Acid? Holy cow!

 Happy Mothers Day to one and all.

I need help please.  I haven't really had any reflux. I took my Protonix 2x a day for the first two years. Now I take it only occasionally.  I do notice that if I overheat, my sleeve gets angry and reflux

Yesterday I had a quest bar for breakfast and a cup of decaf. Nothing unusual.  I was out and about shopping and had a green bubble tea.  It was appropriate time for lunch and had a mini grilled red snapper soft taco (about 4 inches big) that left me full.  When I got home an hour later I was really hungry and had a slice of cheddar cheese.  I went back out at five for a second round of shopping and got hit with rip my stomach out hunger. Thankfully Macy's doesn't sell food or I would have been face down in it.  Then I remembered people talking about acid mimicking hunger.  Went home and popped a Protonix.

For dinner I ate a small piece of chicken and an artichoke at 7pm.  I was a normal dinner for me. But I felt like I had attacked an all you can eat buffet. At 11 I was hanging over the porcelin goddess praying for relief, no such luck.  At 2am I was praying for sleep because I have a strenuous 2 hour hike in the hills this morning. I barely slept and woke up with my stomach churning this morning. I popped a Protonix as soon as I woke up.   Has this happened to any of you?  Acid? Can it suddenly just jump up?

Good point to ponder.    I took a PPI for about 2 months after surgery, but not since then.   Have not noticed what I would call reflux or heartburn.
BUT, some days I want to eat all day!    Wake up like you, stomach churning, etc.   
I am over a year out, but may try taking a Nexium on "those" days to see if it helps. 
I have seen this on this forum, but did not think it applied until today.   Thanks for the post!

I'm glad this is helpful for you too!  I often debate posting a topic, but then figure if it's happening to me, it might happen to others.

Hi Lee :)

Not sure what's going on, though I do have a bad day now and then. 

Did you know that Protonix takes awhile to start working?  At least that's what I was reading online.  Maybe you need a more fast-acting one if you're only going to take it occasionally???  I was Googling after reading your post and came across some great sounding natural remedies.  Wheat grass??? 

I hope you're having a great Mother's Day!

Hugs,
LA

Hi LA!  :) 

UCK on the wheat grass.  I tried it during my raw vegan days and about hurled.  Maybe because I'm allergic to fresh cut grass?  Dunno but I used it as an excuse to dump it!

I had no idea that it took awhile for Protonix to start working.  I think I'll stay on a low dose for now, at least until after I'm well past all this.  In March I went on a roadtrip and didn't take Protonix with me.  I had that awful heartburn for the first time in my life.  I was sucking down those Tums, you know, the ones that old men eat like candy and have an attractive white mouth to prove it.  :)

Happy Mother's day right backatcha!  I had a great 2 hour hike with two other moms, now going out for some fun.

Sounds awful!!! But like Jaxxy says, protonix doesn't always work right away (though I have always gotten pretty quick relief). If you take a Tums or something like that and get immediate, if fleeting, relief, then you know it's acid. But wow, those are some strong symptoms--maybe you had a little stomach bug and the irritation also kicked up the acid? Hope you are feeling better!

Lizanne

Hi Lizanne!

I sucked down a couple of Mylanta after my hike this morning and they really helped.  I think it's acid because it feels like a bubbling cauldron.  I've never had reflux before except one week in 1973 when I thought I had a flu and instead had a baby on the way.  Even with my hiatal hernia that I was unaware of before VSG, never a moments reflux.

I'm feeling much better this afternoon thanks!  Maybe it's a few does of Protonix to the rescue.

When I have an acid attack, Mylanta helps to take the edge off, for a short period of time. Protonix and other acid reducers take awhile to work. They usually don't work, when taken infrequently. I take Prontonix and still have issues, but some foods seem to aggravate the situation.

Was the fish fresh?

This may sound counter intuitive, but you might try something like a little lemon in water or apple cider vinegar to help neutralize the stomach acid. I tried it a couple of times and it seemed to help.

Hi Gail, the fish was fresh.  It's a good Mexican restaurant in Concord where everything is fresh.  Nancy ate the same thing and was fine and she's more prone to reflux than I am.  Go figure!

Thanks for the tip on the lemon juice.

It could be so many things.

One thing to keep in mind is that PPIs are not the best thing to take to deal with existing acid. They prevent acid from forming when taken regularly, but they don't mop up existing acid. For that you need to pop a Zantac or something simliar.

I know that sometimes I get in hungry modes where I feel like I am doing nothing but eating for a few days here and there. It's not totally clear what causes them but I think sometimes it's my cycle (since I have the Mirena, I can only guess when I'm ovulating so it's not 100% clear that it's my cycle but there are signs) and sometimes it seems to be related to my weight dropping too far below what my body wants it to be. (And now sometimes it's my head injury. Bah.)

I also sometimes get some heartburn still but it's pretty mild. I read somewhere that many of us have a weak esophegeal flap and so sometimes we get a burning sensation in our throat because acid is backwashing into the esophagus not because we have too much acid. I notice these incidents happen when I am drinking a lot and very fast so I suspect that the water is backing up into my esophagus and taking some stomach acid with it.

It's been hot and I've been drinking a lot and today my throat is a bit sore/burning so I think that's going on for me right now.