> 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 > > >