Reglan for Reflux

I've seen on TV recently the there's been law suits for the Reglan, so you might want to look into the side and the long term effects before exposing your child to the product too long.

My newborn was also on Reglan and something else. When we went the the specialist he asked me to switch to Mylanta (otc). 1/4 tsp between meals at that age. My daughter is now 8 years old and still wants her Mylanta from time to time. But, it worked as well as the prescriptions. I gave her the adult strength - cherry Supreme... Though, she didn't have side effects like you mentioned, at least that I was aware of; but I wouldn't have known as she started on it at the hospital.

I guess it could be possible for her to be allergic to some food that you are eating, dairy, soy, eggs?? Ask the doc about that. I agree, stop the meds if she is more fussy. Hope you get some answers.

I don't know how Reglan affects infants but when I was given it during pregnacy 10 years ago it really affected me. I was having dizzy spells, heart papulations, and jitteriness.

I'm surprised Reglan is still on the market. I recall hearing something about the bad side effects. Get a second opinion if you have to and if you find it to be true, I would change doctors.

I HATED prevacid. I felt that Reglan and Zantac helped beautifully. don't lay the baby flat, feed in small frequent meals, and burp frequently. I know, it's a huge pain. As for Reglan's bad side effects, they started warning about it after I had used it for 3 of my girls. The concern was long term use and since my girls never needed an increase in meds and it went away within a few short months I wasn't worried about it.

I know a little girl who was never treated for her GERD and it destroyed her esophagus and she has a feeding tube for the rest of her life, so I strongly encourage you to stay on top and find out what helps your baby. Sometimes they have to operate, unfortunately.

I like Gripe water, and it helped with colic and other issues, but Reglan and Zantac really helped with GERD more then anything.

S. (mom to 4 on meds while little who outgrew GERD by 6 months.)

My preemie was put on Reglan for severe reflux. We gave her three doses...then no more. The side effects were noticeable immediately. She would stare off into space, scream (totally off for her) and do the head jerking. She could bf (not strong enough to latch) and we also had to increase her calorie intake with added formula. We changed formula, I watched what I ate and also started Prevacid twice a day, and Mylicon in every bottle. It helped along with lots of burping and keeping her upright for as long as possible after feedings.

Good luck and go with your gut. If it's making your baby do strange things...stop giving it.

Have you considered other ideas besides reflux? Spitting up isn't all that uncommon in babies this age...and breastfed babies don't usually gain the same in early weeks as formula fed babies. Babies with reflux usually have other clinical signs (maybe you just didn't mention them here) Unless your baby is listless or exhibiting other signs of dehydration, I think I would ask a few more questions before going right to the medication.

Don't get me wrong, it is doctors that I feel should do a little more problem solving. If you don't absolutely love your pediatrician and feel as though he/she really tried to solve the problem, I believe you should get a second opinion. A doctor that isn't looking for other resolutions at this age is unlikely to support your breastfeeding...especially if your child doesn't gain weight according to their charts. I hope I am wrong, but it is something for you to consider.

One idea is that she could be experiencing a sensitivity to dairy. I had to remove all liquid milk from my diet--still did okay with cheese or yogurt in moderation--until my breastfed daughter was about 5 months old. It was painful for me since I guzzle milk like a baby calf, but it sure made a difference for her. It takes about two weeks for the milk protein to clear your system--I did a complete blitz on all dairy for two weeks and then added back in the cheese and yogurt.

A little bit of rice cereal is commonly suggested for reflux, but I truly believe she is too young. Start with removing culprits from your diet before adding medications and food to hers!

Good luck. I know how rough these early weeks can be.

Just so you know Reglan has recently received a black box warning by the FDA because of the side effects that are caused by this drug. I would stop using it immediatly.

L.

I can't speak to a kid on Reglan, but I know that when I have been put on it in the past I have become very jittery, irritable, full of anxiety, and not so pleasant to be around. It did help immensely with the nausea, but the side effects weren't so thrilling. I would speak to your pediatrician to see if there is another anti-nausea med approved for infants. Pregnant women are usually prescribed Zofran, which to me was a wonder drug. Don't know if it is safe for babies though.

By the way, all of my babies (nursing newborn who is third child now) have had lots of stomach irritability and spit-up problems but only when I was drinking milk, eating brocolli, or eating foods that were pre-flavored/spiced (like potato chips, chex mix, etc..). So I agree watching your diet may help to if you have to get off the meds.

