Reflux and ranitidine

[Squeakybubbles26]

So after a long battle and what seemed like a week of constant cry DD2 (11 weeks old) got prescribed ranitidine for silent reflux. She was irritable after feeds, arching back and distressed etc.
So she's been prescribed 0.6ml x3 a day. She's been taking it since Friday evening. Just wondered when should we see effects from?
I do think it's helping but she's clearly still in discomfort after feeds.

I’m pretty sure we saw results straight away get the dose increased

You should see full
Effect within a week usually but there is a wide range of dosage. Unless your DD very low weight I’d say 0.6ml TDS is on the lower end of the dosage scale. Ask GP or pharmacist to increase (you’ll need a recent weight). I noticed a big change going from the mid dosage to the upper dosage with my DS who is now 7 weeks with silent reflux (Jr weighs 5kg and is on 1ml TDS). Good luck - silent reflux is hard work I know.

*He weighs

@Fivefootoffun yeh the DR did say a week, I just feel for her. Does your LO only use ranitidine? She was weighed 3 weeks ago and was 4.66kg. I will get an up to date weight this week.

Reflux is usually a symptom of something else. I'd be suspecting cows milk allergy with what you describe. If you're bf then you can cut out dairy and soya and see if that improves the symptoms you describe. If ff then ask GP for a non cow's milk formula

@Sleeplease the DR did say it could be CMPA however because she hasn't got a rash it's not her first instinct so we're trying to control the reflux first with ranitidine before using reflux formula and then last result the prescribed dairy free milk.
I know it's all time and she will grow out of it but hate seeing her in pain 😢

@Squeakybubbles26 he was on gaviscon too but we stopped that as was constipating him badly and wasn’t having much of an effect. DS was the same weight when started and started on 0.6mls as well. That’s mid range so def scope for you to
Increase. Speak with gp or pharmacist tomorrow maybe?

My little girl had the same and did grow out of it around a year.

I’d disagree that reflux is usually a sign of something else. Having worked in paediatrics myself, seen countless children with reflux with only a minority having CMPA on top of that.

Best of luck

My baby had CMPA with no rash. The medicine helped in a few days but we also combined it with a change to hypoallergenic formula.

Ps I know it's horrible to see them distressed, keep her upright as much as possible and go back to the doctor if you don't see improvement in a few days. . She'll be ok and will come through it

We tried everything for DS, carobel, gaviscon, ranitidine, reflux formula and lactose free( he wouldn't take this, it smelt so awful i can't imagine how bad it tasted)

Its only now at 4.5 months he seems a bit better and i think It's just gotten better with age. He can still be very sicky, bile comes up hours after feeds and he makes awful faces since i guess it can't taste very nice but hes not upset by it anymore. Ive been advised to wean early and hopefully he'll not get it anymore.

It is hard and isn't nice seeing them upset so i hope the ranitidine helps

I don’t think the dose is wrong. My DD who is a very healthy chubby baby was on 0.5ml 3 times a day and was only recently (she’s 10 months) upped to 1ml twice a day.

It took closer to the two week mark but I tried everything including omperizole and I swear by her ranitidine. Once it kicked in she magically stopped vomiting constantly. She’s now only sick on the extremely rare occurrence. She’s got CMPA and is also not weaned back onto dairy so that helps too.

My baby was around 11 pounds and was on 1ml 3x a day. Pharmacist said this was towards the upper limit of dosage but it worked so well. Like having a different baby. He is up to 1.3ml 3x a day now.

My baby also had cmpa with no rash.

Thanks for all your replies, I don't think she's got a really bad case or silent reflux (I feel sorry for babies that do) but it's obvious acid comes back up as she constantly swallows, arches, she does spit up with it but not huge volumes. Hopefully the ranitidine takes more of an effect soon. I know age will help too and she needs to develop those tummy muscles!

I know the DR said a week but after every feed you wait to see those changes and am relived when it's a good feed with limit discomfort. She just finished her bottle and currently squirming around arching poor thing (she has burped so it's not wind) however after the smallest of cry outs she took her dummy and fell asleep ... so this seems a good feed!

Reflux is usually a symptom of something else. I'd be suspecting cows milk allergy with what you describe. If you're bf then you can cut out dairy

No, reflux is a mechanical issue.

OP, you have my sympathy after both suffering from this myself and having two babies who have - one severely (enough to need an operation) and one mildly.

Hopefully you can get the ranitidine dose increased. Stick with the dummy as they do help! There are other medications the consultant can add in as well.

Huge hugs. It's a bit crap.

We used carobel in the formula to thicken it aswell as using ranitidine. It seemed to help keep the milk down with it being thicker. Could be worth a try? Boots sell it.

@SospanFrangipan think il invest in the carobel poor LO is getting congested when she lies down now (ever since starting ranitidine 🙄)
Ah that's good to know will venture out to boots today! Is that big stores only??

You ought to be able to get carobel prescribes if it works? Good luck.

Oh what a night 😩 poor LO suffering with bad congestion now but it's ever since we've started the ranitidine - which makes her more sicky where as before she wasn't hardly sick😞
I've ordered carobel and thankfully that's being delivered today but for now I'm stopping the ranitidine it's made situations worse and not better. Hoping the carobel will help because it's thicker.
Anyone else experience bad congestion with ranitidine or reflux in general?

If it doesn't work I would suggest looking at cows milk protein allergy. My eldest was dosed on every drug going, until we went private and got a CMPA diagnosis. The change in her was unbelievable on the right milk.

@Kanga83 I would love a miracle cure. Typically we go away at the weekend so have to continue with the carobel or nothing until we return. Thankfully the DR said to try things before eliminating dairy etc but she was willing to try it if I wanted to.

Hi Iv just been reading these threads to see what people ms opinion is on cutting out dairy... and how long they have done it for as it has helped my 3 month old and everytime I eat dairy his reflux comes back. If I take nat phos and eliminate dairy it's a massive inpeovement

Nat phos has been a mirical cure btw. No nasties like other medications prescribed and my baby was screaming after every bf and throwing up whole feeds I was feeding constantly a week ago he actually started sleeping on his back!

@Courtneyfish hey, I can't personally comment on the dairy free aspect as we ended up coming off the ranitidine as it made my daughter worse! Silent reflux is horrible and so glad my daughter has improved for the better! Age is defiantly a big factor tho!

@Squeakybubbles26 how old is your daughter? Does carobel cause constipation ? If my son takes a nat phos x6 tablet after every feed mixed with a small bit of milk or water he is completely fine and before was being sick constantly and that was causing him congestion. He would vomit up a whole feed. I'm so surprised knowone has heard of this as it has changed him...I want to spread the word at least people should go and see a health food specialist and ask them about this homeopathic remedy... it's amazing!! And completely safe no side effects x