Acid Reflux :(

[dma2013 99]

I had my VSG on 4/8/2013. I lost @50 pounds and gained back about 20. I have several underlying medical issues which complicate my exercise but overall I am usually good with my food intake. Over the last year, I have developed what I think is acid reflux. It is so bad that I can't lie down and my healthy eating is now becoming more bland carb-focused because that's what I tolerate best. Even drinking a Protein Shake can be bothersome. I have NEVER experienced this before, not during any of my 3 pregnancies or at my heaviest weight. I am miserable! I have tried over-the-counter acid reducers and eat tums like candy. I finally talked to my PCP about this yesterday, she is sending me to a GI doctor. She mentioned she wasn't sure what my anatomy would be like now. That caused me to wonder if I should actually see a bariatric surgeon? I of course started to google and found that this can happen even so long out of surgery and that sometimes revision can fix it. Honestly, I don't hate this idea as id like to lose more weight but more so I just want to feel better. My BMI is 32.1 and I have the same insurance as I did 9 years ago. I'm clearly jumping ahead of myself but was wondering if anyone has experience with anything like this?

Edited February 5, 2022 by dma2013

[GradyCat 3,696]

My bariatric surgeon says she's completely in charge of my stomach now, so when I needed an endoscopy to check for GERD, instead of going to a gastroenterologist, my bariatric surgeon did it.

[catwoman7 11,231]

acid reflux is the most common complication of sleeve. It happens to about 30% of people. And yes - it can definitely happen that far out from surgery. Usually it can be controlled through medication (like PPI's), but for some people, revision to bypass is the best way to improve or resolve it. And yes - there are some people on here who have done this - hopefully some will chime in...

Edited February 5, 2022 by catwoman7

[ClareLynn 153]

On 02/05/2022 at 04:20, GradyCat said:

My bariatric surgeon says she's completely in charge of my stomach now, so when I needed an endoscopy to check for GERD, instead of going to a gastroenterologist, my bariatric surgeon did it.

My surgeon said the same thing. I even have a card to keep on me so that in an emergency they contact him if they need to scope my stomach or something.

[Tufflaw 465]

I had GERD for years before my sleeve (2016), the surgery didn't change anything, the GERD was the same (not better or worse), I lost a lot of weight quickly but put most of it back on. In mid-November last year I had revision surgery to change the sleeve to a bypass and am losing a lot of the weight again (not as quickly but it's still coming off), and the GERD is gone! My doctor had me take another 30 days worth of esomeprazole but then that was it.

You should have your doctor do an endoscopy to confirm whether you have GERD before doing anything else.

[dma2013 99]

On 2/5/2022 at 5:20 AM, GradyCat said:

My bariatric surgeon says she's completely in charge of my stomach now, so when I needed an endoscopy to check for GERD, instead of going to a gastroenterologist, my bariatric surgeon did it.

Thanks! unfortunately, my surgeon is no longer in practice so I will need to find a new one!

[dma2013 99]

10 hours ago, Tufflaw said:

I had GERD for years before my sleeve (2016), the surgery didn't change anything, the GERD was the same (not better or worse), I lost a lot of weight quickly but put most of it back on. In mid-November last year I had revision surgery to change the sleeve to a bypass and am losing a lot of the weight again (not as quickly but it's still coming off), and the GERD is gone! My doctor had me take another 30 days worth of esomeprazole but then that was it.

You should have your doctor do an endoscopy to confirm whether you have GERD before doing anything else.

Thanks for this info. I'm glad that you are better now. I am going to look for a new surgeon.