I went and read the sticy post on reflux. I never had reflux prior to the surgery, at least not often enough to note. I had it the first 10 days out of surgery but then after priolsec twice a day and aloe juice it got better...so I quit taking it twice every day and it went to once day with aloe. I just started eating solid foods this week and it is back with a venegance. It seems the people who are really unhappy with their bands have bad reflux.

So...my question is...to those that got reflux following surgery and did not have it before...

-has it gone away?

-how long did it take to go away?

-do you take meds everyday?

-everyone says you need to go get tested, etc. how long do you wait before you go to your doctor?

-can a prescription usually cure it?

Any info on this topic is appreciated. I would have responded on the reflux chain but it is closed.

Thanks.

Lindsay

-has it gone away?

-how long did it take to go away?

-do you take meds everyday?

-everyone says you need to go get tested, etc. how long do you wait before you go to your doctor?

-can a prescription usually cure it?

Hi

No it hasnt.

Taking meds everyday but on good days I tend to want to not take it but like today I have.

Got tested after 8 weeks.Barium swallow (band is placed high-dr says that is his method..)H Pylori,negative....dont know what else to do....

Prescription keeps it under control for a lot of people.Most people in fact.

Keep the faith,it might just take a while to resolve.Start taking Prevacid.I take it now and it is much better than anything else before that.I still have bad days when nothing helps.Then I sip luke warm Water all day to just help me keep my voice.....

What does Aloe Vera do?

Lindsay, I'll bet your reflux is going to be a short-lived reaction to being banded. As time goes on your stomach and esophagus will become accustomed to the new configuration and things will settle down. I didn't have any at all until more than a year post-banding, and it was due to being too tight; I'd assume that's not your problem at this point.

Meds can help, I guess, but for me the best treatment is prevention. That means SMALL portions and chewing. Not eating for hours before bed, and washing food through thoroughly an hour or so before retiring.

Do you have it all the time, or only at night?

Lindsay,

Im not sure why the Reflux thread was closed... ???

I was banded 6 months - and as a result of my second fill, I developed reflux (never had it before). The doc's office suggested for me to have a small unfill to relieve the symptoms. But before doing that, his nurse suggested that I try a couple of different things.

Not eating after 8pm, elevating the head of your bed may even help, and different med's like prilosec, prevacid, nexium.

At this point, I take the meds as needed (prilosec), try to never eat after 7:30 - and not even Water an hour before bedtime... and I may have a reflux experience twice a month.... maybe! It happens only when I have a doughy something for supper - like pizza. And its only at bedtime when it does occurs.

The aloe vera juice may help. I bought some to try, but after 3 days I noticed a foul odor coming from the bottle when I took off the lid, so I poured the rest down the sink... ?? And just out of procrastinatin I havent gone back to get any more. Aloe Vera is good stuff - helping from one end to the other!

I suggest you calling your surgeon and seeing what they recommend doing.

It's closed but it's still there, for reference. Lindsay, thanks for starting a new thread with your question because I know there are probably many people (like me) who just stop reading really old threads when they get bumped again and again. New questions deserve new threads, even if they may have been addressed elsewhere in the past.

BTW, is Prevacid a prescription med? I've had good luck with Pepcid AC, but OTC Zantac didn't do anything for me. Are there any other over-the-counter medications people have used that really help?

Thanks so much for all the advice.

I don't get it everyday. I don't get it at night. I get it during the day but it lasts pretty much all day after I get it. I suspect something is triggering it. I think yesterday it may have been coffee at about 8:30 pm that did it for me. My throat is sore and I feel as though I am probably inflamed. I am going to take it easy today. Probably do liquids.

Has anyone noticed lemonade being a trigger? I may be just hallucinating but it also seems to be a trigger also.

I welcome anyone else's comments on their reflux.

Caffeine in your coffee or tea, and the acid in lemonade may very well be the triggers for your reflux episodes. Tomatoes, chocolate, and spicy foods are also common causes for heartburn or reflux.

Good idea to do liquids, especially if you try to make them non-acidic. I'll bet you'll see an improvement within a couple of days.

I previously had some success with Pepcid...but didn't seem to help this go round. I tried Prilosec OTC but that didn't work...then went to my Dr. and got an Rx for Nexium. That's supposed to take awhile to kick in and I'm still waiting! It's been almost three weeks. I may call my Dr. this week and tell him it's not cutting it. I wake up in the middle of the night coughing with the reflux coming out of my nose. (GAG).

During my previous episodes, it did resolve itself after a week or so.

