So confused!!! VERY LONG!!! Allergic colitis, formula trial, etc.

[3inclothdiapers]

Not sure if I should post this here or in parenting, but here goes:

ds (3 months) was exclusively breastfed up until Tuesday. He's got allergic colitis and sometimes shows symptoms of silent reflux (though the reflux does seem to have improved lately). He typically would cry (sometimes scream) at regular intervals after nursing (45 min, 1 1/2 hr, etc). In the absense of other symptoms, we'd call it colic, right? But his poops are almost always mucusy, frequently green, and sometimes have blood in them. I've always nursed just one side per feeding to make sure he was getting enough hindmilk. When he was 2 weeks old I cut out dairy. I did the best I could over Thanksgiving and Christmas, though with traveling and staying at other peoples' houses I know I consumed some without realizing it.

In recent weeks I made sure I was cutting out ALL dairy, plus soy and eggs. I tried going without wheat for a little while but it didn't seem to help. Cutting out nuts seemed like it was helping too (after not having any for a while I ate a handful of almonds and that afternoon he was doing the hiccup-gulpy reflux thing).

These dietary changes weren't quite enough. I kept a food journal and could not determine what else bothers him (I guess since there's such a variance in how long it takes different foods to affect the milk, how long it takes to get through his system, etc). I've done a total elimination diet in the past (for ds1) and it did not help at all. After 2 weeks on turkey, pears, millet, squash, and lamb, he was still having the same fussiness and nasty poops. Ds1 ended up on neocate when he was 7 months old then alimentum from 8 to 12 months. I promised myself and dh that I would not do a total elimination diet again. It's hard enough cutting out just a few of the major allergens.

On Tuesday I was frustrated and had enough of the fussing and crying so I got a can of alimentum and started giving that to ds. Tues night I nursed him "one last time" (at least for now I hope) so we could take pictures for the scrapbook. He has been so upset yesterday and today. I do know that I ate some soy for dinner Tuesday. Not sure if that's what did it though. He screamed for 1 1/2 hours for dh yesterday when I went to the grocery store. He's been screaming today too.

I guess I was hoping for some miraculous instant change so this "formula trial" would yield some answers super quick. I keep going back and forth between wanting the formula to "cure him" and actually wanting him to still be fussy so I can go back to nursing him because I miss it already. (I'm pumping lots and have been able to pump as much as he's drinking of formula, at least (yesterday he drank about 24 oz of formula and I pumped at least 24 oz of breastmilk so I'm keeping up with him supply wise so far)). He is taking the formula well though. He willingly drinks up to 4 oz at each feeding and isn't burpy or anything afterwards (but around 45 min later he's crying from gas pain I presume).

I guess I should get to my main questions:
1. If anyone happens to know, how long would it take him to get through this transition to formula and start feeling better, if allergies to foods i eat are truly to blame? I need to know how many more days I should expect the "formula trial" to last before we can start drawing conclusions.
2. Is it possible that he could have some kind of "general sensitivity" to everything I eat and that he'll be fussy no matter what I eat?
3. Is it possible that he could have tummyaches even on hypoallergenic formula? I don't care that his poops are looking better. If he's still screaming then he might as well be on breastmilk.


This is so hard. And I know dh is gonna be so annoyed with me if I tell him that I want to breastfeed anyway. He remembers how well ds1 did on formula so he's ready for ds3 to feel better and start being happy more.

The crazy thing is, just this past Saturday ds3 had a great day. He didn't fuss much at all and let me get all sorts of things done. Then Sunday and Monday were bad again. And I cannot pinpoint certain foods that would have caused this. I can't make everyday like last Saturday if I don't know what is hurting him!

But the fact that sometimes he has a good day say that maybe he might start to outgrow this soon (unlike big brother who didn't outgrow it till close to a year)? Was I too hasty in buying the Alimentum?

If I end up going back to breastfeeding I've got a bunch of cans of formula coming which I'll have to re-sell on ebay... Yes, I tend to make decisions too quickly!

Please help me figure out what to do!!!

