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Taking Nexium For Silent Reflux. Will This Cause Any Heart Problem?
Question: My 8 week old daughter has been prescribed Nexium for silent reflux, is it safe for her to be taking 10mg daily and are there any heart concerns with this medication?
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query .
Yes Nexium 10 mg contains antacid esmoprazole and can be given to infants with silent reflux.It is ideally recommended for infants 1 yr of age since lack of studies in younger babies but in practice it's safely given to 2 month old babies too.
It doesn't have any direct heart related sideeffect however it can cause irregular heart beats if it causes low magnesium levels as a sideffect which isn't very common. Usually the sideffects are mostly gastrointestinal or allergic .
If given as per your doctors prescription strictly , I am sure he must have outweighed the benefits versus the risk of sideffects .
So please do not worry and go ahead with the medication as per your doctors advise . Meanwhile do remember that many a times infants outgrow this condition and might not require long term medications .
Hope that answers your query.
Please feel free to clear any further doubts.
Regards
Thanks for posting your query .
Yes Nexium 10 mg contains antacid esmoprazole and can be given to infants with silent reflux.It is ideally recommended for infants 1 yr of age since lack of studies in younger babies but in practice it's safely given to 2 month old babies too.
It doesn't have any direct heart related sideeffect however it can cause irregular heart beats if it causes low magnesium levels as a sideffect which isn't very common. Usually the sideffects are mostly gastrointestinal or allergic .
If given as per your doctors prescription strictly , I am sure he must have outweighed the benefits versus the risk of sideffects .
So please do not worry and go ahead with the medication as per your doctors advise . Meanwhile do remember that many a times infants outgrow this condition and might not require long term medications .
Hope that answers your query.
Please feel free to clear any further doubts.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks for your reply. I am very concerned about my 8 week old daughter, she refuses to feed both breast or bottle. She cryes and eventually just refuses altogether. Today she has consumed only 180ml all day, generally refusing after about 30mls and has not taken the breast at all. She has also only had 2 wet nappies. I am beside myself with worry and do not know where to turn??
Hello,
Thanks for the follow up.
I understand your concern as a vigilant parent and agree that there is definitely an objective decrease in the daily feed as well as urine output .
Many a times babies with severe reflux do face such a problem and hence started on medications . However the medication might take a couple of weeks to show complete effectiveness and resolution of symptoms .
First and foremost I assume your pediatrician has thoroughly evaluated your baby to rule out any infection or gastrointestinal illness apart from reflux . A baby refusing breast milk has to be thoroughly evaluated . If yes then reflux is indeed causing such symptoms.Infact its commonly known to cause failure to thrive if baby decreases milk intake drastically .
As of now , you need to wait and watch for the medication to show its effect .
Do follow the following tips to help your baby deal with reflux .
1. Keep her upright during feedings, and for at least 30 minutes after feedings. This will decrease the amount of gastric reflux.
2. During bedtime , elevate the head of the bed / crib 30 degrees. Gravity will help keep stomach contents where they belong.
3. Try Smaller, More Frequent Feedings
Feedings every two to three hours when the infant is awake will reduce the occurrence of gastric reflux. There are special bottles available for feeding reflux babies which allow less air passage.
4.Certain foods -- such as caffeine, chocolate, and garlic -- can promote reflux, so if you breastfeed your infant, you should consider cutting these foods out of your diet.
5.Burping your infant several times during the feeding will help minimize gastric pressure, and the reflux it can cause. Waiting to burp your infant until after she has a full stomach can increase the chances of regurgitation.
I understand that you might have tried everything to make your baby comfortable and nothing seems to work causing you additional stress. Do not worry , just make sure you get her thoroughly checked , follow the doctors advice strictly ( like giving the medication 1/2 - 1 hr before feed ) and wait for a couple of weeks .
Hope I have answered your query.
Wishing her good health .
Regards
Thanks for the follow up.
I understand your concern as a vigilant parent and agree that there is definitely an objective decrease in the daily feed as well as urine output .
Many a times babies with severe reflux do face such a problem and hence started on medications . However the medication might take a couple of weeks to show complete effectiveness and resolution of symptoms .
First and foremost I assume your pediatrician has thoroughly evaluated your baby to rule out any infection or gastrointestinal illness apart from reflux . A baby refusing breast milk has to be thoroughly evaluated . If yes then reflux is indeed causing such symptoms.Infact its commonly known to cause failure to thrive if baby decreases milk intake drastically .
As of now , you need to wait and watch for the medication to show its effect .
Do follow the following tips to help your baby deal with reflux .
1. Keep her upright during feedings, and for at least 30 minutes after feedings. This will decrease the amount of gastric reflux.
2. During bedtime , elevate the head of the bed / crib 30 degrees. Gravity will help keep stomach contents where they belong.
3. Try Smaller, More Frequent Feedings
Feedings every two to three hours when the infant is awake will reduce the occurrence of gastric reflux. There are special bottles available for feeding reflux babies which allow less air passage.
4.Certain foods -- such as caffeine, chocolate, and garlic -- can promote reflux, so if you breastfeed your infant, you should consider cutting these foods out of your diet.
5.Burping your infant several times during the feeding will help minimize gastric pressure, and the reflux it can cause. Waiting to burp your infant until after she has a full stomach can increase the chances of regurgitation.
I understand that you might have tried everything to make your baby comfortable and nothing seems to work causing you additional stress. Do not worry , just make sure you get her thoroughly checked , follow the doctors advice strictly ( like giving the medication 1/2 - 1 hr before feed ) and wait for a couple of weeks .
Hope I have answered your query.
Wishing her good health .
Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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