Irritated Stoma, Acid Reflux, can't lay down, HELP ME!

[want2beme 2]

I need some SERIOUS advice!

Got filled 1.5 weeks ago (a pretty tight fill for me) 2.6 in a 4cc band. I stayed on liquids for a week, slowly went to mushies, etc... was able to eat ahi tuna a few nights ago.

STUPID EFFEN ME! I drank OJ before bed 2 nights ago and it had pulp. Created a blocked stoma and acid reflux. Have only been able to tolerate warm liquids since. (Starbucks and broth) ~~ I thought I was getting beter today. Took the prilosec, had Soup for din-din. Soup started going down easy so I got over excited. I had another bowl. Don't know what the hell happened, but totally got reflux! I can't lay down at all.

I AM SO SCARED, I will wake up and not be able to drink Water. What do I do? I already took the max dose of prilosec. Last time I ate (the soup) was about 1.5 hours ago. Scared to death to lay down.

PLEASE! HOW CAN I AVOID A DAY OF TRYING TO GET Water DOWN! I have a job and can't afford to miss ANY WORK!

Thanks,

Dana

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I wish I could help you. My DH has GERD and when it acts up there's nothing he can do but sit up until it settles down. And he doesn't have a band; add that into the mix and you've got another situation!

I hesitate to tell you to try Tums; they don't really help him. Wish I could tell you more; but Monday you might want to get a slight unfill. I've read that GERD happens when fills are too tight. Won't help you now though....:thumbup:

[RestlessMonkey 7]

If you have a recliner you may want to try sleeping in it tonight...

[want2beme 2]

Yeah, my doctor is in Mexico. I have to work all week long too. I told her last time I was there, PLEASE DO NOT FILL ME TOO TIGHT, I cannot afford to visit any time soon. She filled me, had me drink tea in the waiting room and gave me two bariums. I was okay. BUT, any slight mistake on my part (diet), my stoma is irritated. I forget about the little things, like pulp... ya know? I need another list. Can anybody help me with a list of what NOT to eat on lap band!? Thx.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

i can't help you with that either. I was told to avoid carbonated beverages and gum. That's it. I was told I would be able, most likely, to eat anything if I chewed properly etc. And I was told if I try something and it doesn't "work " for me, wait a month or two and try again.

I'd be scared to death, too, to have my surgeon too far away. You are braver than I!

[want2beme 2]

I was told to have lean meats, no fruit with membranes, no pulp, no gum, no carbonation, no aparagus, no celery, no sugary drinks... I just can't remember all of it. I have a list, but it doesn't have everything on it. Just about everything that could be "pt specific", I have a problem with... So, I'm looking for the BIG list. haha

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Wow. Glad I don't have all those! :thumbup:

Take care and I hope your reflux settles down. Better add "OJ with pulp" to your list of no-nos!

[Kelliebelly 13]

This is only what I have heard and I am not sure whether it works but liquids and apple cider vinegar for a couple of days then onto mushies.

Hope u r feeling better.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Vinegar is acidic...so I would think one wouldn't want to take it for GERD because the problem is stomach acid comes up....seems like that would be like throwing gasoline onto a fire to put it out! I know many think apple cider vinegar is healthy and it may be, but not in this instance!

[Kelliebelly 13]

Do a search on google for apple cider vinegar and acid reflux - there seems to be lots of evidence it works -

<CENTER>Vinegar and Acid Reflux - The Natural Home Treatment </CENTER>

A third approach (a popular natural home remedy) to help reduce or eliminate acid reflux is to take the following apple cider vinegar tonic:

<CENTER><TABLE borderColor=black cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="90%" bgColor=#ffffff border=1><TBODY><TR><TD><CENTER>Natural ACV Tonic</CENTER>

<CENTER>2 or 3 teaspoons (10-15 ml) in an 8 ounce glass of Water,

before meals or whenever heartburn is experienced.</CENTER>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></CENTER>

One underlying theory here is that the acetic acid in vinegar lowers stomach acidity (increases its pH) since acetic acid is a weaker acid than hydrochloric acid. It is also believed that vinegar (acetic acid along with its acetate salt) may help buffer and maintain stomach acid at a pH level of about 3.0. In this milder acidic environment, the stomach can still efficiently digest food but it causes less problems with the esophagus and thus less heartburn.

Improved digestion and mineral absorption from regular intake of the apple cider vinegar tonic may also play a role in reducing acid reflux.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

So it's like fighting fire with fire! Interesting!

I am afraid I'd vomit if I had to drink vinegar, no matter how diluted....but maybe want2beme can do it! Thanks for explaining, kelliebelly

[Kelliebelly 13]

Haha yes I know what u mean - havent tried it myself. I am on Nexium for mine but just the thought of drinking it turns me off.

I have real issues drinking anything unpleasant - medicines, barium etc - I always end up bringing it back up TMI i know.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I usually DONT bring things back up but that makes me very persnickety about what I DO swallow! I think i'd have to try tums or something before I hit the vinegar! I'm too wimpy to be healthy I guess LOL

[HeatherO 7]

I had the same problem and ended up having an emergency unfill last week. If I knew last week what I know now, I would have stopped trying to eat and went on nothing but "clear" liquids for a few days to give my stoma time to relax and let the swelling go down.

I kept trying to eat mushies, would get sick, which would cause more swelling and continued repeatedly. I have a 4 hour drive before I can see a doctor so I tried to get through it on my own, but I think I did not battle it aggressively enough by going on Clear Liquids for a day or two, then back onto full liquids before mushies started. The worst part about it is that I was OK on a Sunday night but by the following Thursday I was in bad shape because it progressed so quickly.

Mine got bad enough so that I could not lay down for more than 10 minutes before I was coughint on regurgitated food . . . and the last day I could not drink more than a couple of teaspoons of Water every few hours. The unfill was instant relief . . . I could feel the difference before ever taking a sip of Water. While you are suffering with the extreme reflux, it helps not to lay down. It is better to sleep in a recliner or a chair if you have to . . . not the most comfortable but better than continuous coughing and choking.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[HeatherO 7]

One last thing, as far as the apple cider vinegar goes . . . it all depends on what your biggest problem is. Are you suffering from the acid or just the reflux from the blocked stoma?

If the problem is that things are just not working their way through the stomach, then that vinegar is just going to be sitting in your stomach for a long time and that might not be pleasant. Our stomachs are not normal when we have an issue with a bit of blockage and the vinegar might make it worse . . . specially if acid is not really the problem. If I ended up regurgitating the vinegar and coughing on that, I am sure it might make me sick. For me, mine was reflux from food/drink that could not go down so it came back up. However, under normal circumstances I think the vinegar is a good idea.

If you still have a little blockage from something that is still in your stomach and not going anywhere . . . I have read that pineapple juice (strained of course since pulp might not help) or a little bit of meat tenderizer mixed in Water or papaya enzymes will help to break up whatever has you blocked.