nissan fundalplication possible late side effects

Those are the exact symptoms I've experienced. I had a Nissen in October 2007. The symptoms you described I lived with for many years.

My diagnosis was not related to the Nissen - the diagnosis for me was an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine caused by years of PPI's killing the acid in my stomach. During normal digestion, the stomach acid kills certain bacteria but the PPI's prevent the acid so the intestines get a dose of bacteria they aren't equipped to handle. Because of the symptom of "flushing", other doctors just figured it was early menopause. The diarrhea was thought to be lactose intolerance. I'm fortunate to have a really good GI that I started seeing recently who put the symptoms together better than everyone else and sent me for a test. I'm told that bacterial overgrowth also has symptoms similar to lactose intolerance. Because the symptoms are similar to other problems, bacterial overgrowth often gets overlooked and not properly diagnosed.

To diagnose the bacterial overgrowth, the doctor orders a special breath test. You drink a special drink and then blow into a special bag that captures your exhaled breath every 15 minutes for 3 hours. If you have an overgrowth, then the exhaled breath will show an increase of a particular gas which is a by-product of the bacteria consuming the drink. The bacterial overgrowth is fixable. I no longer have flushing, diarrhea and I can drink all the milk I want.

You can catch a lot of good information on reputable sites on the web by searching for SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). Good luck.

The first time I was diagnosed was last summer before I had the Nissen surgery in October 2007. I did a 14 day course of xifaxan. Everything got better - at least I felt better and could consume milk and milk products without lactose intolerance symptoms. I was still taking mega doses of Nexium at the time to control acid reflux.

Symptoms didn't crop up again until after a biliary sphincterotomy (a month ago). The GI felt another test was in order and was sure it would be positive for overgrowth. I had had a really bad recovery period and I should not have been as sick as I was after the procedure. Again I tested positive for bacterial overgrowth. When I saw the GI for the results, he said that the overgrowth contributed to the rough recovery and said he bet I was having hot flashes a lot and headaches. He was correct, but I figured both were just part of hormones kicking in at an early age for menopause.

This time, he's treating me a bit different to ensure he knocks it out for good. I'm taking 14 days of xifaxan. When I end the 14 days, I will begin a one year treatment of 1 ml of liquid erythromycin two hours after each meal. I get three meals a day preferrably with no snacking. However, because I had the Nissen and cannot consume a large quantity at a meal anymore, the GI said a small snack to get me through was OK - keyword is "snack" and not meal.

I work with both MD's and ND's The GI is an MD and has given me antibiotics. I also see an ND (Naturopath Doctor) who has given me a probiotic blend of lactobacillus acidophilus (5+ billion CFU's) and bifidobacterium bifidum (5+ billion CFU's). I keep both MD and ND updated as to what the other has me taking.

Hope this answered your question.

Post Edited (HappilyWrapped) : 3/30/2008 6:43:17 PM (GMT-6)