Irritated Stoma, Acid Reflux, can't lay down, HELP ME!

[KD8888 0]

I'm sorry I don't have any great advice for your immediate problem. I know this is not what you want to hear, but you probably need a slight unfill if you keep experiencing reflux. I have had to be completely unfilled twice. I was taking about 4 nexium a day plus Tums. The first time I was unfilled for 4 weeks to let it settle down. The second time (only about a month after I was refilled) I had to be unfilled again, this time for 6 weeks. I just got filled again last week and had to have a very slight unfill this week. I don't want to end up it the same situation, so I'm being extra careful.

As a general rule, the doctor says don't eat at least 3 hours before going to bed. If in a few days you are still experiencing problems, please seriously consider a slight unfill. You appear to be so close to goal that you may not see a significant difference in how the food goes thought your band after some weight loss (like some people see in the beginning of weight loss.) I know when I was experiencing the reflux, I stopped losing all together for 3 months, until I was unfilled and refilled after 4 weeks.

Good luck.

[lucy65p 0]

I was having the same problem. And I went on for a month like that. I finally went to my doctor last week and they did an upeer GI and my band was too tight. They took out half of what they put in last month and I had instant relief. I had to do liquids then to pureed, then soft because everything was all swollen . You should call your doctor. Good luck!!!

[want2beme 2]

YOU ARE ALL RIGHT!!!

Well, this is where I'm at. I talked to a NEW doctor today... (mine is in Mexico and I've been trying to find one here in the states)... he said I am just TOO TIGHT! About 3 months ago I was at 2.5ccs. It was too tight. So, I got .5ccs taken out. That was too little. So, I went back and she said since I had lost weight, I needed more, so now I have 2.6ccs. That was on the 4th of Sept. Yeah, I haven't eaten much at all. I was on liquids for a while. As soon as I had 'real' food (tuna and beans), I started to tighten up.

I am really swollen now. I have been able to get down about 10 oz of liquid today and that's it. The new doc says to get 40 oz down until he can see me, next Saturday. He explained it really well... he said, "A lot of doctors and patients rely on the band to do all the work and therefore over fill often. You need to find the right spot for you where you'll start using your brain, not your band, to make healthy food choices." It totally made sense. I have gotten in the bad habit of saying, "I need to lose 15 pounds, tighten me up!" And now look where I'm at!

Doctor also says that the nexium and prilosec wont help shit if nothing will go down. That medicine needs to get to the bottom of your stomach to work. If your liquid is puddled on top of the stoma, it could irritate it even more! Again, totally makes sense.

About the vinegar. I have heard it works for acid reflux... Because you are putting something acidic in your stomach, your stomach doesn't need to produce it. You already did the work for the stomach. I've heard weird medical remedies like this before too... like eat hot hot hot sauce if you have ulcers... it creates a coating in your stomach to protect the ulcers, like salavating. I know, off subject, but makes sense.

But, I don't think the vinegar will help with lap band reflux.. this is all due to being too tight and that's it. The nexium didn't feel like it was helping me at all. The doctor said it wasn't doing what I wanted it to do b/c it was in the wrong spot.

Well, I better try to get some of that liquid in.

Thanks for all your help. I'll take on more suggestions, please!

[muckstack 0]

Before the band i suffered greatly with acid reflux and the only thing that could releive it was celery( it's a acid nutrilizer), even 2 bites often would do it. Works better that any bought thing. If you need to, blend it to mush and drink it. It really works!

Good luck.

[jclue 0]

One last thing, as far as the apple cider vinegar goes . . . it all depends on what your biggest problem is. Are you suffering from the acid or just the reflux from the blocked stoma?

If the problem is that things are just not working their way through the stomach, then that vinegar is just going to be sitting in your stomach for a long time and that might not be pleasant. Our stomachs are not normal when we have an issue with a bit of blockage and the vinegar might make it worse . . . specially if acid is not really the problem. If I ended up regurgitating the vinegar and coughing on that, I am sure it might make me sick. For me, mine was reflux from food/drink that could not go down so it came back up. However, under normal circumstances I think the vinegar is a good idea.

If you still have a little blockage from something that is still in your stomach and not going anywhere . . . I have read that pineapple juice (strained of course since pulp might not help) or a little bit of meat tenderizer mixed in Water or papaya enzymes will help to break up whatever has you blocked.

Aren't pineapple juice and meat tenderizer acidic too? I think I'm drinking some vinegar next time I get reflux-couldn't be any worse than vomiting, coughing and choking all night. :rolleyes2:

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Vinegar is more acidic than pineapple juice. I think if you drink undiluted apple cider vinegar and are blocked and have to vomit it back up you are going to be in some deep misery. If I were you I'd call my doc and ask him what to do for reflux before I'd get the vinegar out...but then I don't want to drink anything that has a pH close to stomach acid. Color me crazy but I just don't. Even apple cider vinegar fans often dilute it before drinking it and they aren't banded with blockage. Good luck! Post when you take it so I can hide under my bed in case there's an atomic type blast from your state! LOL

[elvisgirl77 0]

Hi guys-

Just a little tip on laying down with reflux, etc... make sure you are laying on your left side if possible. I have had to train myself to sleep on my left side. If you look at an anatomy chart, the stomach curves to the left side of your body. If you sleep on your RIGHT side, basically everything is pouring out of your stomach into your esophagus. If you sleep on your left side, everything should stay down where it is supposed to. sleeping on my back is also sometimes okay, but ONLY if my upper body is elevated at a good angle. I usually elevate my upper body (not just my head but also my neck & back) with a few pillows and I am good to go for the night. Just something I learned the HARD WAY (waking up in the middle of the night choking and coughing like crazy, so bad you want to cry!)

Take care! Hope you find some relief soon.

Banded 7/31/03

244/194/goal of 154

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

You can buy these cup-looking things that are designed to elevate the head of your bed slightly so that if you are one who sleeps on your back, you can elevate your head without a bungh of pillows, which really isn't comfortable.