Re: acid reflux/GERD
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.
Hope this helps! Prayers for your little one!