I am LOST.

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone- I just joined today. I’m at my breaking point and I think my LO is as well. Sorry in advance for the lengthy post.

Born August 6, 2012 @ 8 lbs 10 oz. I stopped bf after 3 weeks because I had pre-eclampsia that didn’t go away after delivery and had to be out on very strong doses of BP lowering pills, unsafe for Lincoln. Started with Enfamil A+ (Canadian equivalency of enfamil newborn I believe), gas/pooping issues—> onto gentlease. Still having issues —> onto nutramigen. Reflux started around 1 month or so and was finally put on Prilosec 1.5 ml 2x/day. It worked great for a couple months and I assume he outgrew the dose. Fine, the doc upped it to 3 ml 2x/ day. He is almost 5 months now, and for the last month he REFUSES to eat, cries, screams, arches his back, seals his lips etc. he went from eating 30 oz per 24 hours to 15 ish. Oz. then he cries all day because he’s hungry, but won’t eat.

I’ve tried all the common sense tips (feeding upright, keeping upright after, smaller more frequent feedings, regular burping and so on) but nothing is helping. He’s just irritable ALL day now. The doc added Zantac 1.0 ml 2x per day on top of his 3.0 ml 2x per day Prilosec.

I dose them at least 3 hours apart.

Prilosec is compounded in a 2mg/mL suspension, with flavoring (after reading on here I will make sure my next batch doesn’t contain any flavoring) but my pharmacist insists on using the 8.4% buffer. I live in Canada and all of his references state the standard is 8.4% rather than the 16.8% I’ve read about on here. If I can’t find a pharmacy to compound using 16.8%, would it be best for me to have a fresh suspension made up weekly? I don’t mind paying the dispensing fee weekly if it will somewhat help the stability of the medication.

I just feel so lost and helpless, I cry because I miss my happy baby. I feel like I am wishing away his baby days, by hoping time flies and he grows up faster so he will start feeling better. Any advice would be great. Thank you for taking the time to read this lonnnnnggg post!

[Anonymous]

Also- he weighs 15 lbs now at almost 5 months if that helps.

[Anonymous]

I feel your pain. I had two refluxers who suffered miserably.

My son finally got relief when he was put on the proper dose of Prevacid solutabs. Can you get that in Canada?

Check out Laura’s groupie information sticky… it has tons of information for new mommies like you.

My refluxers are 7 and 9 now, so it’s been years, but I vividly remember the misery they and I endured. I hope you find relief for your son very soon.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I was thinking of asking the pediatrician what he thought about trying Prevacid. If we switched from Prilosec to Prevacid would there be an in between misery period or not (since we’ve already been religiously taking the Prilosec PPI)?

Also—- since my LO was put on Zantac along with the Prilosec he has been extremely gassy. Unusually gassy for him as he was never ever a big *farter* lol. He seems to have a belly ache / gas pain a lot now. Has anyone heard of this as a side effect from Zantac? No other changes, same formula and he does not eat solids yet.

[Anonymous]

Well, GI distress can be a side effect of nearly any drug.

Generally, we’re told that it does take several days and even up to two weeks for these PPI meds to work, even when you switch from one PPI to another, BUT I take Prevacid for occasional reflux and it always works for me within a few hours, so I think that advice is somewhat suspect. It (the days to weeks advice) is based on the fact that it can take time for damage to the esophagus to heal, but the PPI meds in my opinion and experience do reduce acid immediately so there should be some significant relief early on as long as the dose is high enough.

Can you get Prevacid solutabs in Canada? That works much better than the compounded form of Prevacid.

The

[hellbennt]

Hi & welcome!

you have found a wonderful place to research all you can!

first of all I need to encourage you to PLEASE read the following link- it’s called Groupie Intro

& it’s LONG. However, it TRULY will help you! Read through it, skim through it- you’ll find yourself refering back to it again & again!

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=853>

As you will learn from the link Groupie Intro, many babies seem to plateau on zantac and then need to ‘move on’ to a PPI.

You will also learn that many doctors and even ped GIs don’t know as much as the collected first-hand knowledge found on this site!

the zantac dose can go as high as 10 mgs per kilo. Do NOT just take my word on this! read all you can & make your own, educated decisions!

there’s a link from groupie intro w/ zantac dosing. read the research. then, you may feel comfortable increasing the dose on your own. I can’t tell you what to do!

I *can* tell you that zantac is safe for babies & the dosing I’m quoting comes from the medical field/research.

you’ll also find (I think it’s in there!) a link called probiotics, brands used

if the link is NOT there, go to the upper right-hand corner of this page & click on the search button.

type in those keywords & you’ll find it.

what else? I think I’ve overloaded you enough for now

One more thing, I promise that’s it

BABYWEARING!

it SAVED us!

look for the link in groupie intro!

SO GLAD YOU FOUND US!

~laura

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the additional info and the link! I will read through it. My son has been on a PPI for a few months now and it is no longer working, even with the Dosge upped. I’m going to call my pedi tomorrow and discuss maybe a higher dose of the PPI.

As for baby wearing I don’t think I can now, I never did and he hates being confined, also he’s 5 months old and almost 16 lbs. he’s heavy!! I wish I had tried baby wearing from the beginning though.

Does reflux generally get better after starting solids? Or is it just more painful? I know solids can help weigh it down, but not sure if its more painful coming back up? I will be starting him on solids in a month when he turns 6 months, any do’s or donts for solids? Should I stay away from acidic purées?

Thanks again!

[hellbennt]

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13768&KW=order+introduce+solids

[Anonymous]

OH…. How I’d like to give you and little Lincoln a hug! (((HUG))) I know just how you feel! It is SO miserable to watch your little one in pain and not know what to do for them anymore!! My first 2 children screamed in pain for many many hours!

I would like to give you a detailed reply here because it is more personal but I am low on time right now. Plus all the things I want to say are in my blog that I created in hopes of being able to help others that are going through what we did. http://help4acidreflux.wordpress.com/

So please take the time to read my blog. Be sure to read Federica’s and Lorraine’s stories as their little ones were like yours… refusing to eat.

I hope that soon you can find answers and help for your little one!!!!

[Author]

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