I know there are some other ladies on here whose little ones suffer with silent reflux  am looking for some advice.

Took S to the doctors nearly 3 weeks ago for a problem with his toe (unrelated) and mentioned that he was quite sicky and arched his back while feeding, generally unsettled and he prescribed gaviscon for reflux. He's exclusively bf, not even had a bottle of expressed milk yet so I have been giving it to him in a bottle with water (too clumsy to do the syringe thing!)

He doesn't bring up much milk now but is still so unsettled, he never naps during the day, just cries. Its a really horrible high pitched scream. Sometimes he will start to nod off but wake uo suddenly. Am I right in thinking this is silent reflux? He sleeps well at night but I think its because he's so tired from crying all day. The only thing that comforts him is feeding, so I'm sat here with him on the boon All Day.

How long should the gaviscon take to work? Some days he's ok, is that also normal? Would he be bad every day if that's what it is? I don't want to pump him with gaviscon if its not reflux. I'm so tired of trying to second guess what's wrong with him. Cot is propped up, I keep him upright after feeds, I don't know what else to do?

I know all babies cry but surely not all day? I have been giving gavison 3 times a day and reluctant to do full dose of 6 in case he gets constipated, he's already extremely windy but still getting dirty nappies.

Sorry this is rambly, I'm at a bit of a loss :(

*update*

The doctor has given us ranitidine to try and told us to go back on Tuesday if no improvement. I kind of wanted the doctor to see him really kicking off which he was in the waiting room...then when we actually got in there, he gave the gp a massive smile, little rascal 

Oops, boob, not boon!

My little man has gaviscon and it took a good week to work properly.. I remember being convinced it wasn't working but things improved gradually...

We did also go through the constipation but that didn't last long either.

Thanks HJL, he's been on the gaviscon for 2.5 weeks now and although he's had a few good days, they have been few and far between :(

My first had silent reflux, second had sicky reflux. The first was never sick at all. He used to make grunty noises and sounded a but like a sheep! He arched a lot and would only sleep upright, so on me or in a bouncy chair. It was very hard work. I got no sleep for months! Because he was prem luckily we had an excellent paediatrician who prescribed ranitidine and domperidone which helped but it only significantly improved when we weaned as advised at 17 weeks.

In the meanwhile tilt his cot, try and hold upright after feeds for an hour if you can (slings are a godsend!).

Gaviscon just bunged mine up but it works for some babies

My first had silent reflux. It was only when I happened to read something about it in a book, that I realised that was what it was. He arched his back when feeding and was basically crying, unsettled and awake all day long. He also slept ok at night though. Must have been exhaustion! We were prescribed Gaviscon too, but he wouldn't take it unless it was mixed with formula, so I eventually gave up BFing. It sounds like you are doing really well. I think we did give him the full dose though. We started reducing it and then stopped it completely by the time he was 6 months. It made him a lot happier, but I don't think he was totally settled until he was six months and on solids too.

It is really hard, I know. I'm due number 2 in 3 weeks and seriously hope we don't have the same problem again. I have to say that the first few months of his life, I found extremely difficult and tiring xx

Gaviscon never worked for us (not sure if A has reflux or silent reflux as she's never really been sick loads but used has all the symptoms you've described plus a little watery sick with curdled milk in it) It just made her really constipated and very unhappy. We are currently seeing a paediatrician and are trying renatadine and domperidone to see if they help. I really had to keep on at the doctors to get the referral so don't be afraid to keep going back and keep pushing. It really is horrible to have your baby crying with pain and not be able to do anything about it - it kills me every day :-( Hope you manage to get your little one sorted x

Mermaid, when did you little one start to grow out of it?

It does sound like reflux, although I thought silent was without sick? So if he's sicky its just standard reflux.  Z had all the symptoms except sick that you describe, our GP was great and prescribed rinitadine straight off, if gaviscon hasnt worked I'd go back and request rinitadine.  Zoe was a different child after 3 or so days.  She now's nearly 4 months and has come off it, and seems fine, so they dont necessarily have a problem with it forever.

If he's sick it's reflux, silent is when they don't bring up. The symptoms certainly sound like it. It's worth noting the drs can be pretty clueless so research as much as you can. Henry had silent reflux, turns out it wasn't, well it was, but was a symptom of his cows milk allergy. As soon as the milk was sorted, he turned into a happy smiling baby, whereas before that, anytime he was awake was spent screaming

Thanks for your replies.

I'm taking him back to the gp tomorrow morning now, I don't want to go the whole weekend like this again, I need to feel like I've done something, even if there's no magic solution.

Just been talking to my mum, its so hard because he has terrible trapped wind and really explosive nappies - so noisy you'd think he was going to rip a hole in them! I'm worried about an allergy, also wondering if he's also having his 6 week growth spurt as he's always so hungry. Just wish I knew what was wrong for sure :(

Popcorn, A is just like this. She really sounds like she's pushing and straining but her poo is pretty normal and we can wind her for 30 minutes plus with all different positions and techniques and not get anything up. She also has really bad flatulance that seems to really disturb her and often she'll scream at the same time as trumping.

P was exavtly the same. Gaviscon didnt work so we are now on Esomeprazole x

Henry's nappies were explosive. Again, up until the milk was sorted. Just bear in mind if reflux meds don't work it could be an allergu

F has silent reflux and cow's milk intolerance/allergy (which is still tbc). Before he was put on the right milk and reflux medication he had most of those symptoms. I think the "straining" was due to the effect the milk proteins were having on his tummy. As Missus S said keep an allergy in mind given his symptoms. The reflux meds helped with the crying and back arching but didn't relieve the other symptoms.

Can I ask what the other symptoms of the cows milk protein allergy were? I don't want to be a really paranoid mum but would rather be aware...

MaisieMoo is the omprezole working for P? How long til it took effect?

Thanks for your replies ladies, we've had a hideous afternoon and evening with him :( screaming after every feed. Will see what the doctor says in the morning x

F had really bad wind, straining, explodapoos and eczema on his face which was starting to spread over his body and went away within 2 days of starting the milk. He was generally uncomfortable with his tummy and a totally different baby once sorted.

hope you get sorted soon, it is torture not knowing what is wrong :(

He's never slept well from the day he was born. Wouldn't sleep in the Moses or cot, anywhere flat. He would writhe about and grunt, and sound mucusy. Only slept on me or in my arms so we ended up cosleeping.

He had 'milk spots' all over face

His forehead was crusty, like cradle cap had spread down his face.

Gradually he started pulling away at feeds, screaming etc. As the weeks went on the worse it got until his milk intake was decreasing rapidly.

Every moment near enough, he was awake he was s reaming in agony, and I mean writhing around in pain, pulling his legs up, stiffening out. Unbearable.

Classic signs o silent reflux but the drugs didn't touch it, even omelrozole whih is meant to be a strong reflux drug. It took taking him to a&e at 3am and seeing a paediatrician to diagnose what I now knew from researching myself, to be cows milk allergy. Given neocate and haven't looked back. Everyone says what a smiley happy soul he is now. Any questions just shout x

Oh one more symptoms which is a bit TMI but you may find it resonates later, his nappies gradually started getting mucus in them as time went on. Sometimes a pink (blood?). And were funny colours, incredibly runny.