Parents of children with milk allergies-- I am in desperate need of your opinion

We are night 2 of hell here!! I have slept 4 hours in 2 days.

My ds is always congested. He just like my daughter has now started having problems pooping, now that we have transitioned him to milk. When he was an infant I remember him having problems with his milk based formula and wanting to switch but the ped said he will work it out He was a very gassy baby and had to be on the mylicon drops for most of his first year. I never thought he like his formula.

Now that he is on milk he is always congested. He now has a cough that has been going on for over a week and his poopies look like rabbit pelts.

Yesterday we were at my DHs company picnic.
My husband was supposed to pack the diaper bag and forgot to pack his bottle.We had other things for him to drink just not a bottle. He was GREAT all day. He didn't cough, he was not cranky and well ok he was still a boogie mess.


He started coughing a lot when we got in the car, but after I gave him his nighttime bottle he was a mess. He was up EVERY hour screaming in pain. I think he is constipated and gassy. He had to sleep on one of us all night. It was awful and he would just scream and cry a scream and cry I never heard before Saturday night. Now that he has done this 2 nights, I am wondering if he has a milk allergy.

What do you think?

Re: Parents of children with milk allergies-- I am in desperate need of your opinion

You're probably right, but there is a very simple way to find out - have his poop tested. To be very honest, I think you need a new pediatrician. If there were issues early on and you had concerns all the ped had to do was test a stool sample. Our newborn was very colicky. After hearing all of her symptoms, he tested her stool and there was blood. He had us switch to a different formula and it has worked wonders. He also had us try 1/4 tspn mylanta in her bottles to help w/ pooping and that helped also. Why should he have to suffer when there is a simple solution.

Re: Parents of children with milk allergies-- I am in desperate need of your opinion

He's over a year, right? At this age any allergy would would show positive on a skin test for allergies. Rather than deal with the PED, I would go straight to an allergist.

My older DD was diagnosed with a dairy allergy at 9 months old using the skin test.

Re: Parents of children with milk allergies-- I am in desperate need of your opinion

Message edited 6/15/2009 8:14:30 AM.

Re: Parents of children with milk allergies-- I am in desperate need of your opinion

DS has been stuffy the last few weeks, and I know our pediatrician asked me questions about his bowel movements, rashes, etc. He doesn't have any problems in these areas, just prolonged stuffiness (that comes and goes) and itchy eyes with no other cold symptoms. But yes, you are right, if there are bowel issues along with stuffiness and/or rashes/hives, definitely could be a dairy allergy. I think it can take a week or so for the allergen to work its way completely out of their systems, but you could switch to soy in the meantime, though I have read many kids allergic to dairy develop soy allergies also, so this may not be a long term solution.

Maybe take DC for allergy tests sooner than later. As for us, I'm waiting a couple more weeks to see if his nose clears up (the grass pollens and tree pollens will be done by then, so if that's his issue, it will pass), but if it doesn't go away or if he gets worse, we agreed to get him tested.

IMO there should be soem plan of action. Did your doctor give you any reason for not testing now?

Re: Parents of children with milk allergies-- I am in desperate need of your opinion

Well, I don't think it's an allergy, but let's face it, milk really isn't that great for us. It causes congestion in most people, and can you imagine if it was a main part of your diet? Even after Ava's milk allergy went away, we never switched her off of soy milk because I did not want her to have this same problem. My nephew is going through it, too with his formula. Always congested and constipated. I would consider giving him soy milk for a couple of days and seeing what happens.

Re: Parents of children with milk allergies-- I am in desperate need of your opinion

i think he just has a cough or maybe a cold and the milk just adds to it!!! the milk causes more congestion! i would lay off the milk for a while until the cough goes away. do juice or gatorade watered down and i think he'll sleep for you. my son had the milk allergy and he didn't cough from it. this just sounds like a cold and the milk is making it worse! keep us posted!