How do I know if my daughter has a milk protein allergy or lactose problem?

Dawn - posted on 02/22/2009

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Sherry - posted on 01/25/2009

tracy hogg, very famous baby doctor was fantastic and she treat loads of children with reflux. she would swaddle them at night, and lay them on a wedge shaped pillow, so that it helped keep everything down. dont know if this will help with a 1 yr old, but im sure if you google her, there will be some helpful tips out there.

Natalie - posted on 01/25/2009

My son in milk intolerant and it took us until he was 4 month old to figure it out, but when we did it made such a difference. If the sensetivity level is as high as my sons was, it's hard to diagnose at first because you'd be surprised all the things that contain milk. From what I learned, it takes up to 5 days to really see a difference. My son is now 16 months and still if he gets milk in his diet he is up at night with gas pains. Apparently lactose intollerence doesn't present itself until later in life (like age 6-8). Happy to give you more info if you want. It doesn't seem like something that there is a lot of information out there.

Cherie - posted on 01/17/2009

My milk allergy shows up as sinus infections. The best thing to do is take it all away, read labels and look for casien, whey, and milk in any form. Once it has been out of her system for 2 weeks give her some and see if she has a reaction. If she does then don't give it to her again, it will only get worse if she continues to have it when her body thinks it is a foriegn agent that needs to be destroyed.

Jennifer - posted on 01/17/2009

Hi Jenn,
My daughter was also a severe refluxer. We had her on Previcid, but we actually found that one particularly didn't work well for her (and I've heard the same from other moms). We had much better success at alleviating symptoms with Prilosec, and (once that stopped working), Nexium.
In regard to the allergy, we also discovered my daughter had a milk allergy once we got her reflux meds sorted. She would get terribly gassy at night (back arching,etc) as well as a vomiting reaction when she'd eat certain things. We had to cut out ALL dairy products for two weeks (although it was very clear within a few days that dairy was the issue). When you cut out all dairy, you also need to remove anything with dairy items as one of the ingredients (this included most prepared baby foods, breads...a lot of stuff on this list). This site has a list of things you'd need to avoid / remove from the diet: http://www.calgaryallergy.ca/Articles/En...
We didn't diagnose my daughter's milk allergy until she was one as the reflux masked it. Many doctors will refuse to do allergy testing at this age, because it's not accurate or conclusive (they prefer to wait until they're 2+). So an elimination diet is really the only way to diagnose/treat it. Once you take everything out and the symptoms abate, then you can try adding things back in (start with yogurt, then products with milk in them). Some kids can tolerate absolutely no milk products, some have a threshold (can have yogurt, but not milk). You may even find, like we did, that they can't have anything with beef or other red meats (we even tried bison & elk with her) because the protein in them is too similar to milk.
My dd is 19mths now. Last month we were finally able to take her off reflux meds and start introducing some dairy back in (it just took her gastro system maturing). We’re now at the point where she can tolerate most products with milk ingredients and red meats again, but still cannot handle any sort of milks or cheeses (not even soy milk, but she can do a soy formula which is what we have been advised by our GI specialist to keep her on until she’s at least 2).
If you haven’t already, I’d recommend seeing if you can find a pediatric nutritionist / dietitian to speak with. Ours was extremely helpful in providing tips and tricks of eliminating and now re-adding things back into her diet.

Adelle - posted on 01/16/2009

Sounds like my son all over again and he is lactose intolerant. He had reflux as well as colic, rarely slept and threw up ALL the time so we tried the chiroparctor I saw while pregnant. After a visit he seemed calmer and would sleep for 6 hours!!! As well when I stopped breastfeeding I started giving him goats milk and cut out all dairy. After awhile I started introducing yogurt and cheese again. He is 3 1/2 now and can eat dairy with no problem. However milk is still a problem, if he drinks even a teaspoon he has cramps and vomits about half an hour later. I either buy lactose free milk, treat milk with lactose drops (great but the milk needs to sit for 24hours before he can drink it), or after he turned 2 I buy childrens lacteeze chewable pills. I find the pills most convienient as I can take them anywhere and I can leave a bottle at daycare, He just chews one before he drinks milk and he's fine. Seeing a allergy doctor may help too as he can tell you for sure.

