managing reflux WITHOUT zantac????

[bec05]

Hi
Just wondering if anyone has had any luck managing their baby's reflux without using zantac or losec??? I have a prescription for my 3 month old (just diagnosed though she's had symptoms for about a month) but am so reluctant to use if it can be avoided, I've heard so many stories of people having to use it for 2 years or so! Especially since apparently I was the same as a baby (though they didn't call it reflux then) and grew out of it by about 4 months.

I am breastfeeding and have found cutting out dairy has made an enormous difference, she now usually feeds ok instead of refusing (though it's better when she's sleepy), and is still putting on some weight though not heaps. We also have her bed, change table etc on a slope and try to keep her upright as much as possible, but she still does spew ALL the time and cries when put in her cot so it is obviously still bothering her. Of course I don't want her to be in pain or - heaven forbid - to deteriorate (have heard horror stories of blood in vomit etc), but from the sounds of it medication is not problem free either. Any other ideas? Any success stories?

[Caitlin's Mum]

Hi, my little boy is on zantac and from my experience it doesn't stop the vomiting anyway. It is just stopping his pain (most of the time). The only thing that I've found which lessens the vomiting is thickener in his bottles. So if it's just the vomiting that is the major issue at the moment (while you are cutting out dairy) then maybe you don't need to use the Zantac? :) Good luck anyway.

[JanetF]

There are lots of things to try before the drugs. Drugs really are designed as a last resort, not a first stop. Other things to try include:
osteopathy - sometimes only 1 or 2 treatments are needed if that's the problem
homeopathy
slinging - carried babies not only puke a lot less but it hurts a lot less
give up caffeine

Breastfeeding your baby is perfect so don't let anyone tell you bubs will be better on formula. It's never true.

This is a great list
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html#help

This is about thickened feeds
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html#thickenedfeed

I've a few friends who've been through it. PM me if you want more :)

[Snugglepot]

Hi Bec05,

I have managed my DS's reflux without going onto losec etc. He was diagnosed at 7 weeks by my MCH, he used to cry all the time, but now at 17 weeks we are pretty much under control.

I started out using an herbal mixture from a pharmacy in Melbourne. This helped him about 60%. I also took him to a person who does a bodywork called ortho-bionomy, it is similar to osteopathy. (Any health professional that specialises in bubs would help, Osteos/Chiros are also good) She helped enormously; in fact the change was out of sight after one visit.

So now I was at the stage that DS was sleeping during the day and not waking up screaming, he was not crying all day, but he was still a very fussy feeder, fighting the bottle and crying during and shortly after feeds. The third step was to get him some homeopathic drops. I got these from the same pharmacy. This was the final key for DS, he is not fussy when feeding now and I feel the reflux is mostly gone. I have stopped the herbal mix, occasionally see the lady and continue the homeopathics for now. His vomitting also decreased, although he was more like a silent reflux bub than a spewy one.

Please PM me for any further details of the above things (I believe that the pharmacy can mail stuff to people if you call them) I would be happy to help and good luck, it is horrible to see your child in pain. Kez
PS. 1 ml of Mylanta can help temporarily if your bub is in pain.

[JanetF]

I'd forgotten that pharmacy! Yes! Great idea :D And they post very happily.

[sarah81]

Hi,

My almost 6 month old had/s silent reflux. It has been better for the last month but I am not ready to say he has outgrown it yet, just in case.

I didn't medicate on the advice of my paediatrician. He felt that because DS gained weight well and slept ok and screaming was moderate, it wasn't needed. It had a greatest effect on breastfeeding and we have had good and bad periods of this. I just propped his bed, burped him well etc and was very watchful for signs that it was getting worse. I don't regret not medicating him now.

It sound like the homopathic remdies from the previous posts could be a good alternative.

All the best.
Sarah 24
DP 29
DS1 March 03
DS2 may 05

[mummycloud]

Aiden's on zantac. It helps the pain but he still spews like a trooper...LOL

I think I may try some of the things Kez mentioned. Natural therapies are a much better option if they work ;)

[bec05]

Thanks so much for these suggestions. Yes my gut feeling was not to medicate, but we saw a nurse who was pushing it so hard and telling us that DD's sleeping difficulties were because she was in 'agony', so we started to wonder if we were doing the right thing. It is not the spewing that bothers us (we have resigned ourselves to white stains on all our clothes, furniture and floor!) but the pain.

