Xantac mamas - please help!!!!

[newmamalizzy]

DD just got prescribed Zantac for reflux. I've tried to give it to her twice, and both times have involved lots of screaming and then her gagging up the entire contents of her stomach onto herself. It's awful. How do I get this medicine in her in a way that won't make her puke? Should I put it in a bottle? Will she drink it even though it takes gross?

[SeattleRain]

First of all, its Zantac. I totally thought you were giving your kid Xanax for a minute there and I was a little bit jealous (just kidding!).

Second of all, I did the Zantac thing. Most people move onto a better medication after Zantac, but you might not if you're lucky since all the other option are pretty spendy. So I found Zantac a lot easier to give with a "chaser." Do you bottle feed at all? I'd suggest shooting the medicine into her mouth and then shoving a bottle in there right after. I did it right when he wanted to eat so he took the Zantac really quick and then just starting sucking and sucking on the bottle so he ate it despite himself.

The other thing that I did was that I made a SMALL bottle and then put the Zantac in there. Again, I'd do it when he was really hungry and I'd give him that first. The reason I did a small bottle is because I had to make sure he ate the whole thing.

None of this will work though if your baby isn't used to taking a bottle. If your baby is used to a paci, you might try a paci medicine dispenser.

[newmamalizzy]

Originally Posted by SeattleRain

First of all, its Zantac.

Sheesh. Now I'm all embarrassed. I hate spelling errors, and I can't edit it out of the title

Anyway - she does take a bottle, I was just unsure whether it was okay to mix for fear of curdling. It brings back bad memories of drinking red wine after Bailey's in my college days. I will try anything to avoid another experience like the one we had tonight, though, and will definitely give the "chaser" method a whirl.

[wannaBmom_NICU_RN]

That stuff is awful! I tried and tried to get my son to take it, but eventually gave up. He's now almost outgrown the spitting up. It never really adversely affected his development, so I wasn't overly concerned with getting him to take it. I can't even get tylenol into him without him puking!

[SeattleRain]

Originally Posted by newmamalizzy

Sheesh. Now I'm all embarrassed. I hate spelling errors, and I can't edit it out of the title

Anyway - she does take a bottle, I was just unsure whether it was okay to mix for fear of curdling. It brings back bad memories of drinking red wine after Bailey's in my college days. I will try anything to avoid another experience like the one we had tonight, though, and will definitely give the "chaser" method a whirl.

I TOTALLY didn't mean to embarass you! I seriously thought you were giving him Xanax (an anti-anxiety like Valium) and was wondering how my reflux baby could add that to his meds.

You can definitely add it to bottle and it won't curdle, my ped told me to do it. Just don't do it too far in advance, maybe just right before you give it to baby. Like I said, you want to wait until they're nice and hungry so you know they'll gobble up the whole bit. I used to give it to him first thing in the morning when he was starving and again right after his long afternoon nap.

[newmamalizzy]

Originally Posted by SeattleRain

I TOTALLY didn't mean to embarass you! I seriously thought you were giving him Xanax (an anti-anxiety like Valium) and was wondering how my reflux baby could add that to his meds.

You can definitely add it to bottle and it won't curdle, my ped told me to do it. Just don't do it too far in advance, maybe just right before you give it to baby. Like I said, you want to wait until they're nice and hungry so you know they'll gobble up the whole bit. I used to give it to him first thing in the morning when he was starving and again right after his long afternoon nap.

No problem! It's like being told you have food in your teeth - embarrassing at the moment, but way better than spending the whole day not knowing you have food in your teeth!

So, did your ped diagnose your LO by testing for reflux, or was the diagnosis through symptoms? My ped seems to take a "if it works, that was the problem" approach, and I'm not sure I like it, especially when DD ends up taking something as awful as Zantac just to see if it works. Thing is, she has other symptoms that don't really fit reflux, and we pulled her off of solids because ped thought she might not be tolerating them yet. But how could she possibly tolerate a menthol/chemical concoction like Zantac when she can't manage something as innocuous as rice cereal? Argh.

