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Reflux Poll  

9 members have voted

  1. 1. Reflux Poll

    • Ive been banded at least 6 months and Ive [U]NEVER[/U] had problems with reflux.
      143
    • Ive been banded at least 6 months and Ive had problems with reflux (corrected or not).
      638


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Hello everyone, I have reflux (before and after band) and am currently searching for holistic remedies to my reflux.

I don't mean to scare anyone but the meds can cause pancreatitis . I didn't even know this was a side effect until I did some research.

I'm amazed the doctors don't know this. My lap band doctor did caution against using these meds long term.

It's really frightening. If you google chronic pancreatitis, it's a devastating illness that can take your life and probably will eventually.

I have stopped my acid reflux meds and I'm hoping I have not caused such damage to it.

Just an FYI

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the best natural stuff that I have found (and use) is chamomile and ginger, in my opinion. Especially ginger. I even have ginger altoids (mint is NOT good for reflux). I swear I love ginger and eat it like its going out of style. Can't have the fundoplasty with lap band. Just be careful if you aren't going to use the meds and make sure you get scoped regularily to check for Barretts and so forth. I hear that esophagial cancer is nasty stuff. I've never been reflux symptom free, ever in my whole life and I'm not holding my breath on it. I'm used to it. I just make sure I can breath (acid stays out of the lungs) and that I'm not throwing up or overly nauseated. Being symptom free would be nice, but its not an expectation of mine. There are worse problems to have-- my father had a hole in his esophagaus (he drank battery acid as a baby).

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I'm havig a scope in a week.

I'm terrified of Barretts. If the doctor see's damage I'm going to rethink the band.

Nothing is worth cancer.

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I had reflux with my first band. The band eventually slipped at 2.5 years post-op.

I have not any reflux with my second band (now 2 yrs post-op).

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Did you have trouble from the beginning with your first band. What kind of trouble did you have?

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I had trouble as soon as I got restriction (third fill - about 4 mos. into banding). That's when I started getting reflux. I had a slight unfill, which helped. Then the problem came back ... eventually got so miserable that I had a complete unfill. Had a respite for a few months (no fills), then started having problems again even though my band was completely unfilled. I think that is when my band slipped - or the slip worsened. I tried to put up w/the problems for several months, eventually got so bad that I had an upper GI and discovered the slippage. I then had my band replaced at 2.5 years post-op first band.

I think that my band probably slipped slightly early on, and then just worsened over time - but it's hard to say for sure why I had so much trouble w/my first band (Midband - placed by Dr. Frering in France).

I have had no trouble w/my current band (9.75 cm Lap-band), and I'm 2 years post-op on my second band.

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Can you take platonix while banded?? just wondering since its supposed to cure stomach ulcers help with reflux, hearburn and gas.

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It is the first sign the band is overfilled. Over eating will cause this as well so watch your volumes. 1/2 - 1 cup per meal...

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reflux after should be agressively investigated especially if heartburn does not improve with deflation. The band will not always resolve reflux if it was present before the surgery but most see a dramatic improvement. Meds like protonix, nexium are ok to take but after other potential serious causes for the reflux have been excluded

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itsyvonne,

I am petrified that I am heading down your path. After my 2nd fill about 1.5 weeks into it, I felt very little restriction, but all the sudden developed a tightness in the back of my throat. I just figured that I over ate or didn't chew properly or something and babies my pouch for a few days w/ soft foods (yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.)

I already had my 3rd fill scheduled and did mention that I had a tight feeling in the back of my throat, and why I assumed it was there and they gave me another .5 for a total of 2.5CC's, almost immediately I felt a flare up in the back of my throat, but told myself it was temp, and the Water went down fine, etc. So I figured I was good to go and once I went on liquids for the 24 hours I'd be all set.

Wrong, now I can feel the acid and have started taking Pepcid complete. Which doesn't help. I called my Doc yesterday and he still hasn't called me back, if I don't get a call by noon, I'll call again. I think I may need a slight unfill, or worst case scenario, I have already slipped.

Should I request that they do an Xray to make sure that I'm properly placed?

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Dear itsyovonne,

It sound like the band is a little too tight. Going back to 2 cc for a while or less should help. If symptoms continue then an upper GI may be necessary. good luck

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I used to have really bad reflux before the band but it has improved soooo much post banding.

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I have a problem with certain things now that I didn't up until this year. For instance Orange juice. I never had a problem with it but, now I get heart burn from it unless low acid kind but, only in small quantity. I don't know if it is lap band related though since I just started having it this past year.

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Hi everyone, I hope you don't mind me sneaking in. Sorry I am not participating and haven't been banded yet but I have a question. I am a coffee attict and drink my "Starbucks" at least 4 cups every morning and have no negative side effects. Is coffee restricted after being banded and/or does it cause reflux?

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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