Anybody else have this problem???

I am actually asking for my DH.  He has lapband in Dec 2009 & has lost 130+ lbs.  He has recently been having problems with "gurgling/frothing at the mouth" at night, enough that he wakes up gagging and coughing. No reports of heartburn.  He saw the surgeon on July 11th & the Dr ordered a Upper GI to evaluate his esphogas & his band.  He had it on July 16th (just before leaving town for work for 3 weeks)  The radiologist that was there when he had his Upper GI said the band looked like it was in good placement but that when he laid down he did have a little reflux. (We haven't heard from the surgeon yet!)  I suggested DH start prilosec 2x's a day just as a preventative & to see if it helped. I did talk to the nurse @ the surgeon's office & she said that was probably what the Dr would have him do.  However, this morning DH calls me at 7am and says he hasn't slept well the last three nights because of the gurgling/frothing, and that this morning he could barely get anything down, just a few sips of water and 1 bite of food.  I suggested he call the surgeon and let him know what was going on & that DH is out of town (currently near Birmingham AL, we live in Wichita, KS)  and see if he thinks he should go get checked @ a local ER or wait until tomorrow & call a local surgeon.  He doesn't think it is that bad to call the surgeon (I am a nurse and know that you should call the Dr for any potential problems so they can either reassure you or tell you what needs to be done!)  I see the Dr tomorrow and DH wants me to ask the Dr then.  

What do you all think??? 

Being a nurse you will know that heartburn is a symptom of reflux but that it is perfectly possible to get reflux without the heartburn!

Reflex is usually a symptom of either being too tight or eating too close to lying down. A very small unfill may be enough. You will be well aware as a medical professional of the dangers of reflux.

One other thought- has he changed his eating recently? More caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods?

Kate

Yes I know that you can get reflux without getting heartburn... Just trying to get some ideas for him from some fellow lap-banders!

No changes in his diet that I know of... And he usually doesn't eat anything close to bed time. 

Sorry, did that come across as patronising ? Didn't mean it that way!

Kate

Just a little... I didn't figure you did, but I am a little irratated that he won't just call the doctor! I worry that there may be something going on that needs to be dealt with and he is out of town.  Also, our surgeon is moving and will not be here when he returns & we don't yet know where he will go for follow up yet. The other bariatric surgeons here do not take our insurance. It is so frustrating when they call you for advice but then say well I don't want to bother him, or its not that bad!  Well then why the hell are calling and waking me up???  (Sorry needed to vent!)

Hate to generalise ( but I will!) but I think it is a male thing. My DH could be bleeding from every orifice and screaming in pain but would not want to " bother" the doctor. But expecting me to minister to his every ache and pain? Yes!

Kate

Good to know its not just mine! LOL!  Thanks for the support!

He sounds to tight, A few sips a water will not keep him hydrated, He needs to stick to warm liquids until he can see a doc as soon as possible. I would keep taking the prilosec hope he gets relief soon

Thanks Cheyenne!   He should be calling the Dr anytime now if he actually listened to me!!!  He is over 12 hours away from me so its not like I can call & then hand him the phone...

Trust me... I want to hop in my car & drive down just in case he needs to have something done!  However, with three kids (one still in diapers) its not quite that easy!

The longer you neglect a problem, the worse it can get, and the harder to fix, so I agree that it's time to contact your husband's surgeon. I'm not clear on why you would have to do that instead of him (he's an adult, right?), and no doctor I've ever dealt with has ever been willing to give me medical advice for an absent family member unless it was an emergency (heart attack, etc.).

When I've experienced symptoms like the ones your husband has been having, a slight unfill has solved the problem, but in my experience, your average ER department is not going to do an unfill. A few years ago when my local ER declined to do an unfill, I drove 80 miles to the hospital where I had my band surgery and the ER there also declined to do an unfill until my surgeon finished his surgeries that day. A bariatric surgeon in the Birmingham area might be willing to do it, but (again, in my experience), it's extremely difficult to find surgeons who are willing to treat another surgeon's patient unless they can access the patient's complete medical records and you pay a patient transfer fee ($300 - $2000).

Your husband risks dehydration if he tolerates another day of not being able to swallow liquids. So I suggest that you ask your surgeon for a referral to a bariatric surgeon near Birmingham (or better, yet, have his office call that surgeon to explain the situation) to see if something can be arranged to take care of this problem. If that's not possible, your husband should cut his business trip short and come home. Yes, I know...easier said than done.

Jean