[schoolmom07]

My LO was prescribed this for severe reflux and it actually made hers worse. The ENT then gave her Prevacid which is pretty strong but at 3-4 months was able to take a melty tablet in her mouth. We gave water after and she was fine. Zantac is really nasty tasting. Have you tried it? I couldn't take it and would just suffer due to the taste. It is no wonder that baby won't. See if her/his doctor can give something else. It won't do any good if babe won't take it or if babe throws it back up. Just don't redose! Prevacid changed our lives! She took it, stopped whining due to uncomfortable acid, and really started to thrive. Also, be aware that Aciphex is also as bad! Renitadine is a poor one, as well. One of those two are actually Zantac just generic versions.

[gradstudentmommy]

I was happy to see this post. My DS was just prescribed Zantac and I can't get him to take it. I tasted it. It's NASTY. My ped says it's wintergreen flavor. Why on Earth would they flavor it mint?

I'm sort of wondering if it's making DS's reflux worse. He's only been on it two days but last night was just awful. He couldn't sleep at all. I know Zantac gives me insomnia. Maybe it's giving him insomnia too?

I want to try an elimination diet in case there's something in my breastmilk bothering him and also try positioning him in a recline for sleeping to see if that helps.

[newmamalizzy]

Originally Posted by gradstudentmommy

I was happy to see this post. My DS was just prescribed Zantac and I can't get him to take it. I tasted it. It's NASTY. My ped says it's wintergreen flavor. Why on Earth would they flavor it mint?

I'm sort of wondering if it's making DS's reflux worse. He's only been on it two days but last night was just awful. He couldn't sleep at all. I know Zantac gives me insomnia. Maybe it's giving him insomnia too?

I want to try an elimination diet in case there's something in my breastmilk bothering him and also try positioning him in a recline for sleeping to see if that helps.

As some PPs suggested, I took the Zantac back to CVS and got it flavored grape. (This was after I experimented by mixing it with various amounts of lots of different foods to see if I could disguise the flavor. I ended up taking a LOT of Zantac, and concluding that it was just a disgusting medicine.) With the grape flavoring I have been able to get Bea to take it using the syringe in the cheek pocket method. I have the best luck if I distract her with funny face during the process. She doesn't follow my cue when I show her how to open her mouth up big for the medicine ("Ahhhh!"), but it makes her laugh like crazy, as does me making "Blech, yucky" noises and faces after each sip. Sounds like your LO might be a little too small for this to work, but it's worth a try.

Like you, though, I suspect her reflux is getting worse, not better. Her cough has increased, as have her hard swallows, and her spit-up is very foamy. I'm giving it through the weekend, then will demand a different option. It's been helpful for me to set up a timed trial period where I was devoted to getting the medicine in her as prescribed and writing down her symptoms each day. I hope you find something that works for your LO soon!

[PollyC]

how much zantac are your babies taking? mine is supposed to be on 1ml twice a day.
seems like a LOT to me.
like many of you, I can't seem to tell if it makes much of a difference.

[Magistra]

My almost 9-month-old has been on Zantac for a week now. He took the full dose a few times but has since been fighting it and not getting all of it. His trick is to not swallow and then spit it out (not "up," but purposely out; he had already taught himself to spit).

The first night he took it, he slept 3 and 4 hour blocks, longer than he's ever slept before. When he gets a good amount, he'll take a two-hour nap. When he doesn't get much, he'll be upset all day and night. So it seems to make a difference for him.

It took us so long to get him on this since we didn't realize it was reflux until recently. Not a lot of spit up, gaining plenty of weight, but awful sleep (and lots of hiccups and wet burps).

He doesn't really take a bottle well, so I'm not sure how we can hide it. I may have to ask for a different flavor this next time, but he hasn't been fond of any overly sweet medication.

[gradstudentmommy]

Oh, getting it flavored is a great idea! Does it really cover up the wintergreen taste? It must make it a LITTLE better. Thanks for the suggestion.

My guy is on 1 ml twice a day which my ped said is a very low dose. I called today because I don't think it's working. She wants to give it a week before changing meds. She said I could also up it to 1 1/2 ml. I'm comfortable with this. I figure he spits some out so he's not getting anywhere near a full dose anyway.

From what I've read anecdotally, Prevacid seems to work for people more frequently than Zantac. So if my LO isn't better by Tuesday, I'm going to ask to switch to that.

I hope our LOs get better soon. It's so awful to see them in pain.

