever/seasonal allergies. He just had the RAST test so we are waiting to see what he is allergic too. If you want to talk, feel free to call me ###-###-####. Good Luck!

S.,

Bless your heart! I feel for you. My daughter was born with a urinary tract infection that was diagnosed at 5 weeks with a 104 temp. She was on antibiotics from that time until she was 2. It was awful. Balmex worked best for her bottom. Yogurt was a great thing and I used acidophulus from the health food store. You can sprinkle it in their food or it does well mixed in yogurt or juice.

My friend who's child has chronic problems has had incredible results with a chiropractor. You would need to do some research, because with all professions, there are some not so great ones. She has a daughter with asthma and who chronically wets the bed and has a muscle weakness disorder. Within 2 weeks of seeing the chiropractor her daughters symptoms were gone.

Another avenue I believe I would look into is seeing a nutritionist. Not instead of the doctor, but in conjunction with. A good nutritionist would be able to direct you on what to do for your son's eating/drinking. Years ago (my son is 4, daughter 8), I was told not to give cow's milk before the first birthday.

Lastly, both my children had tubes. My daughter before she was 1 and my son when he was 13 months. I'm sure it helped, but it was hard for me to see. I took my son to a pediatric ENT (which I would recommend for you because they also treat reflux). He decided the other ENT (who wasn't pediatric) inserted the tubes in my son when his ear was so infected that it was keeping my son's ear infected. He took the tubes out and took his adenoids. No more problems. My son has had maybe 2 infections since.

I hope this is helpful. I would definitely take him to a pediatric ENT if you haven't yet. Remember, the doctor works for you, if you're not getting results, do some research and find another or make suggestions. If he treats you like you shouldn't be asking questions, fire him and find another doctor!

Blessings!
L.

Are you jsut seeing your pedi for these issues or have you seen a pedi gasto doc? I would certainly look into seeing a pedi gastro doc if you haven't already. Dr. Ogunmola is wonderful with Cook's. My son is allergic to milk so we drink soy milk and he LOVES it. We also have his younger brother on soy milk and they have never had any issues. Soy products seem to be much easier to find than the rice or almond and the selection is much better also. I will say a prayer for you - I know how trying it is when dealing with the reflux...some days it seems like a losing battle.

Hi S.,

I know you've gotten alot of responses, but I wanted to add my thoughts. I really recommend that you take your son to a chiropractor who specializes in neonatal/pediatric chiropracty. I believe it would really help the reflux and ear issues. My chiropractors are Drs. Steve and Laura Le at Stonecreek Family Chiropractic in Flower Mound. They are both excellent and would be glad to spend some time going over your son's history with you. My nephew had tubes put in his ears and still has repeated ear infections, so it's not a fool-proof thing. As for the sleeping through the night goes, neither of my boys slept through the night until they were well over a year old. So don't be discouraged about that and remember that his little body is going through alot.
God bless!
K.

Not just food (milk) allergies, but have you thought about allergies in general as being the culprit. SOunds soo much more like that being the cause than just reflux alone and my kids had both (still currently have allergies but both had reflux until they really ate solid foods).

SEE AN ALLERGIST!!!!! I can't stress this enough! Even just a consultation will help you soooo much! He can help with ear probs, acid reflux, congestion and more!!!!

Keep the humidy in the house around 50% or a bit more (helps w/ congestion and N TX is DRY). Buy a good humidifier for his room and keep it clean!

Find a good health food and diet-aid store (don't know where you are located, so get some good referrels, but Denton's "Cupboard" is Excellent. Ask to talk to the vitamin, supplement or diet aid specialist. Have a lengthy conversation with them telling them your son's situation, age, problems, med. history and tell them to start suggesting from there. Ask them why they suggest this or that. Ask them what would be the best buy for your money and where to focus natural healing! They are a wealth of information and have never left me unsatisfied. Natural remedies work remarkably better than most people give them credit without a lot of the risky side-effects of anti-biotics and meds. Ask about building his immune system. Tell them you don't want to over-whelm his little body so ask where best to start. Maybe probiotics?

Hope this helps!

