Does anyone know what this is? Or anyone tried it?

My daughter Catherine was on Carafate from months 2-8, and it did wonders for her. Carafate is a drug used to treat ulcers in adults, and it coats the esophagus to prevent any acid that does reflux from burning.

Yes, Nathan was on it a couple times, probably a total of 1-2 months. It is made up of sucralfate, which helps to heal the lining of the esophagus from acid damage. DS did fine on it, no side effects or anything. It tastes a little bitter, but not Zantac-bad. :)

Your doc might have told you this, but make sure to give it 1/2 -1 hr before or after any other meds. Since it coats the stomache, it won't allow other meds to absorb if given at the same time.

Is the doc having you use it? I hope it helps!

No, the GI hasn't told us about it yet. We're going in to see her this coming week. I'm just wondering if it might help? How do you know if your child needs it?

Also, regarding Mylanta...how long should you keep using it before you see that it helps? Is once a day as needed just not enough to have an effect? The GI said to use it up to 3 times a day, but I haven't been consistent with giving it. Any suggestions?

You guys are great on this forum. I've been learning a lot since I found this site a couple weeks ago!

No, the GI hasn't told us about it yet. We're going in to see her this coming week. I'm just wondering if it might help? How do you know if your child needs it?

Carafate was just suggested by the GI for Nathan because of food refusal and constant pain. It seemed to help him about the same as Mylanta, but some kids have done great on it.

Also, regarding Mylanta...how long should you keep using it before you see that it helps? Is once a day as needed just not enough to have an effect? The GI said to use it up to 3 times a day, but I haven't been consistent with giving it. Any suggestions?


I think with Mylanta, you should see results pretty quickly after giving. It is kind of considered spot treatment. Our GI first said to give it 3 times a day, then he said every 4 hrs, and finally he said, heck give it whenever he needs it! So I think there is a lot of wiggle room with Mylanta. :D Some people have luck giving it 30 min before feeds, some do better right after.

Let us know how the GI appt goes!

Do you know how much you are supposed to give and is it ok to give to a 5 month old
Karie

We use Maalox for my daughter and we use 2-3mL (about 1/2 tsp) no more than 4 times a day (Mylanta may be a bit different) and it's instant relief. We dont use it when she doesnt need it. She only gets it with "breakthrough" pain from her reflux that her Zantac didnt help.

Hope that helps!

When I saw this I was hoping that Lesley would post...and she has! Lots of great advice here.

**moving along as I serve no useful purpose here**

We were told that Carafate requires the presence of acid in order for it to work. The first line of defense should be to treat the acid. Once all medicinal options are exhausted, then Carafate should be considered. At least that's the way it was explained to us.

As for the Mylanta, we were told we could give as much as we wanted, but to start with 1/2t as needed. You know you are giving too much if she gets diahrrea.

Good luck!

We were told that Carafate requires the presence of acid in order for it to work. The first line of defense should be to treat the acid. Once all medicinal options are exhausted, then Carafate should be considered. At least that's the way it was explained to us.

We were also told that Carafate was reserved for more severe cases.

We were also told that Carafate was reserved for more severe cases.

That's what our GI said, as well. However, he did say that if Emma doesn't gain well by her next appt. in February he wants to put Emma on Caraphate. He wants her to be 21 1/2 pounds by then.

That's 2 1/2 pounds in 2 months. I don't think she'll make it. :( She's so mobile she's not gaining as fast as she was....probably losing. :?

But, I wouldn't consider Emma a severe case. :?

Aarghhh! It can be so difficult to get in touch with the GI doc. Samantha has only taken an ounce this feeding, and is doing her famous..."haha I can hold it in my mouth without swallowing longer than you can!"

We're going to ask about carafate when the doctor calls back tomorrow. I'm desparate to try whatever I can before the NG tube. I wonder though, if she has to have a GI before the doc will prescribe it? Mylanta doesn't really seem to be helping that much.

Isn't my baby hungry? I just don't get it! :?:

For those of you who are giving mylanta and maalox from what I have been told and of course it seems like ever GI has different info to pass along to us struggling mommies and babies. they have, in some cases caused kidney stones and have in some of those cases they have cause kidney failure if usiing to much and for to long.

