I've had reflux since my last fill 2 months ago. I read that taking Tums all the time is bad for you. So I bought Papaya Enzyme and Super Digestive Enzymes from GNC. Not real expensive. They really do seem to help. I take the papaya enzymes (chewable) before I eat or exercise. The Super Digestive enzymes are for after meals. It's made a difference so far!

I'm not sure if it's the fill or just me. Prior to banding I'd started having heartburn the last couple years. I read that as you get older, it is harder to digest Proteins which causes heartburn. I think I'm eating far more proteins now that I did pre-banding. I'm thinking that part of the reflux is so much Protein.

You shouldn't be having reflux after a fill. If nothing else has changed, eating habits (right before bed, what you're eating, etc), then you probably should have a slight unfill.

Best to call your doc tomorrow and check w/him. He may have you come in. Don't let this go too long or you could cause some serious problems. Stomach acid in the esophagus for any length of time is not a good thing!

Take care.

The Dr. told me there was a chance I'd still have the reflux after I got the band. And I did. As I said, I had it before the band. Taking the enzymes after I eat stops the reflux and heartburn instead of tums.

Whoops! Sorry about that! I didn't catch that you already had reflux BEFORE banding. Makes a huge difference and nullifies my post! So much for trying to help! LOL!

I did forget to say in my previous post that I'm glad the enzymes seem to help. Wouldn't have thought about trying that. I heard another gal on here the other day talk about taking Aloe that she got at her natural foods store to sooth her tummy. That might help you too.

Reflux can be so weird, I didn't get it all today until I drank water this afternoon. I had a latte, yogurt for breakfast, beans for lunch with chicken soup. Then about 3:30 I decided I needed more water, and that is when the heartburn started. Popped 3 papaya enzymes, and gone.

NCLisa, you said you've had reflux since your fill 2 months ago. I think that's a huge red flag that you need a slight unfill... even if you had some reflux before banding. If it suddenly got worse since the fill, something is wrong, according my surgeon. I would suggest you call your doc right away just to be safe because all that acid can cause damage to your esophagus and a lot of swelling around your band. The longer it is swollen around your band, the longer it will take to recover from this. Believe me, I know because it happened to me last month. I didn't want an unfill, but finally I was so miserable I went in. The doc took out .5 cc and the relief was immediate! Oh, I was sooo glad I went. I've heard from other people that all it took for them was an unfill of .2 cc. So, don't worry, you're not going to suddenly lose all restriction and gain back weight. It's really worth it for your health. Call before it gets worse. :thumbup:

LOL, I just blogged about this today. FYI for others reading: Severe reflux, reflux with increased tightness, and new reflux at night are all signs to call your surgeon. Mild reflux is the most common banding side effect and can be treated.

Here's my blog link about reflux:

10/21/09 Feel the Burn - LAP-BAND

I have been to my surgeon since the reflux started. I do not need an unfill. I've got a 10cc band with 5cc's filled. I was told that the reflux might come back. It was never so bad that I needed a prescription, and it's never kept me up at night. It does happen after I eat high Protein meals. After 40 our bodies start losing the ability to digest complex Proteins easily, and I'm at the end of my 40's so I get heartburn. I don't get it everyday. And my surgeon did not give me a prescription for anything at this time.

I still have the bottle of tums in my desk drawer that I bought prior to the surgery, and there are only about 15 tabs missing out of it.

I'm asking if anyone else has tried enzymes for heartburn and reflux. I am asking because I like to try more natural remedies if I can than prescription drugs.

Sorry, I should have been more clear, but I'd said it all in my blog so I didn't want to get wordy here. I don't need an unfill at this point either. I am taking 2-3 papaya enzyme chewables (along with other things to remedy this) with meals 3x day. As I stated in the blog, there are lots of sites that say enzymes do help some people with reflux (and pineapple enzymes as well as kiwi are other choices and some seem to work better for some people). Many here use the papaya when they get stuck to help break down the protein...it can't hurt to give it a try for the reflux. Let us know how you do! Best wishes! -BG

Thanks Bandie! I really like the papaya enzymes, its good that they taste ok too. The super digestive enzymes work well to. I use those after I eat a dinner with lots of meat.

I also take the enzymes before exercise, I do a lot of pilates, and I notice that sometimes I get heartburn durning the ab series. I'm sure my stomach is churning away while I'm working those abs!

I'll have to check your blog out. I'm not much of a blog person though.

I'll have to check your blog out. I'm not much of a blog person though.

LOL...I didn't even know what a blog was when I started here. There's a nice group of people in that section here though (and everywhere). Just a journal and I try to share things I find out (I've learned more specifics from this site than all my pre-op visits combined...and my doc's a great one).

Continued success with the enzymes!!! -BG

Hey Band_groupie!

i love your picture / weight chart on your signature! Where did you find that????

Hey Band_groupie!

i love your picture / weight chart on your signature! Where did you find that????

I made it with one of those art/drawing programs (I think it's called Serif...sorry, it's on another computer, but I can check the name if you want it). A gal on another site had one with drawings of '10 pound bowling balls' to represent her WL. She gave me the name of the program. I didn't want to copy, so I did a search for other things that weigh 10 lbs....the human head came up LOL! Took me forever, mainly by trial and error, but I'm tech-challenged...I'm sure any drawing program would work as long as it has an export feature so you can move it here. Thanks!