[Tellera]

It was very difficult to give the zantac. I had to give 1ml three times a day. I did it very very little at a time in the back of the cheek, .1ml until I knew it went down, and on and on.

It did not help on its own. We started prevacid, and after 2 1/2 weeks on that it was noticeably helpful. For example, she could sleep elevated in a nap nanny instead of completely upright. We started on 1.5ml two times a day. (i think that worked out to 6 mg each dose, if I recall). I think the prevacid was easier to give. It's a compound and they wouldn't flavor it, so it took a bit of time, but she got used to it.

After about 2 months I think, of being on both I stopped the zantac as I didn't think it was doing anything anymore.

I was told to give both 30 minutes before eating, and, they needed to be given 3 - 4 hours apart from each other (the zantac and prevacid).

I have to say it was a dark time, having to give a 2 month old 5 doses of meds throughout the day, spacing them as told, and 30 minutes before feeding. And at one point I had to mix in a low dose antibiotic every 6 hours. But, without it she did not sleep any way but completely upright and was refluxing every minute, and in obvious pain. And that was even having cut out milk, soy, eggs, gluten in all forms from my diet.

Anyway, my lo is nearly 9 months and a completely different baby now.

Good luck with the flavorings, I hope it works out for you. It's really hard.

[gradstudentmommy]

Oh Tellera! That sounds so awful and stressful. I'm glad to hear things are better now. But I bet it was a long 9 months.

[Tellera]

Thanks, gradstudentmommy. I do not think I have words to describe how incredibly awful it was. lol. I truly understand the meaning of losing ones mind. She slowly is getting better, and I'm hoping to wean her from the prevacid at 12 months.

As far as your little son, definitely try inclining him for sleep. Bouncer, swing, etc. Eventually we bought a tucker sling for a crib. there are all sorts of inclining products. AR Pillow, etc.

Re: meds. If the Zantac is not helping, really push for prevacid, and a GI specialist appt so you can get on the right dose. From our experience, peds will prescribe prevacid, but at doses too low to stop the acid effectively. That was our experience, at least. We were fortunate to have a doula who really really understood and a pediatrician who was very helpful in the referral.

Prevacid generally takes about 2 weeks to kick in, so if you can stay on the zantac during that time if you think it's helping at all, that would be good.

Also, elim diet, again, can also take up to 2 weeks. You can always try lowering the meds once you've been on the elim diet to see if that's it.

Regarding GI specialists in general: Even if you don't know if you'll need it, set it up - we had a 2 month wait for the appt. You can always cancel. I called every day praying for a cancellation to get in. It worked and I got in due to a cancellation a week after making the initial appt. Thank goodness.

For all struggling, if you don't already know about this forum: http://infantrefluxdisease.com/forums/index.php

Tons of support from parents on elimination diets, tests and procedures, meds, other ways to help, etc. It really helped me feel less crazy and alone. It's one of the most active I've seen.

Here is their main site, with just overall info: http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/infant_acid_reflux/

Newmamalizzy, is your ped open to a GI referral, or trying a PPI instead (like prevacid or prilosec)? Our diagnosis was symptoms. Lots of gagging, silent reflux (noticeable swallowing/re-swallowing), hiccups nearly all day long, moving her head back and forth almost constantly, not being able to sleep any way but completey upright.

[gradstudentmommy]

Thanks for the information Tellera. Before I saw your post, I had actually ordered a Tucker sling and wedge. It might be overkill, but I was just so worried about my little guy. How do you like yours?

Last night he got down almost the whole 1 1/2 ml and we had a great night! He slept for 3 hours 40 minutes, then ate, then slept for 2 hours 20 minutes and then 1 hour 50 minutes. Though the second two times he couldn't sleep on his back because he would choke and cry. I had to hold him in my arms (which I think slightly elevated his head, kept him on his side and comforted him). And this morning he's a MUCH happier baby. He hasn't cried at all and is willing to hang out and just be mellow. It's awesome!

So I'm assuming it's the Zantac working but it could be the elimination of dairy too, if he's really sensitive to that.

I'll ask my ped about a referral to a GI specialist. I have to wait until I get my LO on my husband's insurance. He never sent in the form. Grrr.

I just knew my LO's hiccups were indicating a problem. I'm so sick of people saying hiccups are normal and don't bother the baby. They definitely bother my LO.