Carifate also falls into this catigory. My DD is only spot treated with carafate and we were told only use it a couple weeks at a time. Though my DD is almost 5 and is doing better for the most part. I don't know what to tell you all as far as advise becaue my DD was pretty much med restitant.

This is just information for you to bring to your Docs so you can go in armed with questions. I think it is important for every one to know the risks vs. benifits so you can make the best chooses for treatment.

Emmasmom- My DD and I think this might be true of others here on this sight. the suck for some GERDlings is not that strong and the kiddos are getting tired after sucking for so long and getting little out of the bottle. Have you tried cutting a small X in the bottle nipple so Emma can get more formula per suck. it nearly doubled how much my DD would take. We went from 4 oz a day to 8oz a day (yes I said a day). But we went with a eye dropper instead of a tube and got even more in her that way. Esspecially when she started to get dehydrated. 5mls every 5-10 minutes seem to help her a lot.

sue

This is just information for you to bring to your Docs so you can go in armed with questions. I think it is important for every one to know the risks vs. benifits so you can make the best chooses for treatment.

Emmasmom- My DD and I think this might be true of others here on this sight. the suck for some GERDlings is not that strong and the kiddos are getting tired after sucking for so long and getting little out of the bottle. Have you tried cutting a small X in the bottle nipple so Emma can get more formula per suck. it nearly doubled how much my DD would take. We went from 4 oz a day to 8oz a day (yes I said a day). But we went with a eye dropper instead of a tube and got even more in her that way. Esspecially when she started to get dehydrated. 5mls every 5-10 minutes seem to help her a lot.

sue[/quote]

Thanks for the info! I'm going to ask about this too tomorrow.

Did you mean you used an eyedropper to give your daugher her milk? Or her meds? We're trying a syringe, but Samantha refuses to swallow still! Wondering if there's something else to try...

Emmasmom- My DD and I think this might be true of others here on this sight. the suck for some GERDlings is not that strong and the kiddos are getting tired after sucking for so long and getting little out of the bottle. Have you tried cutting a small X in the bottle nipple so Emma can get more formula per suck. it nearly doubled how much my DD would take. We went from 4 oz a day to 8oz a day (yes I said a day). But we went with a eye dropper instead of a tube and got even more in her that way. Esspecially when she started to get dehydrated. 5mls every 5-10 minutes seem to help her a lot.

sue

Thanks, Sue. :D Emma is already on Dr. Brown's nipples, (#3), which are supposed to be for aggressive eaters. If you tip her bottle upside down, the formula comes out in a stream. :shock:

I can try it though. Thanks! :D

However, he did say that if Emma doesn't gain well by her next appt. in February he wants to put Emma on Caraphate. He wants her to be 21 1/2 pounds by then.

That's 2 1/2 pounds in 2 months. I don't think she'll make it. :( She's so mobile she's not gaining as fast as she was....probably losing. :?


21 1/2 pounds for a 10mo? That's ... ummm ... a pretty good size, isn't it? Sounds like an unnecesary goal.

Oh when we would cut our bottles it would be just like that after we cut it. If we cut it to much it would choke her and she would vomit. :roll: I wish I would have known about Dr Browns when Savannah was a baby.

Sue

Yes we used an eye dropper to feed her formula. We put it way way back in her cheek, where the jaw meets in the back and we would squeez a few drops. When it is back that far it is hard to spit it out. It would take us a while to get 1 teaspoon in her because it we tried to squeez to much she would choke and up it all would come or she would be able to spit it out if we squeezed to much. Our DD was completely averted from a bottle at one point so we had to find another way to get food in her. We would use a seringe too but we found that it was to easy to accidently push the button to hard and squirt to much in her mouth. Plus we found with the dropper, we were able to put it in her mouth while she was playing and most of the time it was enough distraction that it didn't seem to upset her to much. I don't remember if your DD is a puker or not, but this seemed to help with that too because she never had enough in her tummy at one time to have the projectile but she was constantly getting calories in her.

I wish you comfort. I know this is one of the most difficult things to have to deal with. And it is hard to convince family and friends that "no, my baby wont eat when she is hungry."

Sue

However, he did say that if Emma doesn't gain well by her next appt. in February he wants to put Emma on Caraphate. He wants her to be 21 1/2 pounds by then.

