20/08/13 - the reflux mysteries

A few weeks ago we started weaning Ellie off her Zantac. Anti-reflux meds can start to damage the intestinal tract after a while, so I wanted to get her off them as soon as she was ready. Once she started sitting by her self and spending less time laying down, I figured it was worth seeing how she would go. 

We started by dropping the lunch-time dose. This was the one that got forgotten a fair bit, because I have a habit of forgetting to pack it when we go out for the day. It was also the one that was going to have the least effect on her day. Over a couple of weeks without her lunch-time meds we didn't notice much of a difference. It was a good sign, and it seemed like things might have been improving.

After two weeks I dropped the morning dose as well. The first time I noticed her symptoms within half an hour, so I gave her the Zantac and left it for a week. The last thing I wanted to do was go back to having a refluxy baby again! 

A week or so later I realised one morning that I'd forgotten her Zantac. She hadn't seemed to be troubled, so the next morning I skipped it as well. I did that for a week, with no symptoms showing. So she was down to just her one dose a day, at bedtime.

The bedtime dose was the one I was most scared of missing. What if I didn't give it to her and she had a horrible night? As it turned out, one night last week I was so busy with my family over for dinner, that I forgot to give it to her before bed. Low and behold, she had a perfect night. So it got me thinking, what if we just tried it to see?

It's now been about a week since Ellie has had any Zantac at all. I would like to say things are brilliant, but I'm starting to think she needs to go back on it, at least in the morning and at night. Over the last few days we've seen a return of the screaming, inconsolable baby that we had to begin with. But is it the reflux or something else? 

She is also teething, both bottom front teeth have decided to make an appearance at the same time. And I'm sure that the "wonder weeks" team would probably tell me that we're in a wonder week or some such. So how do you know? How do you know if you're doing the right thing by saving them from lasting damage, or just making them sick by taking away their medication too soon? 

Reflux.... I wouldn't wish it on anyone! Except maybe the person who invented wonder weeks.....