My 7 week old son is currently on 15 mg Prevacid - one full solutab one time per day. The doctor said it was ok to just give it once a day, but I notice that most people here give split it into two doses.

What is the advantage/disadvantage to either once a day or twice a day? Should I be splitting the dose?

He seems to be doing ok on the Prevacid (compared to the Zantac), but don't know if he could be doing even better. He is currently about 10 lbs (has not been weighed in a few weeks).

Thanks for your help.

Kim

Hi Kim, it is generally accepted that twice daily dosing (an hour before breakfast and supper) is probably better esp if night time episodes are a problem. Most kids (and adults) with GERD will have nocturnal episodes of high acid secretion even on regular twice or once daily dosing of a proton pump inhibitor like Prevacid. The only other change that could improve things is ranitidine at bedtime added onto his prevacid dosing and then an antacid during the day. There is a movement to try drugs like prevacid at supper instead of breakfast when it is given only once daily because of increased effectiveness at night. Even with this, nocturnal acid secretion can remain a stubborn problem. It can take 6-8 weeks of continued prevacid therapy to give a full effective result therapeutically.
Thanks, Graham Ph.C.