That's 2 1/2 pounds in 2 months. I don't think she'll make it. :( She's so mobile she's not gaining as fast as she was....probably losing. :?


21 1/2 pounds for a 10mo? That's ... ummm ... a pretty good size, isn't it? Sounds like an unnecesary goal.

I think that he wants her to be 21 1/2 lbs at 12 mos. Unless I read wrong... :wink:

However, he did say that if Emma doesn't gain well by her next appt. in February he wants to put Emma on Caraphate. He wants her to be 21 1/2 pounds by then.

That's 2 1/2 pounds in 2 months. I don't think she'll make it. :( She's so mobile she's not gaining as fast as she was....probably losing. :?


21 1/2 pounds for a 10mo? That's ... ummm ... a pretty good size, isn't it? Sounds like an unnecesary goal.

I think that he wants her to be 21 1/2 lbs at 12 mos. Unless I read wrong... :wink:

Yeah...you're right, Sheila. 21 1/2 pounds at 12 months. She's 19 pounds currently...so she has until her birthday.

Sorry if that was confusing. :oops:

However, he did say that if Emma doesn't gain well by her next appt. in February he wants to put Emma on Caraphate. He wants her to be 21 1/2 pounds by then.

That's 2 1/2 pounds in 2 months. I don't think she'll make it. :( She's so mobile she's not gaining as fast as she was....probably losing. :?


21 1/2 pounds for a 10mo? That's ... ummm ... a pretty good size, isn't it? Sounds like an unnecesary goal.

I think that he wants her to be 21 1/2 lbs at 12 mos. Unless I read wrong... :wink:

Yeah...you're right, Sheila. 21 1/2 pounds at 12 months. She's 19 pounds currently...so she has until her birthday.

Sorry if that was confusing. :oops:

Uh, all the above quoting sure is confusing! :confused:

(sorry) :oops:

:help: the Moderator is after me!

LOLOLOLOLOL :wink:

Yikes, how did you all do that? Well if nothing else it looked cool 8)

I say 21 1/2 lb is still a lot since she only has a few months to go. As long as she is moving forward now, that would be the goal wouldn't it? Some doc's seem to put so much value on the actual weight and not the gain that us mommies get all discombobulated at the numbers on the scale. If you think about it, if our babies got caught at a certain wieght or loose wieght during a bad patch of illness or just the roller coaster it would be unrealistic to expect our <feed like a bird> babies to catch up as quickly as, say, a child who gets the flu and doesn't have gain issues. But don't listen to me my DD was 17lb at 12 mo. :shock:

Moral of the story is don't feel to bad if she isn't 21 1/2 lb but rejoice that she is gaining (she is gaining right now right???)

Sue

(sorry) :oops:

:help: the Moderator is after me!

What makes you think that?


**looking up chapter on how to torture members in moderator book** :read2:

I agree with Sue. It is hard not to get caught up in the numbers game and I do all the time. :oops: I really do think that unless they expect you to put lead weights into Emmas diaper she is not going to have that weight gain in 2 months, but who knows? My first son grew a pound a week for nearly 2 months after a really rough start, and Curran despite all his massive pukage everywhere was a really big kid. Iain was 18 lbs at 14 months of age, so we will not use him as an example, ok? :roll:

You know Liegh, you have a point. Savannah ate for three months straight and she went from 30 to 35lb. That's right ladies 5lb in three months. She is offitially on the charts and still off FTT. Only took nearly 5 year :roll: but hell I'm not complaining!!!

Sue

Thanks, Leigh and Sue! :D

I agree that it is a very unreal goal for Emma. She is gaining...but not at the rate to get to 21 1/2 pounds by February. She has been gaining 10-12 oz. a month, (which I thought was really good!). :(

I think he was just giving us a goal for weight-gain, and if she didn't reach it...he will try Caraphate.

**looking up chapter on how to torture members in moderator book** :read2:

:hello2: I was just teasing! :lol:

**looking up chapter on how to torture members in moderator book** :read2:

:hello2: I was just teasing! :lol:

Uh, oh yeah. So was I.

**starts returning everthing to Acme**

:lol:

:lol:

:shock: