phenylalanine in Prevacid solutabs

[Anonymous]

Does anyone else worry about the phenylalanine in the Prevacid solutabs? We just started using them a couple of months ago and they are working great but I can’t help to worry every time I see that warning on the box. Seth had the PKU test so it should not be an issue but I just wonder if this is something they may find harmful in a few years after it has been out for a while. Has anyone ever asked their docs about this or have more info.? Mom2Seth2006-2-11 8:4:57

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s actually in quite a few medications. It’s the same sweetener as Equal. Supposedly, it’s one of the safer sweeteners out there. Of course, I’m not going to be adding Equal to all of Hailey’s foods or anything but I don’t worry about the super small dose that’s in medications.

[Anonymous]

I did a little more digging about phenylalaine. It’s actually a protein and in quite a few things like cow’s milk, formula, meat, asparatame (Equal) and probably more things. It sounds like no matter what they will get exposed. I wonder how kids with the PKU problem know what foods have it? I’ve never seen a warning on milk or anything…

[Anonymous]

Stacey, That’s really interesting. I am now curious (yes, I should have a shut off switch but I don’t!) if maybe this phenylalaine is in cow’s milk, etc, if THAT is what Dylan reacts to? He definitely reacted to the solutabs and had trouble with all the formulas except Neocate. Is this something that is considered a possible allergy food/ingredient?

Just curious if you (or anyone) has information on this…………..

[Anonymous]

It was my understanding that inability to digest phenylalanine is PKU. Furthermore, phenylalanine is an amino acid that is present to some degree in nearly all foods. If your little one was tested at birth, then you will know if they have this problem. Even if they weren’t tested at birth, I suspect you would know, as it is a very severe metabolic disorder with severe side effects.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Lori! I guess I would probably know, then. Definitely not our issue. But, can children, not with PKU, have an intolerance to this?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think so. I think that a baby with an intolerance to this would have severe problems, but that is just my understanding. It’s quite a severe issue…my SIL has PKU. But if you’re concerned, you can always ask your doc about it.s&h’s mum2006-2-13 9:36:20

[Anonymous]

Ann Marie ~ Yep, PKU (phenylketonuria) is one of the top 10 things that newborns are screened for right in the hospital so you’d know if he had PKU. Apparently, it’s an enzyme that is missing when someone has this.

One thing I’ve learned throughout all of my research of food intolerances/allergies is that nothing is 100%. We have doctors telling us that our babies can’t be intolerant to milk because the testing was negative but we know that’s not always the case. Do I think it’s a possibility for someone to be sensitive to phenylalanine and not have PKU – absolutely. This would be difficult to prove of course.

Anyway, that being said it sounds like phenylalanine is in quite a lot of foods. I think you’d know if that was the problem by now. Here’s a chart I found:

http://depts.washington.edu/pku/diet.html

[Anonymous]

Thank you guys- I did some more research on line too and did see that phenylalanine is naturally occurring in a lot of foods. Apparently, people with PKU are taught which foods to stay away from but they must label things they you would not suspect it in like the Prevacid or something like chewing gum. The amount in the solutabs is very low (5.2 mg I think in the 30mg ones we take) compared to an egg that has hundreds of mgs so I do feel better about it. The warning just looks so scary and you know I always have to worry about something!! Never hurts to be educated though!

Mom2Seth2006-2-13 10:16:4

[Anonymous]

Ann Marie, I guess it would be possible to be sensitive to it and not have PKU but I did read where if the baby is PKU and does not know it or follow a restricted diet, that by three months they would show severe developmental delays because it kills brain cells to the point of even causing retardation. So, I am suspecting, if he was super sensitive, you would see more signs or problems.

[Anonymous]

I think it may be possible to be senstive to Phenylalanine and not have PKU. My son has always had ADHD-type symptoms since he was 2 weeks old and started on reflux meds. He has always had a ton of trouble falling asleep (I’ve always laid him down wide awake) no yawning from this kid! He also refused to nap until I let him CIO at 3.5 months of age. He always seemed wired and not able to calm down. He also is developmentally delayed, but still within “normal range”.

The reason I’m interested in Phenylalanine is that my son used to take 2 15mg prevacid solu-tabs a day and he’d wake up about 5 times in the middle of the night and always be wired during the day, grumpy and not wanting to play with his toys (just wanted to throw stuff). I switched his meds to prevacid in the morning and pepcid ac in the evening and now he sleeps through the night and has been in a much better mood for about a month now…..Last Sunday he was at his father’s house and when I picked Logan up he was a crying mess when we got home. He had to CIO to fall asleep. The next day at daycare he had boughts of spontaneous crying for no reason and that had never happened before. I asked his father what he fed Logan, and he said Crystal Light (which has Aspartame, which is half Phenylalanine). He has gotten better as the days go on and I’m just wondering if there is a link between Phenylalanine and my son’s incosolable crying jags (he’s 2 and-a-half now – he can’t be classified as still having colic!)

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