zantac

[Guest guest]

Thanks to everyone who posted about their zantac experience. Alyssa doesn't

have a GI doc per say. Her ped ordered the barium swallow and delayed gastric

emptying test in Feb. That said, we found out at the convention the barium

swallow is NOT a good indicator of reflux.. If a child has silent reflux and

you treat with zantac and they turn out not to have reflux what are the

repercussions. ie. . . do you treat assuming there is reflux? We have an appt.

with our ped on Mon to talk about everything we learned from the convention.

After the convention I think Alyssa has silent reflux. How do I convince my ped

to treat it since the test she ordered came back negative?? I hope this makes

some since I am so tired and I think I may be rambling incoherently!!!

Thanks!!!! Dayna, Mom to Alyssa 21 months

PS Chuck I haven't forgot about you all!! I should be calling next week!!

[Guest guest]

Dayna (& others) - a barium swallow (also known as an " upper GI " )

can be useful for determining any anatomical differences in the

airway/esoph. It CAN also show reflux, if it is occuring right at

that moment. However, it can not RULE OUT reflux. I hope this

makes sense. It used to be the standard test used to rule out

reflux, and GI doctors (well, the experienced ones anyway) have now

realized that it isn't the conclusive test that they need. A ph

probe is truly the only way to conclusively diagnosis reflux.

However, this is a 24-hour test and involves sticking a tube down.

Since Zantac is such a " mild " (meaning short-acting) medication,

most GIs will often try this medication first to see if any symptoms

are resolved. If they are not resolved (child doesn't gain weight,

or symptoms don't disappear), then a ph probe is usually done --

because the other medications are not as benign as Zantac.

(remember that Zantac is even sold over the counter in forms now!)

It is a tough call -- I worry sometimes giving medicine. Am

I giving it to her needlessly? Should we do the probe to make

sure? Then I look at her growth charts and realize the only time

she gains weight is when she is on Periactin AND the

Prevasid/Zantac. Off both, NOTHING. On Periactin and off

Prevasid/Zantac -- very slight gain but not much.

> Thanks to everyone who posted about their zantac experience.

Alyssa doesn't have a GI doc per say. Her ped ordered the barium

swallow and delayed gastric emptying test in Feb. That said, we

found out at the convention the barium swallow is NOT a good

indicator of reflux.. If a child has silent reflux and you treat

with zantac and they turn out not to have reflux what are the

repercussions. ie. . . do you treat assuming there is reflux? We

have an appt. with our ped on Mon to talk about everything we

learned from the convention.

>

> After the convention I think Alyssa has silent reflux. How do I

convince my ped to treat it since the test she ordered came back

negative?? I hope this makes some since I am so tired and I think I

may be rambling incoherently!!!

>

> Thanks!!!! Dayna, Mom to Alyssa 21 months

>

> PS Chuck I haven't forgot about you all!! I should be calling

next week!!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

You know that giving Zantac has made her feel better. She

even told you so! Do not beat yourself up over this. Listen to your

daughter. And don't worry about the meds. They are helping. And you

will know more in Oct when you see Dr. H. What I am afraid of is

that she will find info from the gastric emptying and will be

the next candidate for the Spigland/Harbison Special. I hope not. I

don't think would take it very well! It's a major surgery

and a difficult one to recover from for older kids.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

I know a bit about Reflux since I suffer from it. I will tell you

that although I got significant relief from Zantac alone, I really

still needed once or twice a week Rolaids relief. Since I have been

on Prilosec, my stomach is much more 'normal' and I am seldom

uncomfortable. I don't even need the Zantac anymore. I hope this

helps. Conny

> Dayna,

>

> You need to ask your ped to order a ph probe. That will be much

more

> indicative of reflux. It is just a probe/tube that is put down

> through the nose into the esophagus. Then the other end is

attached

> to a little recorder that keeps track of the acidity in there.

After

> 24 hours, it is pulled out and the recorder is hooked up to a

> computer that will graph the reflux, if there is any. I was able

to

> watch the numbers on the recorder go up and down. Anything below 4

> is considered reflux and Max had LOTS of that. The gastric

emptying

> tests showed no reflux and the endoscopies did not either. This

one

> simple test showed how bad it was and now the rest is history.

>

> You really need to have this checked out if there is any question

in

> your mind. A damaged esophagus from reflux can lead to many

problems

> later on. You just don't want to know. But it can be treated and

> then you don't have to worry!

>

> Jodi

> PS There is more and more talk about using proton pump inhibitors

in

> addition to meds like Zantac to treat reflux. This is all new to

me,

> but we are doing it for Max.

[Guest guest]

Conny,

Your stomach feels better on Prilosec because it is a type of proton

pump inhibitor. Nexium and Protonix are, too. I'm glad that it is

working for you. I take Nexium and it has made a world of

difference. I did not realize that I had reflux until I was

hospitalized for asthma last winter. The pulmonologist came up with

the diagnosis. I have not used Advair or my rescue inhaler more than

a couple of times since then and I have not lost my voice even once.

I think doctors are just now realizing how much difficulty reflux can

cause.

Jodi