I could use some help for my DD who was recently diagnosed with reflux and prescribed Zantac for it. FYI She has started spitting up quite a bit of milk after feedings. One days she projectile vomited on my shirt while i was sitting next to her. She hiccups quite a bit and is a snacker, doesnt feed more than 15 mins max at one time. Her voice has been hoarse which we thought was because of the constant crying but her ped said its because of the reflux. It gets better but then comes back again. Some days she is as happy as can be but then sometimes she just cries constantly. She is also mostly happy in the upright position, hugging our shoulders.
All that i have read points me to reflux except the fact that she isnt always crying alot. Some days she is and some times she isnt. She is also gaining weight just fine, at 5 weeks old she was 10 lbs (born at 7 lbs 15 ozs), MaashaAllah. She also burps just fine and passes gas quite a bit but doesnt seem to be in pain because of that. She has also become really clingy lately and wants us to hold her all the time.
Now, i am not medication happy but if this is really reflux and its bothering her, i want to make her as comfy as possible. Could reflux really bother her on some days and not on others? Hubs doesnt seem to think its that and is totally reluctant to medicate.
Ira I had a rather heartbreaking experience with GERD...my son had it since birth but was not diagnosed till age 2 because he never really ate enough to display the symptoms of it - eating made him hurt and feel sick so he never wanted to eat. Anyway, its a struggle, one which most babies outgrow around 1 year of age - mashallah this will be the case with yours. Meantime, the thing is to help her be as comfortable as possible and if that includes giving her zantac - then so be it. Thats so much better than allowing her to associate pain with eating. Thats not something you want her to learn!!
Yes, reflux is a real roller coaster. Some days are great, others terrible. And they're always more comfortable being upright which may be why she is clingy. Smaller meals more often is also the exact right thing to do. Also, if you put a pillow or rolled up blanket underneath the head of her mattress she may sleep better. Teething can cause reflux to flare up in a nasty way...so keep an eye out when her teeth start coming in, the doc may increase the dose of zantac.
The hoarse voice comes from the acid burn in the esophagus. Very painful - the acid from the tummy comes up, sometimes it also comes out and baby vomits. Other times, it goes back down and therefore burns the esophagus twice (thats "silent" reflux). The irritation from the burn can take 6 to 8 weeks to fully heal so look for an improvement about a month or so after starting the zantac.
Ira, reflux babies don't cry all the time. There are good days, and then there are days when it gets really bad.
After much deliberation, we had started her on medication when she was 3 months. To be very honest, things have only gone downhill. I believed in giving her meds to make her comfortable as well, but like your hubby, Asim was also reluctant. I honestly can't say things got any better. The situation has only become worse. She's currently on her 3rd type of medication, having the last 2 fail on her. At this point, I'm actually wondering if we hadn't started her on medication, would she have been this bad? She now refuses to eat. She has stopped crying for food. She turns away from the bottle, and fights it if we try to feed her. Last couple of days she's only had 4-6 ounces in 24 hours. She's taking some solids, but at 5 months, her intake should only be milk/formula. It breaks my heart.
I don't know if medication was the answer. Perhaps you can try Zantac during her bad days, but if I could go back in time, I would try without them.
Seabee I'm so sorry to read about your little one. Are you comfortable with her doc and have trust in the doc? Maybe its time to ask for tests or for a 2nd opinion. Its almost invariable that when a little one doesnt want to eat its due to an underlying medical cause that makes eating an unpleasant experience. That doesnt necessarily mean that its reflux...it could be something else know what I mean? At this point, it may be better to take a more in-depth look at her GI system, how its operating and what may be going wrong.
Its heartbreaking for sure...but beleive me, its better to know and to have tests done, to give them meds when and if they need it...I let it go till my son was 2. But even then his reflux was under-treated and his gastroparesis was undiagnosed until I finally took him to a top feeding/eating disorders hospital. But by that time (almost 3 yrs) he would react to a spoon of food like an axe murderer was coming at him. Dont let it go that far. I will keep you all in prayers...little ones with eating troubles have a very special place in my heart and I hope and pray that they find and treat whatever it might be that causes eating to be such a trial for your littles.
My husband and I have decided no to medicate her. We werent totally convinced she has reflux and since i have started doing the EASY routin with her, things are much better in terms of eating. I feed her when she wakes up and then i know that if she cries after playtime, its not because of hunger but she most likely needs to nap. Her spitups have also reduced and the hoarse voice hasnt returned either, ALhamdulillah.
So far now we are going to hang in there and just wait. BUt i appreciate you both taking the time and sharing your experiences.