Carafate

[Fazzini Bee 76]

Hello! Just started Carafate. Has anyone else used this medication? What was your expirence? Why were you prescribed it?

[Briswife15 889]

Yes, I am on liquid Carafate 4 times a day for the treatment of marginal ulcers in my anastomosis. (I had RNY gastric bypass. ) Ive had no problems with it. I've been on it for 5 weeks, with no end in sight!

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[Fazzini Bee 76]

Have you had any updates on progress?

I am on it because I called my surgeon and told him I was having heartburn. I am 3 weeks post op.

He said it will coat my stomach. What is your routine for taking it?? There are so many rules for this med. Have you had any side effects?

[Losingit2018 1,170]

I have been on it for about two weeks now. I had a horrific experience with reflux early one mornings no. Literally had acid coming out my mouth and my nose. The pain was horrible.

I called my surgeon and he put me back on omneprazole 2x per day and the carafate 4 x per day. I use the pills and crush /add them to Water. Less expensive this way.

I think that I may have brought that episode upon myself eating right before going to bed.

I haven’t had any side effects but it is hard to space out my other meds and Vitamins far enough from the carafate.

Goid luck and I hope it works for you. I wouldn’t wish an episode like the one I had on anyone.

[Briswife15 889]

Have you had any updates on progress?
I am on it because I called my surgeon and told him I was having heartburn. I am 3 weeks post op.
He said it will coat my stomach. What is your routine for taking it?? There are so many rules for this med. Have you had any side effects?

Hi. No side effects. I have had four endoscopies to dilate my stricture and check on the progress of the ulcers. Still very inflammed. Im going back for my 5th one end of this month. I take it 20 minutes before each meal on an empty stomach, and at bedtime.

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[Briswife15 889]

Oh, I am also taking Pantoprazole twice a day

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[Frustr8 7,886]

Also known as Protonix- works well if needed.

[Fazzini Bee 76]

16 hours ago, Briswife15 said:

Hi. No side effects. I have had four endoscopies to dilate my stricture and check on the progress of the ulcers. Still very inflammed. Im going back for my 5th one end of this month. I take it 20 minutes before each meal on an empty stomach, and at bedtime.

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How far out are you?

[Briswife15 889]

How far out are you?

10 weeks. My problems started at 3.5 weeks

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[Frustr8 7,886]

