What Can I expect now after Gastroesophageal Reflux Desease?

Anyone  been through this one P O?..I'm Currently taking Nexium and seems to be helping some, started  taking it  a few days ago.. ..Doctors don't take the time to explain to me how this happens.. I need to know what causes this so i can prevent any further damage i may have done.. This whole thing with the heart attack i had 2 weeks ago blew my mind, I have maintained my weight loss and very proud of myself so when you have a heart attack  after eating heathy can play a Post dramatic stress on the mind, therapist told me thats what i now am experiencing.. ,doctors been telling me i have been doing all the right things,  i want answers so i can prevent another heart attack..I'm sure i'll be having more tests done..I am wondering if having Wls has caused this ? or if this could happen without the WLS..I sort of remember reading other posts few years ago others were experienceing this same thing.but dont remember anything that was said about it...I always wonder if my rearranged plumbing made all these problems. Is it only certain foods that bring this sort of thing on? i would gladly stop eating them if i knew..

 I jokingly tell people I am the  BIONIC woman, i am so rearranged inside..thanks for any help you may give me.. Peace\/ Wendy

I am not a doctor, but I would hazard a guess at your question.  You had 7 stents placed in 2003 and open heart surgery in 2004.  WLS was not until 2007.  Therefore, your pre-existing condition was heart disease.  WLS probably helped it some, but your arteries and heart probably suffered damage already.  I think with the better eating that you are doing now, you are preventing something worse happening but we all are living on borrowed time.

Good luck.

Judy

RNY allegedly bypasses the acid producing part of the stomach, so of all the wls, RNY is the least likely to cause or exacerbate GERD.  Have you had an endoscopy?  Perhaps you have a hiatal hernia that is causing this.

I know i shouldn't sound so negatively about this but i dont think i will survive a 3rd heart attack..thats why i want answers now. maybe taking so many nitro's in 2003 caused damage to my other arterie's?

I'm kind of confused how you are having GERD with the rearranged routing. In a non op the stomach acid is obviously in the stomach and comes up the throat. However it was my understanding that the acid is produced mainly if not only in the remnant stomach which is hooked up lower. I'm not sure how there can be so much acid that it goes down the intestine that is attached to it to the new connection in the intestine and then back up that through the pouch into the throat. I think my question to the doctor would be how is that possible? and could there be something that is causing it such as a hernia? I've read about lapbanders and sleeves getting it but not RNY, in fact I could swear in my doctor's booklet it states that RNY will help resolve it.

Generally, RNY will resolve GERD issues in most post ops. BUT, it will not be 100%.  And there are some patients that do develop GERD syptoms as post ops.  Sleeve patients are more prone to developing GERD post op than RNY patients though.  I do know a few post ops who have to take Prilosec or Nexium on a daily basis. I even met one band pateint who is 2 years post op and has expounded at a recent support meeting how much better she feels taking Prilosec.  I would agree that WLS is not the cause of your heart issues. I began having dizzy spells about 6 mo. post op from RNY. Tests over several months finally detected that I needed a pacemaker implant. That was 5 years ago  now.  My low bp issues caused severe dizziness at any time of day, standing or sitting, driving, etc.  But I can't blame that on my RNY either.  Many people have this surgery without having WLS. DAVE

many people who have not had WLS have GERD.  I actually had it preop and have it post op. It is/was a sleeping disorder for me found on a sleep test years before I  even considered WLS.

I think what triggers it is different in different people. I know you aren't happy with your WLS but don't think you can blame the GERD on your rny.

GL