Hi, I am in the UK and I am having trouble getting Losec from GP even though it was prescribed by a paediatrician for my 4 month old daughter. I have seen a couple of mentions of there being issues with generic ompeprazole like Dr Reddy's - I wonder if you could tell me what those issues are?

Also I am really struggling to get the Losec into my baby - at the moment I am trying it with a little apple juice - that worked at first but she seems to have gotten wise to it - she pushes most of it out with her tongue and won't swallow, even when I tip her head quite far back. She takes the Domperidone with no problems - I think the Losec must taste particularly vile.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

I found that my little girl got colicy symptoms and night waking on the Dr Reddys. Tried her on it three times, and the reaction time got shorter and shorter - so not a coincidence.

My last three started on losec at 3 weeks - I got a tin of baby pureed apple, and froze teaspoon fulls on grease proof paper, and then would thaw one when I needed to give a dose.

I mixed the granules up in the tiny bit of pear, then with a tiny spoon I would pop a little at a time in her mouth (because its much easier to spit out large amounts than small), and just patiently gave her the dose over 5 minutes a little at a time.

Hope that's useful.

Hi there - it sounds like you are giving losec suspension correct? To be able to give it with juice??

There is information over on Crying Over Spilt Milk about the issues with both the suspension and the difference between losec and Dr Reddy's.

The losec suspension really does taste vile - it was designed to be given down a nasogastric tube and can be a real battle to give any other way.

If you are using granules then, as Country mum suggests, a little pureed pear or apple is the best vehicle for it. Yo can either go little by little or just put it as far back as you possibly can in her mouth and perhaps even hold her nose until she swallows. Some times you do have to be really mean but when it comes to meds often there just isn't a choice. Having said that I tried every trick in the book with my youngest when he was 3 and just could not make him take it - he stopped eating instead - so I do know how tricky it is.

Did you get it prescribed by a paed in the UK? If so then I'd get in contact with your paed over there and get them to write to the GP to say you need the losec, or set up some system where you get your scripts from them instead. I don't really know the system there but I know we have one or two on the board who are in the UK and can advise you better!

Hope some of that helps! Do check out the info on Crying Over Spilt Milk too.

HI sorry to hear your having issues with you gp to give losec. My sister lives in the uk also and she was prescibed losec mups which is in tablet form and dissolves in water. It can then be added to yoghurt or pureed fruit. Its much easier than the granuels as they dont feel the grittyness. I would do what Eleanor suggests and get a letter from the paed for your gp or try another gp.

As for Dr reddys I have not used it on my 4mnth old but my 2yr old daughter was fine on it. My 4mnth old is on losec and is very colicky and windy at night so both have side effects. Although alot more have found that there babies have been very unsettled on dr reddys and once switced to losec have come right.

Best of luck.

Thanks She is taking the dispersible tablets rather than the suspension. She's not 6 months yet and still has the tongue thrust reflex so yoghurt or fruit puree wouldn't work - thats why we are dissolving in fruit juice.

my 3x 3 week old babies managed with the pear + granules. No nose pinching required - just a little at a time, and a bit of patience. We did it that way because it has a longer half life and seems to be more effective that way. But that was just my experience.

what about in a dropper or syringe and giving really small amounts so not much waste

Hold on - if she's got the dispersible tablets, the MUPS ones - remember she's in the UK then yogurt, puree etc might not be the best medium either.

There are differences in what works best with suspension versus granules so it might be different again for that.
I'm trying to remember what others in the US did as they have the ones which dissolve completely there too. From memory they just use a little water and then syringe it in - syringes are much better than droppers in my experience as you can actually get a better 'blast' with it. Try putting it down her cheek at the gum line and squirt. That way you avoid most of the taste buds and also her tongue so it's harder to spit it out again.

From memory those in the US say they tend not to have too many problems with the MUPS tablets because they actually have a fairly pleasant flavour. So perhaps amend the medium and method and you'll find success.

I certainly wish we'd had the MUPS available when I was battling with Thomas aged 3 1/3 and hiding granules in bananas, bread balls, purees etc and in the end holding him down and using the suspension because it was the only way to get it in and he desperately needed it!

When my sister was over at xmas she had the mups with her. I visited her out at my ums and forgot cassies losec so borrowed a mups. On the packet it tells you to either dissolve in a tsp of water or add to yoghurt. I gave it to cassie dissloved in water and she spat it out as she didnt like the taste and this is coming from a girl who took losec granuels happily off a spoon on there own. we now have to hide in puree. But i didnt taste the mups myself so could have tasted fine and could just be her being fussy. MUPS certainly sound alot easier ti give. You can get them over the counter here now. I wonder if they will start prescibing them as that would be great.

We are giving them in a syringe already - we've tried the water and actually find the apple juice slightly more successful - will try the gum line thing - I maybe need a thinner syringe than the one I'm using - judging from her face they do taste unpleasant - she takes the Domperidone quite happily.

Also she has constipation at the moment - we're on day 5 without a poo and that seems to be making the reflux worse.

I don't know about the MUPS, but the granules need an acidic medium, and the suspension an alkaline to work best. I suspect if the packet says to give with yogurt, you need an alkaline medium, so maybe the apple juice is making it less effective?

No, Country Mum, it suggests fruit juice as well (as does the Crying over spilt milk site) - I think yoghurt is slightly acidic isn't it? It's the actual getting her to swallow that's the tricky thing.

aahhh - might just be a case of perserverence then?