Need Advice About My Crying Infant

It may not be an allergy then. Have you tried giving him teething tablets. He may have more than one tooth trying to come in all at the same time. Teething tablets can be found at walmart in the infant section. They always helped my boys when they started teething.

S.,

When my daughter was an infant (she is 8 now), we had a similar problem. Our daughter was diagnosed with reflux and the zantac didn't help her. Her primary doctor prescribed Carafate Suspension, which was given before (like 20 minutes) she ate and she was an entirely different child. It was like someone flipped a switch. You may want to ask the doctor about it, but I would highly recommend it. Good Luck!

S.,

I quickly saw another post that suggested trying something different than Zantec (which didn't work for my son)-- however, Prevacid worked for my son!! Sadly he has to continue to use it at 20 months! He receives it in the liquid compound form. In addition we saw Dr. Carmen Cuffari, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Hopkins in Baltimore. If you have not seen him, I suggest you try to get an apt with him ASAP. Plus my son was on prescription formula that is already broken down into individual amino acids = less for his body to have to break down and easier to absorb. I completely feel for you as we were in your boat less than 20 months ago.
I hope this helps!!

We also had a baby with silent colic - no spitting up just miserable crying around each mealtime. It was a really really really trying experience for all of us. We eventually tried zantac (liquid - make sure you get it formulated at a good pharamacy that will not use alcohol in the formulation) which worked for us from 8 / 9 weeks until we weaned our baby off of it at around 5 months. Before the zantac we briefly used (at a pediatric GI doctors suggestion) liquid mylanta and when it worked to calm him really quickly we knew our baby had an acid stomach problem and didn't have to go through all of the invasive tests to determine that. Also key was me cutting out all dairy and all acid foods from my diet (I was breastfeeding, and even tomato sauce on pasta made my son miserable for at least a day or two). We also used soy formula only (not milk-based) when we had to supplement. And, at our pediatricians advice we started solids at 4 months. Fast forward - at 21 months old my son no longer takes meds and eats anything and everything now that his system has matured (we very gradually introduced dairy over time once he started eating solids). Good luck to you ... remember, this too shall pass!

I have 2 sons the way you are describing your son sounds just like my first. My first son would always cry6 like he is in pain & straighten his body while crying. He did this kind of crying for 10 months. The doctors told me he had colic in the earlier weeks burt when it got past that colic period they said it was is own temperment. I was pissed with that amswer. But didnt do much except the stupid gas drops that dont work. Until I had my second son. He has the same problem your son has and by 12 to 18 months it should be gone. When my second son showed signs my other son did I used the injternet a lot to research things. Needless to say I got Gripe Water for Colic. It helps with other things besides colic like teething and hiccups. I'm telling you I have seen an improvement and wish I new about them the first time around. When he gets really fussy I give him a teaspoon of it he burps and like 20 min later hes a sleep. I hope this works also a good test to prove that it might be colic when he fusses put him in a bouncer or swing and vacume your home. By the time your done your baby is sleeping thats what he has. I hope all works out. I'm surprised your doc put your son on zantac knowing that there is no visiable reflux. My doctor said lets wait and see when I brought that subject up. I hope this helps oh yeah and swaddle swaddle swaddle has helped me as well with some kind of white noise you can find the gripe water at walgreens

We have gone through this with our 14 week old son. He was diagnosed with reflux and the Zantac wasn't helping completely. The pediatrican switched him to Prevacid. Granted, we had to fight with the insurance company for a month to get the prevacid covered, because prevacid is over the counter now (but the infant dose is a water soluable pill) but they finally covered it. Also, this may sound really strange but my son does physical therapy as well. His muscles were extremely tight and he was really over toned (we're talking holding his head up at 2 weeks over toned) because he was stiffening up all the time, very ridgidly, due to the pain from the reflux. The physical therapy has helped, plus the therapist was able to give us a lot of information about how to best hold him when he's eating, etc. Finally, the pediatrican switched him to Enfamil Gentlease formula. He's breastfed but he was being supplemented until he reached 8 lbs and we used the Gentlease until he reached the 8 lbs.
You might want to ask your doctor about Prevacid and physical therapy, it has really helped our son. He never really spit up and the crying was our only clue. He still doesn't sleep really well but the hysterical crying has largely stopped. I sympathize with you, there is nothing worse than when your baby is crying and crying and nothing is helping.

S.:

I'm soooooooooo sorry you are going through this.

My first son was a dream baby - rarely cried, slept the night through at 6 weeks, etc. my second son - was the complete opposite!! He didn't sleep the night through and cried A LOT!!!!

He was a 4-week preemie born with pneumonia. So he started off rough too. After being told time and time it was reflux, he had the scope as well, I went to ANOTHER specialist, who told us he needed tubes in his ears as his ears were not fully developed. We had tubes put in his ears and from that point forward, he was the angelic baby I wanted!! :) Basically, he was in pain because there was ALWAYS pressure in his head.

