RNY Veteran here - just prescribed Carafate for ulcer

Hi! I had my surgery 11 years ago! I quickly lost my excess weight initially after my surgery and kept it off for a few years. I have regained quite a bit in the last few years from drinking with my meals, eating slider foods and grazing. With that being said - I have developed an ulcer. For a while, I couldn't tell if I was hungry or why my pouch was grumpy. So I would eat... and it didn't help, so I would eat some more which resulted in rapid weight gain. Finally, I figured out (slow learner - I know!!) that there was a problem and consulted a doc!! I've been put on Prilosec OTC 2x a day and Carafate 3x a day for a month! I've never taken Carafate before. Can anyone here tell me what to expect??

I had to take carafate post op. It's a chalky liquid- I can think of a million things I'd rather drink. But it's a necessary evil I suppose.

Get healed up and work on weaning away from those bad habits that's crept in.

Mine are pills, but they start dissolving in my mouth before I can even get a drink to swallow! Did it contribute to constipation or anything like that?

Carafate is a pretty easy medication to take. I had to dissolve my pills in water and drink it down. It basically just coats the esophagus and stomach so it has time to heal. I had no side effects from Carafate. I had to take a double dose of Omeprozole too, but not at the same time . You can not take antacids within two hours of Carafate or it will not work.

Thank you! I would have messed that up!

I don't recall any side effects. I was post op so much wasn't going on in the bowel area anyway.

I never got constipation from it. It's best to put the pill in a small amount of liquid and drink it melted-- it works better for your stomach that way I've been told by MD and pharmacist. Kind of like the liquid they used to put in radiators to plug up any holes. I've had ulcers so I empathize with you! Hang in there, you'll feel much better when they are healed!

The medication is no big deal, but the timing is. You can't take it within a certain amount of time before or after other meds, or food. Many have to take a dose in the middle of the night to squeeze it in.

You might need one of the computers at NASA to plan it all out

Congrats on your weight loss and maintenance!

For me the only difficult thing about carafate is scheduling it. You have to take it an hour before or two hours after a meal. Mine is pill form. It's tasteless, and melts easily, so I swi**** in my mouth with crystal light. I keep a bottle next to my bed so I can take a dose at night before bed and in the middle of the night sometimes. Good luck.