The ABC Homeopathy Forum
baby reflux - Joe can you advise please?
Hi Joe,I've seen one of your threads and a mum on one of the parenting forums is singing your praises so I hope that you can help.
I have a plan based on the advice you gave in the threads I saw but wanted to run it past you first as I know that every case is individual. I would really appreciate your comments.
My son is 10 months old and was colicky as a tiny baby. He improved briefly around 1r weeks old but then got worse again. His symptoms are mainly at night. He will wake after 1 to 2 hours and will only settle in bed with me if propped up with pillows and will still wake frequently. He needs movement to settle - usually holding him upright and walking long distances but he gets frustrated as he really 'wants' to lay down but can't get comfy that way. I don't know if it makes any difference with your treatment regimen but I believe he is tuberculinum in constitution based on him being particularly hairy at birth, grinds his teeth and some other bits which I forget st the moment (sorry - so sleep deprived).
Sorry for such a long post - I want to try to give you as much information as possible.
In all honesty I have been leaning on our GP to prescribe Zantac for him as Gaviscon offers very limited relief. As they have sent me away without further advice several times I found your threads while searching for alternative remedies. I have used a homeopath for my older son and it has worked wonders (combined with Cranial osteopathy) but neither seem to have helped my younger son.
I have ordered Nat Phos tissue salts in 6x and plan to give him half a tablet after each feed (we have around eight feeds including night feeds so he would have about four full pills per day this way). I intend to give them dissolved in water although he has taken teething powders happily before (didn't work) so would be ok with a crushed pill if this is preferable.
If he responds well I plan to reduce the amount given at each feed to quarter and then begin reducing the number of feeds I give it. If he does not respond I plan to give the full tablet instead but only for six feeds (I am intending only to give with breast feeds - he is on limited solids). Does this sound ok?
Again, I apologise for the length of my post and appreciate whatever time you can give me with a response.
I am aware of the whole 'Joemeopathy' thing and I realise that this isn't 'classic' homeopathy but am of the opinion 'whatever works', particularly if it means I can avoid allopathic drugs.
Thanks in advance.
Eek - just to add I have stopped eating dairy and wheat and had a minor improvement in his symptoms so a possible milk protein or lactose intolerance. The tablets arrived while I was posting and they contain lactose. Would you advise sourcing a lactose free tablet or should the remedy help with any lactose issues?
Apologies again for the length of this post.
refluxmum on 2012-07-07
This is just a forum. Assume posts are not from medical professionals.
Ok, we have started the Nat phos as I couldn't bear him suffering any longer. Stopped Zantac the same day.
Effect of Nat phos similar to Zantac on him - he is reasonably comfortable during the day and has started waking up much later in the evening after bedtime so is confortable for longer but seems more unsettled than previously after 2am. He now settles a bit more easily after his first wake up (was previously inconsolable around 8pm but now wakes very distressed around 10pm but resettled with a feed in bed with me).
Is that normal - to see a general improvement but with a period where he is unsettled?
He is also teething which is complicating things.
Effect of Nat phos similar to Zantac on him - he is reasonably comfortable during the day and has started waking up much later in the evening after bedtime so is confortable for longer but seems more unsettled than previously after 2am. He now settles a bit more easily after his first wake up (was previously inconsolable around 8pm but now wakes very distressed around 10pm but resettled with a feed in bed with me).
Is that normal - to see a general improvement but with a period where he is unsettled?
He is also teething which is complicating things.
refluxmum last decade
I am relieved to note that you have STOPPED the Zantac to your baby. It can be considered as the worst drug that you can give him and you can Google: 'The danger of PPI Drugs' to realize how you virtually poisoned your baby.
I note that you have given Nat Phos 6x to your baby and expect him to respond immediately. I am aware that some babies have responded instantly but you may have to give it to him over a few days and report his response. You have not also indicated how much of the tablet you have given him so far as you mentioned that you intended to give him half tablet which is OK but there is not contraindication to give him a full tablet immediately after a feed if the half tablet does not help. When he responds you may reduce the dosage but please do not expect an instant fix like with the drugs that you have given him for the last few months of his life.
