I had to take Rachel back to the pediatrician today. Since Monday, she has been doing this weird cough/gag thing at night. Last night, she actually threw up twice after doing it. It really sounds like she can't breath and that she is choking. The pediatrician said there is a medicine, called Reglan, that may help her reflux but she wasn't comfortable giving it to Rachel because of her intestinal surgery and liver issues. She told me I needed to go see the gastroentologist to see what he wanted to do. I now have to wait until Monday to try and finagle an appointment. They told me the first time they could see her was the end of February. Yeah, that isn't going to work, sorry. She did give us the go ahead to increase her Prevacid dosage to twice a day.
That drug is a pain in the butt to give her. You have to dissolve it in water in a syringe and then squirt it in to her mouth a half hour before she is to eat. Most of the time she spits the meds out or chokes on it and then wants to eat right away. It worked well for a month and a half and now it doesn't seem to be working any more. I can only hope MORE of the drug helps even though I don't like the idea of giving her more. She is on thickened formula, sleeps on a 30 degree angle, and sits up for a half hour before we can even get her close to lying flat. I am out of ideas and it seems like the pediatrician is too. I can't even do tummy time, let her play flat on the floor or put her in her swing. What is the next step? I have no idea but whatever it is, it better work because hearing your child choke at night is a horrible sound.
I know that she is kind of young for food yet but since you are desperate I thought I would mention the apple thing. For some reason it is recommended that prevacie be given with either apple juice or apple sauce. I have NO idea why but have heard this from many people as we too were on the quest to end reflux. Natalie had a powdered version (came in a packet and 1 packet was 2 doses). We would dissolve it in a tiny bit of applesauce and either feed it to her or use a syringe. I don't know if that will help you at all but I figured at this point it is worth mentioning. Also, the choking/ gagging could be a sign that she is aspirating now so you may want to ask about that again. I know this is so hard but I promise it gets better as they get bigger and stronger. Hang in there!
ReplyDelete-Lori-
I so wish that i could be there with you punky. I know the feeling. I cringe every time this stupid commercial comes on about whooping cough and it reminds me how i held you near the vaporizer and rocked you to calm you down. It's amazing what you find out you can get through. I swear it will get better. My friend's daughter just went through this process and she's better. Just like some babies have colic - sucks but "this too shall pass" - I promise you. Keep your chin up!! Love you, Mom.
ReplyDeleteBennett takes Prevacid but we get it compounded and he's taken it since he was 3 months old. We give it to him in a syringe but it is already dissolved, we just shake it up and I do try to give it to him 30 min. before he eats. But I just slowly squirt a little at a time. He takes .83 mls twice a day and the prescription says Lanoprazole DR/ Sodium Bicarb if you want to run it by your doctor. Maybe they could right it out so it can be comppound. It does need to be refrigerated. Also I have a feeling you are doing the solutab which is great for toddlers but terrible for infants and the syringe they give you is huge- am I right? The syringe we use is very skinny and he hardly spits out any. I believe it's grape flavored too. It's worth a try if that's not what you are already doing. All mine have had reflux and they all took prevacid, I also sold it so I am a little partial too it but I know it can be a pain to give but it works in most cases if the baby takes it all. I would be very careful about Reglan, from all experience when I was trained on different reflux drugs, reglan was one that was used with a lot of caution. I hope Rachel's reflux get better soon, my first had it terribly so I know the stress you are going through.
ReplyDeleteamen, reflux sucks! brady is on prevacid too and i JUST made an apt with a GI dr today for mid feb. :( i hope they can find some relief that way....
ReplyDeletei have read some babies are taking prevacid and zantac and that might help? prevacid is an acid blocker, and zantac works right away. if you find a cure, let me know :)
that is odd about how you give her the med. we had to go to a special pharmacy to get it where they compound it, and its flavored. stains but eaier to get down than than darn zantac
can you give her tums or sumthing like that after the feedings? or is that ineffective with the prevacid?
ReplyDeletebtw.. you should keep calling the gastro doc every other day to see if there is a cancellation and you can sneak in. :D
good luck!! xoxox