One week post op: Took my night time pills tonight and instantly got severe acid reflux to the point of dry heaving. Anyone have good recommendations to avoid this or calm it down once it explodes? Tums have done absolutely nothing. Tried warm tea, cold drinks, xantac. Need relief!!!

my surgeon put me on an acid blocked prevacid dissolving tabs which seem to help me but it is apparently normal with this surgery even though it makes me sick some days from acid reflux and what not my surgeon told me it fades away with time. so I would suggest talking to your surgeon for a prescription for the problems you are having

Yep; my surgeon put me on an acid blocker for the first few months. To my knowledge - Tums is probably the weaker of the over-the-counter stuff. You want something that will neutralize/prevent it, preferably, before it happens. If you don't have access to your surgeon anymore - any drugstore pharmacist can make a recommendation for a good OTC product. They can also alert you to interactions with any existing medications you may be on. I take something, daily, that will be negatively affected by acid relieving products; so I have to take the acid stuff 2hrs after my regular meds or 12hrs before. Not a big deal since we've go 24hrs to work with. The idea is to get the acid meds going and consistent for a while to build up in your system to help avoid the painful symptoms. Also, don't eat late, don't lay down anytime soon after you eat, etc. And I also read where the surgery could, unfortunately, make acid worse than it was before....or make it appear when you've never had it before.

Best Wishes..

Mu surgeon has me on prescription Protonix (or the generic). Works great!

Edited October 28, 201411 yr by Rogofulm

I had surgery four days ago, and gas/reflux seems to be my biggest problem. I'm not in much pain, just taking Tylenol right now. But I feel so gassy in my chest and whenever I take a drink I hear and feel gurgling. I can feel it in my throat and mouth. Walking helps, but it's driving me a little crazy. I take protonix in the morning but then find myself taking tums by evening. Does this get better? I hope this isn't my new normal.

Yep, it gets better pretty quickly. I found the during the first week, I felt a constriction where whatever I drank seemed to have trouble negotiating the curve into my stomach. Then in the second week, I felt constriction higher up in my chest, followed by gurgling when stuff released into my stomach. In both cases, my doctor's office attributed it to post-surgery swelling. Once that goes down, things get more like what will be your new "normal" going forward. Now at 4 months out, I get occasional gurgling when I drink something too soon after eating and it has to negotiate it's way through the food. But it's more amusing than anything else. Remember, you are healing right now, and things are going to feel a little weird for a couple of more weeks. Good luck on your journey!