Sleeping issues

JillianMarie · June 10, 2010

Sorry I have to gripe here... I haven't been able to sleep lately which has drained all the energy out of me and prevented me from being able to exercise or be active during the day. I have to take medications at night before bed, and when i do, i take them with some Water, and it seems like the pills don't want to go down unless i sit up. I've gotten to the point where i have to put 4 pillows behind me and completely prop myself up to sleep or i get some kind of reflux (liquid, food, pills, acid, i don't know what) that i can feel up in my throat, and it's really uncomfortable. If i avoid eating or drinking an hour or more before bed, i am unable to fall asleep out of hunger and thirst, and will actually wake up during the night periodically finding myself thirsty and hungry. I will get up once or twice a night needing to eat something, so i will grab a yougurt and have a few sips of juice or water then go back to bed, and i will feel great... until i lay down. Then i get the slimies and end up sitting up for 30 minutes debating whether or not i'm going to throw up. This is really aggravating. It's a lose-lose situation, either i go hungry and thirsty and can't sleep from that, or i give into it and then can't sleep from the indigestion/nausea. Does anyone else have trouble with sleep since surgery? I became so accustomed to night eating that it almost medicated me and put me to sleep prior to surgery, and now that "medication" is taken away from me and i'm left an insomniac!! For the record, i do take Prevacid, and i take sleeping RX's as well.

shiftling · June 10, 2010

That sounds horrible, I have sleep problems without all that!

At least from the looks of this post, you already know you had been used to eating-to-sleep. Maybe this is head-hunger from that habit? I should think it would go away once you get used to the new routine. I'm sure someone who has been through this might say you can contact your doctors and see if you need a higher prescription to control acid.

I know how rough sleeping badly can get, and I really am rooting for you.

Lori21769 · June 10, 2010

I didn't sleep well for the first couple of weeks, despite my sleep meds. I felt like I had to sit up, or get up and have something to eat or drink. I was totally miserable. It does pass as you heal. I now sleep just fine. Naps were very helpful.

I take Prilosec for the acid, and it works well. You may want to add some Tums after your last meal in addition to your acid med.

ouroborous · June 10, 2010

Edit: I should reiterate that I'm not a doctor. The meds I recommend are just the ones that have worked for me. Obviously, you should be under the care of a doctor; if you can't access your sleeve surgeon, at LEAST talk to your primary care/family doctor and explain what's going on. You don't want to add prescription med interactions to the mess that's already going on inside your stomach...

So, someone's gotta lay some tough love on you here.

First, STOP THE NIGHTTIME SNACKING. I strongly doubt you're experiencing real hunger at this point. It's head hunger from bad habits (or it's a symptom of reflux; see below). It is time to break those habits, for good. You should have been ready to change those habits before getting the sleeve, but now it's too late -- you have to change your habits, and you have to do it now. Not only will the late night eating sabotage your weight loss, it will really dial your acid reflux up to 11. Stop eating and drinking an hour before bedtime. If you're super thirsty, you can take a tiny, tiny sip of Water at night. I do this with no problems. But it wasn't until I stopped eating an hour before bedtime that my acid reflux really calmed down, post-op.

Second, your reflux sounds out of control. Are you on a PPI (proton pump inhibitor -- acid blocker, like Prilosec or Protonix, or generic equivalents)? If not, WHY THE HECK NOT? At a month or so out, I'd recommend 40 mg of omeprazole (generic Prilosec) per day (20 mg taken twice, once in the morning and once in the early evening) and possibly something like Carafate to prevent damage to your sleeve and esophagus from all the acid. Both are available in very cheap generic formulations, and you can even buy the omeprazole OTC at costco, etc. For the Carafate, get a prescription -- if you can't see the surgeon, talk to your primary care doc, but I recommend it. It's a cytoprotectant that really helps prevent the acid from doing serious damage (or so my surgeon told me).

Third, just from everything I've read, you are eating too much and likely too fast. At a month out, it takes me 25-30 minutes to consume one small Greek yogurt, and even then I'm probably going too fast. Also, make sure to separate eating and drinking by at least 15 minutes, probably more like 20-30. Even with Water, take small sips -- don't gulp. I know that drinking water is instinctive if your throat is raw and sore from reflux, but drinking too much water too fast can actually make reflux worse (trust me, I went through this... it wasn't until I started drinking less water -- while still making sure I got 64oz+ per day -- that my reflux got under control).

Finally, I highly recommend sleeping propped up until your reflux is under control. Acid reflux is serious business. You must control it, and to do that, you need to follow my other guidelines.

I am not a doctor, so obviously you should be under the care of a surgeon and nutritionist, if possible, and follow their advice. But even not being a doctor, I'm very worried for you -- it sounds like you're on the road to serious, long-term complications, and you need to course-correct... now.

Edited June 10, 2010 by ouroborous

Lori21769 · June 10, 2010

I guess all surgeons have slightly different guidelines. I was put on solids 3 weeks out, and eating a greek yogurt takes me 10 minutes. A typical meal (3-4 oz of Protein, veg, and carb) takes me about 10-15 minutes to eat.

I'm lucky I don't have acid reflux. What are the "slimies?"

ouroborous · June 10, 2010

I guess all surgeons have slightly different guidelines. I was put on solids 3 weeks out, and eating a greek yogurt takes me 10 minutes. A typical meal (3-4 oz of Protein, veg, and carb) takes me about 10-15 minutes to eat.
I'm lucky I don't have acid reflux. What are the "slimies?"

You're right, everyone heals differently. But given the OP's symptoms, I'd be willing to bet that she's eating too much, too fast. Not to be mean, but I suspect that she either didn't get adequate post-op guidance, or isn't being compliant with the post-op guidelines.

Oh yes, I COULD eat a Greek yogurt in 10 minutes. But it would make me have reflux (sore throat, some pain in my chest), it might make my stomach hurt, and it would be a bad idea.

Could and should are very different, in this case. Before I slowed down on the Water, I could drink way more than 100 oz per day. According to my nutritionist, I should be drinking 60-80 oz tops, and slowly.