Go to Whole Foods and ask for a natural alternative, I know I saw a couple different herb tinctures that work wonders. Drop the drug for your babies safety. Do smaller feedings, and possibly eliminate dairy for yourself and any other triggers that could be giving your baby an upset tummy.

Have you tried homeopathy? Dr. Karl Robinson is in Houston and he is just plain AWESOME. He is an MD but practices homeopathy for the whole family. No more reflux or colic and he even, in one dose, stopped the night terrors my little nephew was having. As far as Reglan goes...I would sure think twice about using it in anyone not old enough to tell you about problems because it has SERIOUS side effects...some even at VERY low doses.

Hugs,
J.

I took reglan after my son was born to help increase my milk supply. I only lasted two days. It made me crazy & I'll never take it again. They did start me on what I felt was a large dose. I agree that it's probably the reglan. Maybe they can decrease her dose or try something else.

Our pediatrician prescribed Reglan for my young son and everyone I spoke to (pharmacist, occupational therapist, other ped) were shocked! Plus I read a terrible article about Reglan. Apparently the side effects can be so severe that the symptoms can be mistaken for Münchhausen Syndrome. So I switched pediatricians and she put my son on Mylanta and another drug (can't remember the name but it was safe and benign). I highly recommend getting another opinion. I would not give a baby Reglan!!!
Good luck. I remember how terrible it was having my baby so miserable. But with a new doctor and time we got through it.

My 15 year old was on Regland (sp) for quite a while, it was the only way he kept anything in him, including breastmilk, was exclusively breastfed. I wouldn't make any sudden changes, as then you will never know what works and doesn't. There are questions of course of what the long term affects are of any medicine. Maybe a second opinion. My "baby" is now 15 and 6'3", healthy boy. But it was scary when he projectile vomited for awhile. Regland did help that???
Pray often and reconsult, possibly that second opinion.
I do know that they have to keep food in them to thrive. Don't know that rice cereal will help, may aggravate.
Good luck~

You can go online or get a printout from your pharmacist of all the side effects of the meds your baby is on. Many docs aren't aware of all the side effects of drugs. It is too early in my opinion to introduce rice or any solid foodt to your baby. Choking is just one concern. Many pediatricians don't believe a baby is developed enough at 5 weeks to digest solid foods. My first baby spit up quite a bit for the first 3 months. I suggest contacting La Leche League to see what they have to say about the matter.

I don't know anything about reglan. But calling your doc sounds like a good idea.
My son had reflux and colic. The way you describe her being fussy 75% of time made me think of the problems I had. My son was allergic to dairy, so any dairy products I ate (I breastfed him) made him very irritable. So I had to change my diet completely. It helped some. Through my research, colic occurs when the babies digestive system is not fully functional and everything irritates their system. That is why the myth says colic last just 3 months (it is like they needed a 4th trimester to develope their digestive system).
I would talk to your doctor but also watch your diet. See if certain foods you eat make her more fussy. If so, cut those out of your diet. I would not give her rice. She is way too young and if she has colic it will make things worse.

My son was prescribed zantac and reglan around 4 months of age. About a week ot two into the medication I noticed that he began having what appead to me to be involuntary jerking and startle reflex a lot more than usual...so I took him off and it gradually went away. So then I thought, well, maybe that was just a coincidence so I put him back on cause he was still having the reflux pretty bad. The jerking started again, and it was rather severe, not convulsions by any means but it freaked me out. We even videotaped this behavior. I talked to the pedi and she said that shouldn't be a side effect of the reglan. I took him off again and never put him back on. Now, older and wiser I researched it again after seeing something about it causing neurological problems. It apparently hasn't been fda approved for infants! If I were you I would look into rice cereal etc, and keep him on the prevacid. My son is 4 and still takes the prevacid....best of luck to you and God bless.

My son was about 1 year old when he was given Reglan because his stomach wasn't working efficiently and had very low weight gain. He was on it for about a month. He started screaming at night which he never did before and so they gave him Prevacid because they thought it was reflux though he didn't spit up. Then he got a fever for two days and one morning, he broke out in spots though that went away the next day. It's hard to tell with a toddler if it was the Reglan or just a coincidence but once we stopped the medication, his behavior was back to normal. I've talked to other moms who had kids on Reglan and most of the experiences were positive but a few had bad experiences so I say go with your motherly instincts.