Reflux & Losec

[angebindi]

Hi,

My breastfed 9 week old son has got reflux & we started him on 10mg of Losec once daily 5 days ago. I was wondering how long it takes for the medication to start working as he's still quite refluxy & painfully burping/possiting concentrated curds up to 2.5hrs after the start of feeds during the day. Unfortunately Mylanta doesn't work for him. He sleeps in the evening for quite a long stretch but basically doesn't sleep more than 15-20mins during the day unless he's in the baby bjorn or being held upright, which isn't practical & a killer on my back. I have elevated the head of his bassinet & only put him down once he's quite deeply asleep, but he's a very light sleeper & the reflux seems to wakes him up constantly.

Also, what is the best time to give the Losec, and would it be better to give him 5mg twice a day? I have read in another post to not give it with breastmilk - why is this so? It would make life easier if we could dissolve the tablet in breastmilk or give him a feed to wash it down...

Many thanks in anticipation,
Ange

[RISA]

Hi Ange,
Thanks for contacting our organisation, and congratulations on the birth of your son. It sounds like things are really tough for you all at the moment, though you are doing a really good job all the same. Treating reflux can be difficult, and can be really hard to find the right one- its often a matter of trial and error.

It can take Losec a couple of weeks before it makes any difference, and if there happens to be any inflammation, it may take even longer (sorry). I understand about the Mylanta not helping, as I found the same thing with my son when he was a bub. Would it be worth talking to the pharmacist about trying Infant Gaviscon as an alternative? Or Gastrogel? Sometimes if one doesn’t work, it can help trying something else.

According to the manufacturer of Losec, they don’t recommend a particular time of day (as far as I am aware)- but just recommend that you give it at the same time each day. You may find it better to give the medication twice a day, rather than a bigger dose once a day- sometimes making a small change like that make a big difference. (Interestingly, twice a day seemed to work much better for us too). It's probably better to talk to your doctor before you make any changes though.

Losec shouldn’t be given with breastmilk because it isn’t the right acid level to help with its absorption. I totally agree that it would be much easier if you could wash it down with a breastfeed, but from what AstraZeneca told us, it just won’t work as well. Are you giving him the capsule and dissolving it into the granules, or using the suspension? If using the capsule, it’s important not to crush the granules, and if using the suspension, it’s important to shake the bottle well, and also to be aware of the shelf life as sometimes they can be quite short.

I hope that helps, and I hope you find something that helps him feel better soon. Just remember to trust your instincts as you have been doing, and I'm sure you will find the answers you need.

Glenda

[angebindi]

Thanks for your reply Glenda.

We bought some Infant Gaviscon but haven't yet tried it as we thought there wasn't much point if the Mylanta didn't work. Should it be given after his feeds?

I'm aware of not crushing the Losec tablets. We dissolve them in water & syringe as much of it as possible into our son's mouth, then scoop the rest of it out with the end of a spoon & put it directly into his mouth. It's never a pleasant process and not quite all if it makes it in, but our little boy seems to be getting used to it and is spitting less of it out every day. We only got 2 weeks worth of tablets and by the sounds of it will probably need a repeat prescription to give it a good go.

Thanks again,
Ange

[RISA]

Hi Ange,

Infant Gaviscon is a completely different medication to Mylanta- they work in different ways, so it may be worth trying (but only if you are comfortable with it). Perhaps talk to your pharmacist about it if you are concerned.

It sounds like you are doing a good job of administering the Losec- definitely not an easy task in a young bub!! As another option, you may be able to try it just with the spoon, rather than with the syringe as well. It may not work, but some bubs do take it off a spoon quite well. You don't need to use a lot of water with it, which can perhaps make that option easier.

HTH

Glenda