Deja vu

How could we have accomplished so much in a year to feel like we have ended up in the exact same place? 

About 2 weeks ago we noticed a decrease in Alexander's appetite.  We took note of it, but since it's not out of the ordinary for a toddler, we didn't make much of it.  Last week, his reflux started to flare again.  Considering the change in appetite and his age, we figured it was a growth spurt.  Growth spurts are known to aggravate GERD.  Last Thursday his lower GI tract started to go a little haywire, and we began to get concerned.  With all of these issues, though, it's important to watch them for awhile to get better perspective on what's going on.  

On Monday, Alex's reflux was absolutely horrendous.  I don't recall it being that bad since he was a newborn.  While he didn't vomit during the day, there was a sharp decrease in his appetite and he literally refluxed all day.  He would just be sitting on the couch and you would hear the stomach acid rising and falling, rising and falling.  Sometimes it would come up too much and he would choke. He had a terrible night's sleep and subsequently vomitted violently in his sleep.  Tuesday he barely ate - a couple crackers, a bite of a banana, some applesauce and some baby cereal.  Last night, another bad night's sleep.

So.....today we were back at the doctor.  His Prevacid was doubled to 30mg in the morning.  The Prevacid has never been our "miracle drug" - many children have no symptoms while on it.  That has never been the case with Alexander, but it certainly made his condition manageable. We will see how the higher dose goes for him.  

Some other alternatives that were discussed - 1)Adding an additional medication.  They tend to not like combining meds, but it is an option. 2) Seeing a different GI dr at Albany Med.  While the doctors there are good, we (and our ped) have run into many issues with the office, and he is not pushing us to return there. 3) Going out to Boston Children's Hospital for a second opinion.  The cost is the main hurdle there, but something we will be looking into.  Their technology, team, knowledgebase, and approach seem to be phenomenal there.  There are doctors that specialize in pediatric GERD - it's all they do.

For right now, we are going to increase his medication and see how he does.  If he improves to a manageable state, we'll discuss the other options at his 2 year old checkup in March.  If he has a negative  reaction or things continue to get worse, we'll have to make a new plan.

So that's the latest and greatest. Thanks for your caring and support!