And just a word on ear infections (learned this from my allergist for my kiddos): The only way to ACTUALLY tell the difference from an ear infection and just an irritated ear (which can be caused simply from congestion with no infection present) is to puncture the ear drum and test the mucos of the ear for infection. They never do this unless the eardrum has already ruptured so it may not actually be ear infections at all but just an irritated ear. Drs. just treat them as ear infections b/c it is more practical to do it that way. TAKE HIM TO AN ALLERGIST (or an ENT but I would do BOTH at the very least) to see where to go from here!

T.

Hi S., I would try goats milk. And see how he tolerates that. If not rice milk. My daughter has special needs and when she was smaller she could not tolerate a lot of juice or milk well. Just a tip, the rice milk tastes better cold. Also, just a tip on the ear thing. My son who is now 14 yrs. old had ear infections from the time he was born until he was 18 months. We did the same thing you are doing and finally we talked to our pediatrician who sent us to a pediatric ent. We got several helpful hints from him. We ended up with tubes about a year later. But the ear infections stopped. We may have had 1 or 2 since then. So it paid off for us. So maybe your doc will just send you to one to see if somethings up with the ears.

I won't repeat what some of the other posts said that I agree with, but I will suggest one thing that I didn't see mentioned. Does your son sleep on his back? I'm assuming he does since you mention elevating the head of the mattress. I know that all the "experts" say back is best, but in children with severe reflux, sleeping on their stomachs is often the easiest (yet overlooked) remedy. The reflux is most likely to blame for the ear infections/congestion because as the stomach acid comes up the esophagus, it can go everywhere in the head because all those passages are connected. Your son is old enough to hold up his head, so try sleeping him on his stomach (if you haven't already). If that makes you nervous, just watch him for a while (like during a nap) and see if he moves his head from side to side and doesn't bury his nose in the mattress. You'll be able to see whether sleeping in his stomach is a feasible option. Just don't be surprised when he sleeps many more hours than he ever has before.

I am so sorry to hear this. I'm not a doctor, but I do know that sometimes too many antibiotics wipe out the good bacteria in your body. Have you considered pro-biotics? Yogurt and many other substances have good cultures your body needs to function properly. Also, sometimes allergies cause ear infections and if it's been worse lately, that could be part of the problem. As far as the rash, I use Renew lotion by Melaleuca. My son had such sensitive skin when he was born that I couldn't even use wipes on him--I just had to use wash cloths. The Renew lotion (to this day) takes away rashes and makes me feel better for my little guy. If you'd like to try it, let me know and I'll send you a sample. I am an independent marketing consultant for Melaleuca. I hope you are able to get the reflux under control. I will pray for you and your family.

I have 3 grown children who had colic when they were babies. I was told by my pediatrician at the time to try an over-counter medication for gas, it was made specifically for babies but it did not help. They had quite the same symptoms as your baby. My 3rd child had the same colic and her pediatrician switched her formula to Enfamil Soy based milk. It truly worked wonders. She became a content and very happy baby. I wished that I had done that with my previous 2 children. My first 2 were also on Similac and for some reason could not digest it and had so many stomach problems. I also used the bottles that hold the disposable plastic inserts and those were the greatest when it came preventing gas in their tummies. It won't hurt to give the soy milk a try and I hope that it works for him.

S.,

I found myself in your position just 12 years ago! My daughter stopped eating at 2 1/2 months old. My pediatrician tried to find out what the problem was which took time and added to my frustration. We were finally admitted to Cooks. It was there that we discovered after nearly six weeks of in and out of the hospital that she not only had reflux but she couldn't tolerate anything. Which was frustrating also!

I tried everything anyone mentioned. I urged you not too! Get a pedi Gastrointerolgist, an allergist and a peditrician that you can trust. If and only if the GI suggest you try the medication you mentioned in your question, try it. It was finally a medicine that hadn't been used for children at that time, that allowed my daughter to feel better. Read labels and consider only fresh vegatables for your son. Know where everything your child eats comes from.
My daughter has grown out of or we have adjusted around her symtoms for the most part. It will soon begin to get better!

You and your family are in my prayers. God Bless!
K. K.

