Andersen Baby's Tummy Troubles: December 2013

Friday, December 13, 2013

Wednesday 12/4/2013

Lansoprazole at 830, 2, and 530

Probiotic in mid-morning bottle

Pleasant. No huge naps.

945-230 (4hr45m) VERY difficult to get to settle back down, squirming all over the place, broke out of tight swaddle multiple times. Rolaids didn't help. Prevacid insomnia??
4-745 (3hr45m)
TOTAL 8hr30m

Thursday, 12/5/2013

Lansoprazole at 810, 3, and 6

Need to try to get that midday dose earlier. May have slight DGE as she continues to recover from last week's small bout of gastroenteritis.

Took a LONG time to completely settle down for the night. Rolaids helped a bit.

9-12 (3hr) (UP FOR THREE hours, some crying toward the end -- turned out to be gas/stomach pain)
315-715 (4hr)
TOTAL 7hr

Friday, 12/6/2013

Lansoprazole at 745, 1, and 5

Morning BM was shinier and stringier than normal. Still dealing with aftereffects of last week's stomach upset?

Pleasant, but had a hard time napping for more than 45 minutes (1 sleep cycle)

Probiotic in morning bottle

Added digestive enzymes (half a capsule) to some of the day's bottles

I think she may be dealing with this: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/561873

Fell asleep okay in my arms tonight but squirmed around once placed in bassinet. Hyoscyamine didn't help. Rolaids didn't, either.

Took forever to get down. :( Very uncomfortable. Squirming everywhere. Not sure what else I can do.

945-1030 (45m) one sleep cycle :( had a bottle and then a BM; seemed more comfortable afterward and fell asleep fairly easily afterward.
11-430 (5hr30m) had a bottle
545-730 (1hr45m)
TOTAL 7hr15m

Saturday, 12/7/2013

Lansoprazole @ 745, 4 (long nap prevented it being given earlier), and that's all.

Started digestive enzymes, 1/2 capsule in every bottle.

4oz at 815, 11, 430, and 630. No feeding issues at all.

Naps from 9-11 (woke halfway through for pacifier), 1230-4 (woke once at 130 for pacifier).

Went down WAY easier tonight, but was exhausted from Santa pictures this evening.

9-330 (6hr30m)
430-8 (3hr30m)
TOTAL 10hr!!!

Sunday, 12/8/2013

Lansoprazole @8, 4

4oz @ 830, 1115, 430, 2oz @630

Nap from 945-1030, 1220-345

830-130 (5hr) might be starting to get acidy from 2 missed doses in 2 days. Rolaids helped
230-7 (4hr30m)
TOTAL 9hr30m

Monday, 12/9/2013

Lansoprazole @ 715, 115, and 5

Nap from 9-10, 1130-115, 230-

4oz at 745, 1030, 145, 530, and 730

Digestive enzymes might have caused some diarrhea. Will decrease amount so one capsule is split among 4 bottles instead of 2.

830-3 (6hr30m) 4oz and a normal BM
4-7 (3hr)
TOTAL 9hr30m

Tuesday

Hard time getting to bed. Settled after another bottle.

945-245 (5hr) 4oz and a BM
4-730 (3hr30m)
TOTAL 8hr30m

Wednesday, 12/11/2013

No great naps. Not fussy but had a hard time getting to sleep.

930-230 (5hr) 5oz and BM
4-730 (3hr 30m)
TOTAL 8hr30m

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Thursday, 11/28/2013

Lansoprazole at 710, 1245, and 530.

One big morning nap swaddled on the Boppy and a few small catnaps

Pleasant and calm.

8-130 (5ht30m)
245-7 (4hr15m)
TOTAL 9hr45m

Friday, 11/29/2013

Me, J, and N all sick w/ gastroenteritis starting this afternoon

Lansoprazole 3x's but last dose very late, probiotic in morning bottle

10-2 (4hr)
4-8 (4hr)
TOTAL 8hr

Saturday, 11/30/2013

Lansoprazole at 815, 4, and 6, probiotic in morning bottle

Some great naps (hence why the 2nd dose of lansoprazole was so late). Overall pleasant, ate well.

