I've been miserable over the last four weeks with varying degrees of reflux symptoms, and i've decided it's time to just go for a significant unfill to see if that helps. I haven't had a really good night's sleep in quite a while, and I'm not eating well either.

I do think I irritated my system while I was in California, but some of the symptoms had started before I even left. Now it's pretty bad and even though I'm trying to stick completely to liquids I can still feel there's something not quite right.

Thursday I'll go for an unfill, taking as much as half of my fill out. Wish me luck!!

But acid isn't the problem, La_Madam, it's just fluid coming up. What can they do to prevent that?

Alex- Sorry to hear you haven't been feeling so hot lately. Good luck with your unfill & i hope you begin to feel better instantly!!!

Paula- good to see you around again:0)

Alex, I had reflux for the first time in ages a couple of nights ago, so I can imagine what you're going through, although your experience sounds more painful and intense than mine. I hope the unfill does the trick. I've been wondering about getting one myself for a while, but I'm embarrassed to go to the doctor since I've lost so little weight since my last fill! Anyway, please let us know how you feel after your appointment on Thursday.

I have never had that,,probably because I only have two fills...I hope that you feel beter... tell us on Thursday after your apt.

I hope the unfill brings you relief. This weird weather, traveling, stress, etc., have given me some weird symptoms, too. Worst PB of my life eating my first real Cajun food the other day. When I don't get enough sleep, old 70's songs get stuck in my head, and right now it's singing to you, "Blame it on the Rain...."

Hope you feel better.

I slept like a baby last night! Whatever weirdness has been going on in my esophagus seems to have disappeared, again. But I will keep my appointment, just to seal the deal.

(It is SO WEIRD, but it never seems to fail that once I post about an issue I'm having it immediately goes away. I always wait too long to "go public" about things, but I don't know why!! It always seems like I don't have to deal with whatever it is beyond the point at which I share it online. Sheesh!)

I was having the fluid come up at night along with the burning and finally went to see the ENT doc and he prescibed Nexium and I take it about mid afternoon and have been sleeping like a baby..

But anyway I am glad you are better.

Alex,

Like you, my reflux problems seem to come and go. Here lately things are going well (thankfully). The ONLY thing Im doing different is downing 20oz's (like La Madam does) about an hour before bedtime (for about 2 weeks now). Truly "washing" out my pouch. And if I feel a little strangeness in my tummy, Ill take a prilosec along with it. Whats funny is that different things work at different times... tums, prilosec, pepcid (I have a script for nexium, but never filled it). I think alot of it has to do with what we eat and our state of being. Remember: Stress affects our GI track before anything else. SO! Combine stress and an poor food choice, and that night I can pretty much expect the hot lava!

The last time I had a MAJOR reflux attack, Mike's family was visiting. ironical, huh?

Christine, thanks for the "welcoming back"! You are ALL so very special to me... even when Im not here, you are all still close to my heart

Delarla, Where - IN THE WORLD - did you eat REAL cajun food?????? and what was it?

Hey everyone:

My reflux story is getting old...but, Alex, I totally know what you mean by managing the acid and not the reflux. That's exactly what happened to me once I was on Nexium. I've had an unfill...improvement in reflux, but still have it. Went to a GI Doctor today who said I probably had reflux all along but just didn't show symptoms until after the band.

I have to go for endoscopy in October. We're going to try prescription Prilosec now. Stupid insurance company only approves 60 days of Nexium. THEN they expect you to do over-the-counter for 30 days before they'll approve more Nexium. How insane is that? Like I didn't try OTC stuff first!!!!

I keep a large bottle of those easy dissolving tums beside my bed, no chewing, they just dissolve right in your mouth, so it's not like you've got to have it sitting on your tummy after you lie down. Also helps with the calcium intake.

You know what's weird? The very night I decided not to take a Pepcid Complete, my symptoms disappeared. I'm wondering if prolonged use of that sort of thing just makes it worse? My last bout I was taking Zantac 75, which didn't help at all, and when I stopped taking it once again my symptoms disappeared.

My approach now is to only take something when I feel heartburn pain, which sometimes happens after I've eaten a little too much. A Rolaids softchew does the trick, and the acid is gone. But I think I'm done trying nighttime meds, because they never helped at all with the mechanical aspects of reflux and acid was never the problem at night.

Were you unfilled yet???????

I was this morning. I went from 1cc to 2cc last Thursday. and I could get anything down. I was slimming over rice pudding. The md took out .5cc this morning and so far so good. What a horrible sensation being toooooo tight. Not for me.

I just went through it too...still can't figure out why.

Alex, did you get an unfill? BTW, before I was banded I was on Nexium for reflux & it was great for me. Insurance companies are getting worse & worse..My company's changing in Dec., and I can't wait to see what we're getting next (not).