Jessica - posted on 01/16/2009

It sounds like your daughter may have a touch of lactose intolerance. How old is your daughter? My son is lactose intolerant. He gets stomach cramps and lose stools every time he has milk products. You may want to try lactose free milk if she's on regular milk or Enfamil makes a lactose free formula if she's on that. There is another brand of formula that makes lactose free formula too but I cant' think of it at the moment. You may want to talk to her pediatrician about getting a lactose test done. I never had to get one done on my son just b/c there is a family history of lactose intolerance and I've just kept all the milk products out of his diet. If you need any ideas of food for her to eat that is milk free let me know I can give you ideas.

Jessica - posted on 01/15/2009

I have a daughter who's 14 months now and since 12 month she's been on homo mlik she was also born colic, she's fine through out the day but appered to be getting little hive and rashe's and waking up late in the night with a high pitch cry also . Dose it sound like she has an allergic reaction to dairy ?

Jaime - posted on 01/14/2009

My nephews both have reflex since birth. It is the fat content in milk that cause the exrta acid in their stomachs. They have been on soy and rice milk since then and had no more issues with upset stomachs, gas, or vomiting.

Pammie - posted on 01/13/2009

I had the same problem with my 14 month old. For the longest time we didnt know if he had a milk allergy or if he was lactose intolerant. He was breastfeed for the first four month but was constantly spitting up and throwing up. He started losing weight so I tried to add formula to his diet but he couldnt tolerate the normal milk based ones so we tried soy and that worked fine. He can eat some things that contain milk products but not others. We tried milk again after his first birthday and he still was not able to tolerate it. He ended up with diarrhea and a horrible rash for 3 days. I just recently started giving him lactose-free milk and for the first week or so he was very gassy but since then has not has any problems with it.

Lori - posted on 01/09/2009

This might sound off subject so I will give you a brief history of my daughter.I was told when she was 6 weeks she had reflux,at 6 mo a bunch of allergies that reduced the amount of food she could have down to 6 kinds of food,at 1 yr I was told she had gerd.She cried every night I was told by every Dr. I took her to it was colic,gas,or over stimulation.She had more rashes the i could discribe on here I was told it was because I was not following her food guidlines giving to me.Her noses was either stuffed up or running she coughed all the time I was told by dr.s it was her allergies.She had direaha or constapation all the time I was told by dr.s that it was her diet.Finally at the age of 5 yrs old I took her to another doctor and they did more test and some new ones.This dr. found her tonsils and adnoids were so huge they were twice the size of an adults.When she had her tonsils and adnoids removed all her other symptoms went away.I thought this might help you out so I am sharing it and maybe it can help somebody else who reads this.Lori

Peta - posted on 01/08/2009

All three of my sons have Reflux since birth.  My GP has put them on Zantac and when I weined them, I had to put them on a reflux formula.  Pretty much a normal formula but with a thickener.  Also raising the mattress head five to ten degrees helps.  Do not put baby on side unless your doctor has approved this due to SIDS related deaths from not sleeping on their backs.  It does get better and eventually they are eating and drinking normally.  My GP says when they can start having solids more regularly it helps settle the reflux and they do eventually grow out of it.  My two eldest have and now just having to deal with the baby.

Do not rush out and get lactose free or soya formula just to see if symptoms go as changing formula can cause more problems

Jennifer - posted on 01/08/2009

Everyone has been so generous with your time in lenghtly posts.. and it seems to be an extremely common problem.. thanks so much for everyone's help.. i am glad to hear it will probably be a temporary thing and that she probably will grow out of it.. Her symptoms are mild but enought to keep me up at night.. so i need to try the tricks you have all suggested. thanks. jenn

Rachel - posted on 01/08/2009

My daughter is 10 months old and we first discovered what we believe to be an allergy to milk (never been tested) when she was about 4 months old. It was easy for us to figure it out because she had only nursed until that point. Had she always taken formula I think we might not have discovered it. After giving her the first formula bottle we noticed a difference in her. She gets a runny nose...she is more fussy (especially at night)...and will have diarriah.

Kelly - posted on 01/08/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

How do I know if my daughter has a milk protein allergy or lactose problem?

