Ranitidine dose seems too low??

[BelleBoyd]

My DS is 6 weeks and weighs 12lb.
He has reflux and has been on Max gaviscon dose for over a week which has stopped the vomiting but not the pain/constant screaming so GP has prescribed ranitidine.
The dose is 0.2ml and the concentration is 5mg/5ml.
He did say this is low and to adjust it if we need to but this sounds crazy low?
Is there a min to max dose someone can let me know?
I am anxious to get some results soon as I'm only getting 2 hours sleep a night and DS screams all day unless he's been jiggled gently in a bouncer.
My first DD had silent reflux and we struggled to the end of that with no meds and I can't do that again.

The maths needed to work out the dosing is complex...my gp referred us back to the consultant to do it but that doesn't sound like much. Can you go back to the gp or check with a pharmacist?

Yes I'm picking it up tomorrow-had to have it ordered in. So will ask the pharmacist.
Wondering what dosages worked for others in case anyone has similar age/weight and concentration...

There is a big scale and when we were struggling with DS at one point our Dr cranked it up significantly. BUT it is a potent medicine and even after administering it for months I would never have been confident enough to adjust the doesage myself.

Do you have a phone number for your GP you could call and try and get a medium-range dosage over the phone?

Are you sure it's 5 in 5? Ranitidine concentration is usually 150mg in 10ml. In which case 0.2 is about right, maybe a bit on the low side, depending on the dose they're starting with.

It does seem about right I think we started on 0.2ml when DS2 was about the same age/weight. I would never adjust is myself, my GP almost overdosed my DS by prescribing an adult dose! If it hadn't been for the pharmacist questioning it and calling the hospital to speak to a paediatrition it could have caused some serious problems. Definitely get the pharmacist to check.

Check out the BNF online or alternatively speak to your pharmacist. Seems like an extremly low dose to me. Im nearly sure the standard dose is 150mg dose twice per day - but thats for adults - but if the theraputic effect for adults is 150MG then one would imagine the dose could be titrated up for a child. Ask the pharmacist.

Hope he is better soon x

I think the dose for under 6 months is 1-3mg/kg three times a day. But there may be a newborn dose. To be honest my bnf is upstairs and I can't check at the moment! The pharmacy is always a good place to check.

5mg/ml is the injectable formulation 15mg/ml is the syrup.

Just collected it from the chemist and they wouldn't discuss the dosage-said to talk to the GP again.
It's 5mg/5ml oral suspension.
I'll call the GP on Monday. Seems to me 0.2ml is very low according to other peoples dosage. DS is 6 weeks old and 12lbs.