Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

History:
DS is 12 weeks and now on his 4th formula. He is a very happy baby..however, his pattern is, he does well on a formula, and then 2-3weeks into it..he starts to reject it and develops many loose stools a day with lots of mucus.

On Tuesday, doc switched us to ALimentum...frequent stools with mucus is still happening, about 4-5 aday....and starting on Thursday, we have seen red blood streaks in mucus.

Here's the question...are 5 BM a day normal with ALlimentum? Do you think Alimentum can be causing the blood? I asked the Ped to test his stool, and he told me to have a gastro do it..which is fine, however, I don't know how quick I am going to get an apt..and I feel like my LS is suffering!

Any thoughts? Thanks..

Re: Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

My son drinks alimentum. He has any where from 1-3 BMs a day. His are always kind of loose... I thought that was normal? No mucus or blood in the stool though.

Why won't your doctor test his stool? Maybe he can test it and then fax over the info to a gastro?

Re: Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

it sounds like the Alimentum isn't working for your baby, the dr. might have to give you a rx for neocate or elecare which is more broken down than Alimentum and may be the only formula that your baby can digest.

I'm sorry but your Dr. needs to test the baby's stool right away if there is blood in it, why wouldn't they? it takes 2 seconds and will save the baby from any further pain of having to wait to go to the gastro and get tested there.

Re: Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

thanks..I have been very happy with my Ped's so far...Ds is 12 weeks and I feel like they have been very attentive..etc. i'm just annoyed that they are not running to test it..

i am going to call tomorrow.

thanks.

Re: Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

i think blood in the stool requires a test by the GI dr. DS was on alimentum and let me tell you..his poops were radioactive..they were green/yellow and mucousy. but never blood.

Frequent too.

DH's cousin..her DD had blood in her stool and had to go on neocate or elecare..i forget which one..but she had a bad dairy allergy. Even as a toddler now they have to watch her dairy.

Re: Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

Our peds did the allergy test, it's a shame they are making you go to the GI for it because it's going to prolong things.

I don't know where you are located, but we did get into Good Sam pediatric Gastro drs. fairly quickly (they are in Babylon). This wasn't for the initial diagnosis of the milk allergy, but because the blood in the stool wasn't clearing up even after starting Neocate.

Bloody and mucusy stools usually is the milk allergy from what I know.

Re: Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

my ds is on Alimentum and his stools are very often and very loose. his ped. said it is normal since its easier for their stomaches, therfore comes out much easier. def need to get that blood checked out tho. good luck!

Re: Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

My DS had a milk allergy, and the ped checked for blood in his stool everytime he had an appointment (2 X week). This went on for a little over 2 months averaging 13 bloody mucous stools per day! It was unfortunate that my ped and the other doctors in the office never thought my son's problem was a milk allergy. The GI knew exactly what it was, and put him on alimentum, but she did say that some babies need a prescription formula so that the milk protein is even more broken down. Hope you get answers soon!

Re: Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

my recommendation:

The best product for milk pro allergy is nutramigen with enflora (its the powder one). It has a probiotic in it that heals the gut and stops the blood in the stool. It works much better than allimentum and liquid nutramigen.

This is the last step for ped GI, then you will be put on an amino acid product like nutramigen AA or elecare.

It takes about 10 - 14 days to stop seeing blood in the stool.

Re: Alimentum- and possible dairy allergy...please help!

DD is on Nutramigen, the Enfamil equivalent to Alimentum. Her stools were VERY lose (I'm talking pure liquid) until about a month or two into solid foods. Five bowel movements in a day sounds fine. DD is 11.5 months old and still has 5 in a day sometimes. The blood though is concerning. I would definitely push to have that tested. In the meantime, you may want to try the Nutramigen before moving on to a prescription formula. My ped always said to give a formula 2 weeks before deciding if it was working or not.