> Although discussion of milk allergies and intolerances, etc. is more
> pertinent to this list I would like to add a few other comments on
> visceral hyperalgesia, as this topic has come up now.  I am a
> physician that has a one year-old patient with severe ge reflux and
> milk allergy, presenting with severe irritability and vomiting at a
> few weeks of age.  It did help to use medications for reflux and a
> milk-free diet.  However, even with that she has had three admissions
> to the hospital requiring iv fluids and eventually tube feedings.  At
> times she would "shut down" completely and refuse to eat, presumably
> because of the visceral sensations of refluxing liquid into her
> esophagus.  Even though the liquid was not acidic it still must have
> caused pain presumably.  Therefore it can be a very real and serious
> phenomenon.  Recognizing and diagnosing it can be quite difficult as
> many physicians are not aware of this problem and there are no tests
> to diagnose it.  Fortunately this patient has done better over time
> without antidepressants, etc.
>
> In my experience I would like to add that many of the infants I have
> seen with severe ge reflux also seem to do better on a milk-free or
> very broken down hydrolyzed formula.  Although it seems in the
> garden-variety "reflux" usually choice of formula has no effect.
> However in older patients this does not seem to be true, and I agree
> that LI and milk allergy would not be associated with this phenomenon
> of visceral hyperalgesia, as far as we know.
>
>
> Brian Yagoda, MD
>
>
>