Dear S. V:

I haven't tried it yet, but I read in the paper about bannanas helping reflux. The advice I read was at least a few bites before bedtime or if having a reflux attack, eat at least a few bites then and it can help within 30 minutes.

I am planning to try this probably tomorrow. I'll post how it works.

A little about me:

I'm married, 46 and have a 12 year old daughter. I'm in the middle of chemo for breast cancer that is not giving me nausea but HORRIBLE acid reflux. I'm already on two medications myself for it with minimal success. Time to try something natural!

L. M.

Hi S., my little girl had acid reflux and was on prilosec until about 7 months. We even had to go to Cook Children's in Ft. Worth for a stomach scan to make sure there were no growths. It was rough but she finally out grew the symptoms. Shortly after we started childcare and with that came the cronic ear infections. We too were on antibiotics regularly which really concerned me. When she was about 15 months we had tubes put in and it made a world of difference! We went to Dr. Murray at ENT for Children in Coppell and I highly recommend him if you need this procedure done. I recently found out from our pediatrician that there is a new probiotic over the counter just for children. It should really help with the stomach problems and diarrhea that are associated with antobiotics. It's called Culturelle for Kids and is located near all the Zantac and Maalox type products in the drug store. We're using it right now and so far we've had less "issues" with our recent round of antibiotics. Best of luck and hang in there, you'll make it though this!

D.

I have a friend who has had these same problems with her son. She took him to a pediatric gastrointtologist and he was diagnosed with a food allergies. Since changing his diet, he is a new kid and sleeping very well.

S.,

Hang it there. It can be very frustrating at times; however, go with your gut. My son had back to back ear infections from 4-6 months of age. We did the ear tubes at 6 months and he never had another ear infection. He too had a bit of reflux, but by 1 yeear of age was fine. Then there was the high fever, swollen glands and sort throat every 6-8 weeks. The dr. kept saying kids get sick etc. I kept pushing and asked to be referred to a specialist for a second opinion. Long story short, it turned out my son had something that is a cyclic, non-life threatening, disease that he has finally grown out of. Lastly, he started with stomach aches, back aches, low energy about 2 years ago. Dr. said he was constipated and sent us on our way with Miralax which then had the opposite effect. I thought this is no way to live and I am not a fan of medicating if there is a better way. I took my son to an alternative dr. and found out he has a wheat/gluten insesitivy. As long as we watch his diet and limit his intake he is pretty good and we don't have to medicate. I am no expert, but I do read a lot and spend a lot of time at Healthy Approach in Colleyville. I think you are right to beleive that some of your sons issues may be from an allergy or intolerance for cow's milk. You may also want to explore other foods he eats too. They may be the culprit as well. Our family has been on Rice Milk for two years now. I have a 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter. Be confident, ask questions, ask for second opinions or to be referred to a specialist if you aren't satisfied.

My oldest son, who is now 13 years old, was 1 month premature, on an apnea monitor for 3 months and had reflux for 9 months. Once the reflux ended, it was as if it had never happened, so take heart, the same should happen for you. If it doesn’t clear up even after you’ve tried some, or all, of the suggestions from reflux-baby’s parents, I would go to a specialist, just to be on the safe side. It almost sounds to me as if your son has another condition, in addition to the reflux, but maybe other babies have had both reflux and ear infections. Our son never had one ear infection while he had reflux.
To combat his reflux they had us add cereal to his breast milk, sit up for 1/2 after every meal, and give him OTC medication, but none of that cured him, all it did was treat the symptoms. The sphincter between his esophagus and stomach just had to mature and when it did, he was fine. In fact, he has a stronger stomach than his little brother, by far.
Back in the early 1990s, when he had reflux, the strongest medicine I could give him was Maalox and when that didn't work they just told me to give him more (thanks a LOT!). I would have loved to have been able to give him prescription strength medication, but maybe that's not the best thing for your son. And something extremely helpful I learned years ago is that if your child is having diarrhea, giving them an antacid helps tremendously. It’s a base and therefore it calms down the acid in their poop, which then won’t burn so much, thereby taking a lot of the pain away; my sons both loved Children’s Mylanta and Tums.
Does he have stomach pain in the morning when he first gets up? My son did for the first 5-6 months and I would lie him down and move his leg as if he were pedaling a bicycle. Have you tried that? It’s in some of the baby care books, but I’ve found that a lot of people have never heard of doing that.
Oh, and my son used to get this weird, terribly painful diaper rash, even when he was over the reflux. Our doctor thought his was fungal in nature, kind of like athlete’s foot (ewww, I know), but he wasn’t even walking when he first got it---we never did figure that one out. The only thing that helped him was an anti-fungal foot ointment---but that totally healed him every time.

