Any experience with acid reflux??(funny update post11)

[MommyHolly]

Does anybody has experience with acid reflux tell me how long it normally takes for symptoms to show up after eating offending foods?

A little background: DSS supposedly has acid reflux, lactose intolerance, and some kind of special need for fiber to not become constipated.

His mom expects us to keep on on an extremely restrictive diet, which, according to DSS she doesn't follow herself as strictly as she expects us to.
We believe that we follow it better than she does because DSS tells us that he is allowed to eat this and that, and DH has seen her allow him to eat most of the things that we are told are forbidden. He mostly gets sick at school right after lunch where he eats whatever they are serving.

We do make sure that he has his 10grams of fiber a day, we avoid dairy, and try to keep it extremely healthy. The problem is that she insists that every time he gets sick, it is because of something that we fed him.

She says that the reason that he has NEVER gotten sick at our house is because his acid levels are so low when he arrives because she feeds him so perfectly (rolling my eyes here) If he gets sick 4 or five days later (always at school, right after lunch) she says that it is because of some offending food that allowed him to eat 4 or 5 days earlier. She says that it takes that many days for his acid levels to rise because she feeds him so perfectly.

This does not make any sense to me. We do intend to take him to a pediatric GI doctor when we have him this summer, and try to get the "real deal" But for now, I am just curious to those of you with experience with acid reflux: Does it make sense for on offending food to make you sick five days later? Or does it usually happen more quickly than that??

TIA,

MommyHolly

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Depends on the food. And constipation will keep that reflux chugging along. How is he getting his fiber?

And what do you mean by "sick"? Is he throwing up sick or not feeling well?

My dd's feeling "sick" was from her gallbladder. She FINALLY was diagnosed and had it out at 16. It had been plaguing her since she was in 5th grade.

I would certainly see a ped GI to get to the bottom of this. How old is the DSS?

As far as many days to have your acid levels "rising" is crazy talk.

Stress is a big one with acid reflux as well. Sounds like that could be one of the culprits here. I would not wait to take him to a GI PED this summer, I would get him in ASAP while he is having his issues.

 

[AshleyW]

I have GERD, so, unfortunately I have quite a bit of experience with acid reflux.

If I eat too much beef, I'll vomit immediately. With spicy foods, dairy, or tomato based foods, I start getting a burning/upset stomach anywhere from immediately to 3 or 4 hours after eating. If I drink caffeine, I'm usually okay until that night when I'm sleeping - it'll wake me up. So, I'm really not buying the fact that she says it takes several days to catch up to him.

I don't know much about lactose intolerance, but I do also have IBS (yeah, I'm just a big ol' bag of fun ) and if I eat dairy products, it generally takes anywhere from 2-5 hours before I'm feeling really sick. Again, not "several days" like the mom is saying. It could be different because he's lactose intolerant and doesn't have IBS like I do, but I imagine it would be similar.

How old is DSS? Is he old enough just to tell his mom what you guys are feeding him? That seems like the easiest solution.

 

[3jsmommy]

If Mom is so worried about what he's eating why in the world is he eating school lunches?
He should be bringing his lunch in daily if this is the case.

 

[MommyHolly]

Depends on the food. And constipation will keep that reflux chugging along. How is he getting his fiber?

When he is at our house, he have switched to whole grain everything.(just so it wont be a "just him" thing the whole family has switched with him) For breakfast he gets either whole grain toast, or some kind of fiber bar/extra fiber poptart, We do sandwiches with whole grain bread, broccoli, Whole grain pasta, If he wants a snack we always offer apples, or popcorn. Sometimes I wonder if he gets way more fiber with us, than at home.

And what do you mean by "sick"? Is he throwing up sick or not feeling well?

He gets throwing up sick, this goes back for years, and has always happened at school after lunch.

My dd's feeling "sick" was from her gallbladder. She FINALLY was diagnosed and had it out at 16. It had been plaguing her since she was in 5th grade.

I would certainly see a ped GI to get to the bottom of this. How old is the DSS?

That is our plan, but right now we only have him every other weekend, and she is not flexible with that at all. We get two weeks during the summer, and we will do that when he is here. She would never go along with something that we suggested, I really think that she enjoys making it so complicated.

