Zantac dosing

[Anonymous]

I read awhile back somewhere (on this site, I think) that babies with GERD need a Zantac dose of 5-10 mg/kg. My son Nathan has shown big improvement on 30 mg Prevacid (much happier, not fussing all day anymore), but still was waking up from short naps in pain. So I had some Zantac leftover from an earlier prescription, and gave that to him at 10mg/kg (approx. 4 mL) in the middle of the day, being sure to space it 4 hours apart from the Prevacid doses. It helped a lot. (At first I only gave him 3 mL but that didn’t help.)

Anyway, I took Nathan in for his 4-month well check-up a few days ago, and I asked for a Zantac prescription of 4 mL per day. The doctor would only go as high as 2 mL per day and was not familiar with the 10 mg/kg dosing. He looked in some handbook and quoted to me from it. I didn’t have any research to show him (like I did for the Prevacid dosing a few weeks ago), and I feel like Nathan is going to regress as soon as I have to start giving him only 2 mL of Zantac.

My question is, can you please help me find the research/information that supports the 10 mg/kg Zantac dosing? I would like to be ready with that when I go to the doctor next time.

One more question — I also have a bottle of Axid from an earlier prescription (we went through all the meds at the beginning as I’m sure many of you did!) Since this is also an H2 blocker, does it need to be dosed the same (up to 10 mg/kg)?

Thanks so much!!!!

Paula

[hellbennt]

This happened to me at the pediatrician’s office as well!

here you go: Zantac dosing- my question: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8288&PN=1

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

I am a pharmacist, and was the one who posted the Zantac dosing in the link Laura provided above. I often find that most texts and handbooks are outdated when it comes to dosing recommendations for GERD in infants and children, because in the time that the information was gathered, then written, then printed and distributed, new studies may have been performed and the recommendations may have changed!

The dosing I cited is from an electronic software system called “Lexi-Drugs” or “Lexi-Comp”. This information is updated routinely, since it is on an electronic hand-held device, kind of like a Blackberry, which you hook up to the internet and download regular updates. Pharmacists and Doctors have access to this kind of software, but not everyone is “modernized” when it comes to getting drug information, and they may not have purchased this kind of software. Here is what it states for oral pediatric dosing of zantac:

Duodenal and gastric ulcer: children 1 month to 16 years: 2-4 mg/kg/day divided twice daily to a maximum dose of 300 mg/day

GERD and erosive esophagitis: children 1 month to 16 years: 5-10 mg/kg/day divided twice daily. GERD max dosage: 300 mg/day. erosive esophagitis max dosage: 600 mg/day

Hope this helps, and gives your doctor a credible reference to refer to, instead of just saying “I read this somewhere on the internet…”. Good luck!

MFPIx22007-09-24 11:21:04

[Anonymous]

Thank you both very much. I will reference this when I take Nathan back to the ped and hopefully we will get the Zantac prescription we need.

Do you know about the proper dosing of Axid for GERDlings?

Thanks again,

Paula

[Anonymous]

Here is recommended dosing of Axid (also called nizatidine) for the treatment of GERD in infants and children:

Children <12 years: 10mg/kg/day divided into two daily doses.

However, Lexi-Drugs states that Axid may not be as effective in children under the age of 12 years as it is for adults and children 12 years and older.

Children >12 years: 150 mg twice a day

[Author]

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