SEVERE heartburn at 5 weeks out

I am in such misery!  Every other night this week my severe heartburn begins around midnight and I have been awake all night long. Tonight my heartburn started at 11:00 PM.   I am on Nexium and have had heartburn for over a decade, but since surgery it is simply unbearable.  Tonight I tried Carafate, Levsin [for esophageal spasms], TUMS, I have walked for 1/2 hour on the treadmill twice.  Just anything to try to relieve the heartburn but no luck.  I had less than 300 calories, 63 oz fluid, 50 gm protein today.  My protein was 2 oz yogurt, 1 oz turkey meat, Premier shakes.  That's all I can take in.  I am not able to find anything to drink that helps my heartburn.  Water is horrible and all other non-caloric waters, CL and diet Snapples just make it worse.  QUESTION:  I saw someone post to try 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in water.  Am I too early out to try this?  At this point I am desperate.  It's 5:30 AM and no relief in site.

 Ive done baking soda and water too. It helped.

A couple of sips of room temp sierra mist / sprite usually helps me....remember just a few sips, do not chug....owieeeeeee

I've used Maalox.

But you are going to have to go to the doc and get a regimen started to keep in under control.

Some on this board take the PPI 2 times a day.

I take Prilosec once a day but if I forget...well I don't forget to many times lets just leave it a that.

Make sure you are not eating or drinking anything a hour before bed.
stay away from coffee (yeah right)
citrus (the crystal lite has citrus acid)
tomatoes etc.

It does improve over time and at 5 weeks it was at it's worst for me.

Good Luck
donna

Why don't you call your doctor and find out what his/her advice is?  No reason you should go though this without their support. 

 
I don't know if you have tried this.....I read it from somebody on this forum and I wish I could give them credit. Mine is not near as severe as yours sounds..... You know about what time it comes on....so take a PPI around 10PM.....

This person explained that she would take all her morning meds after breakfast......and she would get reflux after she ate...... her doc suggested taking her PPI an hour before she ate.

When you eat your body naturally secretes stomach acid for digestion.....So you take it before you eat,,,,shut the pumps down....than eat......

All I'm saying is maybe play with your timing.

Also check with your doctor..... but there was a time early out that I couldn't eat much...always felt kinda full.... Doc told me to double up on the ppi for a week....it worked.... you might benefit from doing a double dose at night....but check with your doc....

frisco

So funny ti read your post..I logged on to see if anyone was having the problem I am having...HEARTBURN!!! Tomorrow will be my second week out.  Sunday I started having severe heartburn. As you said nothing helped.  I called my doctor's office and they recommended I try Prilosec, it does not relieve your symptoms immediately.  It is a 14 day treatment. They called me this morning and said that if it is not helping they would call me something in to my pharmacy.  I understand how you feel, I thought I had done something wrong and this is why I was having such heartburn.  Hope this helps.

This is the main reason my doctor wants me to do the RNY instead of the Sleeve - but I want the sleeve.  I've been on Nexium (1 or 2 per day, 40 mg each) for about a year but I've had acid reflux and severe esophagitis for many years now.  He said that the Sleeve does not control the reflux like the RNY does - although I've talked to people and read other posts on the RNY board and some people have reflux/heartburn even with the RNY.

Since I haven't had surgery yet, and don't know yet how I will be with my liquids, I can't help you with this, but I know that NOW before surgery, I don't drink anything for several hours before bed, my bed is raised up at my head, and I sleep on several pillows (under my shoulders and head) to stop my problems. 

I once tried to take the apple cider vinegar - and immediately threw it up - so that's not an option for me. 

Good luck!