Acid Reflux

[Guest sweetmagnolia]

I am really scared right now. I was banded in JUNE of 2004. Since day one I have been suffering from terrible acid reflux almost every time I eat.It doesnt usually matter what I eat. I havent been able to eat anything with tomatoes in it since the surgery. ANYTHING with any spice is horrible. The doc sent me to get a swallow test and he said my espphogus is a mess. The doctor then gave me a medicine that really hasnt helped at all. I called the nurse yesterday and will go to the doc on monday. When I researched this surgery, what drew me to it was the thought of eating a little of regular foods, not eating soft bland food for my entire life. I'm not losing because I end up eating high calorie soft food to stop the hunger pains and pain in my throat. Any ideas anyone? I am so afraid of losing my band and i was self pay.:help:

[Alexandra 55]

What did he mean by your esophagus is "a mess"? That's not a medical diagnosis. Did you suffer from reflux before banding? If you have it all the time, that's something different than the typical nighttime reflux many bandsters get.

The big question is whether your esophagus is working. It's supposed to be moving food down it toward the stomach. If it's not performing that action, that's a serious problem and might mean your band has to be removed.

Get more medical help. If what they gave you isn't working, try something else. This is a very unusual situation--many people with reflux report that banding helps resolve it, and bandsters who HAVE reflux usually don't have anywhere near such a serious case. I have had it in the past and it's readily manageable with behavior and OTC meds.

[athykay 9]

That is one thing I loved about my band. I never had heartburn after surgery. Until my last fill which we have found to be to much. Since it was removed yesterday no heartburn or acid reflux. I do think that is a sign of a problem that needs to be checked out further. They say that is almost always a sign that you are to full. Just going by what the flouro tech told me on Wednesday.

[DeLarla 22]

Make sure to discuss your reflux with your doctor so you can get it under control. So far all surgeons I know allow over-the-counter Prevacid once daily. I had problems with acid reflux, and now I have Barrett's Esophagitis, which are pre-cancerous cells that look like spots on my esophagus. Research indicates that it doesn't mean I'll get cancer, it just means I have to be careful and have another endoscopy in a year to keep an eye on it. I'm on Prevacid once a day. I don't know if my condition can reverse, but I can hope.

[aaamom 0]

I had real bad acid reflux over the past month. Finally, I decided not to be so stubborn and went in for what was supposed to be a slight unfill. It made all the difference in the world. Good Luck...

[Guest sweetmagnolia]

They told me that my esophogus isnt moving food down properly.In addition almost every time I eat I PB or throw up.

[dishdiva 5]

Do you have a fill??? An unfill typically helps. However, there ARE some people on this board who had their band removed because of unresolved reflux that did not respond to medications. I'm in the same boat...only bland diets and eating early helps...doesn't eliminate. Not what I signed up for. I will likely have to have mine removed. I did NOT have reflux ever beforethe band.

[Alexandra 55]

They told me that my esophogus isnt moving food down properly.In addition almost every time I eat I PB or throw up.

In our last supportgroup meeting we discussed this possibility, and our surgeon felt it was even more of an urgent problem than erosion. Band removal really is called for here, I think, or at the very least a COMPLETE unfill. Esophogeal function is very important and if it's compromised you really do need to do something.

[Guest sweetmagnolia]

I went to the doc yesterday. He feel thats, after removing the Fluid from the band, and putting me on meds for my esophagus for 4 -6 weeks, I will be better. Immediately after the fluid removal, I felt relief. I ate a small hamburger and was so pleased that I didn't throw up. So,now I have no fluid, and I'm scared to death. I know my hunger will return and the fight will be harder for a while. With no fluid, will I feel restriction at all?? All I can do is take the meds, and count my calories and not start nibbling bad stuff again. I AM happy to have some relief, though. It was really getting to me.:omg:

[Iluvharleys 15]

Glad you are feeling better! Please keep us posted on how you are doing.:biggrin1:

[Alexandra 55]

Thank goodness an unfill fixed the problem! Don't worry--the whole point of banding was to improve your health, and this is part of that. You don't want to be skinny with a dysfunctional esophagus--I know a woman who has had to live on liquids for the last 15 years because of that sort of problem (not WLS-related, though).

Work on maintaining your good habits, and enjoy the sensations of feeling better!!

[lyndalafe 1]

Well I've never had a lot of issues with acid reflux; but i got my second fill last week and since I am miserable............1.8 cc think is tooooooooo much!

Example: yesterday Breakfast - 3 bites scrampled eggs 1 bacon

Lunch: took all afternoon to get down 1/2 chicken breast and some veg's in broth.............

dinner...took two bites of breaded fish and had PB's all nite....

there are times I cannot get Water down w/o PB's if i am not totally empty???

and I am constantly belching...........its been a week since my fill....and hopefully it doesn't get tighter........think its time to go back and unfill!

:help: :faint:

[Guest fergie1974]

OK. I am very new at this. What is a PB?

[desertmom 297]

hi

I have had reflux and heartburn since a few days after being banded....over the past 8 and a half months I have been treated,filled very conservatively and unfilled and nothing helped....nothing made it better....I had a huge amount of upper abdominal pain and upper back pain that went with this.....I never had proper restriction and had to low carb to lose weight......Also,I hardly ever BP'd and almost never had anything get stuck.....

Have been unfilled for 5 weeks now and I feel like my old self....no pain,heartburn,reflux,nothing.....normal....only I have gained 5kg's....(have been on holiday abroad though.....)

I have been low carbing again for 2 days and lost 1kg already.Thing is what now????????

Hope the issue resolves itself for you.....I myself might even try a fill again next week.....(the mind forgets so fast...cant even really remember all the discomfort I suffered to clearly....

Glad you feel ok now...

[NeenBand 7]

Getting really bad GERD after the band, so much so the band really isn't useful is a scary thought! :-(