Reflux diagnosis, Zantac questions

I posted here a few weeks ago about my twins with colic (the replies were very
helpful, BTW). After listening to them scream practically nonstop for the last
two months, I took them back to the ped yesterday. Dealing with them has
become severely draining on my daughter, as well as my relationship with my
husband. I ended up seeing the nurse practitioner, who has never examined the
twins but has seen my daughter many times. After I explained Josh & Jake's
symptoms of screaming all day long and increased spitting up, she told me they
have reflux and gave me a script for Zantac. I was so happy to have a
definitive diagnosis, rather than "It's colic, there's nothing you can do" that
I almost kissed her.

So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing with reflux? Have any of
your kids been on Zantac? I'm wondering how long it'll take to become
effective. It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake to take it was
quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle with some water & sugar to help it
go down easier?

Thanks for reading and in advance for any replies.
----------
Elissa - Mommy to Rebecca Meagan 9/6/00, Joshua Emmett &
Jacob Bryant 9/26/03.
"Before I got married, I had six theories about bring up children; now I have
six children and no theories." - John Wilmont, Earl of Rochester

"Elissa" wrote in message
...
I posted here a few weeks ago about my twins with colic (the replies were
very
helpful, BTW). After listening to them scream practically nonstop for the
last
two months, I took them back to the ped yesterday. Dealing with them has
become severely draining on my daughter, as well as my relationship with
my
husband. I ended up seeing the nurse practitioner, who has never examined
the
twins but has seen my daughter many times. After I explained Josh &
Jake's
symptoms of screaming all day long and increased spitting up, she told me
they
have reflux and gave me a script for Zantac. I was so happy to have a
definitive diagnosis, rather than "It's colic, there's nothing you can do"
that
I almost kissed her.

So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing with reflux? Have any
of
your kids been on Zantac? I'm wondering how long it'll take to become
effective. It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake to take
it was
quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle with some water & sugar to
help it
go down easier?

Thanks for reading and in advance for any replies.
----------
Elissa - Mommy to Rebecca Meagan 9/6/00, Joshua Emmett &
Jacob Bryant 9/26/03.
"Before I got married, I had six theories about bring up children; now I
have
six children and no theories." - John Wilmont, Earl of Rochester


My son has reflux (4 months old), zantac didnt help so now hes on a
different one but I dont know whats its called. As far as giving it to
them, I dont know because we use his G tube to give it. I wouldnt think it
tasts very good though, so you might have trouble giving it to them.
Good Luck

Elissa wrote:

So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing with reflux? Have any of
your kids been on Zantac? I'm wondering how long it'll take to become
effective. It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake to take it was
quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle with some water & sugar to help it
go down easier?

/raises hand

Joshua battled reflux for 2 years (he was finally able to stop
medication just before his birthday).

The thing about Zantac is that it works better if the stomach
environment is less acidic. So, it will take a few days before it
becomes fully effective but you should see an improvement almost
immediately.

Sadly, Zantac only worked for a short while with Joshua then we had to
move onto another drug. Zantac works by keeping the existing acid under
control. Joshua had to start taking Losec, which helps his body produce
less acidic to start. But the last six months of treatment, he was
taking both Zantac and Losec.

You should be able to get your pharmacist to compound the Zantac into
something a bit more palatable to your twins' taste.

I'm looking at an old bottle of Joshua's Zantac and the pharmacist
compounded it at 15mg/ml with Joshua to take 2 ml twice per day. Now,
of course, this is for a 2 yo. Also, the pharmacist compounded it into
a mint-flavoured simple syrup. If it is too syrupy, ask the pharmacist
to thin it out the next time you get the prescription filled. In the
meantime, as long as they consume the dosage in one shot, it should be
okay to mix it with sugar-water (that's what simple syrup is, after all).

You could also try a different flavour on the next prescription as well
as getting it less syrupy.

The dosing of the Losec was very interesting. If you end up having to
use this drug, let me know because I had to compound it at home to make
it a liquid.

If you have any more questions, let me know.

