Nexium - help!

[Jules84]

Hey all, not sure if I'm posting in the right area, I'm sorry if I'm not!!

I need help.....DS (four months) has been on Zantac syrup to treat his silent reflux but he's not getting any relief anymore so I took him to the doctor today and he's prescribed Nexium granules. 10mg. Has anyone had any experience with it? I have NO idea how to give it to him, 15ml of water mixed with a sachet through a syringe seems like an awful lot....I struggled giving him 1.5ml of zantac through a syringe (he hates it)...

If anyone has any experience with it and can tell me how they gave it to them I would GREATLY appreciate any help.

Thank you!

[belfie]

Subbing - went thru the exact same thing can give u good answer later tonight... Just busy atm.

[Jules84]

Thank you, that'd be great. DH just forced me to try it his way and all DS did was scream and scream breaks my heart. There's got to be an easier way....

[belfie]

We went through exactly the same thing. Initially our bub was started on a slightly lower dose of the Nexium, so only about 7ml of liquid - it was a nightmare. She screamed, she spat it out and was still very unsettled. So we did some research, saw a lot of comments on the net that suggested that Losec was the way to go, but that pre-made syrups don't work as well. I also read that Zantac is very sensitive to bub weight, so can be hard to get dosage right. Anyway, went to see our paed for second opinion, he was horrified to hear we were on Nexium cos the volume is so great. He prescribed Losec which is much less weight/dose sensitive (he believes 5mg is the therapeutic dose whether bub 3kg or 10kg). It's still some mucking around, but we've had far better results with it. So we get a pack of 30 x 10mg tablets, it's basically the adult medication. We halve each tablet (buy a pill cutter at the pharmacy - works fine), then use a baby panadol syringe. (I keep the second half of the tablet in a little sealed container until the next day). Drop half the losec tab in it, then reassemble the syringe (containing the 1/2 tablet) and suck up some EBM or water (your choice). Leave the mix of 1/2 tablet & liquid in the syringe for 15-30 mins, shaking gently every so often to ensure it dissolves. We usually add about 1.5ml. We also keep just a smidge of hte EBM handy because sometimes there is just a smidge of granules left in the syringe, so sucking up a smidge more liquid at the end helps ensure you've got it all. Apparently the granules that make up the tablet are enteric coated so it's important not to crush them. This way they just dissolve without being smashed. Try to give it 30 mins before a feed (easier said than done I know!).

So yes, the bad news is that you still have to get 1.5 - 2ml into bubs but trust me, SO much easier than 15ml as I'm sure you'll agree. Aim to the side of the mouth, & gently rub under the chin to prompt a swallow reflex. Our DD doesn't like it, but generally doesn't get too worked up about it these days. The other challenge is finding a dr who will prescribe it for you. GL and lemme know if you have any other questions. Reflux babies are haaaaaaard work

[Sparkles]

Jules,
My son was on Zoton granules, i found the easist way was to mix with formula/EBM on a teaspoon, lay him down tilt head down and in it went, follow directly with a feed. If granules stuck to the sppon i would just place on his tongue & put bottle straight in, thats just the way i found easiest!! Good luck!!

[Jules84]

Belfie - Thank you so much for the info, you were extremely helpful. I apologise for not writing back earlier, it's been so hectic...I ended up going to another doctor to see about increasing his zantac dosage as it was working before and I find it easiest for the poor little fella. It's been increased by .5 ml I can notice a change already so fingers crossed he'll get some relief again. Reflux sure is a pain in the backside....I'm so over it. I imagine you would be too, six months of it! eeek. Sounds like you have it all sorted out though! Thanks heaps again

Thanks Sparkles! A teaspoon definately sounds easier than 15ml, how insane... I was horrified. Thankfully the zantac increase seems to be taking effect.