Acid reflux...and the band

Malice X Girl · October 22, 2006

Hey guys. I have a question for all you knowlegeable bandsters. I have had acid reflux for the first time last night. I had a few drinks (which I haven't done in I don't know how long) and last night and this morning i've been having reflux. What does this mean with the band. Could this just be a one time thing because I drank or what?

Thanks!

Carlene · October 22, 2006

Daytime reflux is nothing to worry about. Take some Prilosec and you will probably be fine.

If you experience reflux at night - while you sleep - that is a whole different thing. Nocturnal reflux is very dangerous. It can lead to aspiration pneumonia and damage to your pouch and esophagus. It is usually the result of a too-tight fill, eating too close to bedtime, or a combination of both.

Malice X Girl · October 22, 2006

Ok thanks for the info. I knew that sometimes it could hurt the band but maybe it was a one time deal, we can hope anyway. I didn't eat much last night, my band seemed to be having one of those "i'm going to be super tight feeling for no reason" but things seem fine this morning, aside from the reflux which I had never felt before.

Alexandra · October 22, 2006

The alcohol may have contributed by allowing the LES (lower esophageal sphincter) to relax more than it usually would as you sleep, and thus permitting material still in your pouch to migrate upward into the esophagus. This is just an amateur theory, mind you, but stopping drinking is one of the many suggested treatments for reflux so it makes sense to me.