YIKES I was going to guess a milk allergie of some sort.
I am so sorry you are having to deal with this, it really does sound horrible.
I have boys with food sensitivity and here is what I would do (with the knowledge I now have of trying to figure them out)
WHEAT MILK and SOY all have similar protein make up, so if you are allergic to one you might be to others, or have problems with the others.
I would recamend a well fortified RICE milk almond would prob be fine if no history of nut allergies. You will want to give him omega3's (good for you fat) also probiotics to make his stomach better from the antibiotics, it is hard to find probiotics that aren't tainted with milk but look close.
One last thing it could also be corn, that was the first agrevator we found for my son, which I thing may be in the formula you mentioned.
I hope this helps and isn't to confussing. good luck at the doc's OH and I would ask to see an ENT/allergiest, I know here they have both specialties.
M.
____@____.com

I totally agree with Lisa. Defiantly sounds like a lactose issue. My dd had reflux and thrived on Lactose free formula (bf for 4 months but dd had a super lazy suck and was loosing to much weight!)

Secondly what about tubes for his ears? Also probiotics. Something like 75% of your immune system is in your digestive tract. By keeping him on antiboitics that much your killing all the goodies that are SUPPOSED to be there. Probiotics will help restore it and should help with the poo issues too!

Dear dear S.,
I hear your pain! My first child slept through the night practically since birth and my second son is now 8 and still rarely sleeps straight through. The upside is that he has not wet the bed very much in his childhood career!
He was a baby with tummy trouble because of the antibiotic they gave me when I was giving birth to him. It was aggravated everytime he got his shots. Long story, but the outcome was we transitioned from soy milk to rice milk because the soy constipated him and we introduced yogurt(soy) to help get good bacteria in his system. We had to keep his mattress elevated as well. The outcome was that he is more of a water drinker now, never milk(his choice), and the ear stuff and tummy stuff is a part of his past. He really turned a corner after a year.
A&D ointment and Aquaphor were always on the grocery list for the diaper stuff.
I wish I could help with a quick fix. Good luck and God bless you and your family. There is sleep coming to you soon.

Try rice milk as he may be alergic to milk products. I've also heard that ear infections can be made worse by them lying down with a bottle. The last bottle of a night you can try holding him, hopefully he'll sleep through the night and you won't have to sit up in the wee hours. If he has to be on an antiboitic again there are meds, and a certain type yogurt to put good enzymes back in the system to keep from getting yeast infection. I never heard of a baby having reflux problems, hope something helps soon.

I have an almost 9 month old son who is very similar. No reflux, no ear infection but we have been battling colds since January. I have taken him in to the dr and to the after hours ped. and they tell me he is fine. No infections ears are clear and chest is clear. Thankfully he has not gone on meds. My dr. is not a huge fan of meds unless necessary...so I am thankful to have avoided antibiotics. She has a newsletter that she writes every quarter. At her request, I read her Fall 2007 one that had some more "holistic" type suggestions for fighting off colds/etc. I did go buy him some herbal "immune boost" that she recommended and he seems to be leveling out. I am not sure how that would affect his reflux. She also pushes pro-biotics to counteract the antibiotics...i use organic yogurt, but you may want to try yo-baby or some other soy based yougurt? I have seen tofu yougurt too if there is lactose issues.
Might be worth a check. I think part of our problem is that he is teething at the same time as all this crud going around. I have been told by drs. that there is a TON of stuff going around this season.
her website is
www.healthykidspediatrics.com
Good luck...poor punkin.