[PollyC]

Originally Posted by Tellera

We started on 1.5ml two times a day. (i think that worked out to 6 mg each dose, if I recall).

That is 22.5 mg each dose, for Zantac. Which, I maintain, seems like a lot. So if you had a 12 lb baby, that would be about 5.5 kilograms, how many milligrams per kilogram is that? 4?
And then you give it twice. That seems like a lot to me, anyway
Did I do the math wrong

[gradstudentmommy]

Originally Posted by PollyC

That is 22.5 mg each dose, for Zantac. Which, I maintain, seems like a lot. So if you had a 12 lb baby, that would be about 5.5 kilograms, how many milligrams per kilogram is that? 4?
And then you give it twice. That seems like a lot to me, anyway
Did I do the math wrong

I think you did the math right. I guess you're right. That is a fairly high dose since isn't the adult dose 75 mg (or 150 if you get the big tabs)? But my little guy's reflux is really severe. He's wheezing and coughing and gagging and can't breathe. So to me, it's worth the risk to bring him some relief and protect his esophagus. My dad just died of esophageal cancer so DS having reflux really freaks me out.

I suppose if you're worried about it you could start at an even tinier dose. That's the nice thing about it being a liquid. But 1 ml didn't work for us, that's why we upped it to 1 1/2 and my son is a different baby today (and last night).

[Tellera]

Originally Posted by PollyC

That is 22.5 mg each dose, for Zantac. Which, I maintain, seems like a lot. So if you had a 12 lb baby, that would be about 5.5 kilograms, how many milligrams per kilogram is that? 4?
And then you give it twice. That seems like a lot to me, anyway
Did I do the math wrong

PollyC, I see you quoted my post about the 1.5ml. I know gradstudentmommy responded as she is doing that. Just to clarify, for us the 1.5 ml was for prevacid, not zantac. In looking at the prevacid prescription bottle just now, the dose is 3mg/ml, so it was 4.5 mg twice a day at first. She is now on 2 ml in the am, and 2.5 ml in pm, so, 6mg in the morning, and 7.5 mg in the evening.

That said, we were doing 3ml per day total for the Zantac for a little while. She was only probably 8 lbs when it was prescribed. The ped did not prescribe, the GI specialist did once we saw her. The ped initially only prescribed .3mg twice a day. I cut it down to 1ml twice a day once she went to daycare when I had to go back to work. Then over the next month we cut it down to only at night. Then two weeks after that we stopped the night dose. It was obvious that it was the prevacid helping her and not the zantac.

Trial and error.

Gradstudentmommy - we didn't have the wedge, just bought the sling for the crib. It was great, I was feeling uncomfortable with her in the nap nanny as she got more strength. The tucker sling really helped bridge that time where she still needed to be elevated quite high. We went with the crib sling since I wanted to eventually slowly lower the elevation. Now, she is no longer in the sling, I think we stopped it about 3 weeks ago, because she was having a difficult time sleeping in it, really REALLY wants to sleep on her side or belly and was waking every 45 minutes really ANGRY. At this point, she's just slightly elevated. Which is a PITA because I find her the opposite way a lot, which totally defeats the purpose when her head is lower than her feet, arg. Soon we will try no elevation, as soon as she's over her cold.

That's great about him being much better today! Could be either one, but so glad to hear.

About the hiccups, so many people told me it was normal, but my post partum doula said it was not, and the doc said how much she was hiccuping was not normal. Some hiccuping yes, but not as much as she was having them.

And, I completely agree about protecting the esophagus. I've read and heard (from colleagues) some instances about not having done meds and GERD causing some really serious damage. While that may not always happen, I felt we needed the medication.

It's hard knowing what to do. If we are making lifestyle changes like elevation, elim diet, probiotics, chiro, etc., and yet our babies still need help, we have to make difficult choices.

[gradstudentmommy]

Tellera-Hmm, in retrospect, maybe we should have gone for the Tucker Sling for the crib. We co-sleep though so I thought the wedge would be better. I was told I could then put the wedge in the crib later once we move him to the crib (though like you said, I can't adjust the angle).

I've never had good luck elevating the mattress. I tried that when my DD had colds and like your LO, she'd just end up facing the wrong way or scrunched at the bottom.