DO NOT give him any solids till he is a year old. Breast milk is best and you may supplement it with formula. Feed him often as he can have hunger pains which can accompany his current digestive process.
You can also take 2 tablets Nat Phos yourself up to 3 times daily as your breast milk will be loaded with it and thereby help baby to digest his feed even better.
The bonus is that it will also help to reduce your weight by 1kg per week.
I note that you have given Nat Phos 6x to your baby and expect him to respond immediately. I am aware that some babies have responded instantly but you may have to give it to him over a few days and report his response. You have not also indicated how much of the tablet you have given him so far as you mentioned that you intended to give him half tablet which is OK but there is not contraindication to give him a full tablet immediately after a feed if the half tablet does not help. When he responds you may reduce the dosage but please do not expect an instant fix like with the drugs that you have given him for the last few months of his life.
DO NOT give him any solids till he is a year old. Breast milk is best and you may supplement it with formula. Feed him often as he can have hunger pains which can accompany his current digestive process.
You can also take 2 tablets Nat Phos yourself up to 3 times daily as your breast milk will be loaded with it and thereby help baby to digest his feed even better.
The bonus is that it will also help to reduce your weight by 1kg per week.
♡ Joe De Livera last decade
Thanks Joe.
I was going to do half tablets but after rereading one of the other threads I started with one full tablet three times daily and upped it to four when we didn't see an effect. I'm fairly confident, especially after seeing your reply, that it is gradually working better so intend to keep to four doses (that makes it one with every daytime breastfeed) unless you advise differently.
I probably should have been clearer with regard to the Zantac - he only had it for a few days so a maximum of six doses (and, having looked into it I think the GP prescribed a very low dose for his weight so hopefully no harm done - you'll appreciate the desperation I (and many other parents) feel to see my baby in such pain which leads to PPI usage so I am so grateful to have found an alternative before we went down that route more fully.
I don't wish to question your advice - I just get paranoid about breast milk supply - can you confirm that if I take Nat phos it won't affect my supply? I'm just a bit concerned as I'm already losing weight (unintentionally through the dairy and wheat elimination). I'm not skinny by any means but he has been hungrier lately so I'm so cautious of anything that could cause any weight loss in me.
Thank you for telling me that the Nat phos can take time to build up. That does give me more confidence that things are working.
On a really positive note - I ate brocolli yesterday for the first time in months (he usually doubles over in pain following the next feed) and he was fine!
Thank you so much for taking the time to help. Should I report back or just keep going until I feel we can reduce the dose and report back if I have any uncertainty?
Oh, also a friend told me that if you take the correct remedy for too long it will 'prove' and original symptoms return. Is that something I should be mindful of or is that only with constitutional remedies? Please excuse my ignorance.
I wish I had known about this stuff with my first son and while I was pregnant!
I was going to do half tablets but after rereading one of the other threads I started with one full tablet three times daily and upped it to four when we didn't see an effect. I'm fairly confident, especially after seeing your reply, that it is gradually working better so intend to keep to four doses (that makes it one with every daytime breastfeed) unless you advise differently.
I probably should have been clearer with regard to the Zantac - he only had it for a few days so a maximum of six doses (and, having looked into it I think the GP prescribed a very low dose for his weight so hopefully no harm done - you'll appreciate the desperation I (and many other parents) feel to see my baby in such pain which leads to PPI usage so I am so grateful to have found an alternative before we went down that route more fully.
I don't wish to question your advice - I just get paranoid about breast milk supply - can you confirm that if I take Nat phos it won't affect my supply? I'm just a bit concerned as I'm already losing weight (unintentionally through the dairy and wheat elimination). I'm not skinny by any means but he has been hungrier lately so I'm so cautious of anything that could cause any weight loss in me.
Thank you for telling me that the Nat phos can take time to build up. That does give me more confidence that things are working.
On a really positive note - I ate brocolli yesterday for the first time in months (he usually doubles over in pain following the next feed) and he was fine!
Thank you so much for taking the time to help. Should I report back or just keep going until I feel we can reduce the dose and report back if I have any uncertainty?
Oh, also a friend told me that if you take the correct remedy for too long it will 'prove' and original symptoms return. Is that something I should be mindful of or is that only with constitutional remedies? Please excuse my ignorance.
