Acid Reflux & the sleeve

[Barbara278 9]

I have acid reflux. Can anyone tell me if the sleeve improves it or makes it worse? I've heard both, so just wanted to see if anyone who has had the sleeve had acid reflux and what their experience has been after surgery.

[Tiffykins 673]

I did not have acid reflux before, but have it now if I do not take my prilosec. I take 20mg of Prilosec once daily, 1 hour before ingesting any food.

Every sleeve patient I know is on some PPI for acid reflux initially. I am almost 7 months out, and can technically start trying to wean myself off the Prilosec, but I probably won't start until I have a follow up mid-January.

I don't know if it will make it worse, but I've never read where it improves acid reflux.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

We are all supposed to be on an acid reducer. I have no plans to go off of it. I took it before I had sleeve surgery, so I will just keep taking it.

[beautyqueen 1]

I had terrible acid reflux before surgery and I suspect I'd still have it if I wasn't on Pepcid. I'm planning on going back to prilosec as soon as I finish this bottle of Pepcid because I felt the prilosec controlled it better but I needed to be on a chewable for the first 2 months after surgery.

My surgeon said that if I wanted a surgery that would be a cure for acid reflux that RNY was the answer. He said it could get better with VSG as I lost weight or worse if the acid had no place to go in the sleeve. Time will tell. I don't regret VSG for a second. I can live on an acid blocker for the rest of my life if I need to.

[Barbara278 9]

Thanks Ladies. It looks like it's something I will just have to deal with after surgery as well.

[deedee 5]

I had it before surgery pretty bad, at times it would wake me up. During my VSG surgery, the surgeon repaired a hernia and after surgery I began taking a solutab Prevacid each morning. I don't feel any reflux when I am taking it and it's considerably less than before surgery if I run out or forget. I think it's something I will always need. I was also told the RNY was the only one to "cure" it and with the sleeve and lapband, it might cause it or get worse.

[cajun 46]

I had it before surgery pretty bad, at times it would wake me up. During my VSG surgery, the surgeon repaired a hernia and after surgery I began taking a solutab Prevacid each morning. I don't feel any reflux when I am taking it and it's considerably less than before surgery if I run out or forget. I think it's something I will always need. I was also told the RNY was the only one to "cure" it and with the sleeve and lapband, it might cause it or get worse.

That's what I've heard too.

[Barbara278 9]

deedee, did you know ahead of time that the sleeve would or might make it worse? It doesn't change my mind at all. I still want to move forward with the sleeve and figure I'll just deal with those issues as needed. I just don't want the RNY at all. Once I ruled out the band, the sleeve has been the only way I want to go. I think it will far outweight the acid reflux. At least I'm hoping. lol

[Barbara278 9]

I see this subject has already come up before. Sorry for repeating the question. I did do a search for reflux and acid and nothing came up so I posted the question. Now I see down below there are previous threads regarding this same subject. Sorry for the repeat.

[deedee 5]

Barbara,

Don't be sorry at all. Some things are asked multiple times and that's okay because there are constantly new people joining the board with different experiences. I'm only a little shy of 5 months post-op, but my own experiences change still quite a bit and I (and others) will have new things to share.

As for knowing ahead of time, I was told the information at my initial seminar and from reading on the web, but like you, after researching and ruling out different procedures, I decided to go for it. No regrets at all.