Hi there

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can give, what a wonderful website this is. I am so glad I found it, I don't feel quite as alone now!

Anyway, my 8 week old 14lb baby has silent reflux, and has been on ranitidine for 3 weeks now. I thought it was helping, but now we're worse than ever so he's been prescribed Omeprazole too. The script says 4mg OD so I don't know what that means but I'm sure I will find out when I pick it up at the pharmacy...

Am I supposed to still give the ranitidine? I occasionally give gaviscon during a feed to help soothe him.

Would this schedule be correct? Give the Omeprazole 30 mins before breakfast (or could this be the mid-morning feed as that is a more predictable time for us?) then give Ranitidine first dose an hour after that feed. Then the ranitidine second dose 8 hours later, then the third dose a further 8 hours on, at the bedtime feed.

Should the ranitidine be given 20 mins before, just before, or after food?

Also (and I promise this is my last question, I am sorry to have waffled but my brain is fried!) how will baby digest food if he doesn't have any stomach acid?

Thanks in advance
Rachel (in London where it's 1:30am!)

Rachel, yes you still give the ranitidine (just with the first bite of a meal), and usually twice daily with the second dose of the day at bedtime. Gaviscon is ok too but not at the same time as losec. The rest of the dosing you are giving seems ok.
Regarding the last question, any child with gerd including your own will probably remind you that all of the drugs in the world do not completely stop the acid from being produced. As well there are other enzymes involved.
Thanks, Graham Ph.C.