--
Brigitte aa #2145
edd #3 February 15, 2004
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/joshuaandkaterina/

"Readers are plentiful; thinkers are rare."
~ Harriet Martineau

In article ,
ospam (Elissa) wrote:

I posted here a few weeks ago about my twins with colic (the replies were
very
helpful, BTW). After listening to them scream practically nonstop for the
last
two months, I took them back to the ped yesterday. Dealing with them has
become severely draining on my daughter, as well as my relationship with my
husband. I ended up seeing the nurse practitioner, who has never examined the
twins but has seen my daughter many times. After I explained Josh & Jake's
symptoms of screaming all day long and increased spitting up, she told me
they
have reflux and gave me a script for Zantac. I was so happy to have a
definitive diagnosis, rather than "It's colic, there's nothing you can do"
that
I almost kissed her.

So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing with reflux? Have any of
your kids been on Zantac? I'm wondering how long it'll take to become
effective. It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake to take it
was
quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle with some water & sugar to help
it
go down easier?

Thanks for reading and in advance for any replies.
----------
Elissa - Mommy to Rebecca Meagan 9/6/00, Joshua Emmett &
Jacob Bryant 9/26/03.
"Before I got married, I had six theories about bring up children; now I have
six children and no theories." - John Wilmont, Earl of Rochester


My son wasn't diagnosed until he was 4, but they put him on Tagamet.
The effect was pretty quick -- within two days, he was sleeping through
the night for the first time in his life.

In his case, it has never cleared up. He still takes a perscription H2
blocker (I think I'm remembering correctly here . . .) and probably will
for most of his life. Fortunately, he hasn't had any esophogal ulcers
or any other related problems.

Sorry I can't tell you how to get them to take it easier; at that age,
when my kids needed liquid medicine, I used a syrynge (I can't spell
today . . .) and laid them on their backs and squirted it far back in
their mouths, along side the cheek, which minimizes the number of
tastebuds it came in contact with. I was ready to breastfeed as soon as
I was done to get the taste out of their mouths.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

"Elissa" wrote in message
...
I posted here a few weeks ago about my twins with colic (the replies were
very
helpful, BTW). After listening to them scream practically nonstop for the
last
two months, I took them back to the ped yesterday. Dealing with them has
become severely draining on my daughter, as well as my relationship with
my
husband. I ended up seeing the nurse practitioner, who has never examined
the
twins but has seen my daughter many times. After I explained Josh &
Jake's
symptoms of screaming all day long and increased spitting up, she told me
they
have reflux and gave me a script for Zantac. I was so happy to have a
definitive diagnosis, rather than "It's colic, there's nothing you can do"
that
I almost kissed her.

So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing with reflux? Have any
of
your kids been on Zantac? I'm wondering how long it'll take to become
effective. It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake to take
it was
quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle with some water & sugar to
help it
go down easier?

Thanks for reading and in advance for any replies.


My middle DD is 3 1/2 and has had severe reflux her entire life. We
alternate treatment with Zantac, Prilosec, and Reglan. The dosages have to
be altered often as the twins grow. Zantac worked in about 72 hours for us
when she was a newborn, I wish I had had it sooner for her.




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In article ,
Elissa wrote:
So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing with reflux? Have any of
your kids been on Zantac? I'm wondering how long it'll take to become
effective. It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake to take it was
quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle with some water & sugar to help it
go down easier?

Two of mine were on Zantac as infants. It worked incredibly well for one,
moderately for the other. It worked immediately (after the first dose or
two). I always just forced it down because I find when you put meds into
water or juice or something, then you have to make sure they drink all
the liquid, which turns out to be harder. Ours was thin though, and
strongly minty, which I don't think they liked.

Good luck. I hope it turns your babies into new babies like it did for
the first of mine to use it!

--Robyn

"Elissa" wrote in message
...
So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing
with reflux? Have any of your kids been on Zantac?
I'm wondering how long it'll take to become effective.
It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake
to take it was quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle
with some water & sugar to help it go down easier?

My three month old son was prescribed Zantac last month. IIRC the
doctor told me it could take a week or so to reach full effectiveness
and suggested Mylanta Supreme in the meantime. He hated the Zantac as
well. The nurse then told me about a product called FlavoRx, which you
can add to any medication to make it more palatable, and it comes in
several flavors. I haven't tried it because the Mylanta was actually
enough to control his symptoms by itself. I have no idea about bottles;
I use a feeding syringe to give the medication. I realized after giving
my son a few doses of the Mylanta that I was putting too much in his
mouth at once. Half a millilitre is all he can swallow at one time and
if I put more than that it just dribbles down his chin. Good luck. One
crying baby is hard on the nerves, I can't imagine it times two. I hope
Zantac helps your little ones and you get some peace and quiet soon.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 8 mo.
And Jaden, 3 months

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

ospam (Elissa) wrote in message ...
I posted here a few weeks ago about my twins with colic (the replies were very
helpful, BTW). After listening to them scream practically nonstop for the last
two months, I took them back to the ped yesterday. Dealing with them has
become severely draining on my daughter, as well as my relationship with my
husband. I ended up seeing the nurse practitioner, who has never examined the
twins but has seen my daughter many times. After I explained Josh & Jake's
symptoms of screaming all day long and increased spitting up, she told me they
have reflux and gave me a script for Zantac. I was so happy to have a
definitive diagnosis, rather than "It's colic, there's nothing you can do" that
I almost kissed her.

So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing with reflux? Have any of
your kids been on Zantac? I'm wondering how long it'll take to become
effective. It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake to take it was
quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle with some water & sugar to help it
go down easier?


One of my twins had terrible reflux...she's now 11 and she still has
it, but then again, so do I and I'm over 50! :-) As an infant she was
on Tagamet, then Zantac. I didn't find it thick at all, so it might be
the way your pharmacist compounded it. I don't think I'd water it
down. But check with your doctor (or nurse practitioner, as the case
might be) and ask.

My experience probably isn't typical because my daughter never really
outgrew it, and it took a very long time for her to become a pleasant
baby due to a lot of other non-gastro related issues. But other people
swear that Zantac really helps.

Marjorie



Thanks for reading and in advance for any replies.
----------
Elissa - Mommy to Rebecca Meagan 9/6/00, Joshua Emmett &
Jacob Bryant 9/26/03.
"Before I got married, I had six theories about bring up children; now I have
six children and no theories." - John Wilmont, Earl of Rochester

Elissa wrote:

I posted here a few weeks ago about my twins with colic (the replies were very
helpful, BTW). After listening to them scream practically nonstop for the last
two months, I took them back to the ped yesterday. Dealing with them has
become severely draining on my daughter, as well as my relationship with my
husband. I ended up seeing the nurse practitioner, who has never examined the
twins but has seen my daughter many times. After I explained Josh & Jake's
symptoms of screaming all day long and increased spitting up, she told me they
have reflux and gave me a script for Zantac. I was so happy to have a
definitive diagnosis, rather than "It's colic, there's nothing you can do" that
I almost kissed her.

So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing with reflux? Have any of
your kids been on Zantac? I'm wondering how long it'll take to become
effective. It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake to take it was
quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle with some water & sugar to help it
go down easier?

Thanks for reading and in advance for any replies.
----------
Elissa - Mommy to Rebecca Meagan 9/6/00, Joshua Emmett &
Jacob Bryant 9/26/03.
"Before I got married, I had six theories about bring up children; now I have
six children and no theories." - John Wilmont, Earl of Rochester

My kids are lucky enough to not have reflux, but I do (did) have severe reflux.
The only med that helped me was Prilosec.

I hope they outgrow it soon. If not, please do not rule out surgery to correct
it!!! I had the nissen done 3 years ago and have never regretted it. No pills and
no symptoms since (not even a Rolaid or Tums), I can eat what I want when I want.

Elissa wrote:

So...does anyone here have any experiences dealing with reflux? Have any of
your kids been on Zantac? I'm wondering how long it'll take to become
effective. It's pretty thick and syrupy and getting Josh & Jake to take it was
quite a struggle. Can I put it in a bottle with some water & sugar to help it
go down easier?


My DS (10 mo) has reflux and it's been quite difficult. I
highly recommend reading the information at
www.reflux.org--especially the discussion groups. It was
there that I learned that Zantac is often only effective for
2 weeks and then you may need to switch to a PPI (Prevacid,
Prilosec, Nexium). I also learned about Chocobase/Caracream
which is a great mixer for Prevacid and Prilosec. I was
giving the Prevacid powder packs and it was very difficult.

Make sure to read the instructions for Zantac, I know that
Prevacid cannot be mixed with food or it degrades the
medication.

Jennifer in AZ