Question for the Sleeve Veteran's - GERD?

[NJ Mom 30]

Good morning everyone! I'm scheduled for sleeve surgery in November...reading a lot of course and seeing a lot of talk about GERD after sleeve. I have never had reflux or GERD, but wondering if any people with no prior symptoms developed GERD after surgery? Would like to know how common this is.

[reree6898 1,164]

I don't know the stats on it but for me I never had any reflux pre op but since surgery I have had it pretty bad and have to take daily meds to keep it under control.

[NJ Mom 30]

Ugh that's disturbing. Sorry to hear that. What is it like? Painful? Does it affect your days?

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[Rosey posey 176]

Did "sleeving" cause or cure GERD for you?

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[living55 98]

I used to get mild hurt burn but after surgery when i was back to eating normally about 6 months in its been bad. I have been on 3 different types of meds. The one now works great, but i had to get an edoscopy because it was so bad I throw up a little blood turned out I had esophagitis. It has been horrible. Not eating after 7 helped but because cause I eat so little i would be hungry at 9 and give in to later pay for it.

Yes its bad, but I would not go back. Its controlled now so Im happy.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@NJ Mom

Never had it before surgery. The first time I had heartburn I thought I was going to die, lol. I was taking my PPI and antacids not very seriously, once I took them regularly It wasn't an issue. I stopped having any issues around 9 months and I don't take any meds for it now at 15 months. No GERD.

Over eating was really the only thing that ever really triggered it for me. I would go out, not have a weigh to measure my food, accidentally over eat, and then be really miserable the rest of the day.

[reree6898 1,164]

Ugh that's disturbing. Sorry to hear that. What is it like? Painful? Does it affect your days?

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It was scary a time or two when I woke up choking on acid in the middle of the night. The dr has changed the meds though and I have no problems with it causing me any issues now. I never eat at night and I always measure my food so it can happen even when trying to be careful with everything. I am hoping that I will be able to wean off the meds over the next few months. Even with dealing wth that this surgery has been the best decision I have ever made for myself.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

no prior symptoms developed GERD after surgery?

@@NJ Mom

some people might develop really bad heartburn even if they didn't

have earlier problems pre-op

i never experienced heartburn pre-op or post op (only had it a few times in my life)

docs prescribe meds like prilosec to many (me) this usually helps the problem

but not for everyone

if you never had heartburn - it might "appear" after you are sleeved

if you do have heartburn, strong chances that you will have heartburn PO

some people have had revision surgery from sleeve to gastric bypass

heartburn was unbearable

glad you have done your homework/research

common but true comment - "talk to your doc"

i have read many docs will wisely advice OP on different WLS than sleeve

do to the heartburn issue

5 years PO, i never had heartburn

i luv my sleeve to pieces!!!

very happy

good luck next month

kathy

[Torriluv87 300]

I was given prilosec by my surgeon. I was sleeved 2 weeks ago. I'm having heart burn but im scared to take anything. How long before any of you could swallow a pill? I tried opening them but i dont think it works like that.

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[stacyrg2 350]

@@NJ Mom I was sleeved in May, 2014. Prior to surgery I never had an issue with GERD and rarely even had a mild case of heartburn. Beginning 8 months post surgery I started to develop Acid Reflux. My surgeon originally thought my symptoms were caused by a bad gallbladder (I had developed gallstones). I had my gallbladder removed in Feb, 2015. Beginning in about May, 2015 my acid reflux began to increase significantly. My surgeon put me on Omeprazole 2x a day. It worked for a very short period of time. I progressed to Protonix 1x a day/omeprazole 1x a day. Then moved on to dexilant 1x a day/protonix 1x a day. Finally we tried dexilant 1x/Protonix 1x and Zantac 2x a day. Nothing worked. In approximately February 2016, I had a 24 pH study to measure the amount of reflux/acid. My acid level was 409% higher than normal. The acid was starting to affect my ability to swallow as well as causing damage to my esophagus. My surgeon determined that the only solution was to convert to RNY. My conversion surgery was on 7/1 and my acid has been under control since.

I loved my sleeve and was very sad to lose it. With it I was maintaining a 130lb loss. I don't really have an advice for you. If you wee suffering from Reflux/GERD before surgery I would advise you to go with RNY. I know that is an unpopular opinion as there are many people who believe that VSG will cure GERD. From my research, people who have that result are in the minority. Because you retain your pyloric valve, VSG creates a closed, high pressure system and the acid has nowhere to go but up. I will tell you that knowing what I know now, if I had had any issue with acid, I would never have been sleeved, and frankly, I don't think my surgeon would have approved me for VSG. Since you don't have any problems with GERD now, the only thing I would recommend is be open minded should you have a problem in the future, and don't rule out conversion to RNY out of hand. I suffered for almost a year and a half. Conversion was the best decision I ever made.

[stacyrg2 350]

@@Torriluv87 Open the capsule and sprinkle the medication (little balls) into a spoon with some liquid or sugar free pudding/yogurt (if you are allowed to have these things at the stage you're at). The medication ABSOLUTELY works out of the capsule. Your surgeon would not have given it to you if it didn't. Also, PLEASE don't rely on the posters here to tell you when you can or cannot take a pill. If you have a question, call your surgeon's office and ask them. Some people are cleared by their surgeon to resume pills in the hospital, some (like me) aren't allowed to take anything that won't fit through a straw for the first 3 months. What is right for YOU is what your surgeon tells you to do. Good luck!

[stacyrg2 350]

@@Rosey posey VSG caused my GERD

[higher 966]

My surgeon prescribed a liquid PPI for 3 months post-op, which I found annoying to take and to be honest I probably forgot to take it at least two days a week. Once the 3 months was up, my doc asked me if I had heartburn or acid and I said no so they said I didn't have to continue the PPI.

Once I stopped though, I developed a post-nasal drip, a persistent cough, and lost my voice a few times. I thought it was seasonal allergies, which is common for me, but researched a bit to see if it was sleeve related and it seems like it may be symptoms of GERD.

So I started taking a daily OTC Prilosec last week and haven't had an issue since. I think what @@OutsideMatchInside says about overeating is correct. I have had a couple of times where I was out to eat, probably eyeballed my portions wrong (ok, definitely) and got really tired and went to bed with an overly full stomach. Woke up each time with no voice and a cough.

Hopefully I can get that in check and not have to stay on the Prilosec for too long.