Heartburn and GERD
Ok I had my sleeve done Dec. 18th, 2017
Since then I have severe acid reflux!!! Especially at night or should I say at midnight, 1 a.m., 2 a.m. and every hour on the hour EVERY NIGHT!!! I'm so tired of the extreme burning in my throat, nose and mouth every time it erupts. I have tried everything over the counter and nothing works. Sometimes I will eat 1 slice of white bread (plain, nothing on it) just to get the burning out of my throat. The bread absorbs the acid. Or I will drink a glass of 2% milk to cool the burn down.
I have NEVER had this before the surgery. And NOW, I have this problem. I've only seen my surgeon once since the surgery and at that visit I forgot to talk to him about it, because I don't have problems with it (or at least then at that time) in the day time. So it completely slipped my mind to ask him why it's happening or what's wrong.
I can't get him on the phone or get his office to return my calls. The only thing his office wants me to do is make a d**m appointment. And it's hard for me to come up with that $45.00 copay. I live off a small income every month.
Has anyone else have to deal with acid reflux and if so what did you do to stop it?
If I had to do this all over again, I would do the bypass. My sister had the bypass done just a few months before my surgery and she has never had any acid reflux. And I should be mad at my husband for all of this because he INSISTED that I do the sleeve and not the bypass. Simply because he didn't want me out of service for to long.
And yes, so far I have gone from 230 down to 170 ( which I have been stuck at for weeks.
I find I get more heart burny if I over eat, or eat crap I'm not suppose to. I find when I get that uncomfortable feeling in my chest while I'm eating I've eaten too much, and this will sometimes lead to acid. Stop before you feel uncomfortable. Do not eat anything a few hours before bed, and try and cut some of the acidic and spicy food out of your life (if applicable).
If all else fails you should ask your doc about a PPI. These seem to be the most effective way to manage the GERD. Prilosec is an OTC PPI. It's usually best to take it in the morning on an empty stomach. Once you're on them, they are difficult to come off of due to the rebound acid effect they cause. The benefits may outweigh the risks of the constant acid eroding your Esophagus (which can lead to Barrett's disease and/or esophageal cancer).
Milk or bread may feel good initially but will definitely increase acid production, and make things worse. You are better off taking tums for quick acting relief.
I'm lucky to have a very mild version of this right now that I can control pretty good through diet and tums (once a week maybe). Sometimes if I know I may be off plan a bit I take a prophylactic Prilosec (maybe once or twice per month).
This is definitely a common problem amongst us VSGers. Hope you get some relief.
You can ask your pharmacist - tell them you have had the VSG and now you have this horrible heartburn and ask them to recommend an OTC for it. I know many people who had the RNY and have acid reflux and many more who have had the VSG and have NOT had it. I think it is simply your own body and it's way to handling things.
GERD is not an innocuous condition, it can lead to Barretts and esophageal cancer! You need to see your surgeon and consider a revision to RNY if he doesn't come up with a solution.
With the surge in VSGs, we are seeing many people having to revise to RNY to resolve this.
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Ok I had my sleeve done Dec. 18th, 2017
Since then I have severe acid reflux!!! Especially at night or should I say at midnight, 1 a.m., 2 a.m. and every hour on the hour EVERY NIGHT!!! I'm so tired of the extreme burning in my throat, nose and mouth every time it erupts. I have tried everything over the counter and nothing works. Sometimes I will eat 1 slice of white bread (plain, nothing on it) just to get the burning out of my throat. The bread absorbs the acid. Or I will drink a glass of 2% milk to cool the burn down.
I have NEVER had this before the surgery. And NOW, I have this problem. I've only seen my surgeon once since the surgery and at that visit I forgot to talk to him about it, because I don't have problems with it (or at least then at that time) in the day time. So it completely slipped my mind to ask him why it's happening or what's wrong.
I can't get him on the phone or get his office to return my calls. The only thing his office wants me to do is make a d**m appointment. And it's hard for me to come up with that $45.00 copay. I live off a small income every month.
Has anyone else have to deal with acid reflux and if so what did you do to stop it?
If I had to do this all over again, I would do the bypass. My sister had the bypass done just a few months before my surgery and she has never had any acid reflux. And I should be mad at my husband for all of this because he INSISTED that I do the sleeve and not the bypass. Simply because he didn't want me out of service for to long.
And yes, so far I have gone from 230 down to 170 ( which I have been stuck at for weeks.
reflux is a very frequent side effect of the vsg. Too bad your surgeon didn't make you aware of the possibility.
many of us have to take a PPI, like Nexium to control it.
You do need to get it under control , for sure, as frequen acid reflux can cause Barrets esophagus which is a pre cancerous condition.
I developed severe reflux about 8 months after my sleeve surgery. I never had a problem before, and through testing it was determined that my acid was 409% higher than normal. Reflux/GERD is a recognized consequence of the VSG for some, because it creates a high pressure, closed system and the acid has nowhere to go but up. I think you're going to have to figure out a way to be seen by the doctor. Stomach acid in the esophagus is dangerous and could lead to esophageal cancer. You don't say what OTC medication you're taking, but you might try a PPI such as omeprazole and see if it gives you relief.
I got zero relief from most medications as I have a condition that makes me an ultra rapid metabolizer of such medications. I was forced to convert from a sleeve to bypass in order to minimize my acid. If it's as bad as you say, you really need the help of a medical professional to address this issue.