Have your doctors take blood - check for ANYTHING and everything - this is NOT normal. I was watching Mystery Diagnosis one day - there was a family much like yours whose daughter cried all the time - there was something seriously wrong wtih her but I'm sorry - I don't remember what it was. I would NOT stop searching for answers. It is NOT normal for a baby to cry all of the time. If the Zantac is not working - then it's NOT reflux. A colicy baby does NOT cry all day - MAKE the dr.'s think OUTSIDE the box. DEMAND IT. You are your child's advocate.

I pray that your result will be quick and swift. I will also pray that it will be something simple - like ours!!!

God Bless!!

Cheryl

Hi S.,
You have received a lot of good advice. I know you have already provided and update. I just wanted to give you some helpful tips because your son sounds exactly like the little girl that I baby sit. She is now 4 months old and her mother had a terrible time with her when she was first born. She would cry non-stop all night long.

She tried switching her milk and bottles. Now she is using the Dr. Browns bottles (someone else mentioned these bottles). They help a whole lot. Also when we feed her, we feed her in a slightly upright position, not laying all the way back. Halfway through her feeding, she is burped. When I burp her, I don't put her on my shoulder, I put her on the left side of my lap, with my left arm supporting her and my right hand patting her back. This helps her to burp more easily and it keeps her in an upright postion, and not putting pressure on her stomach. Once she is finished we keep her upright for a good 10 minutes to be sure that the milk is digisted.

You didn't say whether your son had regular bowels movements. With this little girl, that was one of her major issues. She had a very hard time pooping. To help ease some of the pain, we would place her on our chest, while sitting in a chair and rub her back in a downward motion. This helps gets the gas out. She is doing a lot better now.

I hope this helps.

I am so sorry you are going through this. I've been there. Its so hard to enjoy your baby when all you want is silence and sleep.

Be sure to always have him sleep in a reclined or sitting position. We would place my neice's infant seat into her crib. We would strap her in of course, and the seat couldn't move around. That seemed to help.

Have you had a sonogram done? Just to check out all of the internal stuff? Just a thought.

What water are you using to make his bottles? Try using bottled water for a bit.

What about the type of diapers you use? Could something in them be bothering him?

Could he have a nerve sensitivity where the clothes are causing discomfort?

Have you asked the dr. appt being able to give him some pain medicine? I don't remember what the age limit for Tylenol infant is...

What comes to my mind is an allergy , lactose intolerance maybe? If he is formula fed try and lactose free formula or a soy , or if you BF then try cutting dairy out of your diet. My 3rd child screamed like this for weeks when she was a newborn and in the end I switched formula to Similac Sensitive and within 48 hrs she was a different baby. It's worth a try.

Good luck

I have just read the update that you posted , if the Dr thinks it might be some kind of reflux have you tried letting him sleep at an angle? By propping up his mattress or let him sleep in the car seat. I saw an episode once of the baby whisperer and she was dealing with a baby that had reflux and she also advised the parents to change bottles , I know Dr Browns sell bottles that have a tube that stops too much air being taken in , you could try looking on the internet to see if you can find something similar if you have already tried Dr Browns. Other than this I am at a loss as to what to suggest , you are right and that there has to be a reason for him cry so much. Does he poop regular or suffer with constipation?

The most immediate thing that jumped into my head was an allergy? have you tried altering his formula? or your diet if you are nursing?

Another more far fetched idea would be something like a nerve disorder? or even something like brittle bone disease? I know those types of things are very difficult to diagnose.

I don't feel like I'm helping at all, just grasping at straws as I am sure you are. Good luck!!!

Hi S.,

We dealt with that a lot with my now 2 year old. Being a first time parent to that, I thought I was going to lose my mind!!! Our daughter had colic which stopped almost instantly at 4 months, a milk allergy (has he been checked for this??)and she had and still has silent reflux. I would put money on colic and the allergy! Doctor's are just 'practicing' medicine and it's all about the money they are making. You are the mother. Go with your gut. A gurantee at 4 months, things will settle down some! Good luck and please let us know.

My daughter was the SAME way! She could not take the Zantac so they put her on previcid...her cure my mental heath cure! It comes in a pill that you have to dislove in water. (my daughter was 3 months when we finally found out what it was to, it made all the difference)

good luck

S.,
I just read your posting,others responses and your update.
I am so sorry that you have to deal with this situation. I do have to say this is the part where western medicine fails in a huge way. I use alternative medicine 90% of the time with great results. Here are some suggestions. Chiropractic has and should resolve your child's issues. Also either a good homeopathic Dr. or naturpathic Dr. will help. I can give you referrals to all of the above practitioners that specialize in children in most areas around here.
Feel free to contact me.
L. M

My son also had reflux as an infant and was MISERABLE most of the time. I was desperate to help him just like you are. What I learned was: get to Ped GI doctor as soon as possible (you are at JH so I am assuming you have already done it). But it is not enough, you really have to advocate for your child and ask for an increased in dosage all the time as it changes quickly as they grow. My son overate but many infants don't eat at all (see recent thread on DCMUMS.) There is a lot more that can be prescribed; Zantac is usually just the first medicine tried. In my son's case, it was not enough and he also had to take Prevacid (there are also other medications) . I got all the commercial wedges available to help him be on an incline all the time (he was never flat on his back, even when we were changing his diaper). I was also on an elimination diet for a long time. My son is 3 yo now and a very happy child. I wish you luck. You are doing the right thing to help your child. Don't give up!