My daughter has had reflux since birth.. i cut out all dairy for 6 weeks as i proceeded to continue nursing.. it did not seem to make a difference.. she is now almost one and i wonder.. she seems fine during the day for the most part.. eating yogurt etc.. but at night she seems awefully gassy and wakes up arching back, high pitch cry.. what symptoms accompany milk issues? she never seems to get a rash or hives.. just gassy.. she has some diarriah but comes and goes.. she is still on previcid for the reflux.. jenn

My son, who is now 16, had symptoms much like your child. I tired taking the dairy away from him as well, this did not seem to help, finally his doctor set him up to have a test that is specific for lacotse. We found that his was lactose intolorant. Dairy is in so many of the foods that we eat and he was highly sensitive. We had to be extremely careful about the foods he was given. Once he was doing well the doctor told us to give a little dairy at a time, such as a slice of cheese, see how he does on that for a while, then increase. He no longer has a problem with eating dairy. The doctor said he would out grow it and he did.

Kylie - posted on 01/08/2009

PS, just an extra afterthought, naturopaths (good ones anyway) will know milk protein intolerance inside out as well as colic, reflux & all those other nasties. I was amazed what the lady I took my boys to could tell me before I gave her a history - she asked for basic symptoms & then went on to explain what she thought were the likely causes. Very interesting :)

Kylie - posted on 01/08/2009

In all seriousness it was an extremely unusual week if one or the other (or both) boys didn't vomit overnight on a Friday night...yes, they knew how to start the weekend off well! I was so frustrated & fed up & no one had any easy solutions - doctors told me they would grow out of it in a year or two (thanks...!) so I looked up a Naturopath & she prescribed a colostrum powder which when ingested actually helps coat the small intestine wall & prevents viruses from passing into their vulnerable little systems. It did cause diahorrea, particularly in my eldest, for a few days but he didn't feel unwell or anything & it really seemed to help. Eventually I moved the boys to a smaller facility where they are in contact with less kids anyway but that was more because I was unhappy with management at the centre they were at! The eldest starts primary school this year (exciting!) & he rarely gets sick now, about 8 months after we went to the naturo. Worth a try - not terribly expensive & quite fascinating.

Jennifer - posted on 01/08/2009

not a bad idea.. both my kids are in daycare.. i do believe in naturopath and both are sick too often..

Kylie - posted on 01/08/2009

If its a lactose intolerance, breast milk has a very high lactose content anyway. I had similar problems with both of my boys but found no easy solution unfortunately. I think mine may have had an intolerance to the protein in their formula from 6 & 8 months as i had fewer problems whilse using Nan HA (hydrolised protein in these HA formulas is easier to digest). I had endless problems with my second boy even while he was being breast fed, still not sure if it was reflux, colic or both but no one seemed to have a solution. Every time I put him down to sleep he would wake up screaming & writhing in pain & then and difficulty passing wind either way. I found regular chirpractic visits to provide some relief for him but for the most part he just eventually grew out of it. Without trying to sound like a raving lunatic, have you tried a naturopath? Some are highly recommended for baby issues & I actually used one last year to assist in boosting my boys immune systems when they started full time in a daycare centre & were constantly catching bugs. She was brilliant, wish I had known her when the boys were babies! Good luck!

Lauren - posted on 01/08/2009

My daughter (19 weeks) has had blood in her stools since about 3 weeks old. Our pediatrician said the most common cause for this is cow's milk protein allergy so I cut out dairy and no more blood. I know you didn't mention blood but this may help rule something out . . .

Christie - posted on 01/07/2009

Hi,I have had the same issues with my 4 month old daughter. She was first diagnosed with reflux so was put on reflux formula and zantac. This made no difference. She would be reasonably fine during the day but would scream at night. She would also be playing or laying content and would all os a sudden start screaming for the next hour for no good reason. She would arch her back, bring up her legs, scream and have constant wind, switch betwee constipated and diarriaha and belly pain. Doctor said dairy allergyI changes her formula to soy. Between zantac and soy formula she is a different child. All the symptoms just vanished. Studies show the reason yoghurt doesnt affect dairy allergies so much id because the good bacteria in th yoghurt has already broken down a lot of the protein

User - posted on 01/07/2009

oh and we didnt have to do the scratch test my kids were both 6 and under when they were tested one was 6 one was 3 and they drew blood to find out..but the most commen is a scratch test!!!

User - posted on 01/07/2009

My Some is allergic to Cow's Milk we were giving him soy for a while then we found out my daughter is allergic to soy so now we give my son rice milk hes fine with it and we cook with it since they both can have if....other wise your cooking different meals and freezing some etc...(not fun always) sounds like my sons symptoms of his allergies...he didnt get the rash etc..his was stomache issues almost like a lactose intolerancy but thenw e gave him an allergy test because things were still upsetting his tummy and found out he was allergic to apples too so i would suggest just talking with her pediatrician and if needed get a second opinion getting an allergy test would never hurt just to know what or if there allergic to anything..it helped us out heaps....

Whitney - posted on 01/07/2009

I just wanted to post to say that my son reacts to his cow's milk protein allergy the same way you describe, almost exclusively at night, with interrupted sleep, back arching, and crying as if he's in pain. He's pretty much fine during the day. I cut out all dairy when he was very collicky around 1-2 weeks old. It took a while to do complete elimination. I confirmed the problem by re-introducing dairy to my diet on a number of occasions (he was breastfed).

My doctor says it is a matter of threshold, and that little by little, he should be able to handle milk products, so to keep trying.  Just now, at 1 year, I am able to get away with just a little bit of cheese in my food, and can eat products cooked with just a little bit of cow's milk, and it's usually ok. However, he still reacts to any dairy products given to him directly, even butter on toast. So, I agree with suggestions to cut out all dairy for him and for you, but keeping in mind that you don't necessarily have to eliminate every single thing that may possibly have the milk protein (such as preservatives & packaged items). Good luck!

Gail - posted on 01/07/2009

Sorry so long, one more thing:

My oldest was also allergic to soy so she used rice milk. I was hesitant to go to soy with my youngest, but she took to it just fine. Her twin brother tries to drink her milk, lol, because it is flavored vanilla and his is "plain". :)

Gail - posted on 01/07/2009

My oldest daughter and my youngest daughter both had milk protein allergies. The results of consuming milk proteins in this case leads to tears and fissures in the intestinal track, which causes blood in the stool, terribly loose stolls, and severe pain with a bowel movement. My oldest was diagnosed (finally!) at 6 months and my youngest at 3 weeks (she was in the NICU and the diagnosis was much quicker since it tends to be hereditary). Your doctor will make a diagnosis.



It is not enough to cut out dairy for a milk protein allergy. You must cut out all products with caisein and whey, which includes dairy products, pasta products, cereals, most packaged, boxed, and frozen foods (common preservative), and almost all breads.



I was nursing my oldest and had to make the changes in my diet. By the time she was 4 years old her digestive tract had matured enough to tolerate some exposure and at 9, she is able to have a regular diet. When she is ill (like a cold or virus) I notice an increased sensitivity the to the proteins, but on most days she is just fine now.



My youngest (a twin) I did the same for my diet for the 3 months I pumped for them. She then used a special milk-protein free formula until 15 months (they were preemies, thus longer than a year on formula) and then switched to a milk-protein free diet, including soy milk instead of cow milk.



We carefully exposed her to milk-proteins, but once she switched to 1% milk she reverted and all of her sensitivities returned. Now she is back to her soy milk and the restricted diet. We'll try again at 3.5 years.



Good luck. MIlk protein allergies are difficult to manage since caisein and whey are in so many foods. It means most meals are cooked at home from scratch, but since my oldest overcame the allergy I am confident my youngest will, as well.



If it is a milk protein allergy, please make sure to see a dietician in addition to your pediattrician. Ours have been SO helpful in helping discovery "hidden" proteins and alternatives our whole family likes.

Kari - posted on 01/07/2009

Protein allergies usually cause red blotches around mouth. I had a premature girl who had a protein allergy. The only milk she could tolerate was rice milk. She has also suffered from acid reflux to the point that all her back teeth dacayed regardless of good brushing. One positive note is that they eventually outgrow this. She is now 8yrs old and only occasionally requires her reflux medicine. We cut out dairy until she was over 2 and then slowly re-introduced it with careful instructions from her allergist.She now has no dietary restrictions. Another positive note is that she is a very healthy eater as her first years were filled with fruits and veggies - you'd be amazed at how everything has milk products as ingrediants!

Laura - posted on 01/06/2009

I took my son to a naturopathic doctor instead of my pediatrician to resolve the issue.  We realized he was allergic to my milk and all formula and we had to use a special goats milk formula for the first 2 years.  My pediatrician recommended the naturopath and they worked together for a resolution.  My son is now 4 and he drinks rice milk and still sees the naturopath once a year.

