Acid and hunger

Just thought I would post this for our folks that are newbies to the process. Acid is a little different post op for some of us. Preop I had awful Gerd, needed to take constant Tums and OTC meds for it, burning, etc. Post op here and there I have acid issues. Most of the time now though the way I know it is an issue is because I experience hunger. Almost always that relates to the acid. If I take an acid reducer, the hunger goes away. I am mentioning this because it took me a little while to realize this, and the acid makes it (for me a least) harder to lose weight and prone to gain.

Fast forward a few years after surgery I had a large hiatel hernia return and loads of acid. During this period I gained weight, and for the only time in maintenance stayed above goal by 5-10 pounds (somewhere in there anyway) for a few months until surgery repaired it. Once repaired (along with the gallbladder) the weight dropped off again and I once again settled back into my typical maintenance weight of being about 15 pounds under goal. 

This morning I woke up hungry. Ate, and was hungry again in about an hour. That is not hunger. That is time for me to take my meds :) If you have hunger and take acid meds, you might need to try a different one. It might take a couple of different types before you find one that works. Kombucha also helps control the acid too (although I have no clue why that works for me).

I run into this myself.  I have had gerd for all eternity.  But about a year & a half ago, developed a hiatal hernia.  I plan to see if I can get it surgically repaired as soon as possible.  I need to get together with my FNP to see about getting it scheduled.  Hopefully this would get my weight loss moving even better.

anyway.  Yes, when I don't take my ppi, I notice the acid reflux does mimic hunger 'pangs'.

Thanks for sharing  this! I am starting to experience the tell tale signs of acid reflux, fun times ahead :( I bought kamboucha juice the other day bug notice it had tea so was concerned it might worsen the acid. What time of the day do you drink it?

Anytime during the day- I don't have a specific routine or anything with this. If you have not tried it before, limit it to maybe 4 ounces or so. Give your system some time to adjust. Now, I drink 10 ounces or so every other day. I love the stuff and would drink a gallon a day if I didn't think that would be overkill.

Good topic. While I don't feel the normal symptoms of GERD, I also get fake hunger pangs due to acid. I went from famotidine to PPI omeprazole because I had a slight burning sensation in my throat. Unfortunately, Omeprazole made my appetite go up. I was averaging over 100 calories more a day, and it was difficult for me. So, long story longer, I went back to famotidine but I took another brand of it, and my appetite went way down again, and no more burning sensation either. It turns out I believe I was allergic to one of the inactive ingredients in my previous famotidine. So you're right, it's good to try different ones, even different brands.

Kombucha is great to control acid. I'm a long time fan of fermentation. I make and drink my homemade milk kefir & kefir cheese for years now which does the same thing. Both are excellent for gut health.

I tried this past summer to brew it. Ended up with a biblical infestation of fruit flies. Ended up being too much of a hassle, so now I buy it. It is unfortunate that it is $3-$4 a bottle. Have not tried to make my own kefir, just yogurt. I am glad to read you were able to track down a PPI that worked well for you. I had to switch to panto.... something. I can never remember the ending of the PPI. 

Well, as long as you ingest it on a regular basis, you're good to go. We don't want you having a biblical infestation of fruit flies in your kitchen! hehe

By the time I remembered the full name of Omeprazole, I already was switched back to famotidine. :D Thank you again for bringing this subject up, it's so important for all of us.

Thanks for posting this reminder... Pre-surgery I had a pulmonologist/allergist who thought I had something called 'silent GERD'...I was unwilling to take the test to find out for sure... as I didn't think I had symptoms and it was an awful test... He thought it was effecting my allergies/asthma

After surgery I was on Omprezole for 2 years until I found out I had an abdominal hernia and got it fixed...when I tried to come off prior, I would be literally vomiting...

It took me a couple of times to wean myself off, and sometimes something seems to trigger it.....

So I may still have some hidden issues with it, and this is a reminder to pay attention...

I don't know what acid reducer you take, but you find it helps with one dose?? I thought you had to take it more on an ongoing basis for it to work effectively...

The stuff I take usually helps with one dose. I tend to need to take it over a few days to get the acid to stay away,