Time to remove the meds????

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Permalink Reply by Jenny Rawling on April 11, 2011 at 8:02

I'm sorry you've had a scary time with Nicole but I think your doctor is talking rubbish! Whether or not you have stomach acid (in your stomach!) has no bearing on how you deal with bugs in your lungs. Refluxers are more prone to respiratory disease because their protective mechanisms are sometimes damaged by acid refluxing through their throat, and also because there is the possibility that they inhale refluxed material. They also get more allergic respiratory disease linked to CMPI.

It's great that she is doing well and you are ready to cut down her meds. We're not on domperidone so no advice on that, but we were told to cut down the omeprazole very gradually over a period of weeks to months, moving from reducing the dose to a small dose every other day then every third day before stopping. Maybe you could reduce to 10mg and see how you get on?

Jen xx

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Permalink Reply by Lara Hamilton on April 11, 2011 at 8:48

Thanks Jen

She's been night wakening last couple of nights but still no signs of reflux, I think she's maybe just getting to the age where the afternoon naps need to be stopped.  I think we'll give her another week without the ranitidine then try 12mg Omeprazole for a couple of weeks then down to 8mg and go like that - these poor bubs are so hard to get the balance right with them x

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Permalink Reply by Catherine Robbins on April 11, 2011 at 10:18

Hi Lara

 

Great news about Nicole's reflux. We have had a similar experience with Leon, now coming up to 14 months old. We tried to reduce the Omeprazole a few weeks ago .  He was on 10mg at night so we were advised to snap tablet and just give him the 5mg. But for whatever reason, Leon was back to vomiting 1-2 times per day, so at present we are back up to the 10mg again. Paed said try this time to shave a bit off each time for a few days and carry on like that.

 

Leon is still on Pepti Junior and has Gaviscon, and also a dairy free diet until we can get him off the mups.

 

Leon seems to have suffered lots with his chest; the mucous and the coughing really do seem to stick around and then keep coming back every few weeks. I myself have had severe asthma since diagnosed at 5 yrs old so I wouldn't be surprised if turns out to be this in a few years time.

 

I think it is so difficult to sort all of these issues when you have so many things affecting the reflux - teething, jabs, colds, food intolerances, allergies etc. Seems impossible and really does make you feel so lacking in confidence just to go for it. I have to admit, I was getting so fed up with the food thing, no dairy, avoiding foods that trigger the reflux (apples, onions, tomatoes, all fruit basically etc etc) Leon would react to mini pasta that said on the packet 'may contain traces of milk'.  I was making everything myself really, then going back to work makes it more difficult, so I just thought I would just buy a load of packets and see what happened. Have had a few set backs, but generally doing ok.

 

Let us know how you get on, as I would like to know how reducing Omperazole works for you.

 

Take care,

Catherine

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Permalink Reply by Clare Jenkins on April 11, 2011 at 12:52

Hi Lara

Glad Nicole is recovering- how scary for you all.

Harry is just 2 and still on 10mg omep daily (also dairy free).  We reduced from 15mg to 10mg at 16mths with no problems but when we cut it to 5mg he started arching, crying etc.. something we'd not seen in over a year.  So put it back to 10mg and symptoms vanished.  This was last August, too scared to try and reduce again!  He is ok on 9mg daily so we often give that, but its not accurate when you administer in a syringe anyway.

I would go slowly, reducing by 1ml every 3 days until you get to 10mg, then stay on 10mg for a couple of weeks and then try reducing further, hopefully she'll be fine but if not just put it back to the least possible dose she was   ok with.  Sorry no experience with Domperidone, but if I were you I would be reducing that first before the omeprazole.

Good luck x

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Permalink Reply by Sara B on April 11, 2011 at 14:21

Hi Lara,

Sorry to hear you have been through the mill with Nicole. I have no experience of trying to reduce Omeprazole but know I see it pretty quickly if zoe manages to spit part of her tablet out! I did try to reduce her Domperidone last week (I am due back at the hospital next week and am fairly sure they will tell me to reduce it as she will be 11 months then, so thought I'd pre empt it). I cut her down by one dose a day, and held it at that for 5 days. By day 3 we were getting more sick, and by day 5 I could hear her refluxing whilst walking with her in the back pack. I don't think she was in real pain, but was definitely took longer to go to sleep at night. Apart from anything else I didn't like the thought of sick all down my back!! So have put it back in, it answered my question as to whether she needs it.

