zantac question

[scoop22]

we took ds for his 2 mo. appointment. at that time i was conviced he had reflux. then he went through a phase where he was better. i still think he just has a hard time calming down. but my mother convinced me to give him the zantac. ( 2 weeks lasterr) now he looks pale. he is whining. is this common??? i can't put him down at all.

any suggestions on how to give this to ds? he of course didn't like the taste. i am to give it twice a day.. before he eats after he eats? he looked like he was going to throw it up.. i feel so bad for the little man.

[icunurse]

If he truly has reflux, laying down actually can cause more acid to come up and irritate his esophagus. DD had severe reflux and literally slept in her swing until 7+ months old. We would lay her down and she's reflux and gag - it was horrible. Most peds will suggest either propping up the mattress a bit (which gets hard when baby starts to move around) or let them sleep sitting up in a carseat or swing (we would also swaddle her in the swing). Just make sure that your DS isn't slumped in whatever method you decide to use - slumping causes the stomach to bend onto itself, which, of course, irritates the reflux.

DD was on Zantac, which has to be given before meals (should be on the bottle or ask ped or pharmacy exactly how long before a feeding - I think it was 1/2 hour or so). The only flavor they can add to it is grape, which, fortunately, DD liked. Not sure why only grape, but that's what every pharmacy said.

If it continues, you might want to ask your ped more about reflux or maybe even a different med (Zantac seems to work for some, not for others). good luck!

[ThreeofUs]

Talk to your ped about this soon. There are some babies for whom zantac is not appropriate, and your DS might be one of these.

Also, stopping the pain of reflux is much different from stopping reflux. Reflux as a condition cannot be stopped - kids just grow out of it or learn how to deal with it. Zantac and other acid-neutralizers only stop it from hurting so much.

[veronica]

My son was put on zantac at 3 months and responded , but briefly. While he did not exhibit symptoms similar to your DC, reflux is no picnic for the DC or the family. He was switched to prevacid (disolve tabs which we put in a syringe and pull up just a couple of ml's of water and squirt in his mouth) and he responded wonderfully. Has been literally night and day for us. He was comfortable and happy and laughing for the first time. He is now almost a year, and I expect they will want to phase him off of the meds to see if he has grown out of the reflux.
hugs to you and your DC that things will improve.

[M&Mmom]

DD was put on zantac around 1 month due to seeming to be in a lot of pain after eating. The zantac helped a little but she still seemed to be in pain. I decided (due to family history of allergies/intolerance) to remove all dairy from my diet and see how that went. Dr didn't think it would make a difference and said he'd see me in a week when it hadn't helped. Within 24 hours she was a different child! Fast forward and she is now severely allergic to dairy and cannot come in contact with any form.

DS had a terrible time with my milk too but the eliminating dairy didn't work for him. Go figure. He ended up having to go on a hypoallergenic formula (Alimentum). He hasn't been tested yet (appt in July) but I have tried introducing whole milk and I think he is allergic too.

So maybe it's not the zantac but the build up of something in his or your diet that is bothering him. Just a thought.

[hellbennt]

I'm a moderator at www.infantreflux.org/forum

here's the post I post for all newcomers :-)
Groupie Intro: my intro: http://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=853&PN=1&TPN=1

also, the zantac dose might not be high enought to give your baby relief- the affects that you see might not be due to the zantac, they might be due to the reflux...

Zantac dosing- my/other’s question: http://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9539&PID=82914#82914

also, mylanta cherry supreme (this particular kind, it's adult as there is no children's mylanta, has no aluminum) is safe for babies (even newborns).
You can mix like .5mls of this with the zantac to help it go down easier...

I have a LOT more to say, LOL! a lot of it is from my intro, link posted above :)

HTH!
~laura