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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Does ranatidine work? If so when?

28 replies

papersnowflake · 19/06/2016 23:47

I posted another thread about silent reflux. I believe my DD has it. She always cries during and after a feed, arches her back, writhes around, looks and sounds in pain. Gets hiccups a lot, always wants to comfort suck. Doesnt sleep until she's cried so much she's completely exhausted. It's horrible.

GP wasn't keen to prescribe anything and as she's gaining weight doesn't see what the problem is, but I persuaded him to give ranatidine. She's been taking it since yesterday.

Well, we've just had a horrendous day, we were at my parents house so not equipped with the only trick we have for calming her down (the yoga ball I used in the third trimester!!) DD cried inconsolably for hours, went bright red, sounded so worked up and angry I thought she would choke herself the only thing which made it worse was my parents telling me it's just colic/wind/she's tired

I can't do this much longer, it's soul destroying. I need to know how long to give it before I march back to the GP and force them to watch a feed. Did your DC take ranitidine? If so did it work? And, crucially, how long until you saw a difference?

OP posts:
Original poster
papersnowflake · 20/06/2016 03:32

Anyone out there?

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Lovewatchingrainfall · 20/06/2016 03:36

I totally feel your pain. My DD still suffers with silent reflux and she is 3.

For us it took a week before we saw any change with the meds and I'm sure that is not what you want to hear.

Have you ruled out any allergies or intolerance to me that sounds like it could be a milk intolerance.

Hope things calm down soon for you.

Original poster
papersnowflake · 20/06/2016 03:42

love thank you so much for your reply. A week...argh. Was that ranitidine?

Is there a reason why you would suspect dairy allergy rather than reflux?

Sorry you've also had to deal with this, hope you and your DD are ok. I'm exhausted and getting to the point where I don't really want to leave the house.

OP posts:
Lovewatchingrainfall · 20/06/2016 03:53

Yes that was with ranitidine.

I can only say from experience really that it could be an intolerance. But it could also be a bit of both. Once again been there.

Just make sure that baby is not laid flat we brought a cot wedge for under the mattress which helped a bit and found her bouncy chair as it was more upright was really good.

Heirhelp · 20/06/2016 05:00

My lo has been prescribed gaviscon and that is making some improvement. It works in a different way to ranitidine so you can take both.

Gooseysgirl · 20/06/2016 05:39

My son had silent reflux, it was awful Sad Gaviscon gave a little bit of relief but ranitidine was life changing for us! It kicked in within a few days and DS went from sleeping 2 hrs at a time to doing much longer stretches. IIRC he was in it from 3 months until about 14 months. Other things we did that helped.... Gave last feed at least an hour before bedtime and kept him upright at least 30 mins after feed. Top end of cot raised with a few books so he slept at an angle. Carried in sling as much as possible during the day. Not ideal, but moved him to seat attachment of pram early (4m) so I could keep him from lying completely flat. I hope things improve for your LO soon Flowers

Original poster
papersnowflake · 20/06/2016 05:59

Love ah ok. I was wondering about dairy allergy too but would need a referral to a paedeatrician to check for it I guess? Good idea on cot wedge, will buy one.

heir thank you for your reply. We did try gaviscon but found it difficult to combine with breastfeeding. Unfortunately it also didn't seem to make much difference to us.

The GP said that as we saw no real improvement with gaviscon it can't be reflux but I don't think that's right...

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Eminado · 20/06/2016 06:15

Yes it did work!

Took about 3/4 days.

You have to constantly check and adjust the dose for weight changes as the baby grows though.

Original poster
papersnowflake · 20/06/2016 06:46

goosey thank you. Life changing sounds good to me! DD was a lovely little baby until this really took hold, now she just seems so sad and in pain all the time.

emi thank you, will remember that.

Sounds like there is still time for it to take effect then...

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nam207 · 20/06/2016 07:09

We were told our DS had silent reflux and were prescribed ranitidine but it turned out he was allergic to milk and soya.

We were on the ranitidine for a few weeks and when it didn't work our go referred us to the hospital and that's when we found out about the allergies. The symptoms can be very similar.

Good luck finding a solution.

nam207 · 20/06/2016 07:09

GP not go

Original poster
papersnowflake · 20/06/2016 07:37

Thanks nam. A few weeks sounds like a long time! Did your GP want you to stick at it for all that time?

Glad you found the culprit in the end and hope your DS is better now.

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GraceGrape · 20/06/2016 07:50

I found it worked literally overnight for my Dd1.

Itscurtainsforyou · 20/06/2016 08:23

My little one was diagnosed with reflux (severe) when in hospital.

They tried gaviscon, which didn't work ( on for a week), they tried renitadine and domperidone which did work but took about a week to kick in properly.

Within weeks (& after leaving hospital) he started with symptoms again, after a prolonged argument getting an appt with the paediatrician & dietitian it was suggested that he may have a cows milk protein allergy/intolerance- we switched his formula and he was like a different baby.