However Nicoles dose does look really low (Zoe is 9kg on 3.5ml 3 times a day), it is possible that she has grown enough that it is not having a huge effect anyway.

I would stop the domperidone before the omeprazole. The hospital told me to do it by cutting out one dose, stabilising for a few days (I was being cautious with the 5 day thing because I could see she was getting worse) then cut out another dose and so on.

I am sure refluxers are more susceptible to getting ill and it definitely takes them longer to bounce back than other babies. I hope for all of you that she is better soon.

xxxxx

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Permalink Reply by Belinda on April 11, 2011 at 15:33

Hi ya Lara, my daughter was on Omperozole, domperidone and liqiud Gaviscon when she was younger. At 14 months old we stopped her Domperidone, reducing it down by a dose a week. We were able to stop this with no returning side effects. How ever the Omeprozole has been a different story.

She was on 20mg and we managed around 15 months old to get her down to 10mg, decressing 1mg every every couple of weeks, this worked great. BUT she is three years old nearlly now and sadly we cant reduce any more. Each time we try symptoms return.

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Permalink Reply by gaby on April 11, 2011 at 19:38

Hi

I have been following the various posts on here religiously since the beginning of Dec and many many of us including myself seem to note that their LO is not obviously different when they remove ranitidine ( they remain on omep. though) and if anything my Lo was better for removing it on the instruction of my gastric paed. He advised us to reduce ever so gradually over several days and he suggested to reduce the middle of the day one first and absolutely not the night time one first. I suppose reducing meds is similar to introducing new foods - ie wait a few days of one reducing one drug before you tackle another!

 

Good Luck,

Gaby xx

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Permalink Reply by Lara Hamilton on April 11, 2011 at 23:31

Thanks everyone for your messages.

She certainly doesn't seem to be uncomfortable on the removal of the Ranitidine - she has however started night wakening - not in any obvious pain though, just wants to play lol

I still after 15 months don't get reflux lol

Lx

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Permalink Reply by Sarah on April 12, 2011 at 22:14

Hi again...just realised she's off the Ranitidene too...you go girl!! I seem to remember Ben was quite sleepy on Ranitidene tho he was tiny then, but I did think it made him bit drowsy. It's proberly just her age waking in night...have you tried leaving her a few safe bits to play with in her cot? I think Ben sometimes wakes & has a little play before settling back for more sleep. If you don't think she's in pain I'd def try ignoring her for a bit to see if she'll resettle herself. Or like you say maybe she's ready to reduce her naps...when/how much does she sleep during the day now? xxx

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Permalink Reply by Lara Hamilton on April 13, 2011 at 19:40

She has been sleeping for two hours from 1-3, hubby's been trying to let her sleep in the mornin, I think she is just getting to that age.  We thought that before she took the bronchiolitis, then that seemed to make her sleepy again during the day. My son had to have naps stopped when he was 13 months cos he wouldn't go to bed xx

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Permalink Reply by Sarah on April 12, 2011 at 22:03

Hiya Lara, That's fab to hear that Nickers seems to be doing so well with her reflux! OMG Scary with the bronchiolitis breathing...poor wee bub!! Maybe she just needs a bit more time to fully recover? The Gastro Paed Ben saw said his reflux would get worse every time he got a bug (or teethed) so maybe that's part of why they sometimes take longer to get over things?  

That's great you've reduced her Omep to 16mg...well done for being so brave!! Personally I'd leave that for a bit now & wait till her chest is better. Then maybe try reducing her Domperidone or Ranitidene, esp as they're 3 times a day. Not sure best way to do it as Ben just swapped his Ranitidene for Omep & I just stopped his Domperidone without reducing or anything. He didn't react badly to this, but then it never seemed to have done anything for him anyway.

How's life in general now? xxx   

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Permalink Reply by Lara Hamilton on April 13, 2011 at 19:37

We're doing ok thanks Sarah, we've moved back to Scotland - I didn't settle where we were.  Am back working full time which is a killer but hey,the things you've got to do.  Well the good news is she's not had any ranitidine for 5 days now and to be honest, she's no different. Darrens (hubby) mum said he used to get bronchitis when he was teething, honestly if it's not one thing its another.  How's all at your end?

Lx

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