Kaz - I am not actually sure how to do PMs - can you send one to me? I'm very interested in the details of that pharmacy.. or what the 'herbal mixture' is (there may be somewhere up here that can do it).

I was interested to see on that website that they mention cows milk allergy as a big factor, because cutting out dairy made a huge difference with us (yes I'm also avoiding caffeine - and unfortunately spices seem to be a really bad idea too).

Thanks

[SugarBlossom]

In all honesty I had no idea babies would be able to take stuff made for adults! How can zantac be better?? I felt gross after occasionally taking it during pregnancy.
Don't these products harden whatever is in your stomach??

I have never had experiance with reflux babies, so I'm not meaning to challenge or offend anyone!
I'm just interested to know.
Has anyone actually used the natural alternative?

[Snugglepot]

Hi JazzPete_n_Codie,

I do not think that the medications actually harm bubs tummy, I believe they just neutralise the stomachs acid so the baby can get through a feed without pain. The gut continues to produce acid. Most babies grow out of reflux when they start walking (if not before) so it is not forever.
The natural alternatives do work, well they did for my DS, but it was a combination of things and trial and error (as I mentioned above) As with everything, it is finding what is right for your little bundle of joy!

[lucyp]

Hi! I would be really interested in what the herbal mix from the pharmacy is as my little one is on losec and has been since 4months old. I am based in sydney - but if you are able to give me an idea of what it is - I can perhaps approach one of the "alternate" pharmacies here:)

Thanks

[Snugglepot]

Hi LucyP,

I am not sure if I can put brand names on this site etc so I will PM you with all the details.

[PiparMaru]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]Hi

Both my babies were born with reflux. With my son who is now 2.5 years old, no body new much about it and he almost died. He stopped breathing about 5 times over a 1 month period. No one knew why, we were questioned by the hospital about child abuse. It wasn't until he was there and he threw up blood and milk and yukky stuff that they actually looked at him. It took 2 doctors and about 2 weeks but he was finally diagnosed with a severe case of relux. He was put on Zantac. I had a new baby that didn't cry all the time and that finally enjoyed life. But he started to have reactions to that so we took him off it. He was then put on Losec. It was brialliant, gentle and we had no reactions at all. He was perfect. At about 3.5 months I started to feed him some solids, like really runny rice cereal. It worked a treat too, and then at about 4 months he started to have it more solid and I slowly introduced mashed potato and off he went.

Then my daughter was born and we were ready. As soon as she started showing signs of it we had her on Losec and she thankfully didn't have to suffer like my son did.

I am a big advocate for Losec, there is supposed to be a new one out now, specifically designed with babies in mind. I can't remember what it's called, a friend has just put her daughter on it.

Did you know that reflux is inherited - My Partner had it and his father was in hospital for the first 6 months of his life with it. They say that if you have 1 child with reflux you have a 50% chance that the second one will have reflux. And if the second child has reflux you have a 90% chance that the third one will have it ... and i'm considering a third ....

If I could make one suggestion, that would be to put your baby on Losec ... It will make a difference and it's not that bad - Zantac is worse. Most babies grow out of it by 6 months so you are half way there .... Good Luck though and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Keep your chin up ... it does get better!!

Tanya

[Ky]

I didn't use Zantac or Losec with Daniel. We just used Gaviscon infant to thicken his feed (using sma formula) and gave him a small dose of Merbentyl (anti-spasmodic) 15 minutes before his feeds.

This combination really worked and although he had severe reflux, it was brought under control with a minimum of vomiting. The Merbentyl stopped the spasming that caused him to bring his feed back up constantly, so as a result he was much happier as the stomach acid wasn't burning his throat all of the time.

I was initally prescribed these medications, but they are available over the counter ... I used to buy them from an on-line pharmacy (money saving measure) and never had any problems.

