https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 22:54:52 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2198080 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 14:53:06 +0000 Bubbles 2198080@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So sorry you are dealing with this. Just wondering has your DS been checked for a tongue tie? My LO had one and had very similar symptoms around 3-4 months. This page has a really good list of all the symptoms at the bottom - TTs can often cause reflux like symptoms <a href="http://milkmatters.org.uk/2011/04/15/hidden-cause-of-feeding-problems-however-you-feed-your-baby/" rel="nofollow">http://milkmatters.org.uk/2011/04/15/hidden-cause-of-feeding-problems-however-you-feed-your-baby/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2198067 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 14:43:17 +0000 Kbee 2198067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gentlelunette: Aww I'm so sorry to hear she's in pain now :sad: I hope you can find a solution to help your LO.</p> <p>@Maysprout: He hasn't started solids, we're waiting until closer to 6 months for that. I am still unsure about how I feel about the Zantac and how long we will use it. However, my mother's intuition that it was worsening reflux and not something else did turn out to be true. We've seen marked improvement in the last 2 nights after starting the Zantac and leaving him upright for a very long time after feeds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2197907 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 12:47:06 +0000 Maysprout 2197907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with your pediatrician. If he was a happy spitter before it sounds like its something else going on. Did he just start eating solids?</p> <p>I wouldn't put my baby on Zantac unless there was weight loss. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2197814 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 11:38:51 +0000 gentlelunette 2197814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I could have written your post. My daughter is 10.5 weeks and has always spit up a ton, but gained enough weight and didn't seem overly bothered. The last few days she is waking up from naps screaming, arching her back during feeds, cries before and after burps, and is coughing a lot, especially in her sleep. I'm off to the doctor today... I'm hoping for a prescription. I've been keeping her upright for every feed for weeks to no avail. </p> <p>Hope your babe is feeling better soon! Glad to hear it made a difference for your little one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2197607 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 09:16:45 +0000 Kbee 2197607@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Nightingale: It's good to hear that Zantac didn't seem to make her more likely get sick. Yes, I was skeptical that it would work so quickly, and it's only been 2 days for us but he had very little back arching last night and no screaming at all, even before I held him upright. I was crying out of pure happiness!</p> <p>@QBbride: We've had him on probiotics since he was 5 weeks old. We think they help, but we're not really sure :silly: </p> <p>@jape14: Thanks for sharing your experiences. So glad to hear your son has done so well on these meds. It's so hard knowing they are in so much pain!</p> <p>@mrswin: Wow that's great!! We've had the same experience so far. Last night was his 2nd night on it, and he slept 8.5 hours (a PR for him!), did not seem bothered in the least when I fed him at 4:45, then went back to sleep for another 2.5 hours. He's also been much less restless in his sleep. Interestingly, this has meant that a lot of the rash he had on his cheeks is gone. Apparently he only had a rash in the first place because he was flailing his head side-to-side so often in his sleep and when he'd wake up! Keep me updated on how it's working for your LO :happy: </p> <p>@Mrs Green Grass: That's true, I'm hoping this is just the peak of his reflux. It seems like peds have varying opinions on this! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2197564 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:56:04 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2197564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It can take awhile for the irritation from reflux to get really bad which might be why it's getting worse now. My LO was on prevacid, not Zantac, for about 18 months and it was essential (but keeping upright is too...) My lo got sick less than average (we hD a nanny) and my ped did not hesitate to treat the reflux. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2197561 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:55:06 +0000 mrswin 2197561@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kbee: We gave our LO her first dose last night and I guess it's possible that it was a fluke but she slept for 7 hrs and then another 3.5! She was not restless when she was sleeping either which is huge, usually she grunts, moans, whines and cries in her sleep constantly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2197492 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:15:15 +0000 jape14 2197492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO was on Zantac for about 3-4 weeks (starting around 8 weeks old?) before it stopped helping and we switched to Prilosec. We were dealing with major feeding refusal and discomfort during/after feedings, though not spit-up. I only wish that we had asked about it sooner because we dealt with feeding issues for a good 2 weeks prior. Our ped encouraged us to switch to Prilosec when the Zantac stopped working, and that was life-changing for us. Her son(s) had used it without issue around the same age for the same reason. We were able to wean DS off of it around 7 months and no issues since! I don't think either med had an impact on his immune system - at 9 months old, he's had maybe one cold, despite the other child in our nanny share having a constant one this winter. And he never got the norovirus I had when he was about 5 months old. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2197487 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:11:25 +0000 QBbride 2197487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would keep up with the Zantac for now. As someone who majorly suffers from heartburn/reflux, I know how painful it is!! I would also continue keeping him upright after his feeds. </p> <p>The other thing I would do is add in some good quality probiotics. Those can help a lot too since they help promote good gut flora (which is especially good if what your pedi is saying is right about Zantac increasing the risk of illness - which is the first time I've ever heard that, and I'm a NICU nurse!!