After the Bump From Baseline

The kitchen floor and newspaper incidents left us off of baseline for awhile. Elianna had to do some healing. In the meantime I found the Miralax that the doctor prescribed for her constipation. I mulled over this decision for hours. I researched and I read. The doctor promised at every turn that there is no way she could react to this; it is a chemical made in the lab that is not absorbed and passes straight through the intestines. However, when I looked at the Miralax website there was a huge warning about not using it if you were allergic. huh? Plus, there have been absolutely NO tests on children, yet it is the number one pediatric prescribed laxative right now in the U.S.

I put serious thought into this Miralax use, and my mommy instict said not to do it. I had read a homeopathic remedy for constipation was Magnesium, and so I bought pure powdered capsules at the health food store and added minuscule amounts to her bottle one time a day. This helped her to go, and gave her some diarrhea. I figured I had just gave her too much. When I told the pediatric nutritionist he advised against it at all because it could cause her to loose too much nutrients, and pushed me back towards the Miralax. I didn't want to. But I did it. And I regretted it.

I don't know if she had a full blown reaction, or if she was just cramping from the medication and then sleeping from the exhausting of those cramps and constipation pain. It doesn't really matter. All that matters was that she had SOME kind of reaction to it, and I will NOT be giving it to her again.

I told the pediatric GI and he gave me the same look he gave me when I said she vomited after eating the newspaper. It was that 'now I think we are dealing with crazy mom syndrome' look. Perhaps it was just me being sensitive and looking for affirmation that I am NOT crazy.

The Puzzle Continues

Typical of FPIES, within two days we knew we had a new problem - constipation. A call to the GI said to switch and try her on Elecare, which we did. Within 24 hours she was screaming her head off and vomiting like crazy. Back to Nutramigen AA we went, and back to constipation. Roller coaster up, roller coaster down.

Her recent tests came rolling back in, including the scope and biopsy that was her birthday present. The radiologist was concerned about colitis in her upper intestines. Scope was not high enough to confirm colitis that showed on the xray, but GI said it was not a concern because there would be more visible problems with her stool. (note: still do not entirely agree here, but at this time there is no point in putting her under to scope her upper intestines) I asked about doing a candida test, not realizing this had already been done by her pediatrician and was negative. I asked about probiotics. I was told that it would not hurt but the ones over the counter are not FDA approved or regulated and that Candida over growth was an Internet autism myth. Hmm. (this is another area that the GI and I disagree some on)

All I knew was the information was pouring in once again, and once again the blood was showing up in her diapers, but this time because she actually could NOT go poo. She was so constipated that every couple of days she spent time crying in agony as we rubbed her back and pushed up her knees to help give her leverage. The GI prescribed Miralax in her bottle. And shortly into baseline with constipation, she got 'something' off the kitchen floor.