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My apologies if any of this seems to be TMI.

Back on January 15th, I had surgery. While I am, otherwise, more or less, fine, I've picked up a lovely case of reflux along the way. Some of that started with the medications I was taking, but I've stopped taking the prescriptions over 10 days ago (I think it's over 2 weeks ago by now).

Main issue, for me, is that I have to wear a surgical binder for another couple of months and I have trouble with sitting. I get some relief from not lying flat at night. Plus I've been chewing gum like crazy when walking (making more saliva is helpful).

I am in love with whoever invented Maalox and Zantac.

Is there anything else I could be doing? Don't tell me to lose weight; I'm already doing that (and yeah, I know not to drink alcohol; the title of this topic is meant to be amusing, Mr. and Ms. Obvious). I mean now -- thoughts on how to improve things even more? I am not bad; it's not like a week ago when there was burning pretty much 24/7.

Plus if you've got your own tales of woe, feel free to share 'em. And if we're gonna eat together, please, please, please, for the love of God, make my stuff not spicy.

Thanks in advance.

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I had it a few times when I was heaviest, but that's not what is going on with your situation, Jes, or so I posit. It might or might not have had to do with my not drinking enough water or eating too fast. That was around seven years ago, nothing since, knock on wood. Again, I figure you do drink enough water, and I also figure you already eat fairly slowly.

Have you talked with the surgeon or your regular doctor? This may be a common complication.
Anyway, good luck; I'll be reading along.

1 Reply

@ossobuco,

I have -- and I'll see the surgeon again on the 18th and will mention it if it persists (he's the guy who turned me onto Zantac, and also told me that the Oxycodone I was prescribed was most likely not helping things).

Eh, it stinks; the things that are needed to make some stuff, er, better, are causing and/or abetting reflux. At least I can sleep at night; that's a huge improvement over 2 weeks ago.

And yeah, I'm still in the complaining stage. Hopefully, at some point, I'll leave the complaining stage for good....

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@jespah,

I don't see you as a whiner, and these is a useful thread.

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@jespah,

jespah wrote:

I am in love with whoever invented Maalox and Zantac.

Prilosec or Prevacid is better.

1 Reply

Educate yourself on the long-term side effects of acid-blockers and, uh, the pump-stoppers: http://www.endfatigue.com/tools-support/How-To-Get-Off-Acid-Blockers---Naturally.html

1 Reply

@jespah,

well, you've always been a whiner, I suppose this thread is no different.

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@jespah,

jespah wrote:

Main issue, for me, is that I have to wear a surgical binder for another couple of months and I have trouble with sitting.

Yeah, it would make sense that this causes problems -- reminds me of when I was very pregnant (the last month or so) and everything was just kind of pushed out of place. I seem to remember that dairy helped, and Osso's note about water sounds familiar too.

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My SIL who had gall bladder and acid reflux problems for years used to get relief by getting down on her knees and extending arms and and head forward and down onto the carpet. For some reason, that stretch gave some relief.

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@sullyfish6,

My grandad was a great drunk and it was ruining his health. SO when he was in his 70's he began drinking 2 tablespoonsful of malt vinegar each day. He said that it
"Was help make stomach more acid".

Maybe he had something there.

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That is one philosophy: that we are not producing enough acid in the stomach. They say to not drink water or anything when eating and to chew your food to the consistency of mush.

1 Reply

@sullyfish6,

not producing enough acid?

citation, if and when you have time..

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@Gargamel,

Quote:

long-term side effects of acid-blockers

Thanks. I was thinking of buying Prilosec but it looks like I need to figure out what's causing the acid reflux

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@joefromchicago,

joefromchicago wrote:

jespah wrote:
I am in love with whoever invented Maalox and Zantac.

Prilosec or Prevacid is better.

yes, I vote for Prilosec.

I buy the Walgreens generic version when it's on sale, which is every other week it seems.

Doctor said it was safe to take one every day.

When I met the gastro doc for my first colonoscopy, I told him about the acid reflux, so he did an endoscopy also.

I was quite relieved to find out there was no damage, and it reinforced my practice of taking a prilosec every day.

2 Replies

@chai2,

Look up interferences of Prilosec with any cardiac meds like beta blockers .

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@farmerman,

Thank you, thank you all.

I'm actually having my first day in almost a month where I'm feeling (mostly) like myself. Which by itself is pretty major.

I am off to CVS today anyway so I will read some labels. I also had drunk some apple cider vinegar for a while there, but it wasn't helping much. Might be more helpful now that the worst of it seems to be past. What I don't want to do is tip it back into awful feelings. I really need to be able to sleep in order to better heal, and when you can't sleep ..... Well, it's pretty obvious.

But -- oof -- don't let anyone tell you this isn't real surgery. It is as delightful as a c/section, with the fun of being bruised, too, and feeling super-pregnant (and also PMS'ing!) afterwards. Getting up, lying down, walking up hills, etc., are all interesting challenges. And I'm saying this 3 1/2 weeks after the fact. Add reflux to that and it just turns into a little ray of freakin' sunshine in your life.

So be nice to RP, please. I'mma gonna embarrass him, but he really has been totally freakin' awesome.

1 Reply

@farmerman,

farmerman wrote:

Look up interferences of Prilosec with any cardiac meds like beta blockers .

Good point farmer

I should amend to my doc told "me" it was okay to take every day.

Of course you need to check with your phsician for your individual circumstances.

Glad you're feeling better jes.

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@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

yes, I vote for Prilosec.

I buy the Walgreens generic version when it's on sale, which is every other week it seems.

Doctor said it was safe to take one every day.

Ditto.

0 Replies

See this for discussion on stomach acid;
http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?id=7271&T=CFIDS_FM

Proponents of the cider vinegar regime also say the problem is too little acid, not too much.

1 Reply

I took Prilosec (omeprazole ) for a few years. It turns out that I was doing myself more harm than good. The way omeprazole works is to repress the cells that produce acid. Well, your body in its infinite search to make things even, starts to reproduce these cells. When you try to stop taking the omeprazole , you get the worst case of acid reflux you've ever had. I switched to Zantac (ranitidine) which blocks the histamine that triggers stomach cells to produce acid. Eventually, I was able to stop taking that drug as well. Now i just take tums before bedtime as insurance.

Jes, are you taking any Nsaids? I think my bought with AR started when I was using a lot of ibuprofen for sports injuries.

1 Reply

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