reflux - desperate for advice/help

I messed up. DS was on Zantac - hated it - but it seemed to be working. Then he started spitting it out (see yesterday's post) and I got lax in giving it to him as it wasn't going down anyway and it didn't seem to matter - at first. After a few days, the reflux and pain was back with a vengeance - He is arching his back like crazy and has the little cough that comes with the throat irritation and screaming his head off - so out of character for my little man.

I called the MCHN to ask for advice and although I can't remember exactly how, the MCHN convinced me to fill a script I had for compounded losec because they could add a nice flavor to it. So that's what I did - I ran to a compounding chemist who made me losec with banana flavor...and guess what, DS still hates it. BUT I followed the advice of other bellybellers who responded to my other thread and the losec is going down...however, I could apply the same advice and get the zantac down.

It's just been 2 days on losec but there's been no improvement - do I go back to the Zantac? do I give the losec time to work? DS is in so much discomfort - I feel like the worst mother and I am also absolutely exhausted and so is DH.

Also, DS is at least 1kg larger than he was when the dosage was prescribed (he's now 6kg) - does this matter? I rang the GP this morning to ask and she never called back which is surprising as they are usually pretty good.

What is the difference between losec and zantac? which works better for reflux (he doesn't spit up but he's been diagnosed with reflux - i guess this is silent reflux??).

It can take the losec a couple of weeks to kick in...I found a difference in about a week.
Zantac - (ranitidine) reduces acid secretion in the stomach and if used, it needs to be given regularly.
Losec - (omeprazole). Blocks acid production more completely than Zantac so is often tried if other measures have not helped. It also needs to be given regularly.
HTH

I know how you are feeling - the first paed I saw was hopeless and prescibed zantac - which did nothing to help and dd would always spit it out too. Then I finally got her on losec when she was about 4 months. It probably took a few weeks to see a difference but once it started working it was GREAT!!! My DD has severe reflux and is still on losec at 18 months.

Your baby is still in pain as their throat it probably burnt and raw and sore so it needs time to heal - thats why it will be better in a few weeks.

The dosage is important as each time DD got bigger the dose had to be adjusted as she would get worse again so talk to you chemist about the dosage as they know these things aswell as your gp/paed.

It's so furstrating when you want to help your bub but nothing seems to be working or that it isn't instant.

I've been there too the only difference is that i haven't had the trouble you described getting her to take the zantac.

For us DD was really uncomfortable from about 5 weeks and we put up with it as we kept getting told it was 'normal' eventually after a week of screaming i took her to the drs. We were prescribed zantac and pretty much as RB described is what i was told too. I was told you don't want to completely get rid of the tummy juices if you can help it as it also acts as an anitbody. I think i've repeated that correctly. So the two definately have their place depending on the severity. We have managed to control DD's silent reflux with zantac. At first there was instant change (maybe just fluke) and then things went bad again but maybe after about two weeks we saw a decent improvement and the swallowing was less and the screaming was less. At about 11 weeks it all came back again when i was hoping we may be getting close to outgrowing it. As you were thinking the dose does go by weight so i called my dr and i was able to get a new dosage for her current weight and we had improvement fairly quickly. DD (15 weeks) is just over 6kg i think and she's having 1ml 3 times a day but this could be getting close to being not enough also. I'm at the stage where i might try and wean and see what happens.

So i have had sucess with zantac it has helped DD a lot. She has silent reflux she would very rarely vomit, she'd constantly swallow and scream in discomfort. Sometimes though she'd have a clear juicy vomit when you laid her down.

We use the neurofen droppers to give DD her dose of zantac and it works ok. I find laying her back works best and it's definately gotten easier with time. I'd to little bits at a time in the side of her mouth hoping it would just ease down as she swallowed, sometimes she spit out a bit but most of it went in. You can't blame them for not liking it, it smells bad enough ;)

Today DD has been swallowing a fair bit, the last two days i'd only given her two doses a day and last night i had pizza :doh: I just felt like it. But DD is paying for it. So we're not over it yet either. HTH in some way

Good luck :)

I don't have any experience with the losec but used zantac religiously. My DD2 had silent reflux up to and beyond 18 months old. If I missed a dose boy did we know it. I'd phone the chemist that made it for you and see what they say about the dosage. It may be that it is not enough and your DS needs a bigger dose. If you are not comfortable using the losec go back to the zantac and just keep trying. Hugs hun as it can be very hard