I think his reflux might be gone

[emmsy]

:fingerscrossed: I think DS (11months) may have grown out of his reflux. He has not had a bad vomit for a week or so now - the ones he has had are possibly from being a bit too active after a feed. I am wanting to take him off his Losec and wondering about the best way to go about it. We have successfully reduced him down to 5mg over the past few months. I know that teething can be an issue - his top 2 teeth have cut the gums and are almost the whole way out - he also has his two bottom teeth and currently no sign of anything else about to come through. Is this the time to do it? What signs should I keep an eye out for to tell me if its not working and to put him back on it? Thanks in advance :)

[RISA]

Hi,
Its great to hear how well everything is going. Is your son showing any other signs of reflux? Is he happy and settled, and sleeping well? Was vomiting his only reflux sign? (just keep in mnd sometmes the signs can change as they get older and it can sometimes appear as behavioural issues).

I take it too that your doctor has okayed you weaning? If the doctor hasnt talked to you about that aspect, then please talk to them about weaning first, before you begin. They may have some particular way of weaning in mind. some doctors like to stop it suddenly, while others prefer to wean off very slowly. They all are different with different opinions, and we need to be guided by what they tell us.

I am presuming you have done that, and like you say, he isnt teething at the moment. If you are satisfied that all is stable at the moment and there have been no recent illnesses, or other problems that may cause stress- no change in routine, no vaccinations, no constipation issue (he's walking perhaps?), and no new behavioural problems- if it feels like it is a good time to try then it probably is. It can be good to try too, as even if it doesnt work, you can have peace of mind knowing that he is on medication for good reason.

There is no set routine, and it won't work for everyone, but if your doctor is happy with it, then just give it a try, and see how he goes. Keep an open mind and watch for any change in behaviours, anything that gives you an idea that it isnt working- if his feeds become more dificult or if he becomes more difficult to settle; if his sleeps become interupted; or he becomes irritable or overly sensitive, or he starts vomiting. Any changes at all are likely to be a sign that it isn't the right time. I learnt from experience to not wait it out- if my son seemed to be developing some problems, it always ended up worse if I waited to make sure- each time, he just continued to get worse and because I;d waited, it seemed to take a much longer time to get things back under control again.

I hope that informatiion isn't too confusing, and I hope you are able to successfully wean him. It may be worth knowing too, that even if you do wean him off his medications successfully, sometimes medication may be necessary later on, for example when he is teething again. It isn't always necessary, but it can help to be aware that it sometimes is. It isn't so confusing or worrying if you know that, just in case things do go downhilll at that time. That's not to say it will be necessary, but I believe it helps to know.

Like I said, even if the weaning isn't successful, it is good ot have peace of mind about giving medication. Just try again another time that feels right, once he has been stable for some time. You can only try, but I hope it works this time.

Hope that helps
Glenda

[emmsy]

Hi Glenda,

Since this original post we weaned DS off Losec and everything seemed to be going well. I think he has been off it for almost 2 months now. But in the last 7-10 days, he has become very irritable and cries at the drop of a hat. I assumed he was prehaps teething, or just a bit of a phase! But over the past couple of days, he has started doing small vomits again. I don't think it is gastro or anything, as it is only small amounts, generally after food or milk. I took him to the doctors but our family GP is away for 6 wks and the doctor I got didn't seem to know a lot about reflux.
Can reflux 'go away', then return later on? I just assumed once it was gone, that was the end of it.

[RISA]

Hi,

That is great that you were able to successfully wean him off medication and he has had a good couple of months.

Unfortunately, reflux can reappear again, even after you think it has finally gone, although I can't tell you whether the issue now is reflux, an infection, or something else entirely. It may also be possible the reflux may have been a factor all along because signs can change as they get older, and it can be so difficult to tell (and their signs can be so subtle at times).

It may be as a result of all those things that parents report causing a flare in younger bubs, such as teething, illness, vaccinations, constipation, a change in routine, being overtired, crawling etc. Have you noticed any changes lately? is he eating anything different? Do you think he could be constipated? Has he recently dropped a sleep during the day or something like that? All those things may be an influence, so it may be worth looking for any recent changes that may be contributing.

Sometimes medication can be necessary once again, perhaps temporarily- trust your instincts as you did before, and if you think he is becoming too uncomfortable or unwell then certainly talk to the doctor again (and of course any time you have concerns).

I hope that information helps. I hope too that he starts to feel better soon.

Glenda