Silent Reflux??? I've never heard of it!

Hi
My five week old wsa perfect for the first two weeks. Since then, she's always had wind problems, not burping after breastfeeds and crying after I put her down etc etc.
I went to the Qld Health Baby Clinic last week, and the lady there says she has symptoms of Silent Reflux. (To be honest, sometimes I don't think they know what they are talking about - I don't mean to be mean) I've never heard of this. When she's in pain, her tummy is really tight and she wont bend. She doesn't throw up, just tiny little perks that dribble out of her mouth, but this isn't all the time, she seems to get a horrible cough as this starts to happen. She also has it dribble out of her nose. Hiccups often. But worst part is, it's 4.30pm now, and she's been up and down with pain since 9am this morning.
I use Infants Friend. I have gone through almost a whole bottle of the stuff. I dip her dummy in mostly, but sometimes actually give her the dosage. She only takes the dummy when it has the Infants Friend on it, otherwise she doesn't take it.
I sleep her in a raised position. I've tried bottle feeding her water. I think I have tried just about everything.
I have a paediatrician appt next week (the standard 6 week check - I couldn't get in any earlier). Apparently not all doctors beleive in Reflux - that's just great.
Has anyone tried Infants Gavascon? Does it work? I think it's the next thing I'll try, but I was hoping for other peoples opinion.
Thanks for that.
Trudy - Mum to Eva 15mths and Mae 5 weeks.
Ipswich, Qld

hi Trudy
i was told that my 9 weeks old baby has silent reflux from the baby clinic up here. so i went to the doctor and he said that her really doubts that she has silent reflux he said that if i was worried about it to try the infants gavascon. my bub is bottle fed and she had some pains in the tummy but that was her not having bowel movements properly. i had never heard of silent reflux til the baby clinic mentioned it. but i have been watching her the last 2 weeks since i seen the baby clinic and my dd doesnt have reflux at all the baby nurse just over feed her and it was coming back up. infants friend is good or you could try gripe water it is spose to be good for wind pains i have only used it once or twice.
hope that helps

Thanks Lucy.
Mae had her 6 week check up by the Peadiatrician yesterday and he said that it probably is Relux. He suggested using Karicare Infant Thickener. As I breastfeed, I mix it up and use a syringe to give it to her after feeds. I bought it last night and have used it three times so far and Guess What?? It seems to be working. She has been settled since I gave it to her. The best thing is, it didn't take long for her to get to sleep last night, which is normally the problem, but of course, I then stayed up trying to get the housework done instead of getting the rest I should have been. Fingers crossed that it keeps working.
Take Care
Trudy

Hi there,

You may like to read through the responses in our Ask our RISA member your reflux questions forum or pose one of your own questions.

I hope you find this helpful.

Cheers
Alison
Huggies Forum Moderator

Hey Girl,

All three of my kids have had bad reflux.
My DS1 was the worse. He had silent reflux and I had him in and out of hospital for three month with it.

All three of my bubs have had Gavascon. I gave them 2mls at 3-8 weeks of age and then upped the doseage 3ml 8-12 weeks, then at 3mths on I gave them 4-5mls.

I gave it to them before a feed, at least 5mins, longer if you can hold them out.

Let me know if you need any help, will gladly help you out. Good luck and let me know how you get on with bub.

Hi Trudy,
To answer your question, silent reflux is when the stomach acids from bubs belly travels up and down the throat, burning it. It is common that the bub doesn't have big chucks as the pain is coming from the acid coming up and down.

Both #1 and #3 had and have it. Both have difficulty feeding, pulling off constantly and crying. Arching back, waking mid through sleeps in pain and unable to resettle.

Its good to hear that the thickner works for you, and bubs is more settled

Hi Trudy, I was also using the karicare food thickner, making it up at each feed etc.. but i ran out rather quickly. when i went to get more the chemist only had guarcol thickner, so i grabed that. you only use 3/4tsp to 200ml water! it lasts much longer, and i still give her 25-30mls of the mixure once made up.
obviously use whatever works, i personally found this works just as well and lasts 100's of times longer so it works out MUCH MUCH cheaper..
Good Luck.
Kylie

my dd had the same thing. i found that giving her 20mls of warm water with a teaspoon of brown sugar helps her get rid of the wind and generally encourages her to have a bowel movement.

Hi everyone
I really appreicate everyones input and help.
I'm still going with the KariCare thickenener and giving it until next Tuesday, which will be two weeks of it. It seems to have helped, but everytime I think I am having a good run with it, all things go bad. Knowing my luck, now that I have said this, I will have a bad day.
I really feel for my poor bub. I would hate acid running up and down my throat. It certainly does burn. If she dribble a bit out of her mouth and I haven't spotted it, it elave a red burn mark on her cheek or neck, so goodness me, imagine that in your throat!!!
I do notice that the marina Ifant Mixture is goof for getting her to burp, because she doesn't really do this. I've stopped the Gavascon while using the thickener.
I started giving her the thickener before feeds now, rather than after, as she tended to not want it after. Plus, yesterday, she was choking after her feed, cause she was choking of the fleme in her throat. If only I could make it going away, for her pain and for my sanity, esp with a 16 mth old.
Thanks for listening.
Trudy

Hi there, My little boy had silent reflux & what worked for us was a prescribed medicine called Ranitidine, it dosn't stop the acid from coming up but it neutilises it so that it dosen't burn, we gave it to him twice a day. It took about a week before it started working. We are currently just trialling it on our 6 week old girl who we suspect has silent reflux too. Good luck, i know how helpless you feel when your baby is in pain.

Hi there, My little boy had silent reflux & what worked for us was a prescribed medicine called Ranitidine, it dosn't stop the acid from coming up but it neutilises it so that it dosen't burn, we gave it to him twice a day. It took about a week before it started working. We are currently just trialling it on our 6 week old girl who we suspect has silent reflux too. Good luck, i know how helpless you feel when your baby is in pain.

palmy mum
This sounds like good stuff. Tuesday is drawing closer and not much is improving, so I think an appointment to the doctors will be happening and I will ask about Ranitdine. Do you think a GP will just give it to me or would I have to go to Mae's paediatrician?
One problem is, apparently this paediatrician is not a strong believer in reflux.
Thanks
Trudy