I am even farther out, 9 monthsn my same complication as Briswife started at under 3 weeks, confirmed at 1st endoscopym They didn't believe me, tried to tell me I just had remaining surgical swelling. And my stricture doesn't seem to want to leave me. I Have been on Carafate since then, let's see, I started it October 12th it's almost June 12th so 8 months? How do I like it? Well it has become second nature like most of my other meds, I take it 6AM, noon, 6 PM and Midnight. I would complaint it keeps me from sleeping but I wasn't sleeping that solid anyway. I take the pill Forman mainly because my Medicare Part D medication insurance provider is too dang cheap to grant me the liquid. With. the pills, you dissolve it in Water, my surgeon told me originally boiling but it will disolve in room temprature, just takes a little longer, stir up the slurry I usually drink,it down before it stops moving, if you wait it takes 2 medicine cups of water to get it all, I liken the taste to white flour water, not especially lovely. Although I am still ulcerated the few times I am late they hurt more. And although most people after having their stomas stretched get all better, I believe Briswife' s has progressed I nay be the exception to the rule. Every time they try to dialate it ,seems prone to snap shut. But this Wednesday we shall try again, I'm assigned a different doctor for this one. I believe it is my 12th or 13th EGJ, see when you're post RNY they look at.your esophagus, stomach pouch and your jejunem, the second part of your small intestine that your pouch attaches to, you never can see your duodenum and residual stomach again without a lot of fancy-pants maneuvering or being. cut open with a open incision. I just read recently some. of the surgeons can still do it laprascopically.
But I remain optimistic, I believe I still will be repaired, even if it takes more surgery, even if it is an "open" incision, that's how my galk- bladder and appendix were removed, that was before laprascopic was prevalent. I know how long it takes for an abdominal incision to heal, and, although they vastly prefer to do things laprascopically, every surgeon worth their salt knows how to do things the other, and you really can see things perfect with it.
In the meantime I am still stuck on thin- like purees, broths/soups, Protein Shakes. Doesn't sound too fun? Well I'm used to it, I make sure I take all my Vitamins and other meds, stri Protein Powder into every thing where it doesn't occur naturally. Still taking a PPI, omeprazole DOES NOT WORK for me, in fact every ulceration I have had was while on omeprazole so I am on Dexilent, the Ferarri of PPIs, would cost over $300 monthly without insurance, I am lucky I only pay a $6 co-pay. Still also take Zofran, if I try cutting it back the vomiting returns in force.
Now for the thing which is good and keeps me moving forward! I have lost almost 120 pounds since surgery, 165 since my highest weight in October 2017. And I needed badly to lose the weight. I have had arthiritis since age 25, in fact I had to stop having babies after 3 because my hipbones were starting to spot-weld, any more would have been C section and with my weight, although I was not quite as big, I was still a Big Girl. And although I did finally have to have both knees replaced , they hurt a lot less now. I can do things better, move quicker, maybe now I could escape fires. Since my surgery I have been much more vigilant about my health status, had many more testing done, found some minor things that had been hiding, No Big Thing , they are all managed now. Before I was a Walking Time Bomb- in my family we had ❤disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, depressions- it was by God's Grace I dodged as many of those bullets as I did. My PCO was threatening I would not make it to 75, would be wheelchair- dependant because my joints were screaming No More No More! Now I am ready to drop into a size 18 after being a 28- 30 womens. To be honest I mostly wore mens sweats in the autumn, winter and into spring, even Wal-Mart didn't have that big a selection in that big a size! And my quality of Life was bottoming out, didn't get up if I didn't have to, didn't walk if I could stand still, didn't stand still if I could sit, and why sit if I could lie back down? Figured I was rated to just die, so stop moving so the Death Angel could find me! Then I heard from someone about Bariatric Surgery, asked my PCP and , surprise , he said I should at least try. And if I was going to die anyway, what did I have to lose? If died on the Operating table, at least I would have died trying, and my life wasn't that great anyhow. Do I started seeking, most places seemed to say I was too dang old, well my red-headed stubborness was firing up! How dare they say i wasnt good enough, deserving enough, worthy of their time? I went through one program not once, but twice, quite a backstory there, only to be refused by their head surgeon! Did ibstop there? Nope! Fueled by the fact that Dr Doofus and his minions bled so much insurance monies off and then said I WAS DEFECTIVE! I had known these people for 2 and a half years and now they're trying to say there is Something Wrong with ME? Their diagnostic skills seemed pretty crappy to ME. So I set out on my Fact- Finding Journey. I had taken my PCP at his word that Program #1 would be best for ME, Now I would search for the ONE best for ME! And why not the Premier, the one I truly wanted, the one centered at our Land Grant university, the place I had even once dreamed of being educated at, the Ohio State University, well I went to their seminar in March 2018, after being " kicked to the curb" by Program 1 in February, and my oh my I Liked What I Heard!! Program #1 had assigned me someone now I could make a chouce! Pulled up their bios and studied them like finals, well in a way that WAS what this was, instead of risking a career I would be risking my LIFE! And then waited for a call- back, I. wanted THEM but did they want ME? Didn't have a very long wait, maybe 5- 6 days, and not only did they WANT ME, they wanted to work with me to make it a Good Experience! And I had made sure I had excellent references and acknowledgement of all the pre- consults I had already done. Wasn't too difficult because I had an excellent lawyer in Columbus, and there was something not Kosher with these people, at the very least a breach of trust if not promise. And since they didn't want their dirty laundry examined..... Anyway the next month I met with a Staff Psychologist who just happened to be a specialist in a condition I have which was not public knowledge, perfect recommendation, next month met dietician and exercise physiologist and nurse-practioner, met again with her for a more in depth in late May/ early June, still everybody wanted ME, didn't think I was neither foolish or too old for seeking this, they met with my surgeon, the one I CHOSE in July, had a PreSurgical exam, found little to Barr me, actually something I could repair myself, a fatty liver,went on the luver- shrinking Diet for the entire month of August, made my liver shrink and look beautiful, lostc15 pounds, ME with the Basal Metabolism of a Sick Sea 🐌 Snail. And on September 5th 2018 I received my RNY from my chosen surgeon, The Chairman and top dog of Bariatric Medicine and Metabolic Weight Loss, yeah the Big Kahuna, Bradley J Needleman MD. Gave me a surgery with 7 tiny slits, basically pain-free and the Start of a New Life for ME. And I shall be incredibly grateful to him and Ohio State , and if i require more surgery I am safe within his hands! And I gave absolutely no fear, come what may!
I know this is LONG but I did want to explain, give a little shout-out to my wonderful hospital and staffm Probably my problems re just that I healed funny, but I still trust things are going to work out just fine for ME.😛👍And 8 am so incredibly lucky🍀to have this chance for a future!