How does possible GERD affect my process? (TWH)

 Hey everyone,

I have a question or two. For the past few months, I have had a very bad problem with heartburn. Not only does it cause me to make weird noises as I fall asleep, (without realizing) but it also makes my entire mouth, throat & tongue "cold"/numb every so often. 

Because I've seen my doctor a lot lately, I wanted to wait to bring this up at my upcoming appointments. (Praying for some cancellations too) How does GERD affect my process? I realize the sleeve will probably be off the table, but will I need further testing of some sort, or to see another doctor?

For now, I'm eating a lot of tums & sleeping on my side. 

Thank you in advance! 

I know someone who had this surgery mainly because of her bad acid reflux and she's done very well. I hope you find some relief. My ex took tecta and it was effective. Tums don't seem strong enough. Good luck. 

They usually test for H.Pylori when people have heartburn.  You could ask your GP to test you for it and I'd be asking for something stronger than Tums.  Lots end up on Prevacid post-op so you could see if you could start it now to get the GERD under control.  Acid in the esophagus can be a killer so I'd not put off discussing with your doc.

Good morning!

GERD will not stop your process... In fact it will be one of the reason you qualify.

As you progress during your journey the Weight Management Team will do a full work up.  An endoscopy (camera tube through your mouth & down your throat into your stomach) will give them an opportunity to have a look.  They want to ensure that the integrity of your stomach & lining is good to progress towards WLS... ie. ulcer, inflammation

I had a history of GERD.  My doctor put me on a medication called Pantoloc (Pantoprazole) to treat my GERD.  It worked wonders!

They will also do blood work for an antibody test. A blood test checks to see whether your body has made antibodies to H. pylori bacteria... infection due to the bacteria.

Foods to avoid:

french fries and onion rings
full-fat dairy products such as butter, whole milk, regular cheese, and sour cream
fatty or fried cuts of beef, pork, or lamb
bacon fat, ham fat, and lard
high-fat desserts or snacks such as ice cream and potato chips
cream sauces, gravies, and creamy salad dressings

oranges
grapefruit
lemons
limes
pineapple
tomatoes
tomato sauce (or foods where tomato sauce or paste is a main ingredient, such as pizza or chili)
salsa

garlic, onions, spicy foods

Chocolate

My GERD was well controlled before my RNY...

Clean eating will eliminate the GERD

Hope this helps

Sandra   

Mahalo   

Just to clarify

Clean eating will only eliminate GERD in some patients.  It certainly helps to avoid certain foods, however it does not eliminate it in many people.