My CAH son is 11 and when he was 4-5 yrs old, he experienced horrible stomach ailments due to the cortef being given on an empty stomach. He started complaining of stomach aches and it became increasingly worse over a few weeks. I mentioned it to our endo and he kept saying it wasn’t due to the cortef. I took him to his reg ped, he said he didn’t think it was the cortef either and that he probably had a virus. So I kept telling him he would be feeling better soon. Finally, one day he started complaining to my sister-in-law who is a nurse practioner. I actually overheard him BEGGING her to help him with his stomach pain. She came over to me and questioned me on what had been going on. After I told her, she agreed that something can’t be right if a 5 year old is begging for help! It just so happens that she is partner in a gastroenterology group, so she called one of the doctors for me (on a Sunday no less!) and I was informed that cortef DOES indeed irritate the stomach when taken on an empty stomach and she was shocked that I was told otherwise. So, that doctor told me to put him on a course of PepcicAC for 2 months minimum, starting immediately. Naturally, I called the endo the next morning and he said that although he knew that cortef could possibly cause a problem, none of his patients parents ever mentioned a problem before!!!! So in other words, he kind of ignored me when I first complained! To make a long story short, we continued the PepcidAC for the two months and now we always, always, always given the 6 am meds with milk. He has never had a problem since, but interestingly enough he still talks about it! Unfortunately, he hasn’t forgotten the pain. So a word to the wise: Give with milk when possible if giving on an empty stomach!!!

ValerieD