Is this a milk allergy, possibly? Long and help ne

[pierogigirl]

I've posted before that DS2- 10.5 months- has been sick for the last month(croup, cold/congestion, and last weekend the stomach bug and Coxsackie virus diagnosis). He has been vomit-free since noon last Saturday. I feel like I finally got him fully hydrated on Wednesday. He returned to daycare and I had to send 1/2 formula, 1/2 breastmilk because my freezer stash is gone and I can't pump enough. By Monday he will be on all formula at daycare (per pedi's instructions. I had wanted to intro WCM), but breastfed at home - nights and weekends.

He's been incredibly fussy and sleeping terribly since Wednesday. Today I nursed him as soon as we got home. He ate a lot because he didn't take much formula at daycare and had only 2 wet diapers there. About 1/2 hr later he threw up what seemed like a gallon. He was happier after and nursed before bed. His before bed diaper was dry.

I just realized today that his extreme fussiness started the same day he had some formula (his max/day was about 4 oz because he doesn't like it).

So, could the vomiting and fussiness be a formula (Similac Advanced) reaction? How could I tell if it's a milk allergy before trying whole cow's milk? He eats yogurt without an issue and he had a tiny amount of Similac Advanced formula before because he was jaundiced at birth. I'm at my wit's end and just want him to be his happy self again. Please help. I don't know what to feed my kid and I feel like crying (it probably doesn't help that I'm exhausted and stressed).

[ijack]

I doubt it's a milk allergy unless your BM is milk free. He might be reacting to something else in the formula too.

[arch01]

His body and the formula don't agree. Try something new. Call your pedi and ask for samples.

A milk allergy/intolerance would have presented itself before this more than likely as a reaction to breast milk. Mucousy poop, excessive spit up, gas and fussiness, blood in stool would be signs of an allergy/intolerance.

[Deleted]

I would also say it's not an allergy, but that the formula isn't working.

Try another brand. Try WCM or goat milk (assuming it won't be more than half his overall intake). Try HM4HB for donor breastmilk.

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2012 20:17:03 GMT -5 ijack said:

I doubt it's a milk allergy unless your BM is milk free. He might be reacting to something else in the formula too.

Not true. DD had a milk protein intolerance and I was able to eat/ drink milk products. But she would vomit profusely every time she herself had dairy (ie formula). She was allergic to the protein in dairy but if I had it, the proteins were broken down before getting into my BM and she didnt get sick.

DD had FPIES. She outgrew it by 19 months.

[Deleted]

OP- try Similac Alimentum- it was the only formula DD could tolerate, since if its a milk protein allergy, the proteins are already broken down and will be able to be digested. If LO still vomits from formula, see an allergist for prescription formula.

And google FPIES. I'm on my phone so I can't link things right now.

[pierogigirl]

Oct 11, 2012 20:47:41 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

OP- try Similac Alimentum- it was the only formula DD could tolerate, since if its a milk protein allergy, the proteins are already broken down and will be able to be digested. If LO still vomits from formula, see an allergist for prescription formula.

And google FPIES. I'm on my phone so I can't link things right now.

Thank you. I will get some tomorrow so I can try it before Monday. I just feel so overwhelmed. He been sick since starting daycare, so I can't tell if it is the formula or not. I will also call the pedi for an appointment to discuss it.

EDIT- He eats yogurt and has for months without incident. I'm hoping that is a positive sign.

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2012 21:30:25 GMT -5 pierogigirl said:

Oct 11, 2012 20:47:41 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

OP- try Similac Alimentum- it was the only formula DD could tolerate, since if its a milk protein allergy, the proteins are already broken down and will be able to be digested. If LO still vomits from formula, see an allergist for prescription formula.

And google FPIES. I'm on my phone so I can't link things right now.

Thank you. I will get some tomorrow so I can try it before Monday. I just feel so overwhelmed. He been sick since starting daycare, so I can't tell if it is the formula or not. I will also call the pedi for an appointment to discuss it.

EDIT- He eats yogurt and has for months without incident. I'm hoping that is a positive sign.

I think it is! DD couldn't have yogurt or cheese either. Really hoping its not FPIES,it was awful.

[imimahoney]

Oct 11, 2012 20:59:22 GMT -5 @chloe77 said:

Sounds like everyone is different, but my son has a milk protein allergy and he had a reaction by the time he was a few weeks old (blood in his stools, vomiting, gas and fussiness) and he was exclusively breastfed at that point. I had to cut all dairy out of my diet. I gradually added formula into the mix - Similac Alimentum.

That is the common reaction to a dairy/soy intolerance. Technically it's not an allergy unless there is a skin reaction (says my Pedi GI).

We switched to Nutramigen gradually because the diet was driving me INSANE.

[imimahoney]

Oct 12, 2012 8:34:38 GMT -5 @chloe77 said:

Oct 12, 2012 7:21:31 GMT -5 imimahoney said:

That is the common reaction to a dairy/soy intolerance. Technically it's not an allergy unless there is a skin reaction (says my Pedi GI).

We switched to Nutramigen gradually because the diet was driving me INSANE.

I think this is right. We didn't know at a few weeks that my son was allergic, they called it a milk soy protein intolerance at that point, but he had skin and blood allergy testing at a year and reacted in both tests to milk and not soy. He's still allergic to milk at 4 years old. We also found out at 1 year that he is allergic to nuts, too - we had no idea because we hadn't introduced them, yet.

This is actually my fear. Although his Drs. keep saying he will grow out of it and probably won't have any other food issues I keep reading about babies who never out grow it and have additional food issues.

[Deleted]

Oct 12, 2012 9:10:49 GMT -5 imimahoney said:

Oct 12, 2012 8:34:38 GMT -5 @chloe77 said:

I think this is right. We didn't know at a few weeks that my son was allergic, they called it a milk soy protein intolerance at that point, but he had skin and blood allergy testing at a year and reacted in both tests to milk and not soy. He's still allergic to milk at 4 years old. We also found out at 1 year that he is allergic to nuts, too - we had no idea because we hadn't introduced them, yet.

This is actually my fear. Although his Drs. keep saying he will grow out of it and probably won't have any other food issues I keep reading about babies who never out grow it and have additional food issues.

If it makes you feel better, DD was intolerant to milk, soy and peas (and probably other stuff but we stopped introducing certain foods when we discovered this) but she outgrew it all-- and has zero known allergies now at almost 3. Its like she never had the disease at all.

FPIES is more severe than a general milk or soy protein intolerance. Its also much more rare. For info (for anyone's general knowledge, since I doubt OP's kid has FPIES if he is able to eat yogurt):
www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?id=99