Jennifer - posted on 01/06/2009

Thanks to all that have been posting.. it is extremely helpful.. Krystle, i will try what you suggested and see what happens.. I am still nursing.. i have been backing off the dairy again to see if that helps.. and i need to remember the aloe solution too.. i do have experience personally and it did work wonders - i had forgotten about that and I am giving her probiotics too.

Krystle - posted on 01/06/2009

Hi Jennifer,

At 6 weeks my son started with what we thought was colic. I had no answers from the doctors. I did my own research and soon realized that he had a dairy problem. I cut out all dairy just like you did. I have been to a dietician. She told me that Lactose does not transfer through milk, so chances are that it isn't lactose. Yogurt and Aged cheddar cheese are LOW in lactose but not free from. So if she's reacting to the yogurt chances are she has a whey protein allergy. It takes up to two days to react to dairy. When Kaydn is exposed to dairy he gets a rash on his face, he gets little welts around his mouth they look like pimples almost and sometimes he gets little bumps on his tummy a back, and you know how soft their skin is well that's how i can tell by feeling. He has the same attacks at night as your daughter and diarrea too.

Kaydn is allergic to dairy I am still nursing him he's 17 months and I plan to until hes 2.

Also some foods contain whey and caseine and she could react to that.

Try not giving her any dairy at all for two days. Then start with aged cheese. Give her 1/8th" cube in the morning 1/4" cube at lunch and 1/2" cube at supper. Wait that night and the whole next day. See what her rx is. Then try Lactaid milk same thing. then try yogurt and lastly margarine.

See how she reacts to each individually. Yogurt and Margarine contain Whey protein and Milk and cheese are caseine, mostly.

Good luck if you have any questions just message me! I know exactly what you're going through! Krystle

Jamie - posted on 01/06/2009

I had a milk allergic baby and one allergic to peanuts. The symptoms were similar (crankiness, excema), although the milk allergy was diagnosed from blood in stool. I would just take your child to the allergist and have your concerns addressed and answered. They have scratch and blood tests and maybe the allergy is something you haven't even considered. Good luck.

LAURA - posted on 01/06/2009

I have a friend who's infant had this issue BAD since birth. They tried everything, but an Aloe Juice that I sell through my work at home business, was recommended to them. It worked wonders. No more reflux! Aloe works inside like it work on outside burns. We have a kiwi / strawberry flavor that goes down easy. Let me know if you want more information. lbhulleman@yahoo.com

Kylie - posted on 01/06/2009

my daughter was tested for a milk allergy and they didnt have to do a blood test. The only thing the doctor did was put milk extract on her back and watched for a reaction. the total process was only about 15 min, and didnt hurt my daughter.

Heather - posted on 01/06/2009

I think you should have her tested by a dr. It is a simple blood test. My son has a milk protein allergy and we only found out when I asked to have a nut allergy test done on him. No nut allergy but positive to milk. good luck!

Lynette - posted on 01/06/2009

Hi there! I have read a lot of these responses and it seems one thing is missing...your diet. My son (now 3) had bad Acid Reflux and a dairy allergy when he was an infant. I was nursing him, so that meant that my diet had to change. I cut out ALL dairy, including hidden dairy, and also all acidic food (which is way more than you would think). I ate a very bland diet for a year, but it worked. I was able to keep my son off medication. When he switched to solids I was very careful to keep him away from acidic foods and all dairy as well and then he grew out of it all at about 18 months and is a happy, healthy, 3 year old boy. My 1 year old didn't have the reflux, but he has a dairy and soy allergy...so same thing, I went off all traces of dairy and soy for a year. So my advice is to look at your diet before looking at medication. Ask your doctor for the list of foods or look online for foods to stay away from (it is a lot).