[mikai_04]

I have 18 month old twins who at 6 weeks old were suffering from reflux. At the time I had incredible difficulty getting doctors to take me seriously because they were only presenting with some of the symptoms and weren't losing weight. In their case they never completely spat up, it just gurgled in the esophagus so badly you could hear it. Of course this burnt the soft tissues causing pain so they continued to feed to sooth the pain.

After much fighting with the doctors and many nights of the most heart wrenching painful continuous crying I was able to convince the doctors. We used Losec granules for a short time. They neutralized the acid long enough for the tissues in the esophagus to heal but of course did not 'cure' the reflux. We used a combination of other things which helped greatly –
* They slept in rocker chairs which kept them more upright.
* We placed boards under their cot mattress to keep their upper body higher
* When changing nappies I rolled them onto their side instead of lifting their legs (this puts pressure on the tummy and forces the milk up)
* I changed to disposable nappies because the cloth nappies were too thick and lifted their bums with the same effect.

By far the biggest help was changing to a special formula. I know many are against it and I struggled with feeling I had let them down for a long time but if I was honest with myself the 'S26 AR' thickened formula was a god send (make it up at least 10 minutes before feeding to give it time to thicken) I tried to continue supplementing with breast milk and every time I did they were worse again. Now they have completely grown out of it and have had no symptoms since they were about 12 months old.

Good luck

[catnapjack]

As JanetF said, you dont need to go to bottle as breast is definately best. The Gaviscon powder can be given with some cooled boiled water prior to your normal breast feed. The powder thickens the milk in the tummy preventing excessive reflux of the contents, therefore less acid burning.

I would still talk to a Paediatrician though before using anything not natural.

Wishing you all the best and they DO grow out of it....( I never believed this though until I saw it myself) :)

[katesmom]

My dd was diagnoised with reflux when she was three weeks old and put on Tagament. At a year, they switched her to Zantac she's still on. She's never grown out of it.

My dd was screaming 14+ hours a day and sleeping less than 4. It was a miracle for us.

[mummycloud]

I haven't noticed any side effects from Zantac...has anyone else?

I'm wondering what's so bad about using it :confused:

[Caitlin's Mum]

No I've had no reactions with Zantac either. In fact I prefer it to Losec because my baby just spat the Losec straight out again and if they don't get all those granules in, then it doesn't really work properly.

[naomib]

hi everyone who has a reflux baby
good luck is all i can say and just hope that you can survive everyday
my 2nd son had silent reflux/ reflux from day two and we did not get a proper diagnosis till 6 weeks. We visited a chiroprator who said there was something with his neck!! After two bouts of mastitis (1st bub fully b'feed till 8 months) and expressing i had to stop b'feeding as bub just refused to feed at all. Who says b'feeding is perfect is totally wrong - it is like water (formula is thicker) so hence just came back up all over my carpet and couch. It was traumactic for both of us,so we went on to Zoton(like losec) -made up to 100ml solution. zantac only neutralised the acid and did not reduce the vomiting. there have been no side effects from this. Bub has been on solids from 3 1/2 months and thats when he started smiling! He has soya/lactose forumula (threw up s26 reflux formula) thickend and still chucky but much better in himself. I am going to get a blood test for dairy allergy, as it can all be related. the things that where very useful was purchasing a AMY BABY swing (second hand) just for bub to have sleep, everything went up and we used lavaender aromathapy to create calmess. In regards to natural products i tried an pharmacy solution called colicare but it seemed to react in his stomach and just came back up!
Bub is now 7 months and despite all this he still chucks on the floor but not in the cot anymore and is nearly crawling to be upright. Cant wait till he is 10 months and walking. so i hope this helps anyone out there with a reflux baby.:smiliedance:

[RachWA]

With DS we just perservered throught it until about 8 months when solids and the introduction of formula seemed to start helping. I did use infants friends (although for wind it seemed to calm him in all situations). Almost 3 month old DD is suffering silent reflux ( my gp ishas not diagnosed as he wants to rule out UTI -urinary tract infection first, I know the difference but that is a whole other story).

I have tried the Brauer natural stomach clalm. This seems to work if you really follow the instructions but you seem to have to give a few days break let the reflux return and then start again.