I wish I had known about this stuff with my first son and while I was pregnant!
refluxmum last decade
It is always best to go slow with the dosage for Nat Phos 6x but if half tablet does not help you may give the full tablet but not over 3 tablets daily.
It is absolutely safe and is a far cry from Zantac which I hope you checked on the Internet.
Nat Phos has not been reported to reduce your milk supply but if you do not wish to reduce weight and can give it to baby alone you may do so.
Good to learn that Broccoli did not create any problems with baby. NP is indeed an incredible remedy and I have prescribed it for Lactose intolerance but this is a first after Broccoli.
There is absolutely no question of proving Nat Phos which is at 6x potency.
It is absolutely safe and is a far cry from Zantac which I hope you checked on the Internet.
Nat Phos has not been reported to reduce your milk supply but if you do not wish to reduce weight and can give it to baby alone you may do so.
Good to learn that Broccoli did not create any problems with baby. NP is indeed an incredible remedy and I have prescribed it for Lactose intolerance but this is a first after Broccoli.
There is absolutely no question of proving Nat Phos which is at 6x potency.
♡ Joe De Livera last decade
Many thanks Joe.
Bless you for taking the time to help.
Hopefully we will continue without needing any further help but I will report back if I have any issues or uncertainties.
Bless you for taking the time to help.
Hopefully we will continue without needing any further help but I will report back if I have any issues or uncertainties.
refluxmum last decade
Sorry Joe, I need further help.
The nat phos seems to be working less and less. My husband feels that the effect I attributed to the nat phos was actually the Zantac 'kicking in' (since he was only on it a few days before I found your threads on nat phos and switched).
It is still having some effect; we missed a dose yesterday due to forgetting to take the bottle to a friends at lunchtime and he woke more than usual.
He is gradually waking more and more frequently in distress. It is very similar to when we were just using a milk thickener - it seems to help a bit but things are still pretty bad.
Is three tablets daily the maximum safe dose or is there something else we can combine it with? My husband wants to put him back on Zantac but I want to avoid this. I am tempted to try using the milk thickener with nat phos to at least reduce the impact of allopathic meds.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The nat phos seems to be working less and less. My husband feels that the effect I attributed to the nat phos was actually the Zantac 'kicking in' (since he was only on it a few days before I found your threads on nat phos and switched).
It is still having some effect; we missed a dose yesterday due to forgetting to take the bottle to a friends at lunchtime and he woke more than usual.
He is gradually waking more and more frequently in distress. It is very similar to when we were just using a milk thickener - it seems to help a bit but things are still pretty bad.
Is three tablets daily the maximum safe dose or is there something else we can combine it with? My husband wants to put him back on Zantac but I want to avoid this. I am tempted to try using the milk thickener with nat phos to at least reduce the impact of allopathic meds.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
refluxmum last decade
You can add Nux Vomica 30c in the Wet dose of which you can give him half a teaspoonful twice daily and report his response.
The Wet dose of any Homeopathic remedy is made as follows:
Order the remedy in the Liquid pack in Alcohol, also referred to as Liquid Dilution in a bottle preferably with a dropper arrangement.
Get a 500ml bottle of Spring Water from the nearest supermarket.
Pour out about 3cm of water from the bottle to leave some airspace.
Insert 3 drops of the remedy into the bottle and shake the bottle hard at least 6 times before you sip a capfull of the bottle or a large teaspoonful which is the dose.
Shaking the bottle hard is homeopathic succussion and this enhances the effect of the remedy on the user.
The Wet dose of any Homeopathic remedy is made as follows:
Order the remedy in the Liquid pack in Alcohol, also referred to as Liquid Dilution in a bottle preferably with a dropper arrangement.
Get a 500ml bottle of Spring Water from the nearest supermarket.
Pour out about 3cm of water from the bottle to leave some airspace.
Insert 3 drops of the remedy into the bottle and shake the bottle hard at least 6 times before you sip a capfull of the bottle or a large teaspoonful which is the dose.
Shaking the bottle hard is homeopathic succussion and this enhances the effect of the remedy on the user.
♡ Joe De Livera last decade
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