Thursday, November 18, 2010 kirsty1985 asks

Q: 8 month old with severe reflux stopped breating is this just reflux???????

hi there ill try to keep this long story short... my daughter was born 11/3/2010 and is 8 months old,when she was 2 weeks old she was diagnoised with a cows milk protien allergy and gastro esophageal reflux disease (excuse my spelling) she suffers from terrible constipation her current medications that she has been on since 2 weeks old are omeprezole,gaviscon,domperidone,lactulse and movicol.she is on nutramigen aa formula and a complete milk free diet.when she turned 6 1/2 months her reflux symtoms went from 18-25 episodes a day to maybe 3 a day then gradualy down to 1-3 a day up until 4 weeks ago now we are back to 4-15 times a day episodes,she is on solids (3 meals per day) and takes around 3-10oz of formula per day,she is a poor feeder and always has been.for example we were driving on the motor way on sunday night on the way home from visiting family and an episode started usual symptoms coughing,then a wee cry lots of wriggling around arching her back then all of a sudden a ear percing scream her lips goes purple a her face a terrible grey colour then she stopped breathing (this happens often,however more so when she was tiny)we quickly pulled over and grabbed her out her car seat and patted her back the motion of me doing this made her come back round and by this point she was terrified and hysterical with pain after around 40 mins the episode had passed and she was happy enough again untill after her next feed,its never concistant and can range from just a little few coughs change in breathing etc to a full blown attack of acid and severe pain that leads to her breathing being affected.we are due back to the pediatricians in dec,anyone shared this experience or have any ideas if its something more than reflux???????

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Answers (1)

Jan Gambino, Health Guide

11/18/10 6:34am

Hello Kirsty,

Oh how scary that must be when she has one of her episodes! It is really important to call the doctor or take her to the emergency department during or after one of these episodes. Even though she comes out of the episode and is feeling better. Certainly gastroesophageal reflux disease can trigger choking and breathing issues but there are other causes too. Only a doctor can help you figure this out.

I am glad you are keeping track of her symptoms and her intake of food. You might want to call the pediatrician and see if your appointment can be moved up. If not, please take her to the emergency department of the hospital if this happens again.

I hope this answers your question.

Take care, Jan

kirsty1985

11/21/10 4:44pm

hi jan,

thanks for your responce,it is very scary mor so when she was a fragile tiny baby however none the less shes still a baby and still with severe reflux still spitting up milk and solids,hiccups alln the classic reflux symptoms that she was diagnosed with at 2 weeks old.i do still believe that it is reflux however my husband and i are concerened that theres more to it.i have contacted the peds and the receptionost said that because its only 4 weeks away then they cant see her sooner as theyr is no avaliable appointments.althogh they have told me in meantime to continue with all the practice measures that we heve had in place in the last 8 months.

defenatly if she has an episode where her breathing starts to become affected we will certainly be taking her to hospital.

she is on the highest medication possible what is the next step im just anxious and would love to have a happy baby that is happy to be put down to sleep etc instesd of her baby years to be full of pain.sickness and anxiety

thank you

kirsty

Jan Gambino, Health Guide

11/22/10 6:42am

Hello Kirsty,

I am sure the wait for the appointment feels like forever. Between now and the appointment use your time to collect the records from any previous appointments, tests, x-rays, etc so you have the complete medical record with you at the appointment. With my daughter, I would write a one page note of all major events: doctors visits, weight checks, blood tests, other tests, illnesses, events (such as the breathing problems). Also keep a daily journal to write down her symptoms. Before the appt, I would look back at the journal and write down important info. Then I could say to the doctor: she woke up 1-4 times each night in the last month or she coughed and choked after each meal, breakfast was the worst since she spit up each morning 4-5 days a week. You need to make the most of this appointment and by being prepared with your data, you and the doctor can have an effective discussion about what has been tried and what is the next step.

To answer your question about what is next-I find that some babies with reflux have severe symptoms and require aggressive treatment or non typical treatment. On the other hand, some babies have reflux and something else such as food allergies/intolerances. In rare cases, it isn't even reflux but something else such as esinophilic esophagitis. Only the doctor can figure this out by looking at your carefully prepared history and examining her for clues to guide the next step.The "what ifs" are what keep us reflux moms awake at night filled with worry. That just won't go away until you know what is going on and how to treat it.

I am here to listen to your questions and concerns. We will countdown to the appointment together...

Take care,

Jan

Q: 8 month old with severe reflux stopped breating is this just reflux???????

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