Milk protein allergy?

My 6 week old daughter was just diagnosed, we were on Nutramigen for a few days and ever since she has been such a fussy baby....if she's not sleeping she's screaming. I also think she has reflux but my dr doesn't want to prescribe anything until we make sure the symptoms aren't due to the milk protein allergy. We just started Elecare last night and she is still super fussy and only drinks a couple of sips of formula at a time. I'm just looking for some advice/guidance/help. I'm also still breast feeding/pumping so I have since had to go dairy free as well which is harder than I thought it would be. Any advice/success stories would be greatly appreciated, I'm just hoping there's some relief in sight for her

Thanks!

Message edited 1/26/2016 11:58:40 AM.

Re: Milk protein allergy?

Same thing happened to my DD. I was exclusively pumping and had to cut out all dairy from my diet too. It was hard at first, but it all worked out in the end. After a week or two, she was much better. She also had reflux and was prescribed Zantac (I think) and after that she was a different baby.

My nephew had the same problem, but he was strictly formula fed. Once they got him on the right formula (which I believe was Elecare) he was so much better.

Good luck! I know it is unbearable watching your little one suffer like that, but it will get better.

Re: Milk protein allergy?

Hi,

I have had 2 LO's on Elecare. It does take some time to adjust to the formula. With my first it took about a week. With my 2nd it took a much longer time. I was told it's the most sensitive formula out there and that's basically it (other than the same formula, different brand). The babies have no choice, but to get used to it.

Give your LO some time to get used to. If she is super fussy in a few weeks from now there may be other issues other than a milk allergy. Your doc may suggest seeing a GI doc.

Good luck!

Re: Milk protein allergy?

I could have written your exact post. My dd is also 6 weeks and was switched to Alimentum 3 weeks ago based on blood in her stool. It took over a week to see a difference. She was doing great until Sunday and the fussiness is now worse than ever. She's congested and hoarse and spitting up so I think she may have reflux (unless it's a cold). She seems a little better today so I'm on the fence about calling the ped.

I would definitely give your dd more time to adjust. I also read that these specialty formulas are thinner than regular formula, making babies more prone to reflux. Hang in there, I know how hard it is. I literally sobbed my way through last night hearing her hoarse little screams.

I hope it gets better for both of us soon

Milk protein allergy?

My 5 month old dd has been on elecare since around 6 weeks. By the time she was 6 weeks old we had tried 6 different formulas. Like the above poster said, elecare is at the top of the formula chain. There's basically nothing else above it. My dd also has reflux and has been on Zantac since around 4 weeks. We see a GI and only he will tell us what she can and cannot eat. We also gave my dd Gerber Soothe Drops which are a probiotic. They cut the crying time by more than 50%! By the time she was 2 months things got a lot better. The first six weeks were torture.

Message edited 1/26/2016 4:29:33 PM.

Re: Milk protein allergy?

I read ur other post and didn't realize u were giving ur LO formula as well. I didn't really bfed DS1, he also had an intolerance and ended up switching to Alimentum.

Since u give formula to ur LO and also bfeed, it might take longer than if ur baby was only formula fed. This is because it takes 2-3 weeks for dairy to leave ur body and on top of that it takes another 2-3 weeks to leave ur LO's body. So don't lose hope, continue bfeeding following a dairy free diet and also using a hypoallergenic formula (if u wanna use formula.)

Message edited 1/26/2016 4:45:09 PM.

Re: Milk protein allergy?

My dd1 ended up on neocate (different brand, just like elecare). It is thin, prompting spitting up. Having her sleep in the rock n play (as opposed to flat in the bassinet) helped, and the GI Doctor had us put some rice in the formula (check label - only ones without soy).

I understand the heartbreak and difficulty of your situation -we were there. I couldn't understand why my friends had such an easier time adjusting to parenthood until I realized the physical and emotional toll of the discomfort the allergy was having on us all.

The GI tract takes awhile to heal. If there's blood in the stool, it means that there has been damage to the GI tract from all of the exposure to the milk. Now that your DC is on the right formula, the GI system can begin healing itself, which can take 2 weeks. Hang in there. This too will pass.

Milk protein allergy?

My dd was on alimentum and zantac for mild reflux.

It def takes time once you switch them to a new formula, I would say up to a week before you really see a difference.
As far as the fact that your still breast feeding the dairy takes awhile to get out of your system as well. Also 1-2 weeks if Im not mistaken. You also have to be super diligent since your child actually went on rx formula, to remove all casein from your diet. Including he hidden dairy.

And any dairy protein intolerance/alllergy especially a bad one, can mimic all the signs of reflux. My Dr initially did the opposite of your child, my dd was dx with severe reflux (she never had blood in her stool) so she was on many different meds with only 1 formula change and not finding any change. She was crying all the time, gassy, wouldnt sleep for long stretches, wanted to eat all the time and very small amounts but every hour (milk soothes the acid that comes back up)... Finally I changed her to alimentum, went on mild meds for the reflux, zantac... And I had a brand new baby after a week.
For me cutting all the dairy including hidden forms of it out of my diet was just too restricting for me and I couldnt handle it I switched her to all formula. And I noticed a change even after that because the formula had no dairy at all so I must have still been having traces of it without realizing it.

Re: Milk protein allergy?

Message edited 1/27/2016 6:29:36 PM.

Milk protein allergy?

My son is dairy intolerant also. He's 16 months now and can tolerate pretty much all dairy except for milk but boy do I remember those early days! He was very much like your daughter - spent pretty much his entire second month of life eating, sleeping or screaming. I EBF him and had to cut all dairy, soy, wheat and eggs in the beginning to allow his little gut to heal. It is so hard at first but I promise it does get easier! Give her a few weeks to adjust and my advice to you if you want to ke BFing is to make sure you cut ALL dairy - obvious and hidden - anything with whey or casein as an ingredient is off limits. Like others have said it will take a few weeks to fully rid your body of the dairy and once you find some staple meals that are safe and that you enjoy, it's not so bad :)

Re: Milk protein allergy?

My daughter has allergies--milk, egg whites, egg yolks, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, shellfish etc. They are mostly contact too. I EBF so I had to cut out all of those foods from my diet. I went on to nurse for 14 months. You get used to the restricted diet eventually and it wasn't too bad. I didn't use formula at all so I'm no help there. She is 20 months now and her numbers have all gone up--hoping she outgrows at least some of them & that they lessen in severity. It's hard being an allergy mama, especially a nursing mama that has to have so many restrictions but I was determined to EBF so I made it work. Good luck! Hope your LO outgrows her allergies soon.

Eta: I have read that you need to give the formulas some time before switching because their bodies need to adjust.

Message edited 1/27/2016 10:13:48 PM.

Re: Milk protein allergy?

My son had the same issue and he was on Elecare until he was 1 years old. It does take a week or so to see a change after switching, but after that week he was like a new baby!