Do not stop using your antacid. DO NOT STOP USING IT EVEN IF YOU FEEL OKAY!

I will admit it-I hate taking pills. This has been my downfall after the surgery. I even hate taking my multi Vitamin every day. I do it, but I hate it. I don't even know why.

Anyway, I have not had any problems with indigestion or heartburn since the surgery. So, stupid enough, I stopped taking my antacid last week. Well, I think it has been about 10 days since I took it.

Well, I am miserable. Everything hurts going down-it burns. I can hardly eat anything right now. :smile: I can drink (and that still hurts, but not like food does). Obviously it is because I haven't had my antacid. :smile: I went to the doctor today and he said I better start taking it again. If it isn't better in another 10 days, he is going to scope me. But he really felt like it was the lack of antacid causing me the pain. (and I do too...)

Take it from me, take your meds as directed!

Hi..What is OH? Thanks

I was told 60 days and I can quit. I Forgot to take it last night and then again before work this morning. I was in pain by the end of the day and raced home to get a pill. I hope its not forever. I never had reflux before

My doc told me at the 3 month mark to stop taking it and I did (mine was hurting my back--odd i know, but i swear!). I am 7 months out and I havent taken it since...I never have an issue..and IF i do, its nothing that your ordinary tums cant get rid of. I definitely had acid reflux before the sleeve but its now since gone away!!

But thats me. Many people still seem to need it. But to answer someone's question, no you really dont need to be on it forever...

How were you sure that the back pain was from the PPI you were taking?

Hi..What is OH? Thanks

Stands for Obesity Help from the website and weight loss (WL), message board...

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum (VSG)

The PA told me to stop taking mine when I went for my post op because I told her I was feeling fine. I didn't take it the next day but took it yesterday. Didn't take it today...and am kind of playing it by ear. If I start feeling like I need it...I will definitely start taking it again.

I have noticed I have felt a bit more bloated I guess today..not sure if it's related at all...but I haven't had any burning or anything.

I don't have any experience with acid reflux so not sure what all the symptoms are.

Every time I tried to go off my protonix, I feel like I am starving all the time.

I don't see any reason to go off of it, but I may try again some day. It's only $10 for the generic, and my pcp prescribes it twice a day, so I get 60 for $10 and I only take it in the morning.

I switched from nexium to otc zantac after 6 months, and I take it twice a day. Occasionally I forget to take it and some days I don't notice any acid. But if I eat any carbs, I do notice the acid burning, sometimes even when I've taken the zantac. chocolate is also a problem. Darn.

Milk does take the edge off for me, if I am having some acid burning, and eating a few bites of Protein every two hours or so will also help me. I guess it gives the stomach something to burn besides my stomach! One of the advantages of having a "normal" amount of stomach acid is that it kills harmful bacteria, which we might consume on food that we eat. The PPI's stop all acid production so we lose that protection when on a PPI.

I am hoping that eventually I will not need anything except a few Vitamins.That raises another issue. Presence or absence of acid is a factor in whether or not some medications and vitamins are absorbed and properly utilized in the body. It's a juggling act to take certain ones on empty stomach, but take others with food, as recommended.

It is definitely a juggling act. It drives me nuts. I take my iron with orange juice cause the pharmacist told me to. He said it needs acid to be absorbed. I have to take one thing or another every 2 hours and it drives me crazy!

well i'm fairly certain my back pain was caused by the ppi. I never had back pain until i started taking them. Then I saw it listed as a possible side-effect. So, i stopped taking them for a couple of days (but back then I still needed them) and after a day or so of being off of them my back stopped hurting...THEN I started having acid reflux almost immediately ..so i went back on it...and again my back started hurting me. After a few months my dr. told me that I didnt need to be on them anymore. Once, i stopped taking them for good, it, again, went away.

I think its a pretty rare side-effect though...no one else seems to have had that problem..so who knows. I think I was on them for 3 months.

I am going to try taking my protonix every other day and see what happens. I saw something on the news that being on them long term can cause other problems so I am going to see if I can cut down . I've never been able to before, but I'll see what happens.

I am still taking mine, but this article just might make me re-think it ... I'll discuss with my doctor at the 6 month mark:

Proton pump inhibitors can lead to higher risk of bone fractures, studies show - chicagotribune.com

yeah, that's what I saw on the news. I didn't take it today. I'll see what happens.

Hi y'all, you may be interested to know why I will be continuing with my prescribed PPI and adding an additional OTC at bedtime at this point, indefinately! I blogged it if your interested... http://verticalsleevetalk.com/blogs/lan2k/553-finally-got-up-courage-see-otolaryngologist.html

thanks for the advice!! same thing happened to meeee and i had to start taking them again....now i am really happy.

mint sugar free chewing gum works for me. It kills the heartburn within minutes...and no "bounce back" heartburn like happens with Rolaids or Tums.

I had my sleeve on Dec 15th...I'm still taking the Nexium Mups from my surgery prescription. I dissolve it in a tablespoon of hot Water and take it in one swallow. Then I set the timer for 30 minutes and only after 30 minutes has passed do I have my hot tea, yogurt, whatever for Breakfast. Occasionally I have breakthrough heartburn throughout the day, but the chewing gum takes care of it. I found that tip when researching GERD for a college discussion posting!