Question:
What is the Prevacid for?

I'm posting anonymously because I feel foolish, but can anyone tell me why I have a Rx for prevacid? I'm 2 weeks pre-op and it tobe filled post-op (I think). I just don't know what it's for.    — [Anonymous] (posted on July 5, 2001)

July 5, 2001
I take prevcid, it is used for Gerd, Ulcers, gastritris. and related stomach problems..
   — Marie B.

July 5, 2001
I take Zantac which is basically the same thing... for the next 8 weeks. Some surgeons prescribe it because the big part of your stomach and the part of your intestines that is bypassed will not be getting any food but since they dont realize they arent getting any food they will still produce acids and digestive juices... so the antacids counteract these products until your unused stomach and intestine catch up to your surgery and realize they dont have to make as much of these anymore.
   — SusanMaria

July 6, 2001
Susan is correct. It has to do with the fact that the old, unused stomach (hopefully it has been transected) is still producing gastric acids. You have a pretty good chance of developing an ulcer in the old stomach because of this acid, postop. The prescription will reduce the amount of gastric acid or else neutralize I, I don't know which. My surgeon performs a vagotomy on all of this patients to deal with this. He says that without a vagotomy, our chances of getting a stomach ulcer post op is about 26%, and with a vagotomy it drops to only a 1% chance. A vagotomy is the cutting of two nerves to the old stomach and that greatly reduces the amount of acid produced. If you've been on this board for awhile or in the chatroom a while, you will notice from time to time that some postops do develop a stomach ulcer. This is why.
   — Cindy H.