Four sons? You are an amazing mother! I read your message and it took me back to a really unhappy place, but now I can laugh at some of the things we endured, so be encouraged. My son trained me to be his mother. He is our firstborn, and he didn't fit any baby model I had ever witnessed or read about. He'd take power naps (20 minute increments), wake and cry. Stay awake for hours, only to start the cycle again. I'd call friends (most who had Gerber babies who just cooed and smiled), who'd ask me, "Did you feed him?" Duh! "Did you burp him?" Of course! "Did you change him?" Etc. Nothing worked. I remained exhausted, cranky, and sad to see my baby so miserable. I started doing things like putting him in bed with me while hubby was at work, out of desperation, when I realized he'd sleep a little longer in my arms. Before I got too sleepy, I'd try to move him to his crib, and--yep, he'd awake and cry as soon as he hit the bed. Eventually, I'd join him. LOL! Yes, he was lactose intolerant, but the crying didn't stop even when switched to soy or rice milk, which was only a few days after he was born. I look at his baby pictures, and there are quite a few where he has this blank look on his face.

DIET: I don't know if it's the same with your baby, but frankly, I think my baby had either a leaky gut/weak digestive system or reaction to the sugars in the formula. He is now 11 yrs. old and still takes a long time to have a BM. He eats vegetables, more than my daughter, and drinks more water. He gets migraines if he doesn't have enough water or too much stimulation or certain drinks like Kool-Aid or Countrytime, which have a lot of sugar. We now allow only Turkey Hill lemonade or Capri Suns. Drs. say he's healthy and are not concerned about the constipation. He's been diagnosed with asthma, ADD, had chronic ear infections until he was 6 and we began homeschooling. The more I read about LDs, I see relationship between these illnesses and toxic systems caused by undiagnosed parasites, excess yeast (sugars), poor digestion, etc. I haven't taken him to a naturalist, yet, and his Dr.s' won't really speak on natural/holistic remedies or testing for parasites. But, I'm still doing my research on IBS, H pylori, colitis (which I had years ago) and immune system functions. (He very well could have inherited these problems from both sides of his family.) Of course, I'm not urging you to seek out these things, because your baby is too young; it's just something to watch and monitor over time. I'm trying to understand our reaction to sugar, which can be found in formula, so read the your label. Not sure if you're breastfeeding and supplementing. I was unable to do so, though I received quite a bit of pressure to continue trying. My son as a baby wasn't getting enough food from me, so we had to go with formula. Do not experiment with your baby's nutrition, though. I do not have any evidence on any of the information I shared with you and would not want to mislead you on either a diagnosis nor treatment. Take this time to read and watch, only.

STIMULI: There are other things that could be affecting your baby. He could be overstimulated with three older brothers in the house, or very sensitive to some of the household noises you all take for granted. Some things that did help when my son was a baby included holding him close, singing to him, or reading to him (google "sensory integration). It was heartbreaking, and honestly it was a factor in my choosing to go back to work instead of staying home with him when he was a baby. Had I known then, what I know now, I probably would have tried a little harder to connect with him and help him adjust to life on the outside (of the womb). Eventually, with the birth of my daughter, we chose to homeschool him, and he's now a well-adjusted, outgoing, young man. Pros, he eats small meals more often, he gets more water throughout day, and gets a little more sleep. He still has trouble getting and staying asleep, which I believe are connected to the ADD, and make me wonder if he was showing me as a baby who he would be. My daughter never went to daycare, though, and my mom taught me how to properly swaddle her (great book on sensory integration issues: The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowicz is in the library). I was able to keep things calm while she slept and kept her near me while teaching my son throughout the day. (Mom and I both worked when my son was born. I quit before daughter was born.) Daughter was a happy baby by comparison and had fewer adjustment problems.

CONCLUSION: Just be encouraged. I used to feel like I was a part of some evil experiment on the effects of sleep deprivation. LOl. I learned that I really could survive on 4 hrs. of sleep for several years! Honestly, if there really is nothing physically wrong with your baby, know that you, too, can survive--and so will he. We're in our 12th year of parenting, and I have only a few abnormal ticks and moments of insanity. LOL.

is he getting enough to eat? i was starving my poor baby while breastfeeding and couldn't figure out why she cried.