Problems sleeping with a Lap-Band: Choking in your sleep!

Am I the only person with a Lap-Band that has had issues where your stomach acid wakes you up in the middle of the night by creeping into your airway and choking you.  I wake up coughing violently and tasting acid-ish foamy stuff.  It seems to happen every 20 or 30 minutes when I fall into deep sleep.

This has been going on for 3 nights now.  I am tired as hell.  The first night it stopped at about 4:40am, the second night it stopped at about 3 AM, and last night it finally stopped at 2am.  I have been sleeping in a chair to help things out and that does seem to help, but sometimes it still happens even when sleeping sitting up straight.

Just to give some background info... I am on Omeprazole (20mg) every morning for acid reduction.  I have also resorted to Malox at night for anti-acid/anti-gas.  I do not eat past 7PM.  I am also completely open with my Lap-Band there is no fill what so ever.  My band is slipped and I am waiting to have it removed in 10 days but I just need some sleep.

I have also gone back to mushies and avoided solid food for the past 3 days. It does seem like it is extra tight now, again without a fill at all. It's almost like my lining is annoyed by something.


Does anyone have any suggestions to help me get some sleep until then?   Is there something you take to make your pouch "behave"?  IS THERE NO TAMING THIS BEAST!!!!

Oh no, you're definitely not the only one! I remember this all too well. The acid-choking- gagging AND the never ending left shoulder pain used to make me a walking zombie.

I'm taking Dexalant right now for gastritis and other stomach issues.  It's doc prescribed and works great for me. Are you taking over the counter Omeprazole, Bear? If you are, maybe a stronger prescription would help?

I can't wait for you to get that sucker removed so you can feel better. I bet you have irritated stomach lining or a bit of gastritis causing this. It stinks!

xoxo

Yes, I am on an over the counter Omeprazole. I'm really worried about bumping up the dosage because of some of my other meds.  I take a drug called Reyataz and you are not allowed more than 20mg of Omeorazole a day while taking Reyataz. The other catch is that you have to take the 2 pills 12 hours from each other.  So if the 20mg Omeprazole doesn't work then I am ******

Ask your gastro or bariatrics doctor about Prevacid or Nexium instead of the Omeprazole.

I have the same issue, it's a form of GERD.  And the acidy taste is gastric acid.  Nasty, nasty stuff.

I'm thinking about a revision when I get back to the states.  Just trying to figure out what...

I feel for ya.  I got my band removed last August and I was unfilled from December til August and the last few weeks I couldn't sleep at all.  I had to be pretty much straight up in a chair and "try" to sleep, there wasn't any laying down at all.  It was hell.  Sorry that I don't have any better advice, but I do feel for ya.  Hang in there the hell is almost over!

It's almost as if the band knows that it is coming out and it's being a pissy litte jerk in it's last moments of life.

I had extremely bad reflux before my RNY, and for the last 6 months bf surgery I had this problem at least 2x/month.  I know what a terrible feeling it is to wake up with your throat and up into your mouth on fire, it even makes it hard to breathe, and takes esp. long to go away so you can sleep...I feel for ya!  Since you are getting the vsg, you might have reflux for life, albeit maybe improved.  the only medication that worked for me was Nexium daily.  I tried them all.  It can be more expensive since there is no generic, but it is soooo worth it!  If I was dedicated to taking it everyday, I never had any "break-thru" reflux. Also, if you are eating any of these items, STOP NOW... caffeine, alcohol, carbonated bevs, bev w/ citric acid added, tomatoes(sauce included), bananas, simple sugars. 

You are very close to surgery, so taking meds can be dangerous.  I would call your surgeon's office and ask them for a Rx for Nexium for 2-3 days, just make sure they double check with your anesthesiologist for an OK!!!  Very important!

Or you could pick up a bottle of apple cider vinegar and drink 2 tablespoons before meals.  It's not the most pleasant taste, but does help a lot, only costs about $2, and you could probably use it up until surgery since it is not a med(again check with anesth).  Mixing in some artificial sweetner or agave, and cinnamon , makes it taste more like cider which helps with the taste.

I am going to talk to my Doc about useing a larger bougie size and leaving more slack so that the acid problem can be reduced.  I would rather have a larger pouch than have the acid.  Plus, being a guy who has a long torso, I am betting since I have a longer stomach that this may not be as big of a problem. 

Luckily, with my band, it didn't become an issue until I had slippage.

I with you there.  I would also would rather have a larger pouch than the acid.

For what it's worth---back when I had my DS seve years ago, they were making the sleeves larger than they do today. It seems to have completely cured my acid reflux.