Ranitadine tastes awful, how to get it to go down?

[CageBird]

HELP!! As the title says, how do I get my poor little 11 week old baby to take this without looking like I'm trying to kill him and yelling the house down?

I was so happy to finally be prescribed Ranitadine instead of Gaviscon, which has constipated him terribly. But now I'm feeling 'out of the frying pan and into the fire'.

I have a syringe, and he ended up spitting out loads. I tried a medicine dummy and that was traumatic. Any advice please!?

bump

Mix it with some milk?

Tried the milk thing - it curdeled horribly :( . I never found a way round the syringe, I just had to learn to put the syringe into the pocket of his cheeck and go a tiny bit at a time.

Sorry :(

DD has really taken against Gaviscon now and I'm having the same problem. The same as toddlerwrangler really, I just have to put the syringe right to the side of her mouth towards the back and push in a little at a time. I lean her right back so gravity sends it down her throat. She hasn't choked yet... but honestly it's the only way.

I just put it in about 60 ml of her milk. Didn't have a problem with it curdling at all. But I appreciate the angst - we have now given up on ranitidine and are on lansoprazole - tablets that have to be ground up and mixed with water/milk in a syringe and then squirted into her mouth. Fortunately she quite likes the taste (strawberry milkshake from what I can make out!). Unfortuantely she hasn't quite worked out that she's supposed to swallow it rather than let it all dribble out after she's finished tasting it.

Moonunit - am so tired, hadn't thought of this option - thanks.

Toddlerwrangler - but thanks for the warning about the curdling!

Gaelicsheep - it's just awful, isn't is? I made the mistake of shooting the lot down the poor baby's throat last night and that was SO not the thing to do. This morning I went a bit slower and followed straight with milk and wasn't too traumatic.

Cardamomginger - DS3 is a bit poorly so not feeding well. I don't dare mix the dose with milk because it's unlikely he will drink the whole feed and then I won't know how much he's had.
Could you tell me why you changed to lansoprazole, and if it's as good / better?

I'm on a mission with the consultant today to see if there's not a more baby friendly solution. Will keep you posted. Thanks for your advice.

Yeah - and then they vomit it up and you have no idea how muhc went down... So sorry you are having a tough time.
We started on ranitidine 1 ml 3 times a day, and although initally, in conjunciton wiht switching to Nutramigen, there seemed to be an improvement DD rapidly started spiralling back down. We've been on lansoprazole 15 mg tablet 1/day and dom peridone 0.5 ml 3 times a day since 2nd november. Again an initial improvement, although has deteriorated over last few days. The main new symptom she has developed since changing meds is regurgitating. She was never a sicky baby, but now she brings it up all the time. As we changed two things, have no idea what has made a difference. We have a review today and a referral to GOSH next week, which is more aimed at the eczema and potential allergies she may develop - I have multiple nut allergies and am both gluten and lactose intolerant - but the consultant is also expert on gastro, so we may get some advice with her reflux too. Good luck X

Cardamomginger - wow, you have a lot to deal with as well. I hope you get somewhere with your consultant.

I'm still waiting for my consultant to call me back. I don't think I can bear to give another dose - I've just done one and he really struggles to breath through the peppermint. I think I prefer the constipation problem that comes with Gaviscon, at least that's crying once every few days when he poo's - with this he cries twice a day (other crying aside, of course).

Do persevere. He will get used to the taste. Just go very slowly with the syringe, as toddlerwrangler says. Ranitidine builds in its effect. A week on and you won't know yourself.

I was lucky, my DD quite liked it which is astonishing really as it's rank!

Thanks Longstalljosie. I must admit I'd almost given it up because I find it SO traumatic. Have gone back to Gaviscon. But I will take it up again.

Could you tell me the dosage you give? I have been told 1.3 ml for a 12(ish) pound baby. Wondering if this is a little high.

Doesn't sound high to me. When DD was 4 kilos she was on 1 ml 3 times a day - that was considered pretty hefty. How's it going? Saw consultant at GOSH today - seems she does not have reflux, rather she has an inflammatory allergic response to cow's milk that is causing the gastric symptoms and the skin problems. Coming off some of the meds, changing to Neocate, which is 100% artificla and hasn;t even been near a cow, never mind its milk and review in a few weeks. If no progress she might need an endoscopy .

just saw this thread and thought I would add my hv advice regarding ranitadine, she told me to mix it with milk by pouring milk into the bottle teat letting lo suck then add the meds, I havent had any problems with curdling. DD is on 1ml 3x per day and carobel milk thickners and as op said the ranitadine builds up a resistance took about 2 weeks hth

we had losec which was in granules. I used to express and add the granules and administer-she couldn't taste them this way. Not sure if losec is ranitidine or omeprozole so this may not be an option.