Desiree - posted on 01/06/2009

My son is now 5 months. He started having this problem from birth. He would have projectile vomiting and diarrhea. I was breastfeeding, and supplementing with Enfamil Lipil. He seemed to be doing better with the breast milk, and seemed to always throw up the formula. So we tried switching to Soy formula, but nothing changed. He also had a horrible diaper rash that we could not seem to get rid of. When he was about 6 weeks old, it got a lot worse. He would scream bloody murder any time we changed his diaper, he was still throwing up the formula, and had started throwing up the breast milk as well. He was admitted to the hospital at this time because the doctor's were worried about pyloric stenosis. A barium swallow was performed, and thank goodness he did not have pyloric stenosis. He was diagnosed with GER (gastroesophogeal reflux disease), and has been on Prilosec ever since. He was also switched to Nutramigen, a formula that is specially formulated for babies with a milk protein allergy. The doctor seemed to think that because of the horrible rash and diarrhea that he was allergic to the regular formula as well as the soy. We got his rash cleared up, and after switching to the Nutramigen and giving him the Prilosec, no more projectile vomiting. He still spits up quite a bit, but nothing like it was. The doctor told us that once he starts on more solid foods, it will decrease even more. I noticed that you said you have cut out all dairy, but you are still breastfeeding. Did you cut dairy out of your diet as well? We have to remember that anything we eat goes to the baby as well. This is why my son started throwing up the breast milk as well. You may try this to see if it helps. Sorry to post such a long comment, but hope it helps.

Stephanie - posted on 01/06/2009

I would really worry about acid blockers in children.  We need stomach acid to digest and absorb very important nutrients from our food.  The acid also helps keep pathogenic bacteria at bay.  In fact, reflux is often a symptom of low stomach acid and an imbalance of beneficial bacteria.  The "bad" bacteria get out of control and one thing they can do is secrete toxins that paralyze the esophageal sphincter.  Check out GAPSdiet.com for an idea of one way to balance the beneficial bacteria and stop food intolerances.  For minor issues, you might just try adding a good probiotic and eliminating sugar from your diet.

Adele - posted on 01/06/2009

Hi, both my children had a milk intolerence when they were younger. Like you I had all the reflux issues. At 1st I breast fed and they were fine but I soon found out there was a problem when they went onto formula milk.

I had to cut out all dairy products, ie, butter, milk, yogurt, eggs. I went to my doctor who prescribed whey soy milk formula and liquid. They were absolutly fine on this, although it did take some getting used to. the smell and taste isnt exactly great. It did work however.

My eldest grew out of it when she was about 4years old and now she can eat a normal diet.

I would suggest going to see your doctor about this and maybe suggesting whey soy.

It does get easier, I promise.

Hope I have given you a little advice that you may find useful.

Adele

Jana - posted on 01/03/2009

I should also add that my daughters really painful gas at night started as I was weaning her from breast feeding. Less of my milk and more cow's milk added to her gas pain. That's when her doctor mentioned being lactose intorant and it just because obvious as the weaning process was happening. I don't know if you're weaning and if that is why you are seeing the gas pains now, just a thought. PS: while nursing if I ate green peppers my daughter was every gassy, not conected to dairy at all but still upset her, maybe a random food like that is a problem too. Good luck.

Jana - posted on 01/03/2009

When my daughter was 13 months she started waking up at night just like your little one with painful gas, never hives or a rash. After calling the doctor we figured out that she is lactose intolerant (even though she had been eating yogurt and cheese for months, I was told the process to made cheese/yogurt effects how the lactose breaksdown) I started giving her lactose free cow's milk and stopped all other dairy for about a week. Then I slowly added dairy back to her diet. I found that she can eat cheese just fine but she was having a problem with yogurt. I bought that Lactaid Drops and put them in her yogurt and she hasn't had any painful gas since. She is now 16 months old and loves her milk/cheese/yogurt where before I had to cross my fingers for her to drink 8 oz. a day. Hope you find her food triggers soon, good luck.

Elizabeth - posted on 01/03/2009

My baby is the same way. We've decided it's a milk allergy of some form, I'm nursing and had to cut out all dairy from my system to help her. She has terrible reflux and green seedy poops (sorry, great visual...), but I found when I cut out all dairy for at least a week, it began making a difference. After a month it made even more of a difference. It's really hard to cut out dairy, esp. since I love ice cream and cheese...but it's worth it to help her. Because of finding the problem, I don't have to give her the Axid or Reglan at all anymore. I still have to give her Mylicon and Maalox, but they aren't as strong as the RXs would be. Try cutting all dairy out again, my dr says avoid all dairy and soy for at least the first year since she's had such trouble with it. It's hard, but I'd stop giving her yogurt for a while. It takes at least 12- 24 hours or so to see how it will affect her. That could be part of why she just screams at night...maybe breakfast is upsetting her? I don't know...also try elevating her bed, that helps Brenna too. Laying flat is terrible for reflux babies...let me know if anything helps!

