12 week old - reflux and gaviscon - advice greatly appreciated

[sarahpip]

we have been to docs and our looks like our lovely boy has reflux. it makes him uncomfortable and he can't sleep on his back, so he has been napping in a chair in the day and sleeping on me at night - this is a no no but I am struggling to get anything else to work. he cries due to the discomfort but can be consoled. we have been prescribed gavisgon which seemed to work at first but it seems to have made his tummy very uncomfortable and he is writhing and screaming with his bowel movements.

does anyone have experience of this? I am thinking of stopping the gaviscon, will take him back to docs but am considering that the reflux is the better of the two evils until then as at least we know how we can help him be more comfortable with this.

also does anyone have experience of modifying their diet for reflux?

exhausted thanks in advance

xx

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Are you bfing? If so has he been checked for tongue tie? It can present just like reflux.

[sarahpip]

jjj I am bf - I did think it was going ok, he had always been a but fussy on the boob but got much fussier about a few weeks ago - can't remember exactly when, my brain is mush at moment!
thanks for link will check it out.

[MyNameIsSuz]

We had this, the constipation only lasted a few days.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

It's just that he sounds exactly like my DS and it was tongue tie and upper lip tie.

[Cj1981]

Constipation is a really common side effect of gaviscon - DS1 suffered whilst on it and it was just as bad as the reflux. Went back to the GP and was prescribed ranatadine and domperidone. If it doesn't pass in a few days I'd go back to your GP and ask for something different. Good luck.

[sparklekitty]

We have a similar issue with our DD. We only give her 2 doses a day and some sugary cooled boiled water (on advice from GP). DD is breastfed and I know they shouldn't need extra fluids but it does seem to have worked a bit. Definitely not back to normal consistency but much softer.

We also do lots of tummy massage and cycle her legs.

[Rikalaily]

Gaviscon can make them really constipated, in fact it made dd3 so constipated that the pain was worse than the pain from the reflux so we stopped the gaviscon. While she was on it she was going up to 11 days without poo and after hours of straining and screaming she'd produce a tiny rock hard rabbit poo, was awful.

Dd's reflux was caused by a milk protein intollerance and if I ate dairy she was puking for england and in agony. I cut dairy completely and she was almost 100% better within a week or so.