Successful administration of zantac - tips

[Lisa B]

Hi there,

My bub has been diagnosed with reflux and we have got gaviscon and zantac. He spits out the zantac more than the gaviscon. We are administering via a syringe. Does anyone have any tips for getting the zantac to stay down?

In case feeding method matters he is EBM via bottle.

Tips much appreciated!!

[Arimeh]

Shoot down the side of the mouth towards the back, grab a spit rag and hope for the best! Lol

I do mine in .5ml lots in her mouth.

[Charlotte91]

DD is only .25ml and she get half down one side of her mouth, half down the other.

Make sure you stick the syringe a long way back, otherwise its too easy for bub to spit it back.
Also have bub's head tilted back slightly. Laying in your arms is they position we use.

Good luck!

[black_rose]

Use a nurofen dispenser they work much better as it doesn't squirt so much.

[ferrals5]

I cant shoot it down the back of ella's mouth she chokes and holds her breath so i mix it with marina's infant mixture (a sweet peppermint flavour which masks the bitterness of the zantac) or a smidge of diluted sugar water and ella doesnt spit any out now but mix it just before you give it to them dont let it sit.

[Lisa B]

Thanks for your suggestions. I will give them a go. My next zantac attempt is in a couple of hours.

Ferrals - what's the ration of sugar to water and is it regular sugar or caster? Also, what is marina's infant mixture and where do I get it?

[*EJ*]

I use a nurofen dispenser also a fair way back to the side of her mouth and i leave the dispenser in her mouth for a few seconds aferwards so she kind of has a suck and swallows it all down. I think it makes it a bit trickier to spit it out with something in her mouth I also find that having her on a recline rather than sitting up helps.

HOpe that was somewhat helpful. My DD is now gulping it down like it's some special treat

[ferrals5]

The marina's infant mixture you get at chemists it's for wind/colic and reflux.
I mix 1ml of that to the 1ml of zantac.
For the sugar water
I use a 1/4 of a teaspoon of normal suger to a teaspoon of boiling water mix it so it disolves all the sugar and is no longer hot then just mix in the zantac i do this in a little medicine cup then use a dropper to suck it all up it comes to about 1.8mls all up then pop it into the side of her mouth and squirt a little at a time with her dummy in and she sucks it all down.

Oh and i asked my doctor if that was ok to do that and he said it was fine as long as we knew there was the 1ml of zantac in it then whatever i need to do to get her to take it is ok.

[Lisa B]

EJ - i cant imagine my DS thinking of it as a special treat - i'm sure he thinks i'm trying to poison him

Ferrals - thanks, i might try the sugar thing today as aiming for the cheek alone isnt working

do you think the prescriber allows for some of the dose to be spat out? I would hate to think the doses to date are going to waste particularly as it takes 10 days to have an affect

[Arimeh]

I was told to give 2.5ml andi know a few from our group only give 1ml, so I'm not that concerned if she spits out a bit.

Oh and ours worked immediately - not 10 days? She hasn't had a screaming session since we started our doses.

[black_rose]

It takes a few doses to work not 10 days. I have had to start putting it in formula. Ds has decided he won't take it anymore now that he is on 5ml he spits most of it out.

[Lisa B]

mmm...we are on .8mls and DS is 8 weeks. I knew the paediatrician was a conservative type. He told me it would take 10 days so will have to see how we go. I have had some improvement in DS taking more milk - well going back to his usual amount. I assumed this was the gaviscon which DS is also taking, which is also less than the amount on the back of the packet.

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions. The sugar water trick worked. I will also have to get the nurofen dispenser as I think this would also help.

[Arimeh]

I just read in the instruction paper that I got with my Zantac from the pharmacist that you're not actually allowed to mix it with anything first?

This is what it says:
"Do not mix Zantac Syrup with anything (not even water) before taking."

Thats what it says in the Consumer Medicine Information sheet I was given with it by the pharmacist.

[Lisa B]

Oh, maybe I will call the pharmacy. I didn't get an instruction leaflet.

[black_rose]

Me either Lisa and I got the refill yesterday. I keep trying to get Ds to take it on it's own but he is a cheeky little thing. It still seems to be working in the formula.

[Lisa B]

Okay I called the pharmacy and they looked up the information and said it shouldn't be mixed with anything as it might dilute the dosage. The pharmacist said to call the doctor explain the situation as the dose may need to be increased. I then phoned the paediatrician he said that if this is what I need to do then do it and then gradually decrease the dilution but no need to rush it. He didn't feel the need to increase the dose but agreed that the dose that DS received would be a bit less than if given straight (he is pretty conservative).

I think I will continue the 5ml of boiled water plus 1/4 teaspoon of sugar dilution and review it as we go along. I have a paediatrician appointment again in 3 weeks so if his symptoms don't resolve I will talk about which way to go ie: increase the dose if I haven't been able to cut back on the dilution.

[ferrals5]

Lisa-My doctor also said the suger water was fine they only dont want you to mix it with anything incase bub doesnt get the entire dose but the way i see it ella takes all the liquid when its mixed with the sugar water and spit's most of it out when it's not mixed.

And we saw an improvement the 1st day we used it.and ella is on 1ml.