How to give omeprazole without making baby scream?!

[BuddySpice]

Desperate for any advice please! My 14 week old is on 5mg of omeprazole daily and screams and cries horribly every time we have to give him it. We’re using a syringe and trying to aim it into his cheek but he just gets so so distressed. He’s breastfed and hasn’t ever taken a bottle. If any of you have found a way to give omeprazole without really upsetting their little ones please do share! He’s started to turn his face away and cry pre-emptively now bless him

Is it capsules that you mix yourselves or syrup that made up by the pharmacy?

Nope- LO is now 5 months and it’s still a daily nightmare/ battle!!! Little my little and broken up with a breastfeed mid way through.
Are you on the max concentration you can go on to reduce the dosage?

My DC has it made up to 20mg in 5ml and has a raspberry flavour put in it. The chemist sends the prescription away to a specials service that are a compounding pharmacy. It’s expensive but much easier to get her to take it than the stupid capsules that don’t bloody dissolve. If your DC had a dummy you could try putting it in a medicine dummy. I agree with PP to give it a bit before feed and the rest afterwards. After months of struggling my DC now takes it fine and has done for years, don’t let that scare you, most DC don’t need it for that long.

We also ended up pushing hard for the syrup/suspension version and got a flavour put in (cherry). She would vomit up the undissolved powder/water convo, it was disgusting and very thin so had nothing to “anchor” it in her tummy. It was prescription from GP and then Lloyd’s Pharmacy who sorted it for us.

I’m not sure about concentration but not the highest dosage, was told to use 10ml of water per tablet and half one day so 5mg in 5ml and the other half the next. Only been on it 1.5 weeks and GP won’t up the dose yet. I’ll try the little by little and in between a feed, he just gets so upset I don’t think he’d feed in the state he gets himself in :( thank you for your replies and sorry your little ones are suffering too!

Oh the liquid suspension and a flavour sounds great! I’ll push the GP for that thank you! Poor lamb just screams so desperately and really cries, it’s horrible.

It’s expensive so be prepared to push hard! Also, ours was actually dairy allergy related and got much better when I quit dairy, I don’t know if that’s something they’ve already looked at for you. I hope he starts to feel better soon, it’s rubbish for them.

@DoThePropeller

It’s expensive so be prepared to push hard! Also, ours was actually dairy allergy related and got much better when I quit dairy, I don’t know if that’s something they’ve already looked at for you. I hope he starts to feel better soon, it’s rubbish for them.

One of my DC was the same. I would also agree be strong with the GP, tell them it’s never going to work because they can’t take it, so you need the suspension. Has a Consultant prescribed it initially?

No just a GP and I’ve been dairy free since early Feb, helped with some diarrhoea he had then but the reflux discomfort seems to have been growing regardless, GP wants me to keep it up though which I’m fine with. I’ll prepare for pushback from the GP, he does end up spitting / coughing a lot out often as he’s so upset so wouldn’t be lying that it’s not working as is!

I told my gp it was just too much for my LO as she projectile vomited it al- they upped the concentration to 20mg and cut the dosage in half.

I alternate syringe and boob, but it’s a total pain! He has got better though - hopefully your lad will too.

Thanks so much everyone, this has been so helpful and I really appreciate it!

@BuddySpice

Desperate for any advice please! My 14 week old is on 5mg of omeprazole daily and screams and cries horribly every time we have to give him it. We’re using a syringe and trying to aim it into his cheek but he just gets so so distressed. He’s breastfed and hasn’t ever taken a bottle. If any of you have found a way to give omeprazole without really upsetting their little ones please do share! He’s started to turn his face away and cry pre-emptively now bless him

1-2 ml (or less) at a time while he’s breastfeeding. DS was prescribed a similar medication at 12 weeks and injecting while he breastfed was the only way we could get him to swallow it

I would ask for a referral to a Gastro Consultant as well OP. Have you had any help from the feeding specialist Health Visitor at all? If they have such a thing in your area.

I used liquid omeprazole but also expressed and gave it in a bottle. It made things so much easier.

I have lots of sympathy.

My eldest was on omeprozole after months of rinitadine. The difference it made was phenomenal but she was much older than your wee tot. When I was going through this omeprozole was consultant issue only so I think pressing for a consultant referral may help with getting the syrup. I have a friend whose wee one got this after she was absolutely ferocious with the GP to get it. Unfortunately the baby struggled to swallow it as it was terribly thick. But I think thinning it down (possibly with a wee touch of BM) is easier than syringing a granular filled liquid into a tiny baby.

Good luck

Oh I meant to say. When we gave either omeprozole or ranitidine we always used a tiny amount of milk in a bottle. Would a wee tiny bit of BM in the syringe help?