I am considering trying a chiro as I have very often heard they can treat anything wrong with children including reflux (also asthma). I would do no harm to at least try it. if I do I will let you know how it goes.

["whatmorewashing?"]

[QUOTE=naomib] After two bouts of mastitis (1st bub fully b'feed till 8 months) and expressing i had to stop b'feeding as bub just refused to feed at all. Who says b'feeding is perfect is totally wrong - it is like water (formula is thicker)

I too have a silent refluxer (child 3) child 2 was a prolific vomitter/refluxer and I had the same breastfeeding experience. My first child was fully breastfeed until 8 months and I had always intended to do the same with my other children. However, the reflux made that impossible. Each child has differing degrees and experiences of reflux so while some people say breast milk is the only way to go it may not suit some refluxers. Surely it is better for a child to have formula and be comfortable as opposed to being on breast milk but having an ulcerated oesphageus???

With my current child I am alternating feeds of neocate and breastmilk and that seemed to work really well for a while, my son is still getting some breastmilk but every second feed of the formula is giving his tummy a rest. I have now noticed that my son is starting to refuse the breastfeeds but gulp back the formula - he must recognise which feed hurts him and which doesn't.

I must say that the best thing I have found is the Karicare food thickener. I give my son a teaspoon of that prior to each breast feed and also use it to thicken the Neocate formula. I have found that the Neocate is just as runny as breastmilk so it is not taken very well on its own, but now that I thicken it my son is drinking twice as much at each formula feed and is actually sleeping for 2 hr blocks rather than the 45 min catnaps that I was getting.

Good luck, trust your instincts, ignore the judgment of others and shower your child in cuddles!:kiss:

[kids]

Both my kids had reflux - one had heartburn with no vomitting and the other had serious vomting. They did however, bith gain weight with no problems. I flat our refused to put iether on them on medications. These medications were made for adult bodies and although are givent o babies in small doese, they are still made for adults. I was not prepared to mediacte my kids long term for this reason, so we put up with the refulx.

It was HARD work. It infered with my 2nd childs leanring to sleep. It gave us a lot of sleep deprivation. But I would do it all over again if I were to have another one. We were unable to b/f our first so used thickened formula which helped her heartburn somewhat. 2nd was b/f and nothign we did stopped his vomiitng. We just put up with it and he outgrew it - yes we had to help him leanr to sleep once it was gone, but imo, it was worth it.

Good luck with your decision - its a hrd one to make. If you are b/f a naturopath can give you drops that help with babies reflux - helped iwth a friend of mine.

[HappyMumsy]

Hi there,

My 3.5 month old has some pretty bad wind/gas problems.
So far I'm going the natural route, I have been to an osteopath and had results for a few days.

I'm also seeing a naturopath/homeopath - we are looking at diet and possible intolerances bubby might have through my milk.

She also gave me a colic relief which I give my baby when she is in pain from needing to fart - it really helps. It makes her relax and then she can get the fart out. We did try Brauers Homeopathic from teh chemist but it wasn't so effective. This one is tailor made for her so therefore better.

I'm still in the in middle of hell but i do hope things will improve expecially when I figure out what she is allergice too. A food diary and pain diary helps.

Good luck,

[faruge]

Hi,
I have a 5 month old girl, and I have just been put onto an amazing product. It is called Brauer Stomach calm for reflux and Brauer Colic for Colic. It is an all natural product and it seems to work wonders. My daughter is bottle fed so I actually put Karicare Feed Thickner into her bottle and she has stopped vomitting and screaming. It seems to do the trick. The Brauer range is available at all chemists and they cover a good variety of ailments our little ones go through. Hope this helps

[logan's mum]

Hi ladies.

This post has been an interesting read. As a mother of an 11.5 month old breastfed severe reflux baby I feel I have my two cents to add too.

Firstly the medicine issue. Logan has been on Losec since he was 5 weeks old and the dosage has gradually increased to 15mg a day (an adult dose is 20mg a day so that is quite a lot!). We tried Zantac for the first two weeks and then it stopped working so went onto Losec. Interestingly his reflux worsened when he was about 9months and ever since he has needed to take BOTH losec and zantac to control the pain. He is a different baby when medicated. So happy and so contented. Without it - well if you have a reflux baby then you know what it's like. Both of these medicines have been tested extensively for use on babies and children or else they wouldn't be allowed to be prescribed for use in infants (by the TGA). They are safe. As for natural medications - well you need to do what you need to do, BUT you have to remember that even though a medicine is "natural" it is still a medicine. Natural products are where pharmacology was developed from! It worries me that so many parents will not "medicate" their children yet will fill them full of something they can buy off the pharmacy shelf, without the safety of their childs treatment being regulated by a health professional... These "natural" formulas can be just as dangerous as prescription medicines. We must remember that when chosing to use them.

Next the breastfeed vs formula issue. We are lucky in that we have been able to successfully continue to breastfeed. But not everyone can. The argument for breastfeeding a reflux baby is that breastmilk is digested faster and therefore cleared much more quickly form the stomach lessoning the chance of it being "refluxed" up the oesophagus taking the stomach acid with it! BUT having said that, if you find you and your baby are unhappy breastfeeding and have more success (and happiness) formula feeding then that's what you should do.

I have found that there is no one right way to do anything when it comes to baby raising. What is right for one family may go against everything that another family believes in. When it comes to treating an illness I hope that every mother will do what is right for her baby. No one wants to see a child in pain and if medicine is the only way you can have them pain free (safely) then this is what you should do! I personnally think it would be cruel to let a baby continue in pain because you didn't believe in using medicines...

[Crazy Monkey]

I have to agree with Logan's mum on all counts...

My DS has silent reflux and has been on Zantac since about 5 weeks... The changes in him once he started on Zantac were amazing and I dont regret it on bit... He is now 11 months and is still on a low dose as we are weaning him off...

I believe you have to do what is best for your baby and your family, and not what others say SHOULD be done..

[Pobblebonk]

Hi. My 15 week old son was diagnosed with reflux at 4 weeks old and was prescribed Zantec by my GP. Giving it to him was a nightmare and while before he was not vomiting, after Zantec he started to projective vomit. :banghead:

I went back to my GP and said that Zantec was not working for him and in fact made the symptoms of reflux worse and he changed the meds to Zoton.

Zoton comes in powder/granule form and needs to be mixed up. I give that to him once a day only and it has a much more pleasant taste than Zantec so is easier to spoon-feed to my son and he accepts it very very easily. I mix it in 30mls of cooled boiled water and give him 7.5mls each morning.

After propping up the top of his cot with a phonebook under each leg, and giving him Zoton, his reflux symptoms have disappeared. He does not vomit at all, and is now only cranky when tired! :smiliedance:

I think that if your child is on Zantec and you find that it's not helping with the vomiting or is making the reflux symptoms worse, then you need to go back and try something else. Zoton is much more milder than Zantec on babies tummies and it doesn't taste like shyte.

Giving my son Zoton via a spoon from 5 weeks has had other benefits too - because he accepts this from the spoon so easily, it's going to be a breeze starting him on solids. I can't wait! :fingerscrossed:

[Kim2008]

Love your website Aly !

[Pobblebonk]

Thanks! Cheers for checking it out!

It's the product of a workaholic who doesn't know what to do with herself during her six week break from work before my son was born...

[shniks]

My daughter was helped so much by Losec. She was always screaming, refusing to feed, refusing to lay flat, etc. We tried zantac, it would work for a few weeks then it would stop working. Once we started Losec I had a different baby, so happy, content, smiling, sleeping well, happy to lay flat etc. I almost went crazy with worry, to see your child in so much pain is hard to describe, if medications can take that away then I am all for them.

To the initial poster, I wish I had given my daughter Losec even earlier than I did. Like your daughter she had feeding issues where she would refuse feeds and was gaining but not great amounts. Now she is 1 and is off losec and and her reflux is gone, but her feeding issues are still here! She refuses to eat solids as she has a pain association with food. I am working to fix that but its not easy. I really hope the same hasnt happened to your daughter. As logans mom said a lot of medications are made from natural substance and are thoroughly tested. Natural medicines arent tested and could be worse for you than you think.