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2197477 Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:00:44 +0000 Nightingale 2197477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO has been on Zantac since the age of 8 months, and I only wish our ped had given us a prescription sooner. We were dealing with severe feeding refusal, and Zantac really helped. It totally changed her personality for the better, and though it has done little to stop her from gagging and throwing up, at least it's not as painful to her. As to the issues your ped mentioned: my DD is 15 months and just got her first cold so I wouldn't say that Zantac had a negative impact on her immune system. Also, we were told that Zantac takes awhile to work, and in our case it took about 10 days when initially prescribed to see a difference. When we have needed our dose changed, it has taken several days for those changes to take effect, also. Maybe every baby is different on that one? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2196905 Tue, 02 Jun 2015 15:02:15 +0000 Kbee 2196905@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: So glad (and encouraging) to hear it worked so well for you!</p> <p>@Anagram: Thanks for your help. I also have the dairy/soy issue on a list of possible things to try at some point. He had gained weight since his 2-month appointment, which was apparently good enough for the dr., but that was 2 months ago, and these issues only started in the last 2 weeks. I weigh him at home on our [probably unreliable] scale and his weight has stayed the same the last 2 weeks.</p> <p>@junebugsmama: Definitely worth considering! Keeping him upright for 30 minutes is a really long time, but it seemed to help a lot last night. Plus, the time we were both awake ended up being less than previous nights when he was screaming and in pain for hours! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2196878 Tue, 02 Jun 2015 14:33:51 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2196878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For reflux keeping the baby upright is key! I would definitely consider trying just upright after feedings and stopping the med if you were already on the fence about it. Cause baby may still spit up with Zantac, just not as painfully for him or her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2196706 Tue, 02 Jun 2015 13:04:54 +0000 Anagram 2196706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, my pediatrician is in the same camp as yours for prescription drugs for infants with reflux. Except for in the most severe cases where the infant isn't gaining weight, she prefers not to prescribe, and thinks they are way, way overprescribed now. In my local moms group, I'd say about 75-80% of the babies were on reflux meds.</p> <p>My ped says that babies have an immature gut and all babies will have reflux to an extent, and they grow out of it.</p> <p>Now, having said all that.....my LO was experiencing major eating issues (eating refusal) and was exhibiting a lot of the signs you mentioned (everything except the spitting, which she didn't do) from birth, and then around 2.5 months she started the eating refusal. By 3 months, she was losing weight....</p> <p>So eventually the Ped prescribed Zantac. However, I also started eliminating dairy and soy from my diet at the same time. There was a different in LO within 24 hours--the difference was astounding. So much so, that my husband (who is definitely on the Ped's side when is comes to prescribing meds) convinced me to try taking LO off zantac and try just the diet----it worked without zantac!</p> <p>So in the end, we were only on Zantac for about a week.</p> <p>Long story short, maybe you can continue the zantac, but also experiment with other potential issues (also sleeping baby inclined, keeping them upright after eating) and see what helps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2196695 Tue, 02 Jun 2015 13:01:20 +0000 blackbird 2196695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Zantac was a page turner for us. Night and day! I wouldn't stop the meds without talking to your dr about it </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/opinions-on-zantac-for-infant-reflux#post-2196680 Tue, 02 Jun 2015 12:56:26 +0000 Kbee 2196680@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is 4 months old and has been dealing with reflux since he was about 2 weeks old. Until recently he was a "happy spitter." But the last 2 weeks, he all of a sudden started becoming irritable during some nursing sessions, arching his back, flailing his head side-to-side, high-pitched screaming, and generally appearing to be in pain. On the other hand, some feeds are fine and he is still generally content most of the day. But his sleep has been TERRIBLE, including virtually no naps, more MOTN wake-ups and taking 1-2 hours to go back to sleep, the whole time doing the back-arching and head side-to-side thing.</p> <p>We took him to his pedi yesterday, who is pretty against using antacids because they suppress the purpose of acid which is to keep out bacteria, viruses, etc and thus increases the risk of illness. Despite us telling him that our son is getting VERY little sleep (a total of 7-9 hours per 24-hour period) and is obviously in pain, his recommendation was just to wait it out since it will get better as he gets older. He also said it could be teething pain (??), and that we could try Tylenol and see if it helps. He wrote us a script for Zantac and told us to weigh the pros and cons and we could get it filled if we wanted to. He told us that when it works that it works fairly quickly (just like when we take OTC antacids for heartburn).</p> <p>Well, we decided to get the Zantac and he got his first dose last night. In addition, I held him upright after he ate for 30 minutes (through major screamfests, but he eventually calmed down). He then slept a 5.5-hr stretch and a 5-hr stretch, which was a MIRACLE. </p> <p>Was it the Zantac that helped? Was it keeping him upright for 30 minutes? I previously held him upright only for about 10 minutes. Of course I was stupid to try 2 "new" things last night.</p> <p>Has anyone else gone through something similar?</p> <p>Did anyone notice that your LO got sick more often while on Zantac? I'm going to feel like the worst mother ever if he gets sick now. I'm considering dropping the Zantac and seeing if holding him upright after MOTN feeds is good enough, but DH wanted to stick with the Zantac for at least a week. </p>