We had the same problem with our son. He's now 15 months old. We ended up going with the Nestle Good Start Supreme Soy formula. It wasn't has heavy on his stomach. He adjusted to it well. As for the congestion and ear infections, our son ended up having to have tubes put in and has been diagnosed with asthma. He's been using a nebulizer since he was about 9 months old. I know it's very dificult having a sick child all the time. Hope this helps!

HI S.,

Would you consider approaching this from an all natural nutritional supplementation avenue? I am sure it is difficult to continue giving more drugs to your baby! I would consider some alternatives.

I do not have any experience with reflux and you did not mention throwing up...but just wanted to mention this. My son has tubes (which stopped constant ear infections!. He threw up in his crib in his sleep so we did not know for several hours. It had dripped into his ears and actually clogged them. It threw off his balance and eventually caused an outer ear infection. We had no idea until we took him to the doctor and started investigating. Just something to look out for if you do the tube thing.

Also, have you tried sleeping in a chair with him on your chest. May be comforting and may allow everyone to get some sleep. Or prop yourself up with pillows in bed??? It is probably scary for the little guy to be feeling so bad.
I hope you are comforted by all the responses and knowing that you are not alone. You will get through this! Follow your instincts and good luck!

My 12 yr old daughter has a history of digestive problems, ear infections, congestion and repiratory related illnesses. These problems started from birth. She never slept well and constantly threw up her formula. At 2yrs, she was diagnosed with asthma (congestion and reflux are commonly realated to asthma)and had tube in her ears and tonsils and anoids removed at 4yrs and at 5yrs was put in the hospital for pheumonia. During the entire time she had digestive problems and stomace aches. That's when we found our savior, Dr Richard Silver. He has offices at Medical City in Dallas and also off Coit in Plano, Peditric Pulmonology Associates of North Texas. After a year of testing, she was diagnosed with acid reflux, and Common Variable Immuno Deficiency (depleated immune system). She is able to take preventative antibiotics as treatment, along with prevacid (she's lactose intolerant too, so no milk products)and other meds for her asthma. Many other people must take gammaglobulin infusions to boost their immune systems. Dr. Silver and his team are very into prevantative treatment as opposted to reactive treatment. They work hard to diagnose the child so they can lead full, normal lives and get the preventative treatment they need. His number is ###-###-####. I don't know if this info will help you and I'm certainly not a doctor, but I feel like I was once in the situation you're in now. God bless you.

I would suggest taking him to an ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor. They may suggest tubes in his ears. I had similar situation with my daughter except the reflux was not as bad as your sons. My pediatrician would not refer us, so I did it on my own and it was the best thing I ever did. She got tubes at 18 months, ear infections cleared up and no problems since. The constant ear infections can also disrupt learning to talk because they don't hear clearly. Also, once they get tubes they hear everything so it took a couple months for her to be able to sleep through the night. She just turned 10 and we've had no problems since the tubes. Best of luck.

My oldest son had acid reflux when he was young and his dr. gave him zantac and it worked great. I also had him on soy milk for a while because he wouldn't take the formula anymore. The zantac helped tremendously and he did have tubes put in a few months later. I am not sure if the reflux is what caused him to have tubes but he does not need the zantac anymore.

Hi S.! I can't help with the reflux, but I can help with the allergies/congestion. What'll really help is getting the toxins/chemicals out of your home...ie. cleaning products, laundry, personal care items, etc...Switching to products that are the best of science and nature, helps get rid of issues like eczema, allergies and asthma. I use them and I love them!! My kids are healthier, I know they're safer and they work great!! Also, the lotion helps tremendously with the rashes! If you're interested in hearing more you can pm me!

Good luck to all of you!!

maybe you should have him see an allergist, to see if he is allergic to milk or milk type based products, that could be causing the reflex. I work for an allergist we do have young children that are allergic to milk.

