Hunger or Acid

[nakole73 34]

I've been taking a PPI, so I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is actually hunger pains or acid. I get this feeling when I go to bed at night and when I wake up in the morning to get the kids ready for school. I remember them as being hunger pains, but I thought they removed the hunger hormone during surgery. My surgery was 8/10, I'm 6 weeks post op today.

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[Bufflehead 6,358]

You can't remove a hormone. It's true that they remove the part of the stomach that is most responsible for producing that hormone (ghrelin), but other parts of the body also produce ghrelin, and they will eventually start making even more of it when they figure out that the main ghrelin production area is gone. So, how much hunger is gone varies a lot from person to person.

Here are some clues as to whether you are experiencing acid, head hunger, or true hunger:

--Have you tried multiple different PPI's -- and if you are on omeprazole/Prilosec, are you taking at least 40 mg per day, 20 mg in the morning, 20 mg at night? Many people need at least 40 mg per day in order to stop excess acid production, or they need a PPI that is stronger than Omeprazole, such as Nexxium or Protonix. Until you have tried a max dose of Omeprazole or a new PPI, don't rule acid out.

--When you are hungry, would you be willing to eat just about anything to satisfy your hunger (dry chicken breast, roast broccoli, an apple)? Or are you thinking things like "I sure would love a piece of cake" or "a burger sounds good right now"? If you aren't hungry enough for some dry chicken breast (and happy to eat dry chicken breast), you aren't experiencing true hunger but head hunger.

Hope this helps -- good luck!

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Not sure, I find that I have to drink a lot of fluids every day or I get acidy.

Try drinking Water before bed time, and as soon as you get up.

[nakole73 34]

Thank you. My Surgeon prescribed 20mg omeprazole once a day.. I mentioned something about maybe still too much acid but he didn't seem to think the dosage should be increased. I drank some Water when I got up this morning and it helped a little. I still have a hard time getting all my water and Protein in.

[KristenLe 5,980]

Thank you. My Surgeon prescribed 20mg omeprazole once a day.. I mentioned something about maybe still too much acid but he didn't seem to think the dosage should be increased. I drank some Water when I got up this morning and it helped a little. I still have a hard time getting all my Water and Protein in.

It could be actual hunger if you aren't eating or drinking enough. If you are unable to get Protein from foods - try adding a shake into the mix again.

[kimini 175]

This is such an interesting phenomenon for me. It happens to me daily, and it really does feel like hunger! But sometimes it is not long after I have just eaten, so I'm pretty sure it can't be. I don't experience any real desire to eat along with it. It just is a sensation that feels like hunger, and my natural response is that I "should" eat something. Is that the way it feels for others?

[chuswysly 122]

My surgeon put me on Nexium24 first thing each morning for a minimum of 3 months.

[nakole73 34]

I'm on omeprazole for 2 months minimum.

[De6270 24]

I am experiencing hunger too 8 days out and have been hungry every day. I eat a few bites then I'm hungry two hours again. Yes, real hunger where I would like a piece of dry chicken or Apple. My PA said to increase real fats with my Protein and veggies...let's see how that goes.

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[frenchchefs 0]

I am two weeks post op. I am having a hard time figuring out if I'm hungry or not because I seriously feel hungry. I started having soft foods two days ago. 3 ounces of refried Beans. Should I still be having more than one or two Protein shakes? Will that keep me satisfied and not feel as hungry?

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