my son is 6 month old and we are having major issues he has had what the pediatircian calls chronic cough for the past 4 months and cloic like u wouldnt believe they have run xrays and blood allergy tests and even put him on pulmicort a steroid nebulizer treatment 2x a day but nothing seems to help i have seen my happy baby turn into a baby that screams constantly and doesnt sleep but maybe 2 hours straight on a good day im not sure where to go next the pediatrician tells me to wait another month on the nebulizer treatments but as of now they arent helping and all his allergy tests came back negative even though i see allergy type symptoms in him daily (itchy watery red eyes, constantly rubbing his nose, hives, constant diarhea even on just formula) i was told 3 months ago to switch from breast feeding to similac sensitive as it was lactose free and i have a lactose issue but even that didnt help) im really at a loss and i cant stand by and watch my baby continue to go downhill. i know he has reflux and is on zantac for that (i suspect that may not be completly controlling it) i am ready to do whatever it takes to make my little man healthy again any advise? im thinking of even switching him to similac alimentum to see of that helps but im really not sure at this point any advice would be welcome! thanks

I would recommend seeing an acupuncturist (seek one that's highly recommended) or a holistic doctor. If you can still provide breast milk, do so; just avoid dairy in your diet in case baby is senstive to that. But if you no longer breast feeding, I would recommend Earth's Best Soy Formula. My daughter supplemented with that at 9 months in addition to breast milk and  had no issues with gas or anything. We tried a number of milk-based formulas and she definitely did not take to those formulas well. Hang in there and all the best!

Hi Lynn. It must be so hard to see your baby suffer and not be able to fix it, especially for so long. I would, first of all, STOP Zantac. This medicine in the long term can make reflex worse. Any antiacid does that, especially in such a young baby. His coninuing problems might stem from this medication, even thoug a regular doctor would not admit to it. Try some more natural reflex treatments, like constantly burping the baby, elevating him when you lie him down and feeding him in a more upright position. Then, as Load pointed out, if you by any chance can still breastfeed, do so. Even if you have very little milk, it is possible for you to make it come back. Contact LaLeche league and you will be able to get very helpful information on this, if you are interested. If not, definitely try an organic lactose-free formula, as Load suggested as well. I personally was supplementing breastfeeding with Baby's Only organic formula. The one I used (and actually still do for my not 18-month old) was milk-based, but they have a great Lactose-free alternative. For reflux, you might want to add a bit of rice. Actually rice is really good if he has diarhea). You can try adding baby food rice cereal diluted with formula to his meals. Rice is purely hypoallergenic and is good for a lot of things. Try either Earth's Best of Happy Baby for rice cereals - they are both organic. LaLeche Leage can actually help you to get in touch with a consultant if you wish to go back to breastfeeding or else you can ask them if they can direct you to a holistic / naturapathic / acupuncturist doctor, as Load also recommended. A lot of times regular doctors prescribe medications and give advise to resolve immediate symptoms, which does not treat/cure underlying condition / cause and may in the long term aggrevate this condition.

Believe me, this too shall pass. In the meantime, try to be patient, listen to your mother's instinc and give some of the natural meathods a try.
Best of luck to you and keep us posted.

nebulizer treatments last long, almost 4 to 6 months to get the best results, It might still be too soon to see the inprovements.  Zantac is good, i've been taking it for years and works wonders.  Acid Reflux sometimes is not only due to issues with certain types of food (like in my case) but to how the esophagus is conected to the mouth and stomach (like my husband). I mean somewhere in that path lies the problem.  So If you are certain he has reflux, I asssume you saw a GI doctor and has all text related to that. If not that would be your next step.  Did you also had an ENT Doctor check on the baby?  I would ask the doctor about that.  If she is having problem coughing might have something to do with the release of the mucus which gets stuck in the chest and can't be release well through the nose or mouth, therefore the nebulizer would help her breath.   Has she had ear infections? You mentioned the allergy test came back negative?  Was she tested for the commun seasonal allergens (mold, weed, pollen, tress, grass etc)? Little ones are constantly developing allergies and only at 5 years old Drs can draw a definitive, broad and conclusive test. But we just past pollen and trees season allergies and this summer is high season from weed and mold. (my daughter has seasonal allergies and was coughing since December)

Also, I had a friend which her now 7 months old had coughs since 2 months old, then it became into croup and then broncolitis.  Nebulizer treatment worked for the little one and now he is much better.