Has your doctor mentioned seeing an ENT (Ear, nose and throat) doctor? My daughter had the constant ear infections and congestion, we had her adnoids removed and tubes put in her ears when she was 9 mo. old, her infections start when she was 2 mo. old. She rested much better and was a happier camper because she was not in constant pain with the ears. You also might want to have his allergys checked, It will do a lot to a litte one and can make them stay congested, all three of my take singlar daily its a chewable pill and it has helped a ton. None of my babies have had the reflux so I dont know much about that, I do have a neice that has it and she drinks soy but I'm not sure what makes one better than the other. Good luck and bless your little one.
T.

I don't have any particular advise, except that if you are unhappy with your current doctor's advice, please seek a second opinion before this goes any further or your son's any sicker.

We had these very same issues with our son who is now almost 4. He also drank Alimentum & was on Prevacid & seemed to make trips to the doctor for ear infections, runny noses a monthly occurance. Ear tubes were suggested if he was to continue at the rate he was going. Our peditrician suggested we go to a Pediatric Pulmonolgist, as they thought he had asthma as well, which we did. We started Pulmicort with a nebulizer on a twice daily routine & he was the one who actually talked about reflux & started him on prevacid which helped. He also suggestted that if over some time, it didn't resolve to see an allergy specialist. After he turned about 18 months, symptoms seemed to get a better & did occur less frequently. He drinks soy milk all the time now & we never did have to get tubes. Other than the ezycema that was occurring at the same time, most everything else has subsided. When he drinks regular milk or has a lot of dairy products, the exycema flairs up & he has more diarrhea so we continue to have him on soy. It did seem to likely be more allergy related.

I'm sorry to hear about your son. I know it's frustrating when a doctor is giving you so many medicines and they don't seem to help and they have so many side affects.
I would try natural products. Nature's Sunshine Products is a great natural herbal company and also, Original Limu is great at helping your immune system. My grandson had problems with ear infections and had to be on a breathing machine when he was a baby.
He hadn't had any problems since then as long as he was drinking his Limu. When my daughter stopped giving it to him he developed an ear infection and now found out he is allergic to his antibiotics.
I have seen some great results from people drinking Original Limu and the great thing is that it is a food and not an herb or medicine. Check out my website: www.discoverlimu.com/jcarden
I hope you will look into it.
J.

try a Chiropractor that believes in the Whole Body wellness.
Mine here in Acton is great - Clearview Chiropractic. They treat all ages - newborn to ???. It works!
When all else has failed - why not? they are having specials this month! Won't cost as much as a doctor visit - and no drugs!!
'S.

Hi I was just wondering it sounds a little like my niece's problems, they figured out she has allergies. It might be something to check into if you haven't already. She is two and had problems with ear infections and runny nose. I hope you find some relief soon. Take care

I would bet the bank that your son has a food allergy to WHEAT and GLUTEN. Before you put him on more meds simply take him off of any foods that contain wheat and gluten. Give it a couple of weeks and you should see a new child. The wheat and gluten make the ears retain fluid behind the drums.
R.

