Infant Gaviscon question

[Doodleydoo]

Dr diagnosed ds (4 weeks) with reflux and prescribed infant gaviscon - please tell me how long it takes for it to kick in? Does he take it for a week or is it instantaneous? Can it be taken with Infacol?

Thanks

It builds up over a few days but I noticed improvements after the first couple of feeds

Am sure it's fine with Infacol but you may not need the infacol? Does DS have colic too?

Really hope things improve, if they don't there are other meds to help, but Gaviscon worked really well for us

Thanks Christiana, thought it might be an instant cure and am slightly feeling at my wits end... but that is good, I have enough for 5 days I think and will use that all and see how it goes.

I think he may have colic too - from 4pm until about 4am he is not great!

It should help. Is it reflux with him being sick or silent reflux?

I really sympathise. DD1 had colic and she DID grow out of it at 12 weeks, I thought it would never end. And DD2 has silent reflux. Much better now. Both together would be a nightmare!

what is silent reflux?

Silent reflux is when the baby isn't actually sick, but suffers pain because acid or milk comes back up and causes pain

Thank you! that will be why I didn't think ds had reflux as there is no sickness - diagnosed over the phone so a bit of a risk but he wanted me to get something sooner rather than later (the dr) and said that a week of gaviscon wouldn't do any harm. And I am at my wits end!

Does it seem to be helping so far?

Are you breast or bottle feeding? How much are you giving?

It WON'T do any harm.

There is a website about all the symptoms I'll try to find it for you.

DD2 just hated being flat, liked being nuzzled against me, constantly wanted to drink, had very explosive greeny poo.

It gets better particularly when they start eating.

The other thing is, and your DS is so young you may not want to try this (I didn't realise DD2 had it until she was FOURTEEN WEEKS old - SILLY me), was to space out the feeds a bit. DD2 wanted to feed all the time (it helps wash the milk/ acid back down the throat so soothes them) but it can get into a bit of a vicious cycle of feeding constantly/ making more acid. If you can space out the feeds maybe that would help. I know how hard this is though.

Also, have you propped up the cot on one end? And for nappy changes I put a cushion under the changing mat so DD2 was at an angle (head up of course)

Thanks so much for the hints, it seems he is happy sleeping on my tummy and then in a bouncy chair/car seat with his head raised. he doesn't want to sleep in his moses basket so is semi co-sleeping at the moment which I am not too keen on but also enjoying the sleep I am getting.

Sometimes a dummy is helping but not much, very much explosive in the bottom dept - whether it be wind or poo but not green which am hoping is a good sign!

Does want to feed quite a lot, but then he was mini (5lbs 11) when born and I was assuming that he was feeding constantly to catch up (which he is!)

The space is getting better between feeds and what annoys me is that he sleeps really well when he sleeps, and he doesn't do too much screaming really but lots of groaning and grunting and squirming whilst asleep but lots of crying post feed.

Will battle onwards and hope it gets better soon............or that I am wrong and it's colic!

It's definitely fine with Infacol and I'd keep giving both as they seemed to have different effects.

If you're bottle feeding you could try changing formula. If breastfeeding, then maybe change your diet slightly - avoid onions, cabbage, spice - stuff that can give them wind.

If he sleeps in his bouncy chair/car seat, you could try settling him in it for the night. (I never did but wish I had as we'd all have got more sleep.) or raise the head of his cot with books under the mattress, though that never worked for us as he seemed to slide down the side.

If Gaviscon doesn't work, check when he's old enough to have Zantac/Ranitidine. It transformed our lives.

well it all seems to be getting a little better after less than 24 hrs - had some good advice from various sources (mainly here ) and so I have done the following:

2 x droppers of infacol
winding throughout feed including writing I LOVE YOU on tummy and pushing up legs (wow the bottom burps that followed impressed even dh!)
gaviscon
tilting moses basket sligtly

Now we didn't have a totally sleepy night but the winding, the feed and the sleep got by all was far more than I was expecting.

He definitely prefers to sit upright post a feed so am assuming at the moment that silent reflux is the issue which shouldn't really suprise me as both my mother and I have suffered from reflux at somepoint so am just hoping that he might grow out of it........

Well done doodley
I remember that I LOVE YOU thing, the farts were amazing. Poor things with all that gas in there!