Good luck to all of us that endure it.

Elizabeth

8-28-03

Elizabeth,

This is coming from someone who has had GERD her entire life!! Elevate the head of your bed say with a brick or two. This will help. My story seems to be different to everyone elses. I had bad refl,ux my entire life. Diagnosed with it when I was 5. Ever sine I was banded, I have not had heartburn or reflux at all! I am so thrilled!!!

The band can "cure" reflux for those who have had it and cause reflux for those who have not had it.

But reflux is not just an irritation. I've previously posted links to what that acid is doing to the esophagus...it ain't pretty.

I've taken various drugs...but, to me, I'm merely patching something I'm simultaneously causing...by having the band there in the first place. Kind of like putting band-aids on a place I keep stabbing.

So, no, it did not go away and is another reason I'm thinking of having my band removed. I look at my 82-year-old mother and see her frailty and wonder how long I can put up with this before I find myself suffering, but declared too old for surgery.

This is something I keep meaning to ask my doctor. Is reflux pouch-related? And if so, wouldn't it be present in any other WLS that creates a pouch? What is it about the band that makes reflux occur in some people?

Definitely, living with reflux for the rest of one's life is not desirable. Not at all.

Alexandra,

I remember a few months back you were having reflux symptoms. You had a small unfill and things were better. Are you completely reflux free now?

I experience reflux on occasion, but it's mild and not at all painful. Basically it's a physical sensation of Fluid in my throat when I wake up in the morning. Once in a great while it will wake me up by making me cough.

It definitely goes in spurts--like it will happen for three days in a row and then not again for several weeks. I can almost always point to a culprit, eating too late or eating something acidic (like strawberries, recently) or spicy in the evening. If I stop eating altogether at least three hours before bed, and be sure to drink something afterwards to wash out my pouch, I can prevent it pretty consistently. If I have any reason to think it will happen, I'll take a Pepcid AC before bed. That won't necessarily prevent fluid in my throat, but it keeps the fluid from being irritating (I guess by keeping acid down).

I am indeed concerned that this could be something to deal with for the rest of my life. It seems like the lower esophageal sphincter isn't consistently doing what it's supposed to: i.e., keep what's in my stomach in my stomach. Then I think, is this just something I've even noticed because I'm banded? Am I analyzing it too closely? Almost all of my friends and acquaintances have heartburn or some other gastric issue from time to time, so this just means I'm normal! Right?

Can someone please answer why the reflux thread was locked? I dont get it.

Here is the deal with me...I had NEVER had any sort of reflux prior to surgery. Am almost 4 months into my 1st fill and just about 3 weeks ago developed this HORRIBLE reflux! Waking in the middle of the night choking on this hot lava spew. I am afraid, my heart is pounding, I have a major coughing fit. Worst thing I have ever experienced! Have reflux almost all day after noon. YES LEMONADE is a trigger for me!!!!!! Since I was a major Diet Pepsi drinker (8-10 a day) and have since replaced that addiction with lemonade, there you go.

I did all the GERD stuff, meds,bed elevated,no eat, no drink 6 hours before bed, etc....nothing works.

Going down to T.J on wednesday for a bit of an unfill. Hope that resolves it.

Here is what I find interesting....when I went down in April for my 1st fill, the friend I took with me asked the Dr. point blank, "Will she suffer from acid reflux?" I guess he asked because he has had it for sometime, and was just curious. I would never have thought to ask about acid reflux. The Dr looks at us and says,"It is impossible to have reflux after surgery since the way we do it prevents it." I swear to God this is what she said! Now, my friend and I are both paramedics and know something about anatomy but I guess I just wasn't thinking straight. Everytime I wake up choking on hot acid, I think of this curious statement.

I can't even tell you how exhausted I have become due to lack of sleep!

I will pray that after Wednesday I will be better.

legallybonde,

Im anxious to see what your doctor says regarding that statement he/she said.

Now in your case, your reflux started like 3 months after the fill. I wonder why it took so long?

Mine began about 1 & 1/2 weeks after my second fill.

I can almost always point to a culprit

thats me too! late-evening alcohol is a BIG trigger for my reflux. So? NO late evening alcohol.

So, for those of us that have reflux symptoms - is this fill the last one for us? I mean, getting another fill - regardless of how tiny it would be - would only make the reflux stronger. So whats the point of ever even attempting getting another fill?

hmmm... being 30 pounds from goal weight vs waking up in the middle of the night with vomit boiling in my throat.... not a hard decision.

Although, I do feel cheated.

Cant imagine how you feel, Sue.