Best med for excess stomach acid

[Pattimelt]

Hi all you experienced sleevers! I'm 4 weeks post op, and I'm experiencing horrible acid! I've tried Pepcid AC, and Walgreens acid controller complete. Neither one does the job, so I'm on the hunt for something that will alleviate this condition. I don't have gerd or heartburn, just acid in my tummy. I find that it mimics hunger pangs, and it really bothers me throughout the day.

If you have a suggestion, please chime in! Thanks, Patti

[RehabNurse]

For the first six months post-op I was on prescription Omeprazole DR 40mg daily. It is also sold over the counter in 20mg tablets as 'Prilosec OTC.' However, long term use of Omeprazole and other PPIs increases your risk of chronic kidney disease.

I now take Ranitidine 150mg daily. These are sold over the counter at any Walmart, Walgreens, Target, CVS, etc. Ranitidine has been working rather well for me and I can tell the difference when I forget to take it.

[Christie13]

I did well with Prilosec. Now I don't take anything.

[Kindle]

I took omeprazole (Prilosec) 20mg daily for two months....this was my surgeons mandatory requirement for all patients whether they have reflux symptoms or not. Lowering gastric acid simply helps with healing. If GERD was present, he recommended 40mg daily. At 3+ years out I don't have GERD, but I occasionally get gastritis from eating certain things. When I do, I just take Rolaids or a couple days of Ranitidine.

[Luna354]

Prilosec twice a day.

[Ann2]

Pattimelt, IMHO your surgeon should have prescribed an antacid like the ones others have described above. ^^^^ That's a very standard prescription post-op.

You should know that long-term use of PPIs has been found to be associated with some potential problems regarding kidney function, osteoporosis, pneumonia, even dementia. That does NOT mean everyone who uses PPIs long-term will suffer from these problems, but that those who do use PPIs for years at a time may be more likely to have problems of these kinds down the road. But taking a PPI for a few months post-op is very unlikely to cause any problems of those sorts. Google is your friend.

In my case, I had GERD pre-op and took Ranitidine (which is not a PPI) pre-op for years. Post-op, my surgeon prescribed omeprazole (a PPI), which I took for 6 months. Then I switched back to Ranitidine, which works well for me MOST TIMES.

However, several times a year my reflux gets a little worse, so I switch to omeprazole for a few weeks -- no longer. Then I go back to Ranitidine. (And if anyone has information that suggests this usage is a bad idea, please chirp up -- thanks!)

[Kindle]

Ann2 I think that's a great plan. I use ranitidine or Rolaids for my occassional flares of gastritis.....which I probably wouldn't even get if I stayed away from coffee and alcohol. But if I did that, my friends would stop speaking to me and I'd have to find a new job that didn't involve interacting with humans

But I do use Prilosec whenever I need to take NSAIDS for more than a day or two and when I have to be on steroids. I'll stay on it for the duration of the other meds and continue for an extra week afterwards. I figure the low risk of intermittent PPIs far outweighs the risk of ulcers.

[Lorna Doone]

I usually do Tums or Rolaids for acid problems. Once in a great while I have to go back to Omneprazole once or twice a day but I then go off and on depending how severe reflux gets. I go to Costco or Sam's Club and buy the big package of Omneprazole and keep it in the house for emergencies. Sometimes if I eat something too spicy I go and grab one. If it effects my stomach lining I may stay on it for a couple of days.

[bigdogluver]

I also take Ranitidine 150 mg as needed. I had a hiatal hernia and lived on the stuff. Luckily, I haven't had to use it very much.

[Pattimelt]

Thanks everyone so much for your replies!