Acid Reflux- Please Help

[Lalala 2]

Hello all,

I was banded 13 years ago at 250 pounds. During this time I have truly changed everything about my diet and my exercise habits. About 6 years into having my band, at 135 pounds, I developed acid reflux. I didn't know what it was at the time as I had never had it before and just ignored it. Eventually I started taking tums, then nexium 20mg.

I would say I took nexium for 4 or so years before going to my band doctor who told me I had to drain my band. He scared me and warned me I would gain weight but I never did (I wish I had read more positive stories about draining/removing so I wanted to mention that)!

Once he drained my band my acid went away for a week. I was so happy I could cry. Until one day I ate a bowl of chili, it came back and never went away (so heartbreaking) even with my band fully drained.

Fast forward, I made the decision to take out my band to get rid of this acid reflux that has been really effecting my quality of life. That was this last October. After surgery I continued to have acid reflux and the doctors said to keep taking my nexium for a couple weeks. I did, it didn't go away so he prescribed me sucralfate. That didn't work so he prescribed me Protonix 40mg twice a day along with the sucralfate 4 times a day.

I am now almost 2 months out from surgery. I eat so healthy and have removed everything possibly triggering from my diet. While I have not gained weight which was all I could think about before surgery, I never imagined I would still have acid reflux after I got my band removed. The whole point of having my band taken out was to be free of this awful GERD that has haunted me for the past 13 years.

I am so heartbroken to still be going through this after surgery. Has anyone gone through this and come out on the other side? Any advice would be amazing.

[ichabodny 59]

1 hour ago, Lalala said:

Hello all,

I was banded 13 years ago at 250 pounds. During this time I have truly changed everything about my diet and my exercise habits. About 6 years into having my band, at 135 pounds, I developed acid reflux. I didn't know what it was at the time as I had never had it before and just ignored it. Eventually I started taking tums, then nexium 20mg.

I would say I took nexium for 4 or so years before going to my band doctor who told me I had to drain my band. He scared me and warned me I would gain weight but I never did (I wish I had read more positive stories about draining/removing so I wanted to mention that)!

Once he drained my band my acid went away for a week. I was so happy I could cry. Until one day I ate a bowl of chili, it came back and never went away (so heartbreaking) even with my band fully drained.

Fast forward, I made the decision to take out my band to get rid of this acid reflux that has been really effecting my quality of life. That was this last October. After surgery I continued to have acid reflux and the doctors said to keep taking my nexium for a couple weeks. I did, it didn't go away so he prescribed me sucralfate. That didn't work so he prescribed me Protonix 40mg twice a day along with the sucralfate 4 times a day.

I am now almost 2 months out from surgery. I eat so healthy and have removed everything possibly triggering from my diet. While I have not gained weight which was all I could think about before surgery, I never imagined I would still have acid reflux after I got my band removed. The whole point of having my band taken out was to be free of this awful GERD that has haunted me for the past 13 years.

I am so heartbroken to still be going through this after surgery. Has anyone gone through this and come out on the other side? Any advice would be amazing.

Taking the meds that your Dr is giving you is what you can do now. I didn't have your surgery but had the Bypass-long time acid reflux and then stage 3 gerd made that the only possibility. That long term problem requires a change in foods along with the meds to get it managed. There are lists of foods and Water that can help with that (alkaline levels are most important) and it requires some research. Your Dr won't give it much mind for now as long as it's not getting worse.

You are right to be concerned but give it time. It can take at least 6 months of change of diet, exercise and weight loss to bring down the level. I'm sorry to say you will have to modify foods that you used to eat and always be mindful of anything that you can react poorly to. Some people even respond to lactose and dairy badly for acid reflux and gerd. It wont go away just with the weight loss and the surgery revision. Ask your Dr if they have suggestions for your diet and what foods to eat. As long as you do this, it won't get to Barret's Syndrome and worse. That is really the good news to this. It can be better by the summer but you will always have to watch the foods you eat after.

