Acid reflux and vomiting

#1 02-18-2006, 01:50 PM

Hi,

I am new to the message board, but wanted to get people's advice about feeding/vomiting issues.

Our daughter has been on anti-reflux meds since birth (Zantac, Domperidone (motilium) and Gaviscon). She had at most mild reflux until she was about 5 weeks old. At that time she began vomiting frequently (1 - 4 times per day - and very large vomits, not spitups) and showing discomfort while feeding. She also coughs a great deal, which often ends in a vomit. We began trying bottle feeding at this time (she still has an NG Tube), however have had limited success largely because she seems to at time be in pain while drinking. My questions are:

1) Are there alternative medications we could try?
2) Have others had problems with feeding as a result of severe reflux?
3) Do these symptoms mirror those of your children with reflux?

Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated. Our doctors have said that as long as she is still gaining wait they don't think it is worth investigating the cause of the vomits.

Sarah

sandra · #2 02-18-2006, 02:10 PM

Welome. I don't have experience with reflux, but wanted to welcome you.

Dinker · #3 02-18-2006, 03:13 PM

Sarah,

It certainly does sound like a reflux/aspiration issue. I think the thing that bothers me most is the doc saying they aren't concerned as long as she is gaining weight. Reflux is dangerous and can be life threatening. Meds didn't work well for two of my children, both ended up on ventilators (not trached) for a few months. Aspiration can cause tracheal malacia which will keep a child trached longer than necessary. It can cause a whole host of respiratory problems from bronchitis, to pneumonia to asthma. Not to mention esophageal erosion!

Both of the children ended up having Nissen's done. One continues to be tube fed (she has been since birth anyway) and the other has never been tube fed. He had the vent tube for a couple of weeks then it was removed. We never even knew he was refluxing and aspirating - so it's really important to have a ph probe done to know just what exactly is going on in there.

Best of luck to you!

Karin

kimmiep621 · #4 02-18-2006, 03:31 PM

kaylee has had reflux since very early on. along w/ asperation. so when she was 2 1/2 months old she got her gtube and nissen. she has been great with the nissen. no wretching or anything. she is also on prevacid which i think i want them to change. its so hard to get the actual Rx and then when i do i have to mix it myself.

good luck and welcome
Kimmie, mommy to Kaylee 4 months

JWorthington · #5 02-18-2006, 03:46 PM

Sam has had the nissen, and it has worked well for us. No more vomitting. We had to have the problem fixed as Sam was aspirating his vomit, therefore damaging his lungs more than they already were affected. Sam takes Omeprazole (Losec). Before the nissen he had Ranitidine and Domperidone, nothing seemed to have much effect though.

I think it is worth asking for a PH study to see how severe the reflux is. Sam's feed used to come out of his trach (not pleasant for him or us)

Best of luck, let us know how you get on.
Julie

cariaad · #6 02-18-2006, 05:30 PM

Is the NG tube in place while you are trying to bottle feed? Â*That will contribute to reflux as it holds the esophogus open. Â*Alli had had the fundo twice and altho I never liked the idea of it, i do feel it has probably saved her life. Â*Also, she needed a change in formula to a predigested one that helped her gain weight by not requiring her to break down the nutrients. Â*Deb

EDIT Alli takes amitriptyline to help supress gag reflex and it works WONDERS. She takes Prilosec for the acid.

Kate · #7 02-18-2006, 05:37 PM

I think that is the responce from a lot of doctors. Mitchell also has reflux. It really has scared me because he seems to not have that reflex of turning his head when he vomits...if he is on his back it will pool and that is very dangerous. We played around with Mitchell's formula. Now he is on Lacto-free Enfamil. This has seemed to help a little bit but still spits up once in awhile. I can handle that as long as it isn't 3 or 4 times daily. He is on previcid but we were told the same thing-that is to get rid of the acid so there isn't damage, not help with spitting up. You could try and add cereal to the bottle. That may also help. We have not had the nissin surgery-with all of the other surgeries...we opted not to have it. Now Mitchell is 14 months old-still spits up at times when he coughs hard. He has a very sensitive gag reflex so I think that is mainly the cause now. Just be persistant with what you believe.
Good luck and welcome to the boards.

Hinchfamily · #8 02-21-2006, 08:15 PM

Adison is on Bothanical (sp) Reglan, and Previcid. The bothanical works for her reflux and it also hardens her airway. The reglan helps stuff keep moving and the previcid is for the acid. I couldn't tell you how many times a day she got it because her nurse's takes care of it and she ahsn't beenhome yet. But she too only gets the vomiting when she has a bad cold.

She is also on a ng feed. I refuse to poke another hole in her.
She gets speach therpy 5 times a week for her bottel feeding.

Like the other ladies said I think a ph test is in order as well as a blue die test. It sounds like she is asperating. Adison did the same thing right after one of her first suregerys and it turned out she was aspirating and damaging her airway even more.

willsmom · #9 02-21-2006, 09:30 PM

First Welcome!! Will also has had the Nissen and has a MicKey button. We hardly ever have to use it though, but are keeping it around just in case. We agreed to the Nissen, not for apsiration issues, but because we had to put the Gtube in in order to go home from the NICU. I absolutely hated the idea of the Nissen. I still hate it and the Gtube, but it is what we had to do. I think it is all dependent upon the child. Sabrina

sassyangel4u2nv · #10 02-21-2006, 10:43 PM

OK first off Welcome... Second off my daughter had wonderful reflux.. she was the new waterfountain in our house. She could bring it up.. She got a Gtube because of her failure to thrive. Then we tried zantac and reglan which did not work.. Then she went for a G/Jtube because her dr's did not want to put a Nissen/Fundo in. Well the G/jtube broke and it was not a pretty sight. They had burn specialist come in to make sure the acid from her stomach was not burning her skin too much.. At that time I told her dr's to take the darn thing out.. Well they did put the Gtube back in but little miss PITA just kept vomitting they had to do the Nissen/Fundo. Now she only vomits when she is really sick. Whew beats having to do 5 loads of dirty blankets and wash clothes.. I hope you get all your questions answered.