You could be describing my son!!! I nurse him so we haven't had the formula problem, but aside from that you are describing my boy! He was dx with reflux 4 months ago- he has been on 7.5mg prevacid and the Metroclopromide 4x/day ever since; I too was leary after reading the side-effect/information sheet but after several discussions with all his doctors we tried it and I am SO glad we did! After stalling out and not gaining, or gaining and immediatley loosing weight from age 6 month until 11 months he is now doing MUCH better and is growing well. He was wearing a size 6-9 month in December and by the end of Feb he needed 18 month clothes- he is still a little thin, but MUCH taller and Gaining! As scary as it was to start giving it to him, the medicine worked. I also think it helps him stay more comfortable (ie less reflux/less pain) at night as he sleeps better when i remember to give him his before bed dose. My understanding is that the two meds (prevacid and metroclopramide) work in differnt ways, and compliment each other to control the reflux from different angles. He also has had a lot of ear infections and is getting tubes put in next week. The fluid in his ears is causing him to have "significant hearing loss" at this time, so we are hoping the tubes will help him gain speech and improve his balance as he is still not comfortable walking (he is now 13months). He is prone to colds, has had RSV 2 times and a mystery virus (I think was RSV a 3rd time but undiagnosed) and gets major congestion which leads to ear infections. His pulmonologist (who diagnosed the reflux) also gave him a prescription for Phenyl Chlor Tan Suspension- it is the only decongestant type med that i have known to work on such a young child but it has REALLY helped him several times. We give it to him 2 times a day for up to 7-10 days when he has a cold or virus to help control the mucous/congestion. I believe it helped avoid yet another ear infection in the past couple of weeks. The poor little guy is also on a nebulizer for the damage the RSV did to his lungs- and yes somedays I feel like he is a walking pharmacy, but he is growing and learning and I just remind myself that we are doing the best we can for him. As for the milk... our family tend to get very mucousy/congested from cows milk. My daughter is on Silk-soy milk. My son has just started drinking cows milk in January. I am watching him closely to see how he reacts, right now it is hard to tell since there are so many colds and runny noses surrounding us so I won't really be able to tell if the milk is contributing to his congestion for a while. We had raised the head of his bed, but he started turning around and sleeping with his head down wasn't helping, so we have flat again. You can also try a cool air humidifier to help while he sleeps, saline nose drops before bed can help with the congestion and comfort. We have a sippy cup of water in his bed every night in the same place along with a stash of pacifiers so most of the time he will wake up, drink his water, grab a binkie and go back to sleep. It took a while to get him to this point; we would get up, go in, give him a hug as he stood in his crib, hand him his cup/help him get a drink and hand him his binkie/pacifier. If he got up repeatedly in a night we would finally let him cry/fuss. It was tough, and I still hear him at night, but he rarely cries. The water sippy has been wonderful for us. I'm sorry to hear of your son's difficulties, but know that you are not alone... our boys sound so similar! Hope he gets better soon!
~A

HI S.,
My 10 month old has a similar situation. She is actually no longer taking her reflux medicine because she had seemed to get better but no is waking after 3-4 hours sleep at night and then waking every 1-2 hours for the rest of the night. My understanding of reflux is that the medication only reduces the amount of acid but that nothing will help the reflux until they grow out of it because it is caused by an underdeveloped muscle in the esphagus or something like that. Here's a few things that have helped us a little bit...

Give last "solid" meal at least a few hours before bed and avoid acid producing foods (tomatos etc) I usually do a reverse feeding schedule for her with dinner type foods in the morning and cereal or oatmeal at night.
Elevating her mattress never worked because she would roll to the bottom anyway but, occassionaly, when it is really bad I have put her to sleep by my bed in her carseat. She will sleep for much longer that way. I know it isn't a good habit but after a week of no sleep it is helpful for a night or two.
Pacifiers have helped her a lot. my theory is that the sucking motion helps keep saliva moving down her throat keeping stomach acid from coming up and burning. Maybe not correct but my personal theory.
Other than that I can't help to much but will be VERY interested to read your responses! HANG IN THERE! I completely understand the lack of sleep torture. Good luck!

PS - We tried EVERY kind of formula known to man and do you know what worked the best? Nestle Good Start. I swear it is the only one that she didn't barf up!

I feel for you! My son who is now 3 had really bad reflux and was always having ear infections and getting sick. He was on Prevacid at about a month old and the side affects seem scary and could happen but are very rare. My son has out grown the acid reflux finally and is doing so much better hardly ever has ear infections and being sick is so much better. He does still have a very sensitive stomach and is a picky eater. Have you heard of goats milk its suppose to be good too! We took my son to a pedi gastro and after trying all kinds of formula we put him on Good start formula but he also got to the point that he wouldn't take formula anymore either and he was about the same age as your child. We did switch him to regular milk but that was after a while when he wouldn't take formula or milk. He still doesn't sleep completely sleep through the night. But it has gotten so much better. To much antibotics will give you diarrhea and can strip the intestines of good bacteria. Ask you dr. for happy hinny butt paste/cream it is a prescription but it help so much also use lotramin foot cream for the rash it really works and kills the rash and helps the bottom heal. See if you can get your son to drink some yogurt drinks like Danimals. Yogurt is so good for the stomach and it will help with the reflux and with the diarrhea. Your son will eventually out grow all of this but it does take some time. If you have any ?'s let me know I will be more than happy to help.