Nocturnal Coughing and Reflux after sleeve

Wow most of us have had the reflux hang around.
Thanks everyone for your input. I'm going to ask my surgeon about
What research he may have done as he is big on research. 
My reflux has its moments depending on what I eat - I've found plenty that aggravates it. 
On a different note - I've started Zumba and loving it - also is really good for boosting the weight loss. I'm sure I look a right twit trying to get all the moves but I don't care, I'm doing it for the fun and exercise not for the sexy look hahaaa

Hi Jules, I think I would be number 2. I had no reflux prior, took the somac granules as prescribed by my surgeon to keep the acid at bay over the one month post op period, then when that finished I found I still had some reflux. I went onto somac 20mg twice per day, cut back to once per day a few weeks ago, and have just stopped the once per day dose two days ago as my surgeon suggested to trial going off when I thought I was ok to do so. He said some people just need it for a little longer. 

I hope yours clears up, it's a bugger. Thinking of you x

Hi Jules

I have had reflux for many many years before the surgery and took Nexium for it which usually kept it in check.

Since the surgery I still have reflux and take the same amount of Nexium (20mg) but find I often need a gavison tablet to chew as well. This does depend on what I eat. So it appears to be a bit worse than before.

My surgeon wanted me to go to Nexium every 2nd day and take Zantac if I had problems, but this has not worked for me. I know Nexium and the like can cause Calcium absorption problems and would love to stop it but can't atm.

However, there is a history of reflux issues in the family, including Barretts disease, not connected with weight. I had never had a gastroscopy before the sleeve but my surgeon did it at the same time. I was scared of what they might find but it was all OK.

Although it has not improved with the loss of significant weight loss, I still live in hope that as I move closer to my goal it might, but otherwise I will stay with the regime I have unless it gets worse.

Good luck with it Jules, hopefully it will settle for you.

hi juldon1

I have reflux for the last 7 years that i have taken pariet for. if i don't take my tablet then i am up at night with the burning and have to have half a packet of quickeze to get to sleep. awful i know. i haven't been sleeved yet because of this, and am having a scope on april 30 to see how bad it is as my gp had never reviewed it. if it is too severe e.g. barretts than my surgeon will only do a bypass for me. i'll keep you updated with this if you like :) and ill let you know once I'm sleeved (staying positive for sleeve) what the prognosis is post sleeve for reflux.

ps the research would be interesting. i have access to journal articles, i'll see if i can find anything :)

Thanks Nini,
I've been searching all the Bariatric forums, internet support groups from all around the world and those were the main 4 groups that we found.
Also look at heaps and heaps of surgeons talks on YouTube and those seemed to be the findings of most (not all) of the surgeons.

I wonder if they have done a study on this?

Interesting stuff.

Jules

Sorry to hear you're still struggling with the severe reflux, Juldon.

I guess I am  No 2. if someone had no reflux before being sleeved then they either had no reflux after the op or only had it for the short initial period and then it tended to clear up.

I didn't have any reflux before being Sleeved. Afterward I had reflux that caused a tickle in my throat and made me  cough, this was controlled with anti-reflux meds for a couple of weeks and then it seemed to settle down. I haven't been on meds since. Very occasionally I have a slight episode, usually because I have eaten something spicy or drank too close to sleeping. I usually just take a mouthful of Mylanta and it does the trick. I get a vague uncomfortable burning type feeling in my throat after I drink plain water but not if I add cordial to it, weird.


cheers Nini

Hey all,

as I have severe reflux after being sleeved, hubby and I have been doing a bit of research on reflux after being sleeved. I do know that I am only 3 months out and that reflux can last for longer after being sleeved but mine is severe and not just a little.

I had un-diagnosed reflux for many many years as my reflux presented as a persistent cough. No burning, no feeling of food coming back up the
esophagus only coughing. 
Every time I ate I would cough almost immediately afterward or sometimes during the meal. I also coughed every time I laid down.
This was treated by my doctor as allergies and asthma although nothing they gave me worked.
Never did the doc mention that it could be reflux, every doctor I saw kept putting it down to food allergies and asthma.

Anyway, after being sleeved I have had reflux that I can feel, burning, food coming back up when I lay down, bend over, take washing out of the machine
sit in a car, constantly.

Surgeon put me on Somac from the beginning but it hasn't worked and he upped my dosage to 80mg per day - 40 morning and 40 night.
Still no good. My new local doctor has given me 150mg Zantac to take WITH the 80mg of Somac.
After a few days of taking this, it is finally working and I am at least able to fall asleep now without having a total coughing fit although I still feel a bit of
reflux when bending.

I see my surgeon on the 1/5 and as the reflux has not settled without such a high amount of medication he is going to do an endoscopy to see just what is happening in there.
I have had a barium swallow that shows a weak sphincter allowing partially digested food back up the esophagus.

Now, hubbies and my research so far seems to point in the direction of:

1. if someone had reflux before being sleeved and it was only due to weight pressure, then after a short period of initial reflux the person USUALLY (not always) 
   had no more symptoms of reflux again or only had it occasionally which puts them in the "normal" range.

2. if someone had no reflux before being sleeved then they either had no reflux after the op or only had it for the short initial period and then it tended to clear up.
    
3. if someone had reflux before being sleeved and it was due to a weak sphincter they usually had reflux after the sleeve and the majority (not all) continued to have reflux problems afterward.

4. if someone had silent or nocturnal reflux before being sleeved and it was due to a weak sphincter they usually had reflux that they could now feel and were on long 
   term medication, usually for life.


My question is.........

Do any of these 4 notes above relate to you and if so which one.
I'm doing my own little bit of research here, 
if don't mind commenting then please do so, I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on this.


Jules