Great job on keeping the weight loss despite huge challenges! Feel better.

[GradyCat 3,697]

Great job on keeping the weight loss despite the challenges. It takes a while for the GERD drugs to take effect in your body. Give it some more time.

[mae7365 372]

I've had acid reflux since 2010. Has a gastric sleeve in 2014 which helped with weight loss, but increased the acid reflux. I've run out of possible medical management and the reflux was destroying my quality of life. After having a bunch of diagnostic tests to confirm my acid reflux, my insurance approved gastric bypass surgery (gastrojejunostomy). I had surgery 10/29/20 and haven't had an episode of reflux since. Realize, this was major life changing surgery to cure my acid reflux, but at 63, I didn't see any improvement in my life without surgery. I'm now 4 weeks post op, healing and most of the post op issues are resolving. A "complication" of this surgery is weight loss, and I've lost 18 lbs. since surgery...….SWEET! I'm not saying that surgery is the best option for everyone with chronic GERD, but it was definitely the right choice for me.

[Foxbins 625]

Have you seen a gastroenterologist? If I were you, that would be my next step. If you have, and your diet, medication, and behavioral interventions are not working, I think the next step would be a surgeon. There is a surgery for GERD called Nissen fundoplication, where the stomach is folded around the esophagus to keep the acid from moving up.

[Lalala 2]

20 hours ago, ichabodny said:

Taking the meds that your Dr is giving you is what you can do now. I didn't have your surgery but had the Bypass-long time acid reflux and then stage 3 gerd made that the only possibility. That long term problem requires a change in foods along with the meds to get it managed. There are lists of foods and Water that can help with that (alkaline levels are most important) and it requires some research. Your Dr won't give it much mind for now as long as it's not getting worse.

You are right to be concerned but give it time. It can take at least 6 months of change of diet, exercise and weight loss to bring down the level. I'm sorry to say you will have to modify foods that you used to eat and always be mindful of anything that you can react poorly to. Some people even respond to lactose and dairy badly for acid reflux and gerd. It wont go away just with the weight loss and the surgery revision. Ask your Dr if they have suggestions for your diet and what foods to eat. As long as you do this, it won't get to Barret's Syndrome and worse. That is really the good news to this. It can be better by the summer but you will always have to watch the foods you eat after.

Great job on keeping the weight loss despite huge challenges! Feel better.

Thank you! When the surgeon took out my band he said he was surprised as to how much inflammation I had. I am hoping I just need more time.

[Lalala 2]

12 hours ago, mae7365 said:

I've had acid reflux since 2010. Has a gastric sleeve in 2014 which helped with weight loss, but increased the acid reflux. I've run out of possible medical management and the reflux was destroying my quality of life. After having a bunch of diagnostic tests to confirm my acid reflux, my insurance approved gastric bypass surgery (gastrojejunostomy). I had surgery 10/29/20 and haven't had an episode of reflux since. Realize, this was major life changing surgery to cure my acid reflux, but at 63, I didn't see any improvement in my life without surgery. I'm now 4 weeks post op, healing and most of the post op issues are resolving. A "complication" of this surgery is weight loss, and I've lost 18 lbs. since surgery...….SWEET! I'm not saying that surgery is the best option for everyone with chronic GERD, but it was definitely the right choice for me.

Thats amazing! Knowing what I know now I'm shocked as to how many people including myself had complications with the band.

[Lalala 2]

9 hours ago, Foxbins said:

Have you seen a gastroenterologist? If I were you, that would be my next step. If you have, and your diet, medication, and behavioral interventions are not working, I think the next step would be a surgeon. There is a surgery for GERD called Nissen fundoplication, where the stomach is folded around the esophagus to keep the acid from moving up.

I have an appointment coming up! I have looked into the Nissen Fundoplication surgery but I am hoping to get pregnant this coming year which is another reason I really need to get my GERD under control. I'm hoping the gastro doc can come up with something.