This is my opinion and I respect everyone that goes for the "natural/holistic and acunpunture" ways, but I woudn't get my baby even more an under 1 year old into acupunture or give him holistic drinks,pills, etc.  Even though all Doctors "guess" giving a diagnostic by ruling out high risk illnesses, I trust them 100% for all the years of studying and practice in modern medicine. 

 I think you will be more at peace with the situation if you look for a 2nd opinion, find another pediatrician in the children hospital near you, even if you have to drive, you will find there the best speciallists. Never just accept a diagnostic deom the Doctor if you are not happy, discuss it with him all your concerns and demand what other alternative, test can be done. 

Lynn, most natural/holistic and acupuncturist methods do not provide drinks, pills, etc to young children under the age of 1. As mentioned, seeking a reputable holistic practitioner will allow you to evaluate your child's health from a different perspective that a western doctor may not know through their practice. Upon getting opinions from the practitioners, you are better prepared to make decisions for what will be best for your child.

My best friend is an license acupuncturist and I myself worked at an accredited acupuncture school, yet I still take my daughter to an MD-pedatrician for check-ups, sick appointments and what not. I also seek my acupuncturist friend for when I need to understand things from a different perspective.

In the spirit of the group, we should offer advice to support each other rather than rule out options. Again, all the best to you!

Hi again Lynn. I agree with Loan. After all you were not getting far with all the pediatritian's advise. So this is why you should look into different things. By the way, Naturapaths are regular doctors that get additional concentration in natural medicine (like herbs, acupuncture, etc.). They get N.D. instead of M.D. degree because they go through the same schooling and training as M.D. + concentration in natural medicine. There are very few medical schools that offer this degree and some states give licences to NDs while others don't. So checking into Naturapathic doctor in your hometown (if your state gives them licences and even if it doesn't) is worthwhile. It is best to have information from different resources to make a better informed decision as to the treatment options for the little ones.

As for Zantac, if it helped to cure an illness , a person would not have to take it for such a long time. Most medicine, including Zantac, just covers up and possibly relieves symptoms, but does not cure a particular condition. You need to find out why your baby is suffering in the first place and this is why consulting an accredited and reputable natural doctor is a good option - to find out an underlying cause for his condition.

Best of luck to you.

 I appreciate all of the advice and i agree that sometimes the holistic approach does work as a matter of fact i see a chriopractor regularly for migraines however i think in this case it would not be right for us! He has had an upper GI to confirm his reflux and it is our opinion that is the underlying cause of the cough that we just need to work with a specialist to get him on a plan that works for him. we have tried soy in the past and much like regular formula it caused major projectile vomiting and diarhea. i went with my gut and switched him to similac alimentum this morning (its a hypoallergenic formula) and we have already seen vast improvements and he hasnt even been on it 24 hours he is not screaming constantly or spitting up 4 and 5 times a feeding and he actually took two long naps today and he never takes more then a 45 min nap a day at most. so we are going to continue him on this formula for a few days and take the results (im keeping a journal of all his feedings, diapers, fussy periods, naps etc) to his dr and go from there!

Dear Lynn. So glad to hear the good news! Looks like you mother's instinct was the one to follow when you switched to the new formula.

You are right that holistic approach is not always the right way to go. However also be careful and do research before giving your baby any medication especially this young. Once again, follow your mother's instinct and both of you will be just fine.

This makes me sad, I hope it all works out well for you.

My baby girl just turned 3 months. she has been on zantac for 6 weeks. we have tried everything without the meds first, but it wasn't working at all. she still has to have her mattress inclined in her crib, burp often during a feeding, and she has to sit upright for 30 minutes after a feeding.  we finally had to change her formula to a soy based formula because she is allergic to one of the proteins in the milk. that could be a possibility for ur baby, only it would be a different protein allergy, a protein that is found in milk based and soy based formulas. the zantac is definitely not a cure, but it does help my baby along with maalox. zantac only cuts off one of the ways the stomach makes acid so there is still some acid that comes up and that's why my ped said to supplement that with the maalox.  the reflux is because the muscles that connect the stomach to esophagus(i believe) rn't developed enough yet and when those to get stronger the reflux should disappear. my ped said that she should only be on the meds until she is 7 to 11 months of age. she also has a chronic cough and it is from the acid coming up to the back of her throat. i'm glad to hear the formula change has helped. i can just tell u our experience and hopefully it helps. i never thought about an acupunturist, but i definitely wouldn't ignore that idea. if my baby wasn't doing so well on her meds i would think about that option myself.