More Meds?

Prevacid takes 2 full weeks to have its full effect so I would at least wait that long before considering upping the dose. In fact, I’ve read that the reflux can get worse when you first start the Prevacid for the first few days before it gets better. Was your son taking anything prior to the Prevacid, like Zantac? If so, I would ask about continuing that for the next 9 days or so while you wait for the Prevacid to take effect. Also, make sure that you are administering the Prevacid on an empty stomach and then following it with a feeding 30 minutes later.

How much does your son weigh and how much Prevacid was prescribed? And how often do you give it? Often the Prevacid is more effective if given 2 or 3 times a day since babies have a fast metabolism.

I think it’s very common for reflux to be worst in the evening and at night. My son was certainly that way, especially at that age. I have found that you need to approach doctors kind of telling them what you want, instead of just letting them decide. If your son is miserable, not sleeping etc then advocate for him and keeping pushing on the doctor until they give you what you want. If you read on this board enough, you will learn quickly about your options and what has worked for others. I would recommend a visit to a pediatric GI doc if you have not done so already. Run of the mill pediatricians just don’t know nearly as much about reflux as you would think they should.

Good luck!

Your ped actually gave you a pretty aggressive dose of Prevacid. It’s generally 1.5mg/kg per dose. Some give this 2 or 3 times a day though. I would definitely ask about breaking the tablet in half and giving half in the morning and half in the evening. It’s the same amount of Prevacid but will likely be much more effective that way.

As the prior post mentions, there is something called Caracream that you essentially mix with the Prevacid and it allows you to administer it at any time. You can read more about it here: http://www.chocobase.com/ I haven’t actually tried it yet because I’m still trying to convince my husband that it’s safe, but people seem to love it.

I don’t think you mentioned whether you breastfeed or bottlefeed. I would definitely look into the possibility of MSPI. With my first son, I tried everything and nothing helped him. Finally, I did the total elimination diet (I was breastfeeding) where I eliminated basically everything from my diet except for a handful of foods that were highly unlikely to cause a sensitivity. No dairy, eggs, nuts, wheat, soy, citrus, chocolate, etc. Within two days, he was a completely different baby. Something I was eating was a sensitivity for him. I slowly started adding foods back into my diet one by one, to try and figure out which food was the culprit. Most often it is dairy.

I know how hard it is to see your baby in pain and things just seem so hopeless but it WILL get better. Both my sons had bad reflux and the newborn stage is just the worst. Whenever people come up to me and say “Awww, what a cute little baby! I wish my kids were little like that again” or “Awww, I miss having a newborn!” I always think they are crazy, because there was very little enjoyment in those early months. Most often, the reflux can be managed. You just have to figure out the right medicine.

Mom of 2 Boys2011-07-28 14:27:04