Help! Reflux, Gaviscon, Problems with it??

[fairypop]

Hello
My LO is nine weeks old now. He was having bad reflux, so we took him to the docs yesterday and they prescribed Infant Gaviscon. He is over 16lb in weight so we were able to give him the higher dosage - two of the one dose sachets in 225ml of milk. We have given him a total of 6 of the small sachets (3 doses for his weight), we started this last night. We stopped giving it him after lunch today as he has been an nightmare, proper screaming and unhappy. Nothing will really soothe him. He doesn't have a temperature, he is feeding fine though....he just keeps screaming and it really isn't like him. He had a dirty nappy this morning, which didn't seem as much as normal, and was a bit greeny and more solid (TMI) so now I am worried, do you think he may be constitpated or have tummy ache? How would you know if your LO had tummy ache???

Any advice from anyone who has used it?
Thanks

 

[brownlieB]

Hi my LO is on gaviscon has been since 7wks, is the crying different from normal? Wondering if it's the reflux thats burning? Gaviscon really helped our one and on the one day we didn't give it was when we got the screaming. even though she's formula fed on this instance we gave it as a breast fed baby (right at the bottom of the sachet are the instructions for that) and it was instant relief so we knew she needed it.

Our pharmacist said gaviscon works better when it whisked in the milk, (we shake vigorously which works for us) but he said the better dissolved and mixed in with the milk it is the better it works.

Re constipation, we accidently gave too much one day in a bottle, and we phoned NHS direct and they said it can cause tummy aches and constipation so maybe thats what is happening?? You can give extra water as a separate bottle to help the constipation, or maybe try a sachet and a half? (I know it's not what was prescribed but we give our LO that as she has 210ml bottles, so too much for one sachet but not enough for 2 sachets and they said thats fine.

Hope that has been a help and if no improvement go back to gp they might have to look into using something else xx

 

[fairypop]

Thanks for that, I will leave him off it and see how is is tomorrow and then like you suggest maybe try him on a bit less. We will try the water too
Thanks for your advice I feel awful, like I have hurt him by giving it to him

 

[brownlieB]

No don't feel bad...Imagine how we felt giving her too much by accident and having to phone NHS direct saying i've overdosed my baby!!

She screamed that night and I think it was because we gave her too much a bit of calpol settled her which the NHS nurse said was ok, obviously though taht was a one off dose if it's causing your LO problems you'll want something long term x

 

[Worrisome]

Thanks for that, I will leave him off it and see how is is tomorrow and then like you suggest maybe try him on a bit less. We will try the water too
Thanks for your advice I feel awful, like I have hurt him by giving it to him

Your trying to fix him, don't be hard on yourself.
My lo was terribly constipated on it, made her little bottom bleed and I had to squeeze the poop out. Sounds like belly ache hun

 

[anna matronic]

Evan was so constipated he got given lactulose, he didn't go to poo for 3 days dunno how long he's have gone without if we didnt give him laxative!! He normally goes 3 times a day!

I have taken him off gaviscon to see how he is, but the change in him is instant when he takes it. At the moment he is fine x

 

[broodylocket]

hi, yeah my son was on that since 10 weeks and now he only has 1 with his milk as 2 doses made him have belly ache and constipation.

hope ur lo okay xx

 

[shambaby]

hope loki's feeling better

even though hayden is big enough for the higher dose, we just give him the one sachet, mostly because he doesn't drink enough in one go for the bigger dose. we did try it for a day once, but it made the milk really thick and he couldn't drink it.

it probably was making him constipated - maybe you could try the lower dose and see how he gets on. we give hayden a dose in every feed, and he has 5 a day, and it's enough to sort out the symptoms, but not enough to cause a problem - his poo is more solid on it, but not so much that he is constipated or in pain.

if you try that and it doesn't help, go back to your gp - there may be something else they can try for him. and don't feel bad - you're just trying to make him better xxx

 

[BethK]

My LO went on Gaviscon. She screamed for 2 days it made her so constipated she bled from her bottom. Had to get emergency doctors to give Lactulose, they told me to take her off the Gaviscon straight away!

 

[fairypop]

Thanks for all your advice. I kept him off it yesterday and the reflux was bad. Am going to try him today on one sachet for his lunchtime feed and one before bedtime and see what happens, then try another additional sachet the next day. If he gets constipated again I will take him back to the docs... Will see what happens today!!
xx

 

[minichicky]

we also tried Isaac with 2 as he ws heavy enough and drinking enough and soon went back down to the one sachet. Hes still on it now mind 7.5 months on .....