I started having GERD about 1 month out of surgical. I've been instructed to take zantac 2x a day and carafate 4x a day- which is horrible because of the time restriction. Can eat an hour after taking , or 2 hrs after eating. It restricts how much food you can take in.

I was wondering has anyone started with Gerd and it get better eventually?

Prilosec works better than Zantac. Prilosec is a PPI - most docs prescribe a PPI - you can get a 24 hour time release version.

Crystal light and other drinks with citric acid gave me terrible reflux, I had to watch for those additives in the ingredients list - as soon as I stopped them it went away. Also apple cider vinegar diluted in water everyday helped. But first get it under control before doing the apple cider vinegar and get unfiltered organic. Also do not eat within 3 hours of going to bed and do not take that last bite - overfull.

I agree with @Sosewsue61, a PPI (Prilosec or Nexium) would be much more effective than Zantac. disclaimer, I am not a doctor: I recommend that you discuss this with your doctor.

My story: I started having reflux about a month-6 weeks post-op. Started Nexium and that seemed to help but didn't relieve the nighttime reflux. My doctor had me on Nexium twice a day for a while, then I started taking Carafate, which makes a big difference. But, as you indicated, it is inconvenient to take.

Lately, my symptoms have been nearly gone. I attribute it to several things, weight loss itself is one of them. The biggest factors are a recent addition of ACV and the fact that I try never to eat after 7pm (go to bed on an empty stomach). I now only take 1 dose of Nexium/day and now only take the Carafate in the morning and before bed. *btw, if you aren't getting the liquid Carafate, it is MUCH more effective if you sort of let it dissolve before you swallow it down. You can put it in a small glass or dish and let it dissolved or even crush it. Me, I'm a tough old nurse, so I just put it in my mouth and let it dissolve, then swallow it down with a drink of water. But, that method is not for someone who can be squeamish about chalky muck in your mouth.

I could write a thesis statement on all of the other things I've tried, including all sorts of supplements/herbs/digestive aids and even sleeping on an inclined bed. But honestly, the ACV has made the biggest difference. I take it at least 30 minutes after my Carafate, just before breakfast every day. *If you can't stand the taste, there are capsules. I just couldn't tolerate drinking it, no matter what I mixed it with. So, I take a highly recommended ACV capsule that has cayenne pepper in it.

12 hours ago, Fazzini Bee said:

I started having GERD about 1 month out of surgical. I've been instructed to take zantac 2x a day and carafate 4x a day- which is horrible because of the time restriction. Can eat an hour after taking , or 2 hrs after eating. It restricts how much food you can take in.

I was wondering has anyone started with Gerd and it get better eventually?

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Is what you are doing working ?

I have GERD and it started as soon as I had the surgery. They put me on ompezole which didn't work, then Dexilant which I still take today but my dose has been halved this last 3 months. Hope to be able to get off the PPI someday.

It has been working and I've noticed that when I missed a dose of carafate it's not as miserble as before. I am so hopeful that I can eventually live w/out the carafate

6 hours ago, Fazzini Bee said:

It has been working and I've noticed that when I missed a dose of carafate it's not as miserble as before. I am so hopeful that I can eventually live w/out the carafate

I looked that up to see what it is (Carafate) and it said it was for ulcers ? I guess it has more uses then just for that?

1 minute ago, Tracyringo said:

I looked that up to see what it is (Carafate) and it said it was for ulcers ? I guess it has more uses then just for that?

The biggest thing about carafate is that it coats the stomach tissues and facilitates healing. It also stops my heartburn.

My surgeon said that the pouch is trying to figure out how much acid it needs to produce. So it just takes some time. Some people, get better and some keep the reflux. I just wanted to see if anyone reflux has improved.

Just now, Fazzini Bee said:

My surgeon said that the pouch is trying to figure out how much acid it needs to produce. So it just takes some time. Some people, get better and some keep the reflux. I just wanted to see if anyone reflux has improved.

Well thank you for the info, I would love to get off of the PPI so I will talk to my bariatric NP and see what she says. I still have heartburn even taking the PPI and sometimes it gets really bad. Antacids do help most of the time.

6 minutes ago, Tracyringo said:

Well thank you for the info, I would love to get off of the PPI so I will talk to my bariatric NP and see what she says. I still have heartburn even taking the PPI and sometimes it gets really bad. Antacids do help most of the time.

Are you taking it 2x a day??

No, in the beginning I took half dose in morning and half dose at night. Now I take 30mg instead of 60mg every morning.

I had GERD really bad befit surgery. It went away for about a year, but is back with a vengeance. Certain foods make it much worse and I’ve also had to hernias on top of that. I take Zantac and Pepto to keep it u set control and limit red sauces.