He is 10, and we have been trying to teach him how to eat, rather than "feed" him. When we go out we point out the foods that are good for him and help him to make good choices. It is tough when insists that mom let's him eat things and we have to say "no."

As far as many days to have your acid levels "rising" is crazy talk.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Stress is a big one with acid reflux as well. Sounds like that could be one of the culprits here. I would not wait to take him to a GI PED this summer, I would get him in ASAP while he is having his issues.

I totally agree with the stress thing, I do believe that she makes his issues much more stressful than they need to be. The poor child gets grilled on every bite that went into his mouth every time that he is with us. He takes a prevacid every night, and he has been told by his mom, that if he does not take it at precisely the right time, he will get sick.I wish that we could get him to a specialist sooner, but we are not in control of that, and she does not cooperate with us on anything.

Thanks for you input!

MommyHolly

 

[MommyHolly]

How old is DSS? Is he old enough just to tell his mom what you guys are feeding him? That seems like the easiest solution.

He is 10, and he is grilled by his mom about what he eats with us. The problem is that she wants him to have 10 grams of fiber(we ALWAYS make that happen), No dairy (ditto), Only the leanest cuts of meat, and lots of veggies. There are time that we are not dining at home and he will have maybe chicken nuggets with broccoli, and a side of fruit. He will be fine at our hous for the next two days. Four days later in her care, he will get sick, and she will blame it on the chicken nuggets that he ate with us. He tells us that she allows it, he eats it at school, but somehow if eaten at our house, it will make him throw up days later.

 

[MommyHolly]

If Mom is so worried about what he's eating why in the world is he eating school lunches?
He should be bringing his lunch in daily if this is the case.

That's my question. She only seems concerned about his diet when he is WITH US. He has told us that pretty much everywhere else he can eat whatever he wants.

 

[3jsmommy]

If Mom is so worried about what he's eating why in the world is he eating school lunches?
He should be bringing his lunch in daily if this is the case.

That's my question. She only seems concerned about his diet when he is WITH US. He has told us that pretty much everywhere else he can eat whatever he wants.

I'd ask her why she would let him buy lunch and if he is...we don't want to hear about how sick "we're" making him!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Your husband needs to put his best foot forward and try to get an appt that his ex and he can go to together. If not, he should petition the court appropriately. No matter what you do or what she says it will always be he says/she says until they go together and get the information at the same time. IF the ex is so worried about her son, she should have no problem taking him to the doctor. Offer to pay the co-pay etc. if you are not already doing so as an incentive.

Good luck. Sounds as if your DSS has some anxiety and high fat lunches at school. Since his diet is so strict at home, going off of it would cause a quick reaction.

This is for DSS.

 

[LisaR]

Just an FYI. You may want to check the fiber bars that you are giving him. Not saying there aren't any on the market without dairy but it is a pretty common ingredient in most. Good luck to you. My son had regular vomiting when he was younger and ended up being allergic to many different foods.

 

[bookgirl]

I have acid reflux and it pretty much would hit between 20 minutes and 2 hours. I now take daily medicine that keeps most of the reflux/heartburn at bay.

I also have lost my gallbladder to stones about 15 years ago (documeted problems starting at about 8 but didn't have it out until 28). I still have some symptoms. And like anyone without a gallbladder fatty foods can cause me problems.

Anytime I eat something that does not agree with me it may hit my GI system but that is almost always within 1 day. Never more than that.

4-5 days later is not reasonable. She's full of it if she's blaming you for things that far away.

I'd keep a food diary and then the next time she says it's your fault, start listing what he ate.

 

[MommyHolly]

So, DH gets a call from DSS last night. He has not been here for two weeks. He tells his father that he had to come home from school sick yesterday. Then his witch-mom gets on the phone telling my husband that the reason that he is sick is STILL because of chicken nuggets that he ate at our house two weeks ago that supposedly made him sick last week(4days after he left us), and he is sick again because his stomach is so upset form being sick last week.http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/rotfl2.gif

The only good part is that the doctor is giving us a written diet to follow, and we intend to follow it to the letter, and keep a diary of everything that goes into the child's mouth.....

Why can't life be simpler??

MommyHolly

 

[Mouse House Mama]

God bless you. She seems a bit off.
It's good you are taking him to the doctor though. I hope everything works out.