OMG the acid! Not sure how much reflux I can take...

[justhere4theshow 462]

So, I have had a bit of trouble with stomach acid over the last couple of weeks. My surgeon increased my pantoprazole to twice a day about a week ago. Twice since then, I have woken up with acid coming up and choking me. I cough and sputter, and it feels like it goes up into my nose and into my lungs. This concerns me greatly because it is painful and now I am afraid to lie down, and I cannot sleep in my recliner (I'm a lifelong side sleeper) I have been suffering with bad hunger pangs and I know acid causes that too. Has this happened to anyone else? I think it may be related to my eating half a banana, but that is the only thing I can think of that was different. I also gained back three pounds in just a week, so I am very upset and discouraged at this point. I feel like my body is fighting against me a bit and I am letting it get to me. I plan to call my surgeon tomorrow. I have an appointment 8/22. If I can't get this under control, I am going to be miserable! Now I wish I had gone with RNY.

[OzRoo 1,492]

Yes, this happened to me earlier on, and each episode was very painful and scary.

Waking up at 3 am, coughing up and choking on acid. I was scared that if I inhale it, I would end up with aspiration pneumonia. It was very painful too, the awful burn.

I elevated my pillows, and both pantoprazole and rabeprazole did not work for me, even when I switched to taking them at night.

I was told by other Aussie sleevers that Nexium/Esomeprazole worked for them and the other ones didn't work.

So I asked my surgeon for Nexium 40mg script, which he wrote with a repeat.

And this med worked wonders for me. I never had the horrible early morning/night episodes again, and I was good during the day also.

Nexium apparently is longer lasting, and I guess it is not prescribed early post op, as the size of a tablet is quite large.

Because I was a month post op then, I had no issues with swallowing large tablets.

So for me, Nexium was a life saver, as I was quite miserable with reflux before taking it.

Good luck, hope you get a new script and a new med that works for you.

[justhere4theshow 462]

Thank you!

[OzRoo 1,492]

Welcome! Hope you feel better soon.

I am now trying to slowly wean myself of Nexium, 4 months of taking it and being helped by it.

I used to think that I will have reflux issues for life, and now I am good.

Reflux can be so bad with nasty complications later, so it needs to be taken care of.

Please let us know how you go with your appointment and what script you get.

No more burning "foamies" !

[finding_onederland 226]

This is one of my biggest fears! I am glad to know that Nexium may be an option.

Question for both of you, @ and @justthere4theshow - did either of you have reflux before the sleeve? Or a hernia? I have occasional heartburn now, but I have a hiatal hernia that the doc is fixing at the same time as my sleeve.

[KristenLe 5,980]

@@justhere4theshow Waking up like that is horrible! I would ask for a different med to see if that helps. Sometimes the combination of meds are needed. In terms of the weight gain - don't panic - you are probably retaining Water or constipated. Be sure to hydrate! Take care!

[motherboard 38]

Try sleeping with a wedge. Place a wadge and your pillow on top. You could still sleep on the side but you will be a little elevated. Maybe that will help with the reflex.

Edited August 18, 2016 by motherboard

[OzRoo 1,492]

@@finding_onederland

I had a small hiatus hernia over 20 years ago. I was most surprised after my pre op endoscopy, that it was gone! It fixed itself, amazing.

As to reflux, I had a bit of intermittent reflux in the past couple of years, I put it down to my big weight gain, and eating lot of chocolates. I was given pantoprazole that I took for 2-3 weeks, and was good afterward.

Post op, gastric sleeve however, I was horrified by the strong reflux I had, even while on rabeprazole. Every day I was uncomfortable or in pain during my nightly reflux foaming and frothing attacks.

I also noticed that at every food phase change, reflux was bad again, even with me eating the correct food, eating slowly and chewing lots.

So for me, Nexium was heaven sent. It fixed my reflux, and from then on I was fine.

Good luck to you.

[justhere4theshow 462]

I was the same, with some intermittent reflux off and on. Nothing serious. Hopefully I can get my meds right and stop the burning!

[finding_onederland 226]

I was the same, with some intermittent reflux off and on. Nothing serious. Hopefully I can get my meds right and stop the burning!

I hope so too! I know it can be brutal!

[lelay 4]

My doctor prescribed 40 milligrams a day of famotidine and that works for me

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[lilmelisa 16]

I had a hiatal hernia that the surgeon fixed during my sleeve procedure and my reflux issues have greatly improved.

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[finding_onederland 226]

I had a hiatal hernia that the surgeon fixed during my sleeve procedure and my reflux issues have greatly improved.

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I am super glad to hear this. A friend of mine (who had reflux before surgery) also had a hernia repaired and her reflux improved too. I hope this is the case for me. My doc told us that it gets worse for 30% of patients, and asked me to consider bypass. I told him I would take those odds - I hope I don't regret it.

[Tuani 14]

So, I have had a bit of trouble with stomach acid over the last couple of weeks. My surgeon increased my pantoprazole to twice a day about a week ago. Twice since then, I have woken up with acid coming up and choking me. I cough and sputter, and it feels like it goes up into my nose and into my lungs. This concerns me greatly because it is painful and now I am afraid to lie down, and I cannot sleep in my recliner (I'm a lifelong side sleeper) I have been suffering with bad hunger pangs and I know acid causes that too. Has this happened to anyone else? I think it may be related to my eating half a banana, but that is the only thing I can think of that was different. I also gained back three pounds in just a week, so I am very upset and discouraged at this point. I feel like my body is fighting against me a bit and I am letting it get to me. I plan to call my surgeon tomorrow. I have an appointment 8/22. If I can't get this under control, I am going to be miserable! Now I wish I had gone with RNY.

Try sleeping in your recliner with a pillow or folded blanket to prop you on your side a bit, it really helped me

Tuani

[Sweetmel7 39]

So, I have had a bit of trouble with stomach acid over the last couple of weeks. My surgeon increased my pantoprazole to twice a day about a week ago. Twice since then, I have woken up with acid coming up and choking me. I cough and sputter, and it feels like it goes up into my nose and into my lungs. This concerns me greatly because it is painful and now I am afraid to lie down, and I cannot sleep in my recliner (I'm a lifelong side sleeper) I have been suffering with bad hunger pangs and I know acid causes that too. Has this happened to anyone else? I think it may be related to my eating half a banana, but that is the only thing I can think of that was different. I also gained back three pounds in just a week, so I am very upset and discouraged at this point. I feel like my body is fighting against me a bit and I am letting it get to me. I plan to call my surgeon tomorrow. I have an appointment 8/22. If I can't get this under control, I am going to be miserable! Now I wish I had gone with RNY.

Try pepcid or omniprezole. I was on omniprezole for about a year and a half . Now im on nothing. Dont need it anymore. I will be three years post op in december.

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