9-145 (4hr45m)
230-430 (2hr) (woke to have a BM, possible flare from delayed PPI doses today)
515-715 (2hr)
TOTAL 8hr45m

Sunday, 12/1/2013

Lansoprazole at 730, 230, and 530.

Probiotic in morning bottle.

Still having some reflux flares in the morning. 2ml of Rolaids helped her take a couple of decent naps. Seemed better by afternoon.

830-1130 (3hr) (woke to eat, possible flare) (physically refluxing more, be it acidic or not - probably residual from Friday's stomach upset)
1230-430 (4hr)
5-715 (2hr15m)
TOTAL 9hr15m

Monday, 12/2/2013

Probiotic in third bottle of the day. Very hungry. Good naps. Cranky if put down anywhere, awake.

Lansoprazole at 740, 2, and 615.

Fell asleep in my arms at 730, put down at 8, didn't actually settle and stop squirming/spitting out pacifier intermittently until 9. :(

9-12 (3hr)
1:15-2 (45m)
2:30-5 (2hr30m)
6-7 (1hr)
TOTAL 7hr15m

Terrible acid flares, some gasping, even a spit-up episode (something she rarely does). Rolaids helped a bit, but not for long. Just a mess.

I'm attributing the flares to her small bout of gastroenteritis on Friday night. Hopefully this will be over soon. Still giving Prevacid OTC capsules 10mg 3x's a day.

What's working for Nora

We figured it out so much quicker with this baby than we ever did with our first two. She is now an incredibly pleasant, and dare I say easy, baby. Here's what's working for Baby Nora:

Gerber Goodstart Soothe formula

KlaireLabs Ther-Biotic infant probiotic, 1/4 tsp in morning bottle (work up to this much - start with 1/8 tsp.

OTC lansoprazole capsules, 10mg 3x's a day, changed to 15mg 2x's a day for convenience (this is trial and error; some babies need the three doses so I'd start with that first)

Rolaids liquid antacid (1-2ml) for flare-ups (which are almost 100% GONE!)

Bassinet placed on an incline (front wheels locked and placed inside my husband's work boots, which were then placed on top of a few large books)

Medication information

H2 blockers (ranitidine, Zantac, Pepcid, Axid) are often used for mild acid reflux. They can be given with food. They are VERY weight sensitive and will need to be increased as your child gets bigger. They have a tendency to stop working altogether after a few weeks. A way to prevent this might be not to use it all the time. If your baby needs constant treatment, I suggest looking into a PPI.

PPIs (omeprazole - Prilosec or Zegerid, lansoprazole - Prevacid, Nexium) are proton pump inhibitors. They are, in my opinion, very safe and effective. In babies they are often prescribed twice a day, because younger children metabolize the medication faster than adults. They are available in capsule, suspension, powder (that you make into a suspension) or solutab (which is meant to dissolve quickly on the tongue). Except in the case of Zegerid, these medications are delayed-release, which means they need to be given on an empty stomach (more than 2 hours after the last bottle, usually, in babies) and then 30-90 minutes need to go by before baby is fed. This allows the drug to be absorbed before the acid pumps are activated by food. The drug essentially temporarily paralyzes some of the pumps and limits acid production. H2 BLOCKERS AND PPI'S NEED TO BE GIVEN 4 HOURS OR MORE APART FROM ONE ANOTHER, IF GIVING BOTH.

Liquid antacids (Mylanta Cherry Supreme - discontinued/recalled since 2010), CVS brand cherry antacid, Rolaids) are effective for occasional flare-ups. Aluminum free is the only kind I will give my children. Rolaids came out with one in the fall of 2013 (right in time for Nora) that is easily procured in the United States at most supermarkets. Liquid antacids can cause loose stools because of the magnesium. They are not meant to be used long-term, only until the H2 blocker and/or PPI start working. They are wonderful for the middle of the night when baby can't settle back down and isn't yet due for another dose of her other medication. LIQUID ANTACIDS SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN WITHIN AN HOUR OF A PPI DOSE. THEY CAN BE GIVEN WITH AN H2 BLOCKER WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS.

IF YOUR BABY IS STILL HAVING ACID FLARE-UPS, THEIR MEDICATION MOST LIKELY NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I make no absolute claims on the veracity of my information, nor do I guarantee that you will see the same results we did. Your mileage may vary.