[mommy21princess]

I've already written to you but just wanted to say that it can take up to 3 or four weeks to get all the foods that he could be allergic to out of your system. I wouldn't do a BRAT diet at first, I would simply take out the dairy and go from there. Also I don't think that Formula is a CURE for anything. It may help because he's not getting the "allergy food" from you, but it also May NOT help. Have you tried getting him on some reflux meds. yet? I'd say it possibly could be that. My dd had it AWEFUL and had a lot of the same symptoms as your saying. Also, you can have his allergies tested and find out EXACTLY what he is allergic to. If you want to bf I would go this route. I would camp out at the doc. office and FIND the problem and NOT just blame it on BF. KWIM? There is something that he's not tollerating rather it be from you or PAIN that he's in for something else. I was watching Dr. Phil just the other day and they all the Williams doctors on there. They explained that Colic is a diagnosis of I don't know what the problem is. My mom always said that too. There is SOMETHING wrong with a baby it just may take some time to FIND The problem. Most docs. will just blame it on bfing and go from there. In fact everytime I've taken kaytlynn in for a illness they've tried to say i needed to stop bfing and now she's 17 months old Doing great On bm!! Good luck with whatever you find. I hope you get some peace soon!! ((hugs))

[charliegirl7]

what an ordeal that you are going through! i would also say that i don't think formula would cure anything. i have to go completely dairy free for my little one as well - she is 5.5 months now. if i eat any dairy she also gets the green bloody poops, crying lots, poor sleep, vomiting, etc. also, babies digestive tracts are immature till they reach about 6 months of age and they often get upset easily. i wonder if you maybe have more than one prblem going on? maybe foremilk/hindmilk imbalance as well as allergies? (i had/have both of those as well) here are some great links that helped me:
http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/h...kcontent.shtml
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns...tolerance.html
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns...nsitivity.html
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...s.html#allergy
http://www.drjaygordon.com/developme...icks/dairy.asp
http://askdrsears.com/html/4/t041800.asp
i hope those help you and things improve!

[zacksmama]

Originally Posted by 3inclothdiapers Is it possible that he could have tummyaches even on hypoallergenic formula? I don't care that his poops are looking better. If he's still screaming then he might as well be on breastmilk.

Yes, it is absolutely possible. My son had a corn/dairy allergy (outgrew the corn allergy at 12 mos), and was consequently allergic to every formula on the market. Even Alimentum has dairy in it (casein), which my ds reacted to. Even tho it is hypoallergenic & predigested, it still caused blood in his stool.

I strongly suggest getting a blood allergy test run on him. They just have to draw blood once and they can test for hundreds of allergens. Do keep in mind tho that it does have a 50% false negative rate (meaning he is allergic to something, but it doesn't show up on the test). However, if he is allergic enough to cause blood in his stool, then it should show up on the test. My son's corn allergy showed positive when he was only 8 weeks old.

My older son has a turkey allergy, so it is possible that your older son may have been reacting to the turkey in your diet.

GL!

Jess

[fostermomcchr]

I am so sorry you are both going through this, I found the alimentuim to work wonders for fosterbabies that required it. I also use the dr browns bottles-they make a big difference in the babies gas/colic/reflux as well, have you tried them yet? They are a bit pricey, but worth every penny for sure! If you haven't tried them yet, I strongly urge you to, I was very skeptical that a bottle could help the baby stop crying, but it really did cut the crying atleast in half with the first use, within a week, her crying was almost gone. Oh the bottle was the only change we made that week cuz she was put on gentle ease two weeks prior to that appt.

[babygirlsmom1005]

I posted in this before before the servers went down and I do not know where it went....Anyway.....

The Similac Alimentum contains DAIRY!!! Here is the ingrediants list for that formula:

INGREDIENTS (Powder)
35.5% Corn maltodextrin, 17.5% casein hydrolysate (enzymatically hydrolyzed), 14.5% sugar (sucrose), 9.7% high oleic safflower oil, 9.5% medium chain triglycerides, 8.0% soy oil; Less than 2% of: C. cohnii oil,* M. alpina oil,** calcium phosphate, DATEM, potassium citrate, xanthan gum, magnesium chloride, mono- and diglycerides, sodium chloride, ascorbic acid, L-cystine dihydrochloride, calcium carbonate, L-tyrosine, potassium chloride, choline chloride, ferrous sulfate, L-tryptophan, taurine, m-inositol, ascorbyl palmitate, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, zinc sulfate, L-carnitine, niacinamide, mixed tocopherols, calcium pantothenate, cupric sulfate, vitamin A palmitate, thiamine chloride hydrochloride, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, potassium iodide, phylloquinone, biotin, sodium selenate, vitamin D3 and cyanocobalamin.

Casein is Dairy, so if you LO is allergic to dairy, no matter how broken down it is, or the formula company says it is, they will have a reaction to this formula. Here is a allergy list that my daughter's nutricinst gave us as a simple guideline, BTW, my daughter is confirmed allergic to Dairy, Soy, Wheat/Gluten & Egg Whites. If we had to supplement, the only thing we could use is Neocate Jr. or Neocate +1 (she is 16 months old tomorrow).

This is for information only, always speak with your doctor or childs doctor for medical information on allergies!!!! This list was given to me by my daughters nutricinst and it does not include everything these allergies are included in.

Milk/Dairy
Milk to Avoid:
Artifical Butter Flavor
Butter, Butter Fat, Butter Oil
Casein
Caseinates
Cheese Curds
Custard
Ghee
Half & Half
Ice Cream
Lactalbumin, Lactalbumin Phosphate
Lactoferrin
Lactulose
Milk
Nougat
Pudding Rennet Casein
Sour Cream, Sour Cream Solids
Whey
Yogurt

Milk may be present in:
Caramel Candies
Chocolate
Flavorings
High Protien Flour
Lactic Acid Starter Culture
Lactose
Luncheon Meat
Hot Dogs
Sausages
French Fries
Margarine
Non-Dairy Products

Soy
Soy to avoid:
Edamame
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Miso
Natto
Soy
Soya
Soybean
Tamari
Tempeh
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
Tofu

Soy may be present in:
Asian Cuisine
Flavoring
Vegetable Broth
Vegetable Gum
Vegetable Starch

Another fact about soy:
Studies show that most individuals allergic to soy may safely eat soy bean oil due to it does not contain the soy protein

Wheat
Wheat to Avoid:
Matzoh, Matzoh Meal
Pasta
Seitan
Semolina
Spelt
Vital Gluten
Wheat
Wheat Grass
Whole Wheat Berries
Bran
Bread Crumbs
Cousous
Cracker Meal
Durum
Farina
Flour
Gluten
Kamut

Wheat may be present in:
Light Flours
White Rice
Tapioca
Arrowroot
Sago
Intermediate Flours
Patato
R'eff
Brown Rice

Flour Subsitute:
Heavy Flours
Soy
Buckwheat
Millet
Amaranth
Chickpea
Any Nut
Quinoa

Tree Nuts
Tree Nuts to Avoid:
Almonds
Artifical Nuts
Brazil Nuts
Caponata
Cashews
Chestnuts
Filbert/Hazelnuts
Giandula
Hickory Nuts
Macadamin Nuts
Mandelonas/Almond Paste
Nan-gai Nuts
Natural Nut Extract
Nogut
Nut Butters
Nut Meal
Nutmeat
Nut Oil
Nut Paste
Nut Peices
Pecans
Pesto
Pine Nuts
Pistachios
Pralines
Walnuts

Other info on Tree Nuts:
Mortadella may contain pistachios
Experts advise patients allergic to Tree Nuts to avoid Peanuts as well
Nataural and artifical flavoring may contain tree nuts

Shellfish
Shellfish to Avoid:
Abalone
Clams
Cockle
Crab
Crawfish
Lobster
Mollusks
Mussels
Octopus
Oysters
Prawns
Scallops
Shrimp
Snails
Squid

Shellfish may be present in:
Bouillabaisse
Cuttlefish Ink.
Fish Stock
Flavoring
Seafood Flavoring
Surimi

Other info on shellfish:
Any food served in a seafood restaurant may be cross contaminated with fish or shell fish
Some may have a reaction to cooking odors or from handling fish or shellfish
Medications should always be carried and used as soon as symptoms appear

Peanuts
Peanuts to Avoid:
Artifical Nuts
Beer Nuts
Cold Pressed, Expelled or Extruded Peanut Oil
Goobers
Ground Nuts
Mandelonas
Mixed Nuts
Monkey Nuts
Nutmeat
Nut Peices
Peanut
Peanut Butter
Peanut Flour

Peanuts may be present in:
African, Asian and Mexican Dishes
Baked Goods
Candy
Chili
Egg Rolls
Enchilada Sauce
Flavorings
Marzipan
Nougat

Other info on Peanuts:
Studies show that most allergic individuals can safely eat peanut oil (not cold pressed, expelled or extruded oil)
Arachils Oil is Peanut Oil
Experts advise patients allergic to Peanuts to avoid Tree Nuts as well
A study showed that unlike other legumes, there is a strong possibility of cross reaction between peanuts and lupine
Sunflower Seeds are often produced on equipment shared with Peanuts

Eggs
Eggs to avoid:
Albumin
Egg
Eggnog
Lysozyme
Mayonnaise
Meringue
Surimi

Egg may be present in:
Flavoring
Lecithin
Macaroni
Marzipan
Marshmellows
Nougat
Pasta

Egg Subsitutes - Leavening:
As Leavening: 1tsp egg free baking powder + 2 tbs liquid
Egg Free Baking Powder
Baking Soda (1 part); cream of tartar (2 parts); Cornstarch (1 part)
Baking soda (1 part); cream of tartar (2 parts); arrowroot starch (2 parts)

Egg Subsitutes:
Binder:
2 oz of toufu = 1 egg
Liquid:
1/3 cup of apple juice
4 Tbsp pureed Apricot
1 Tbsp Vinegar

If you need to chat, just let me know. I really HPH and Good Luck to you!!!!

