3 month old still having lots of issues with GERD

Kayleigh - posted on 08/22/2011

my daughter started getting better at 6-7 months. now that shes almost 10 months and eating only solids she is perfectly fine. hang in there, it does get better. good luck though and god bless

Elisa - posted on 01/21/2011

Ask your dr for Losec or an acid reducing tablet not just zantac it works for me plus my bub is on neocate a formula that contains no milk. As the symptoms present as reflux but it isnt it is really hard to diagnose but hang in there.

Terri - posted on 01/06/2011

my son is almosst 6 months and on domperidone and rinidine as well a thickener in his bottle. We have elevated his mattress so that he can lay on his back when he sleeps. While he was still in the hospital they had him elevated at a 30 degree angle. Since being home its more like 15 degrees. There are produces you can buy to put under the mattress (that way they still get the support) we use a 2x4 and piece of plywood. Works just the same.
We also have to keep him upright for 30 minutes after he eats.

Refluxmomme - posted on 11/14/2010

I agree with Victoria with just about everything! Our lo is 2 and still has severe gerd. Your lo is only 3 months give it time. I would also ask about a med switch you have to switch and switch till you find the right one, then sometimes the "right one" will need a dosage increase or just stop working so you have to start switching again! So stay strong sometimes it can be a long bumpy road. In addition to gerd our lo has gastoparesis, aspiration, layngomalacia, pharyngeal dysphagia, constipation, and feeding issues.

Ellen - posted on 11/12/2010

The Zantac may not be the right medication. It worked great for my son, but that was after trying two other medications! The gentlease worked great for us. Are you adding rice cereal to his bottles, that helped us too. My son is 1 and was only taken off meds at 10 monthts. I still have occasional vomiting (although I think that's more overfeeding than anything else). I still have to be careful what to feed him (anything with added vitamin c, tomato, anything acidic), and he is still milk-sensitiive, so he's on Gentlease toddler for now. The others are right, if you're not getting the help you need for your doctor, KEEP LOOKING! My family thought I was nuts running Ethan around, but it was worth it. I think as you start solids it'll get a little better, but go with bland, simple things.

Also, make sure you've gone to a specialist and had the proper tests done. I honestly don't think regular peds know how to treat this very well. Having a gastroenterologist was very helpful

Lori - posted on 09/08/2010

I am in the same boat as you plus my little on has milk/soy protein intolerance(MSPI)...In fact just yesterday she was up from 4pm till 7am the following morning just fussing away...As of yesterday at 4AM i started her on Neocate and she is also on zantac three times a day..so far today was a good day...I hope you and your little one get through this fast because as i know as well...GERD IS NO FUN!!

Victoria - posted on 07/15/2010

I have more experience than anyone would care to with GERD....I think marked improvement at 3-4 months is highly optimistic, normally you see it get better around 7 months of age, but I have a 3 year old who still takes Prevacid, Zantac, Miralax and occasionally still needs Tums and homeopathic drops for her GERD. I am not trying to scare you, just to say every case is very different! My oldest was a "normal" GERD baby, found the right medicine, felt relief and was off meds at 9 months old, so there is hope but I think 3-4 months is rare because they are still not sitting up or on thicker foods that are easier to keep down. The thing to remember about reflux meds is they don't stop the reflux, they only stop the pain associated with the washing up of the acid. It sounds to me like you have not found the right combination of medication, diet and lifestyle modifications yet. I used Carnation Good Start with my oldest and Similac RS with my youngest,Ava(the bad one). Also, he should never be laid down flat on his back, this allows more wash up. I recommend you have him always be in some sort of head-up position, my girls slept in their swings, bouncy seats or their infant car seats, whichever was convenient at the time and Ava still sleeps with her head elevated. When he is being held be sure everyone knows to keep him upright either on your shoulder or in a sitting type of position on your lap. Talk to your Dr about other meds, like Tagament, for the acid reduction, maybe the Zantac just isn't a good fit with him (my girls took different meds than eachother and they are sisters). These babies can be especially gassy too so be sure to use your gas drops frequently. Some of the meds cause constipation so be aware of his stools too because that can cause abdominal pain too. If the vomiting continues a lot he may need an antivomiting medication called Reglan. My youngest needed that but be cautious with that one, we had a horrible experience with it and it is known to have some serious side effects in some people- I know my pediatrician uses it as a last resort. The most important piece of advice I could give you is that normal babies don't cry and fuss for no reason, if he is not a happy, content baby his meds aren't right and you need to change them until they are- don't settle for cranky! Most pediatricians are able to handle GERD in young babies like yours, my Ava sees a Peds GI specialist (among other specialists due to secondary conditions that are present due to her severe GI issues) but her general Peds Dr. did a great job controlling her as a baby and referred us at 18 months to the specialist, this is the age that most consider "Abnormal" for persistent infant GERD. Change his regiment until it works and you have a normal baby, knock down doors and call the phone at the doctors office until the ringer breaks, you are his mom and you know him best. If your doctor asks you to settle for a halfway controlled, unhappy baby- find a new doctor! GERD awareness is getting better everyday, you just have to find the right professionals to help you advocate for your child's health, well being and comfort. I cannot express to you how important I think it is that the doctors that treat your children value your feelings, observations and opinions about how he is doing. If they brush you off or say that it's as good as its gonna get- get another doctor! Your son can be a happy, pain free baby, don't accept any less. Having said that, remember that things change and something may work for a month and then stop working and a change may be necessary so be aware and flexible with those things as well, also as he grows he may simply need more of the same medication to keep up with his size, Ava had her dose changed three times in 3 weeks once! A GERD baby is a challenge for any mom, you are not alone, trust me- life will get better once you find the right mix of controllers, you just need to be persistent and fight for it. I hope this helps you, please feel free to ask me any questions, like I said, I have more experience with this one than just about anyone and I am happy to help another mom who is struggling because I feel your agony as you watch your little guy in his misery...remember the squeaky wheel gets the oil so squeak until it's better! Best of Luck!

Kirsty - posted on 07/15/2010

In the UK we get gaviscon sachets. It's a powder that you can add to their milk to make it thicker so it stays down. It really helps James. It's only available on prescription here, so if they do have it where you are, it might be the same. It's worth asking about :)

Catherine - posted on 07/10/2010

My son is 9 months now, and he started out on the Zantac until about 4 months. Things weren't getting better at all and the doctor switched him to Prevacid, and that made things a lot better. His reflux got even better around 6 months when he was sitting up a lot and eating more solids. Hang in there, it will eventually improve!