Zegerid - Reflux Medication

Zegerid is a prescription medication described as a proton-pump inhibitor/antacid combination. It is a lot like Prevacid. Doctors tend to prescribe Prevacid for children with reflux issues and Prevacid has created a "solutab" that they claim is useful for feeding tubes. However, we have a Mic-Key button on our feeding tube and before that we had a Bard Button and a Genie prior to that. The Prevacid Solutabs would dissolve in the water but only down to granules that were too big for the button. They would clog the buttons and keep the internal valves open causing them to leak. There was almost an art to getting the medication to flow out of the syringe. If the plunger of the syringe pressed any of the medication against the bottom of the syringe, it would create a rubber-like mat. Some families we know use Prevacid successfully, but we prefer Zegerid. 

Zegerid is powder that comes in packets. You simply poor the powder in water (we use about 20 ml) and with minimal mixing it makes a suspension with a consistency thinner than Motrin. It is a recognized drug that our insurance would cover, but doctors tend to be a bit hesitant with it because there are not any pediatric studies on it like Prevacid. Our daughter weighs 53 lbs and takes 40 mg per day (two 20 mg packets - one in the morning; one at night). It has to be taken at least 2 hours after a feeding and 30-45 minutes before food. For those struggling with reflux and/or Prevacid, it might be worth checking with your doctor to see if you can try Zegerid. If there are any others reflux medications that have been helpful and tube friendly, we would love to learn about them as well.