I would definitely push for a referral.

Nightfall1983 · 20/06/2016 08:51

Just to add if you google 'tiger in the tree' reflux hold, very comforting and I'm guessing would replicate whatever you are doing with the yoga ball - handy for if out and about. Good luck

Original poster
papersnowflake · 20/06/2016 10:55

grace I'm very jealous! Glad it worked so well for your DD.

its that sounds so stressful. I think you're right, we do need to push for a referral.

night thank you! Will try it.

DD has not had a good morning...I'm not sure there's been an improvement so far Sad

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Original poster
papersnowflake · 20/06/2016 14:09

Bumping just in case there are any other experiences out there...

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SecretlycrushingonTomHanks · 20/06/2016 14:37

Your go can prescribe you dairy free formula. The best one to start on is nutramigen. I've been here twice now with DD's 1 & 2. DD2 is on omeprazole another step up from ranitidine. Baby gaviscon isn't the best and makes babies constipated so I wouldn't be taking Go's advice that it can't be reflux. The dairy allergy and reflux go hand in hand so I'd definately ask GP to trial your little one on the formula to see if it makes a difference. It can take up to 2 weeks for the dairy build up to subside completely but you should notice a difference in a day or 2. Flowers OP. Been there and remember all to well how hard it can be to get GP's to listen to you. DD2 was hospitalised before they paid attention.

SecretlycrushingonTomHanks · 20/06/2016 14:38

**should be GP!

Original poster
papersnowflake · 20/06/2016 17:07

secretly would a GP prescribe nutramagen just to give it a try do you think? I'm breastfeeding but would happily give it a go.

I'm going to look neurotic but I think I have to go back to the GP again sooner rather than later. DD will suddenly get this awful pained look on her face, arch her back and make a sound almost like screaming. I'm in tears and have no idea how I will get through another evening of inconsolable crying/bouncing...

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SecretlycrushingonTomHanks · 20/06/2016 17:26

You could cut dairy out of your diet. Will take a couple of weeks for you to be completely dairy free because it stays in your system that long but you'll again probably notice a difference in a few days. I did this with DD2 but she also had formula when I was working if there wasn't enough expressed. The GP did prescribe it for me to trial. I just asked him for it. I had both DD's back and forward to the docs like yo-yo's it's tho only way they'll do anything. Good thing is if they prescribe a dairy free formula they should refer you to a peadiatric dietician and they're a lot more helpful than a GP. Mine gas tracked DD2 to the peadiatrician to get the meds she needed.

nam207 · 20/06/2016 17:46

Yes my GP wanted to try the medicine for a few weeks but our referral through to the children's hospital was pretty quick.

I was breastfeeding and had to cut out all types of animal milk and soya and all their derivatives for a minimum of 3 weeks so the proteins could work their way out of my system.

After 3 weeks the improvement in my sons behaviour was really marked and life started to become a bit easier.

Unfortunately he's almost 4 now and hasn't yet outgrown his allergies as many do but we're used to accommodating them now and what we can and can't buy.

Just so you know, there are different types of formula for milk allergy and some of the nutramigen formulations aren't suitable for very sensitive allergies. You may or may not need one that's an amino acid formula which is what they prescribed me if I wanted to top up.

If you are breastfeeding and decide to try an elimination diet you need to make sure you know all the derivatives, milk and soya get into everything! If you google it you should find a list of terms to look out for.

Original poster
papersnowflake · 20/06/2016 18:22

secretly I have decided to cut dairy out starting this afternoon...a poster on my other thread suggested I try things one by one (meds then diet) so I'd know which was working, which I would normally think was sensible but I'm getting quite desperate now and will try anything and worry about that later Sad

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raeray · 20/06/2016 18:31

Oh your poor little OP, reflux is horrible!
Another option to try meds wise is omperazole which can be used in conjunction with ranitidine and gaviscon - so definitely more options, so don't feel defeated if what you're using at the moment isn't doing the trick.
Flowersfor you because its rotten for everyone when little one suffering like that.
Hope things start to improve soon.

SecretlycrushingonTomHanks · 20/06/2016 18:35

The good thing is by law in the uk they have to label all allergens in food ingredients in bold now so just read everything before you buy! You don't need to know the derivatives anymore as it tells you on the label. I suggested nutramigen as that's better than the lactose free formulas some doctors prescribe. It's rare for any human to have a lactose allergy, it's certain proteins in cows milk that we are usually allergic to. My DD2 is on a pure amino formula as she has intolerances to both dairy and soya (the reason I stopped Bfeeding, it was too hard to eliminate Everything from my diet Sad) but the GP would try you on a less hydrolised (sp) version first. DD1 is 5 and still dairy intolerant but yo a lesser degree than when she was a baby and DD2 is becoming more tolerant to soya as she gets older. She's 9 months now.