Heartburn

So I'm wondering how many of you are taking some sort of prescribed heart burn mediciation since you've had your surgery? I had the sleeve done May 20th, and I had an upper GI on Monday. Results weren't great.

They said I have:
- Moderately severe chronic esophagitis which was biopsied
- Esophageal motility disorder
- Bile gastritis which was also biopsied
- Gastroparesis

So I'm wondering how many people who never had refulx before surgery are now on some sort of medication??

Thanks!
Michelle

 Hi Michelle - I had wicked reflux as a pre-op but I had a hiatal hernia, too. my surgeon fixed that. however, about 6 months post-op I really ramped up the coffee drinking (anywhere from 4 to 16 cups a day ) and I find I need to have a double dose of PPI every day.


did you just have a virgin sleeve or were you a band revision?  I haven't heard of VSG causing those problems before, is that what they think happened?

I hope you get things fixed!

hugs
Jackie

Hi Michelle.  I never had acid problems pre op...mostly, that is until I developed a hiatal hernia as I got heavier and heavier.  I was having some acid problems because of that, but before the development of the hernia I never did.  My surgeon found my hernia during my surgery and repaired it but I still continue to have acid issues even now at more than 2 and a half years out.  I take 1 Prevacid every other morning and it takes care of things.  I have tried in the past to go without the medication but I always have an acid flare.  I haven't tried in a while though and may do so soon.  I'd love to get off the stuff.

Laura

Pre-op I only ever had heartburn when I was pregnant.  I did have a pretty big hiatal hernia that was repaired during my sleeve surgery, but I must not have had sypmtoms from it.  After surgery I needed prilosec twice a day until 5 months out.  At that time I weaned down to once a day.  At 6 months I forgot to take it for several days in a row and then decided to see how long I could go without it.  I've never taken another one since.  It seems like some people need a ppi forever, some don't... I guess it is just individual.  Good luck!

I only took the PPI for 6 months after surgery and then stopped.  The only times I need one is when I drink too much coffee for a couple of days in a row.  If I stick to one cup a day, I have no problems.  I didn't have reflux or any acid symptoms before surgery either.  

I am still on Nexium, at 18 months post-op. I had some reflux pre-op, but it has definitely gotten worse as a post-op.

I had bad reflux pre-op and it wasn't controlled by medicine. Post-op, I was on a PPI for a long time but was eventually able to get off it (t around 20 months out) and no longer have GERD. 

In fact, I'm also off all my alergy meds. I think most of my allergy symptoms were actually caused by GERD.

However, it's a pretty standard protocol to go on a PPI immediately after WLS. With our smaller stomachs, our bodies often continue to produce as much acid as before for a while until they adjust. The PPI helps with that. Some surgeons only put their patients on it for a month but a lot have them do it for 6 months no matter what their pre-op history is.