Infant Gaviscon

Hi Danaj

We used infant gaviscon for a couple of days but it did not work for us, but it did work for my nephew. I think it is meant to work straight away as it stops each feed that its in from coming back up (not necessarily spilling but burning in their little throats)

I can completely sympathise with what you are going through as I have been there and only very recently. Heidi was prescribed losec for her silent reflux she was always swallowing, hiccuping and hard to bring wind up along with screaming etc. ALOT!

Losec has helped but in all honestly I think the main thing that help us was I just decided that I had to just let go of being uptight and at my wits end (trust me I thought I was about to lose my mind!) and be really patient with Heidi and just do what had to be done at the time (sometimes nothing works to this very day!) but I just go with it and she seems like a much calmer baby because of it. Granted she is becoming more & more of a mummies girl by the day but if I make her happy then I guess thats something (especially since DH is away for awhile) and in the beginning I felt like the worst Mum and really beat myself up about her not liking me etc. but I think it was because I was so uptight I made her uptight where as DH, Nana, Aunties etc. were really calm and that made her calm.

Anyway enough of my mumbo jumbo!!! All the best and I hope it all starts to get better and easier real soon for you and Madelyn! HUGS!!!

She has downed two full feeds in the past 2 hours. She has never eaten this much in her short little life!! Not to mention the 2 hour nap this arvo (never happened before) and now she's happy in her rocker (also doesn't happen).

Tonight will be interesting. The exhaustion meant that she's been sleeping at night for nearly 9 hours then another 5. Not good for her to sleep that long and the be awake for 12 hours. She also woke after 9 hours with a dry nappy this morning. Been to doc and she's had good wet nappies since then but she went floppy and lethargic at the doc's this arvo which was very scary. She's been given the all clear now though.

We used Gaviscon for a while until the constipation got worse and she was put onto ranitidine (the next 'step' after Gaviscon, before Losec) - the doctor advised that it was better for Clara to be on ranitidine than to treat the constipation with coloxyl drops, but your doctor may think differently.

Also, I don't know much about FFing because my baby is BF, but I guess you have thought about using a thickened formula? (As Gaviscon basically just acts as a thickener.) Or a HA or goats milk formula? I've heard of other refluxy babies who had success with a goats milk formula. (I found taking cows milk out of my diet made a big difference.)

Dana - I really sympathise for you - it sounds like you are going through hell.  There's more information about Gaviscon in my thread "10 day unsettled baby" on this branch - people have come to me with lots of useful information.  We are just getting by on Gaviscon and a lot of soul searching for new ideas that might help.  Just wish we could all find the magic answer!

Re the wet hiccups (aren't they horrible!!) - get the Gaviscon into Miss Ruckus as soon as possible when that occurs- the relief in Brooke is almost immediate.

Heidi - what you wrote sounds exactly like me at the moment - anxious, trying to do everything right, watching my wee girl going through pain, not liking her for what she's putting me through - but at the end of the day realising that it's not her fault and this isn't her "personality" as such.  Today we had tummy time this afternoon (rare event because of her reflux) and I got a smile!!  Really made my day!

We had to use Gaviscon after every feed for a while, then started cutting it back to just mornings and evenings (when he seemed to be worst) when the constipation was getting bad. Cian was a completely different baby after going onto the Gaviscon so any reservations I had about putting him on medication went out the window!

It is really hard having a baby with reflux, silent or otherwise, and a lot of people really don't get it... Hang in there, it does go away eventually (we're almost over it now at 6 months) and like others have said - just remember that they're crying cause they're in pain, not just to be difficult!! That was the thought that got me through when I hit the edge of my tolerance




ETA: The BEST advice I got was to check out this website:

Crying over spilt milk

It's brilliant

Edited by gypsynita

Hiya,

Just like to share...
My son had severe reflux when he was 4mths. I gave him gaviscon and it does work and his reflux get better.

Rgds,
Anna

Danaj - I hope the gavisocn has been successful, we have had silent reflux here but were put on losec (sp) in capsule form which we had to open up and tip the granuals down bubs throat they seemed to work and now we are off them YAY. But if the Gaviscon isn't working there are other options but all the best!!

Ha classic didn't even read the date!!!