Vikas - posted on 01/03/2009

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User - posted on 01/03/2009

My daughter was the same! 3 times a day aleast I would have to change my clothes, her clothes, and mop our floor. I could not leave for fear she would puke on some one. At three and half months she stopped. Just like that. I too continued to nurse cutting out dairy and didn't make a difference. I went back to work when she was nine months and had to put her on soy formula during the day at the sitters. Milk based formulas made her break out on her face and chest. She grew out of it she is two and can drink milk no problem.Don't stop nursing stick with it.Get help from a lactation consultant too. My let down was really strong so I was drowning my poor little girl. I had to lean way back to feed and only feed on one side per feeding.It helps to elevate the crib or bassinett too. Good luck you are not alone.

User - posted on 01/03/2009

I noticed you said that you are still nursing...........I had to stop nursing cause the breastmilk made the acid reflux worse for my son. something to think about. That was one breakthrough we had made early on. Not sure why, but it irritated his stomach. good luck!

Jennifer - posted on 01/03/2009

Thanks Paulette, i won't rule anything out.. i really appreciate you taking the time to write such a lengthy explaination.. I am going to try the rice milk.. thanks for that suggestion..

Paulette - posted on 01/03/2009

Hi Jennifer,

I have gone through allergy testing and I tested positive to milk allergy. I have gone through the same symptoms your daughter is going through. I've had this allergy all my life and have not had any blood in stool, congestion or rashes either. I am just suggesting you read my last post for an explanation of the differences between allergy and intolerance, I got this from an allergist and agree about it from my personal experiences. I do hope you are right about your daughter though.

Jennifer - posted on 01/03/2009

Everyone has been so helpful thanks.. it is a royal pain in the ass (literally) anyway.. to answer some questions.. she has been breastfed and still is.. this problem seems to be getting worse.. so maybe time to change from previcid.. i need to take her back to the GI doctor.. I do not think she has an allergy.. no rashes, no congestion, no blood in stools.. just gassy, smelly, diarahh. she is also teething badly and just got over a week long stomach flu on top of her months of uncomfortableness... fun fun.. i give her soy milk - have not intro. cow's milk yet. just turning 1 this month and I am afraid.. but breastfeeding her. i do eat dairy.. so she is getting it regardless. HAS ANY ONE TRIED LACTASE DROPS?

Olivia - posted on 01/03/2009

what does she have before she goes to bed? cause she might be able to handle other dairy products and not full cows milk. its sounds lik it might be MSPI (milk and soy protein intolance) which she will grow out of, or at least be able to handle dairy products better when she is older. you can try cutting out dairy and soy altogether and give her a diet that cntains rice milk and see if the gassyness stops.



hope this helps :)

Rachel - posted on 01/03/2009

My son is now 5 and was diagnosed with milk intolerance when he was like 4 months old. He had diarrhea a lot that was very mucousy looking (sorry for the visual) and he was very congested in the nose all the time which we later figured out was the reflux causing this. They put him on soy formula at 3 months and then started him on Omeprazole liquid for acid reflux closer to the age of 1. This seemed to help the diarrhea a lot and the reflux medicine helped the congestion in his nose considerably. We also switched him over to Silk soy milk when it was time to switch and we try to keep him away from most dairy products (dairy products also increase congestion, so they say). He has been on Omeprazole liquid for reflux since then and we have just adjusted the amount through the years. We have tested him a few times over the years for milk allergy (by blood and skin test, with the most recent being last month) and he has never showed up to an actual milk allergy. We don't know what the future holds with it. I don't know if a person can "grow out of" milk intolerance or not once their digestive system matures, but we will see. It would be nice for him to be able to drink a glass of milk and not have to have bad results from it and to be able to eat dairy products (cheese!) would be nice, we do live in Wisconsin, the dairy state! I'm just joking, we have done it for so long that it is part of our life and his. He doesn't know any differently. We incorporate all of the soy products into our meals and the vegan butter works just fine. Good luck to you, hope you figure out what is going on with your little one.

Karen - posted on 01/03/2009

I was allergic to milk as an infant and am also lactose intolerant. A milk allergy usually shows as a psoraisis like rash and lactose intolerance is the gas/diarriah symptoms.