terrible constipation - gaviscon - any advice?

[willowstar]

Hello

My daughter has severe reflux and is on domperidone, ranitadine and gaviscon. the good news is that within 2 weeks of being on the therepy she has gone up a centile (to 2nd) having been at 50 when born. However, the cost is that she is now very constipated. Before we started the meds she would go ever 6 days or so, and when she did it was a major explosion, very loose.

Now she is going even less and this week has been constipated. She finally managed to go on Friday but was in such pain it nearly broke my heart as I watched her squeeze out a couple of tiny hard round poos.

So...I am due to see the paediatrician this week, but in the meantime does anyone have any suggestions? She is in such discomfort. I have tried giving her a teaspoon of fresh orange and a couple of teaspoons of water today, any other thoughts?

I have been able to cope with having a sick baby and giving her the meds etc, but I struggled to cope seeing her in such pain as she was in and just not sure what to do.

She is 14 weeks old and exclusively breastfed.

ta

I often found prune juice or fruit juice worked (I warmed it sligthly). Or a teaspoon of brown sugar in 110 ml of cooled boiled water. If your baby would take it in a bottle if BF though?

Perhaps it's best to ring either your health visitor or NHS direct for advice or go back to pediatrician or GP asap?

Poor little thing.

thank you...how much prune juice or fruit juice did you give?

I have never tried her with a bottle but she is used to syringes and takes them no problem and also the dummy with medication in it so i think she would be OK with a bottle.

As much as they wanted. I just kept offering it all day as and when, a little at a time, until the nappies started to look better.

You could just do it by syringe, if they're not keen on a bottle anyway. A little every ten minutes or so maybe?

I still think if within 24 hours things aren't better you need to call your HV or someone similar though

thanks, we are seeing the paediatrician on Tuesday so will just keep giving her a little fruit juice often until then. it happened again today and my husband said it was like she was giving birth. horrible to watch.

I tried her with a bottle with water and juice and sugar in it and she was so so keen but had no idea what to do with it...she just sucked it like she does her dummy so in the end I used a cup.

anyway, thanks for your help.

I never mixed the brown sugar in with fruit juice as well, just cool boiled water. Aww bless her, it's very distressing to see them like that, as there is so little you can do.

Let's hope the paeds can help on Tuesday.

How did the appointment go?

DS had gaviscon and got terrible constipation too - his reflux wasn't affecting his weight gain though so we stopped using it, he was uncomfortable and sick and we had a lot of washing to do but the cnstipation was far worse.

Could you try stopping the gaviscon if she is on the other two drugs?

When DS had constipation we used to massage his tummy. From right to left underneath the belly button, then upwards on the left hand side to above the belly button, then across right to left and then downwards from the top of his chest to his groin on the right hand side, a kind of clockwards motion IYSWIM? Also bicycling their legs helps and holding them upright when they are trying to go, oh and pat her bum so she knows where to put the effort in!

I hope this helps, DS stopped having constipation a week after we stopped the gaviscon. I didn't find any juices/water worked for us as we only gave him a small amount because he was 8 weeks old. Now if he gets constipation some prunes mashed into porridge works a treat .

Good luck, its horrid for them and I hope she clears up soon.

Since your DD's so small, and exc bf, I wouldn't recommend fruit juice.

Cooled boiled water, though, works a treat with Gaviscon-related constipation. Keep it as warm as you would an expressed bottle, though - so blood temperature. She may not take to it first go but persevere. I was very anti- this as I wanted her only to have breastmilk but my goodness it did the business (so to speak!)

I would also recommend trying reducing the dose. DD's reflux was treated with 5-10mls of Gaviscon/water mix - which as you know is one- to two-thirds of one sachet. I reduced it after discussion with my GP - you're after the sweet spot which thickens the feed just enough to stop it splashing back into the gullet, but no more thick than that.

We also stopped the Gaviscon for all but her night feed once the Ranitidine had kicked in properly.