C.D. asks from Hood River, OR on February 18, 2008
5 Year Old with Acid Reflux
My son has had acid reflux for a couple of years. We have tried prescription medication which gave him a head ache. We are currently trying acidopholus chewables taken with meals. This doesn't seem to help either. Does anyone have any suggestions? He burps up in his mouth several times a day. It really has a bad odor and is pretty gross!
So What Happened?™
thank you to all of you for all of the information and help. I am going change his diet first and go from there. Yikes, I'm a little nervous. It seems like there's not a whole lote for him to eat that he will like...
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P.P. answers from Seattle on February 18, 2008
This is going to sound reallyl strange, I know - but I had a terrible time with this when I was pregnant, and I stumbled on a website that recommended a particular type of apple to help with acid reflux. You had to pay to find out the full report and find out which type of apple it was, and I didn't want to do that, but I decided to try apple cider, and it worked great for me! The key seemed to be Tree Top apple cider - the store brand didn't work at all for me, and they are totally differrent colors in the glass, so I'm assuming they may be from different types of apples? Anyway, a glass of apple cider before bed, or eating it frozen in a kid's popsicle mold was my ticket off the zantac. It might be worth a try?! Good luck!
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K.E. answers from Eugene on February 20, 2008
I have heard that it could be a problem with his diaphram. I am not sure I can describe this well but here goes. In his chest just below where the two sides of his rib cage come together, (the upsidedown "v" area), gently press downward (not inward) toward his tummy and hold for 15 seconds and release. Wait a minute and do it again. Sometimes the diaphram can get a small tear from falling down or coughing hard and it can pinch the stomach by the esophigus. Sometimes it can releave the problem right away, and other times it may take several days to help. Do this 2x a day till the problem goes away. When you feel the spot where the ribs come together, follow where they seem to just start to v apart (upside down "v"). My husband had fallen and it seemed to "cure" the problem. I also tried it on my granddaughter who is an infant, using a downward messaging movement with my thumb and she quieted down and quit urping up her formula. So I don't know, but it is worth a try. The pushing down is to release the pinched area, or to gently pull the part of the stumach that might have gotten stuck free.
L.W. answers from Portland on February 20, 2008
Since there is an odor with the bleching this is usually associated with a bacterial infection of some sort. You didn't mention what the odor smelled like, if it is rotten eggs I would get him in to see his pediatrition right away and possibly a specialist; as there is an underlying cause to his problem. It could be something very simple as an allergy or more complex such as a hernia, appendicitis, GERD, or any number of issues. I suggest you take your son to his primary care physician and request seeing a specialist in the field.
Good luck to you and your family...
L.C. answers from Eugene on February 18, 2008
My son is less than two and we have to give him medacine for this as well. His was so bad the he would vomit 5 to 10 times a week. And it wasn't just a little bit in his mouth...it was massive amounts. Anyway we finally found a perscription that works. The name is Axid. I guess it is not normally used but it works for him great. He is too little to tell me if it give him a headache but he doesn't act any different on it (with the exception of not vomitting). It wasn't very cheep though. Without insurance it would be about $75 for one month. I have pretty good insurance and I still had to pay $25. This is the first time that I have actually had to buy it as it is new for us and the doctor gave us several samples. I will try Costco or Canada drugs next time but as it was really hard to find a pharmacy that had it I didn't worry about the price this time. I hope this helps.
E.F. answers from Portland on February 20, 2008
B.C. answers from Richland on February 22, 2008
May I suggest seeing Connie at Alive and Well in Hermiston,OR who is very good at giving advice to help with this kind of problem. One thing I do suggest is that you take a class that your whole family can benifit from and become healthy and your sons acid reflux may disappear, it is called the CHIP (Coronay Heatlth Improvement Project) class and Connie can tell you about that also, it starts in April. Or if you do not live near Hermiston she can help you find a class near you. Her number is: ###-###-#### I took this class and it has changed my life, I had acid reflux and many other health issues and a majory of them are gone just by changing my diet. Good luck and God Bless. BC in Pendleton, OR
P.P. answers from Seattle on February 18, 2008
This is going to sound reallyl strange, I know - but I had a terrible time with this when I was pregnant, and I stumbled on a website that recommended a particular type of apple to help with acid reflux. You had to pay to find out the full report and find out which type of apple it was, and I didn't want to do that, but I decided to try apple cider, and it worked great for me! The key seemed to be Tree Top apple cider - the store brand didn't work at all for me, and they are totally differrent colors in the glass, so I'm assuming they may be from different types of apples? Anyway, a glass of apple cider before bed, or eating it frozen in a kid's popsicle mold was my ticket off the zantac. It might be worth a try?! Good luck!
K.S. answers from Seattle on February 18, 2008
Hi C.,
You could have your child as well as you tested for parasites. We take a product called 3 LAC which is incredibly helpful. :) The website is www.globalhealthtrax.org
It is an all natural probiotic. :)
Blessings,
K.S.
A.H. answers from Portland on February 24, 2008
I, unfortunately won't recommend another MD or prescription. I believe that you should seek out methods that will help you find out the CAUSE of the problem, not just treat the symptoms. Face it, either way having your child on a prescription med for years on end is not the answer, nor is it healthy for him. You need to seek out a good Naturopath to use as your main doc for this problem. They will help you find the cause of what's going on and help you, as the parent, to eliminate whatever foods or things migh be causing this...also help you to treat your child w/ natural remedies that will help just as much as the RX meds, but w/o the long term damage that they will have.
I also highly suggest you seeking out a chiropractor! Chiropractic care has been known to help w/ acid reflux, even helps to at some point not have to take meds anymore! Here's a great resource for info on Children and Chiro care and reasons why it can help w/ issues like your child's:
www.ICPA4KIDS.org
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