I am just at a loss for what to do. My daugheter is 6 weeks old and on Zantac. She was on Prevacid before and it didnt really work. I also tried no dairy for 5 days and I dint really see a big difference. We had a death in the family around tha ttime though and I dont know if I really watched, I have no idea if it worked or not cause there was too much going on. So then shes on Zantac - They told me that the Zantac wouldn't help the spitup, just the cryoing, arching, and choking. I dont think the Zantac is helping with that - no choking episodes thank God but she is stil in pain it seems. Also she throws up what looks like 8 oz abpout 4 times a day. She also has a diaper rash and casal congestion. I don't know if Ishould try dairy free again. I also have an oversupply issue which I am trying to balance out by doing one side at a time. I dont know. I am going to bring her in again to the dr ... I just dont know what to do.

Oh, I am so so sorry that your little one is in so much pain.
How long did you give the Prevacid? I'm surprised that they started her on it and not the Zantac first. Usually docs will go w/the Zantac first and then move on to something a little 'stronger, like Prevacid or Prilosec.
So, how long was she on the Prevacid, it does take a bit to "kick in" so to speak. I'm wondering if you didn't give it enough time. It can take up to two weeks. As for the Zantac, it also will take a bit to take effect, but Zantac is hard because it it weight sensitive and Prevacid is not. So, when they gain, if you don't adjust the dosage, they will start to hurt again.
My advice is to either see if the Zantac needs to be increased, or if you think that you didn't give the Prevacid enough time, maybe the doc will try switching back.
The other thing that you can do is give some Mylanta or Maalox to help a bit. Just don't give it within an hour of the Zantac.
As far as the feeding, I'm of no help, I didn't breastfeed. As far as the dairy, it's possible that you didn't get it "all out" dairy is in soo much that you don't even think it would be in.

I am sorry you are having such a hard time. Emily gave great advice on the meds. As far as the nursing, it can take a couple of weeks to 'clean out' your milk, so if you think that is a problem you may want to try it again. Also many baby's that have a problem with milk also have a problem with soy, so you may want to try cutting out both for about a month and see what happens (I know easier said then done).

I had a really fast letdown and oversuply with my son. I ended up giving up on bf after a couple of months. I have been looking into it, because I really want to bf me second, and from what I have read oversuply and overactive letdown can cause a lot of the problems you are discribing too.

It is really hard to figure out just what is causing our little ones pain. I hope you are able to find something that will work for her.

I' m so sorry to hear your little one is in pain! The other's had some good advice and I don't have to much to add. Like Emily said, the Prevacid can take 2 weeks to sometimes a month to start working and Zantac is very weight sensetive. Zantac alone does work for many babies but their are a lot who need a PPI like Prevacid. It does sound like she may have issues with dairy and like Katey said could also have problems with soy too. My son had horrible excema when he was little due to a milk soy intolerance and once we got him on the right formula he did much better. It's not easy but try to cut out dairy and soy from your diet (it can take a couple weeks to get out of your system) and see how your little one does. You may also want to give the Prevacid another try:hug: Keep us posted!

Ditto the other ladies on the Prevacid. A few things come to mind--
First, when giving the Prevacid, were you told to give it on an empty stomach and to wait at least 30 minutes before feeding? This is the way it should be given; however, many of us weren't initially told this until we asked. :-( Sometimes the docs/pharmacists forget to mention that really important fact!

Also, with going dairy free, Katey is so right. You might want to cut both dairy and soy and give it a good 2 weeks to see if you notice any change. I b'fed my refluxer for 19 months and did the dairy/soy-free diet for quite some time. It is not easy, but it can be done. I'll post a couple of links to places where you can find quick/prepared foods that are dairy/soy free.

After a feeding, it's also a good idea to try holding her upright/over your shoulder for a little while so that gravity can work for you and help *a little* with the spitup. You might also want to try propping her crib or letting her sleep in a bouncer chair in order to keep her head propped a bit. Every little bit helps!

As for fast letdown...ugh, I had that too, for awhile. There is a lactation consultant here on the boards (hooray!!) and you might want to ask her for some advice regarding this. (I honestly was in such a daze those first few months that I can't remember what my lac. consultant told me!)

It honestly sounds like you are going through a lot right now and many of us can empathize--we've either been there or are doing it now. I am truly sorry you're dealing with all of this, but I'm glad you found us. Please use this as a place where you can ask questions and/or vent whenever you need to--you can never post too much! Please keep us updated--we'll all be anxious to know how you're doing! :hug: :hug: :hug:

If you do decide to try dairy/soy free, here are a couple of helpful links:

http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14306

http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8753


Here is a link for info re: propping your baby:

http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/propping.php

And here's a link with more information about medications to treat GERD:

http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/infant_reflux_treatments.php

Thanks everyone. I did take her to the dr today and they are having her see the pediatric GI. They said they might send her for a milk scan (sounds scary - radioactive materials?) but want to see what the GI says first. In the meantime she is staying on the Zantac. He says the dose is pretty high for her already so they arent upping it. But we're also adding the Prevacid back in - but only a half tablet not a whole. We'll see. Now that she has been on Zantac I think that maybe the Prevacid DID work a little better, Idont know, I am so confused. And I'm not sure about the dairy. I might try that again. It has just been tough not knowing what to do with the breastfeeding... she doesn't take a pacifier so I when she acts hungry I feed her but then she pukes, and my oversupply/overactive letdwn doesnt help things, she chokes and swallows too much air and it happens all over again.
Anyway thanks for all the links.

Ditto all that stuff about meds and about needing to be off both dairy and soy for a few weeks before you can see results. --- If your let down is a big issue, I would suggest a few things that were suggested to me for the same issue. You can try pulling your baby off the breast right as your let down begins to let the intial milk flow fly - literally LOL. You can also try nursing with baby so that the baby is more upright- good for reflux anyways and you should try to position the baby so that his head is a bit above the level of the breast so that gravity works to help flow the flow rather than speed it up. You can try pumping a very, very tiny bit before you nurse so that the pump gets the really fast flowing milk - just be careful if you do this so you don't incrase your supply. If you actually have oversupply then you might want to reduce your milk supply. (Ask a lactation consultant or someone from la leche league more about this since you don't want to reduce supply unless you really do have too much.) One of the easiest ways to reduce is to nurse on one side for a full feeding, and then at the next feeding nurse on the other side. Or if this leaves one breast way to full, pump just a bit for relief from the side you are not using. Anyways, if you do this for a few days, your supply will drop. If baby is still hungry after just eating one side, it might be that you do not have this issue. Or, if you have been doing this for a day or so this might mean that its time to go back to nursing both sides as usual. Good luck! Stephanie

Stephanie--thanks for all the info. about fast letdown! (I'm going to keep this in mind in case I have it with #2).

As for the milk scan--it's basically a test to see how quickly milk leaves the stomach. We've not had one done; however, many moms here have been through this and from what I've heard, it's not too bad. I'll see if I can get any seasoned moms to weigh in on this and tell you about their experiences.

There is a lactation consultant here on the boards who is really nice. It might be good to ask her some of your specific questions re: b'feeding, etc. She has a lot of experience not only with b'feeding, but also knows reflux so she's a good one to ask.

I had overactive letdown with my ds, too, and I think it aggravated his reflux. BUT it is totally overcomeable, don't get too discouraged!

Try feeding only one side for a block of 4-5 hours. Every time she eats in that time, give her the same breast. Then switch to the second breast. This will help the letdown and will also help her to get all the hindmilk, not just the foremilk. Also, if your initial letdown is very forceful, you can have her nurse until the letdown, then pull her off and spray into a cloth for a bit, until it is more controllable. Then re-latch your dd.

I hope that you're doing okay!

I'm sorry to hear you're struggling so much. I also had an overabundance of milk and an overactive letdown. It took awhile before a lactation consultant figured that out for me, and the weeks before that were such a nightmare!!! I started nursing only one side for 2 feeds in a row, pumping a bit before feeds, and even using a nipple shield so that Roman could control how much milk he was getting. At about 12 weeks, my milk slowed a little bit, and Roman got more coordinated at suck/swallow, so he quit choking and gagging. However, the fussing at the breast and the arching continued. We though colic, but he never outgrew it and after meds and tests, we finally realize he has reflux! I still feed strictly one side at every feeding, but until we were on Prilosec for a good 2 weeks, feedings were still a nightmare. Now, his reflux is better managed and feedings are much better. I also tried the elimination diet to rule out his allergies, but didn't see alot of improvement on the diet. I did it for 2 weeks before adding back in foods slowly (fruits and veggies first, then meats, wheat, corn, and lastly soy and dairy).

Anyway, I suggest trying a nipple shield; the MSPI diet for a longer period; and the PPI (prevacid) for a longer period and watching for improvement. Also, time will definitely make a difference as your milk supply adjusts to baby, and baby adjusts to your milk supply and develops more coordination. I know it's frustrating and stressful, but try not to worry too much. Hang in there - it will get better!!!:hug: