I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so my son Jamin is 7 weeks old. he has done NOTHING but SCREAM all the time. he has periods now where he will coo and smile and kick and flail his arms and laughs. but it doesnt last long. he started out on good start gentle plus. and when he ate he would scream bloody murder kick his legs fling his arms arch his back scrunch up into a ball and he SPIT up like crazy! and had the most hard time pooping. he tries so hard formula comes out his nose and mouth  (he still spits up now) the doc said he had reflux. so they put him on zantac. that seemed to work for a week maybe. and it went back to the screaming. so they doc changed his formula to enfamil gentle ease that made him worse (he was on that for 4 days) so she put him on nutramigen and changed the zantac to prevacid. hes been on the formula for 4 days and the prec for 2 days. he is pooping better and he wasnt screaming as much but tonight he started scream at 7pm and it is now 120am and just now starting to settle down. what is wrong with him? should i still give the prev and nutram time to work its way in? ive heard wonderful things about both. im just at my wits end with all this. i feel so bad for him. he screamed so much tonight that he is losing his voice now. i hate that he hurts so bad. any thoughts or encouraging words are appreciated. i just dont know what to do. im on anti depressants and anti anxiety meds and i still feel like im going crazy sometimes. thanks girls you guys are so supportive!

[telle2009]

All 3 of my kids had the same problem my daughter has it now she is 1 month old and she is on alumentum formuls and it works wonders she is also on zantac I have also pur cereal in her bottles and ever since I have done that she has never spit up again I had to do all of this with all 3 of my kids and it worked all 3 times I hope tis helps please let me know I am new to this site

[kedarhaze]

My son did not scream or cry really but he did throw up after feedings. His doctor did an allergy test and it showed he was allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, etc. When he was put on Alumentum he did better keeping it down. He also had a lot of gas, so I used to burp he for longer period and squeeze his stomach when it looked like he was trying to use the bathroom, because he was constipate alot.

I used to do beat on his stomach like drums to help with burping also. Alumentum was great for us.

I hope you get to the bottom of this. Good luck

[Jules_za]

Both my kids were the same, most things don't work (sorry to say), only time will make it better.  Try a lactose free formula. Once I moved my son over to this he improved almost over night. It does not mean he is lactose intollerant only that it was easier on his digestive system.  Hang in there, things will get better.

[tiredbuthappy]

sounds like what we had- a combo of reflux and colic.

give the meds and formula some time to work. the screaming from 7 pm to midnight definitely sounds like colic. once the reflux meds and formula starts to help, you'll notice improvements during the day but he may still scream for that period at night. my LC said reflux and colic often go hand in hand. Most babies are fussy in the evening, but reflux babies are further aggitated by the reflux during that fussy time, resulting in the screaming.

as for encouraging words- it does get better eventually. for the reflux, do your best to give him his meds as scheduled and give it a few days to work. Burp very frequently and feed him in an upright position. Keep him upright after feedings, and elevate his mattress a little. a pacifier can help some because the sucking/swallowing can help keep the acid down.
to help soothe a colicky/fussy baby, there are many things you can try. it's trial and error to see what works. Most effective for us was white noise and swaddling. loud white noise like the vaccum or a loud bathroom fan. there were nights when i sat in a dark bathroom with the fan on feeding her. i like a swaddle blanket (kiddopotamus) because it stays on securely.
bouncing is helpful and bouncing on a large exercise ball is soothing. some people even feed the baby while bouncing on the exercise ball.
my LC also recommended i wear my baby as much as possible. She recommended a mei tai carrier because it keeps the baby upright agaist your chest. this helps soothe and helps them feel secure, and the upright position helps with the reflux. i got a great one on the toys r us website for only $30 (by parents of invention).
when screaming and gaspig, they swallow a lot of air that causes more discomfort. you can safely give the otc mylicon- it helps them burp and pass gas.
both my ped and my LC recommended taking the baby outside when she's screaming- even if it's dark and cold. i never did because i was home with the older one, but my ped said he used to walk around the block in the middle of the night with his colicky baby.

i can totally understand why you need meds to deal with this. i still get very upset when i think of the past 2 months. it is physically, mentally an emotionally draining to hear your poor baby scream and know s/he is in pain and to not be able to do anything to help. Some people said i should just put her down and let her scream, but i could never do that. there were plenty of times where i cried with her. make sure you give the baby to daddy for a while during these times, and just take a few moments to breathe.

i never thought it would end. she is almost 11 weeks now. the reflux is managed by the meds. i used to see her get worse as the time for the next dose approached, but not anymore so i suspect that's starting to improve. the evening/night screaming peaked at 6 weeks, and progressively improved after that. the duration got shorter (from 5 to 7 hour stretches to only 3 hours). by 8 weeks we even had some nights where it was only an hour. by 9 weeks most nights were much better, and by 10 weeks she was only fussy in the evening. So it DOES end. And it was bad. Like I said, 7 hours of screaming some days. She even made my hubby's ear bleed (burst his eardrum!)

good luck and know it will end and you're not alone. i feel for you.

[peekawho]

You are trying a lot of things.  While I'm not suggesting you stop looking for answers, remember that some babies cry.  A lot.  Most times, there is no "reason" ever found.  They seem to sometimes settle in at about 12 weeks or so.
Again, not suggesting you stop trying to find a formula he's comfortable with, but just keep in mind that its not always about the formula.

He may also be reflecting your anxiety and depression.  Babies are mirrors of what we ourselves are feeling.  Is your medication working well enough to help with your emotional well being?  Do you have anyone who can take over for a few hours, if lack of sleep and the constant crying is pushing your last button?

You do sound desperate.  I wish I had an answer for you.

[jenstam]

I echo what Peek says. Babies do reflect how we ourselves are feeling. However, if he continues with the spitting up and problems with bowel movements, I would suggest asking about a pyloric stenosis. Unlikely, but my cousins newborn son had this and it wasn't caught right away. They treated him with different formulas, different treatments for reflux and colic. Just a thought, but may have already been ruled out. Good luck, try to relax and know that this too, shall pass...

[waitingwithhope]

My DD was just like this and while it could have been colic, honestly, I think it was personality. She was fussy from the start, screamed for nights (and days) on end and all I could think of was "I can't wait until she is over this and is older". She is still a very needy baby now at 16 months, but she is smart, witty and knows what she wants. She would scream in the car, in the stroller, in the snuggli, we tried it all. So, if you rule out reflux and other things and your doc is certain that your baby is healthy and ok, I would wonder if it is personality. Rocking my daughter and putting her in a swing position while cradling her head seemed to soothe her. So did white noise (she still sleeps with a fan on). Best of luck. It will get better..just takes time.

[jenstam]

Oh, forgot to mention, I had a fussy one and the white noise worked wonders!! They have noise machines but I rigged up my own and hung a blow dryer from a hook in the ceiling in her room. She would stop crying immediately and fall fast asleep as soon as the blow dryer started!

[AnnieBrooke]

Look into infant probiotics, too.  Good luck, it sounds awful.