[3inclothdiapers]

Thanks for all the replies (Again! Somehow they all disappeared!)

IN a nutshell- I'm going to resume breasteeding on Tuesday. Dh wants a couple more days to "make sure" the formula isn't the best way to go. I don't think he's doing any better on it. I know someone asked about bottles. We've been using Ventaire by Playtex. Those are awesome bottles if you have to go that route. He hardly ever has to burp after a feeding.

But anyway, I posted another thread asking questions about my diet, but I'll put the info here too:
For 1 month I'm going to avoid:
dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, pork, beef, tomatoes, citrus, berries, wheat, corn, chocolate, and caffeine. I think that's it; don't have the list right in front of me.

I'm pretty sure I wasn't giving eliminations enough time before, so that's why I'm doing it for a month. Then I'll try to add stuff back in one at a time, except for dairy, soy, nuts, and pork, because I'm pretty sure he DOES have a problem with those.

Anyone know- if ds has a problem with wheat, is it possible it'll be okay for me to eat only the wheat flour I grind myself, since it's not refined? Kind of similar to how some dairy-allergic people can have raw milk since it's not homogenized? just wondering. When it comes time to challenge stuff I'm going to treat my own wheat flour as a different food from refined flours so I know if there's a difference!

Maybe I'll ask my dr if they can run the allergy tests. They didn't with ds1 because of the high false neg rate. And they tend not to worry too much since the baby is growing well.

[charliegirl7]

i hope things go well for you. it is a hard thing to foloow through on, but you're doing a great thing for your baby!

[babygirlsmom1005]

If your DS has a problem/allergy with Wheat, it will mean a problem/allergy to Gluten, which is in wheat, no matter if you grind it yourself or buy it from the store. My DD is allergic to wheat and we have gone totally gluten free. There are subsitutes out there to replace wheat and they are actually pretty good (Arrowhead Mills has a lot of diffrent wheat free flours and baking mix that we use all the time, referance the list that I posted above for wheat subsitutes). Also, if someone is truly allergic to cows milk, it is the protein in the milk that they are allergic to, no matter if it is fresh from the tit or bought at the store....there is a differance in a true allergy and a sensitivities....

My daughter had her 1st allergy test done when she was less than a day old in the NICU. The 2nd one was done Jan. 2007. I would request it to see if they can rule anything out. Also, it can take up to 3 weeks for dairy to get out of your system and another 2 weeks for it to get out of babies system, you have to stick with it for awhile before giving up. Good Luck.

[3inclothdiapers]

Originally Posted by babygirlsmom1005 If your DS has a problem/allergy with Wheat, it will mean a problem/allergy to Gluten, which is in wheat, no matter if you grind it yourself or buy it from the store. My DD is allergic to wheat and we have gone totally gluten free. There are subsitutes out there to replace wheat and they are actually pretty good (Arrowhead Mills has a lot of diffrent wheat free flours and baking mix that we use all the time, referance the list that I posted above for wheat subsitutes). Also, if someone is truly allergic to cows milk, it is the protein in the milk that they are allergic to, no matter if it is fresh from the tit or bought at the store....there is a differance in a true allergy and a sensitivities.... My daughter had her 1st allergy test done when she was less than a day old in the NICU. The 2nd one was done Jan. 2007. I would request it to see if they can rule anything out. Also, it can take up to 3 weeks for dairy to get out of your system and another 2 weeks for it to get out of babies system, you have to stick with it for awhile before giving up. Good Luck.

I'm not sure this is a "true allergy". With ds1 (same symptoms) it was just a sensitivity, which the GI told us he would outgrow by 1 year old. Sure enough, when he turned one, he didn't have a problem with any foods. The GI said that he'd outgrow it whether I ate the foods or not. But the crying and the nasty poops got really old, and since the elimination diet didn't work I went to neocate for him. Turns out I guess I wasn't giving the ED long enough. But this time I will stick with it longer. Regardless, I'm going to be really careful with my diet and talk to the ped about allergy testing at our next appt (if we get any + then I'll know to definitely NOT challenge those foods!). If we don't do the testing then I'll just pick one food at a time, picking with the least likely culprits and add them back in my diet and see what happens. Since he's having a problem with the alimentum corn is suspect now too, in addition to the foods I already suspected, like dairy, soy, nuts, eggs, and pork. The ones I'm not sure about are wheat, tomatoes, citrus, etc. But I figured it's better to cut out too much and maybe get him better than to cut out too little and have him upset still!