Dr. says colic - please help.

[DrAussieMom]

My DS is two weeks old. He cries for about 2-3 hours every evening at 6pm. We thought it was gas, so I gave him baby gasX, which he threw up for 2-3 nights. He is gaining weight wonderfully, born 8#8oz, now is over 10 pounds. My DH take 15 minute shifts while he cries. He screams...... I feel so bad, not sure what to do, how long it will last, etc. - help!!!

Also, went to the Dr, she says she thinks it is colic.

[m(or)]

Colic is usually one of 2 things. One is reflux. And this can be silent. So if he is spitting up, that is a sign. Or maybe the acid comes up, but not out. Antacids can be a simple cure.
The other cause is usually dairy. So a change in formula to soy usually helps. If you are breastfeeding, try cutting out dairy. First stop drinking milk. If dairy is the issue, that will often make it easier. You may have to cut out other dairy if stopping the milk is not enough.
High iron vitamins can cause trouble too.

[Cali]

If you can get your hands on Colic Solved by Bryan Vartabedian I recommend reading it. Great, easy to read book that says exactly what the pp said - that colic is a result of either acid reflux or a dairy allergy. The author is a pediatric GI and says that the diagnosis of "colic" is outdated and if your Dr should diagnose your screaming baby with colic then to see another doctor. Colic is merely a symptom, a description..inconsolable crying for so many hours and for so many days.

Our dd cried like yours. For hours each night. Still eating and gaining weight but spewing spit up, among other reflux signs. Her pedi diagnosed her with acid reflux and she's now taking Prevacid and a very different and happy baby.

Hope it gets better for you!

[SC-Sherb]

I feel for you really. My DS#1 was extremely colic and we tried several formulas and finally settled on the soy, which was about the only one that he would keep down the most. He still spit up quite a bit but gained weight at an exceptional rate - he was always in the top percentile for his weight. He pretty much cried around the clock from one feeding to the next. Mind you, it was 15 yrs ago and I don't think that there was much about acid reflux back then and maybe that was part of it but he was very very gassy.

We did everything from walk the floor to gripe water to ovol drops, everything we could think of but really, it all seemed to stop at just around the 3mth mark and he was an entirely different baby after that.

DD didn't have any symptoms and was just a good baby. DS#2, wasn't as bad as DS#1 but he still had his crying episodes in the evening like yours between 6 & 10. We changed to Similac Sensitive (as he was crying while drinking his bottle) and also gave him Enfacol drops before each and every bottle for 3 mths and it all really seemed to help. He still had his occasional fussy spurts but not as bad.

I hope that your little one gets some relief and it gets better soon. I know how exhausting it can be.

[Cat Mom]

Hugs to you, colic is so hard to deal with.

DD had colic. At first I thought it was reflux, took her to the Doc, she was put on meds that never helped. We gave her gas drops and all kinds of gripe water, even something called Colic Calm that I paid and arm and a leg for that never worked either.

I breastfed and cut everything out of my diet I possibly could, didn't help.

She hated the swing and the stroller during her colicky times at night. The only thing that soothed her was the bathroom fan and me bouncing her.

Finally at around 4 weeks of age I found out through this site that chiropractic help can lessen colic if you find a Dr. who has experience in working on newborns and infants. Luckily I was able to do that and after 2 adjustments just 3 days apart, her screaming went from 4-5 hours per night to 1-2 hours. Within 2-3 weeks, she was a different child.

Her colic eventually completely stopped at 12 weeks. If you are for "alternative" medicine, I would definately look into a reputable chiropractor in your area. I would do it again in a heartbeat and wish I would have taken DD to her within the 1st week of her life.

[SgtMom]

My dd had both reflux and colic and they were distinct. It wasnt dairy either since we did switch to soy formula and stayed on that for a year (due to reflux) but successfully transitioned to full fat dairy milk after that. Colic is a mystery and while some cases may be solved by switching formulas or using meds such as prevacid not all are. Our daughter ended up being on prevacid for a solid year but it was for reflux. Our dds crying episodes started around 3w of age and lasted from 1-4am for several weeks then suddenly swiched to 4-8pm. The episodes were not related to feeding. For colic we tried three different homeopathic remedies and our ped credited the third with working. Of course she also had her last epsiode right around 12w so it could have ended either way. 1 in 5 babies has colic so dont beat yourself up. Try as much movement as you can stand - get a swing and one of those devices that you attach to a bouncer and they vibrate. If there is another caregiver switch off so you dont go crazy. Try a chiro who is good with infants. Try some homeopathic remedies if you have access to someone who can prescibe remedies for babies. And also see a ped GI in case it is related to reflux or a milk allergy. Good luck.

PS my 3yo dd is the most easy going child now - we like to say she got all her screaming out the first three mos - hang in there!

[SC-Sherb]

My dd had both reflux and colic and they were distinct. It wasnt dairy either since we did switch to soy formula and stayed on that for a year (due to reflux) but successfully transitioned to full fat dairy milk after that. Colic is a mystery and while some cases may be solved by switching formulas or using meds such as prevacid not all are. Our daughter ended up being on prevacid for a solid year but it was for reflux. Our dds crying episodes started around 3w of age and lasted from 1-4am for several weeks then suddenly swiched to 4-8pm. The episodes were not related to feeding. For colic we tried three different homeopathic remedies and our ped credited the third with working. Of course she also had her last epsiode right around 12w so it could have ended either way. 1 in 5 babies has colic so dont beat yourself up. Try as much movement as you can stand - get a swing and one of those devices that you attach to a bouncer and they vibrate. If there is another caregiver switch off so you dont go crazy. Try a chiro who is good with infants. Try some homeopathic remedies if you have access to someone who can prescibe remedies for babies. And also see a ped GI in case it is related to reflux or a milk allergy. Good luck.

PS my 3yo dd is the most easy going child now - we like to say she got all her screaming out the first three mos - hang in there!

This is so true! My now 15yr old is the most easy going calm teenager that I've ever known. Nothing ever phases him and he is very nurturing and calming with his baby brother now!