***??

Can someone explain this to me. Im just not getting it.

I have a dysfunctional LES. I have been on Nexium approx, 6 years. Recently got diagnosed with Barretts. And they keep telling me to get on a "gerd" diet! What is the point? I have a mechanical problem inside my body. MY LES does not open or close.... what is diet going to do? Acid is spilling up no matter what. If it wasn't for nexium I would of probably put a bullet in my head by now(figuratively speaking, of course). The nexium works... I don't feel discomfort (well sometimes) but if I were not to take it even on a empty stomach I would have terrible acidic burn. I could drink just water and it would feel like I just ate suicidal wings. So what is Diet going to do? Why do these doctors insist on telling me that "proper diet, sleeping on wedge and taking my PPI's will help and help keep my barretts from turning into cancer. HEY ******!!! I have leak and it needs to be plugged!!! Imagine I'm a mechanic and you come to me with a leaking tire. I tell you well just don't drive on it, I'll fill it with some foam and you'll be set. NO! YOU WILL TELL ME PATCH IT OR REPLACE IT. PERIOD
This is simple mechanics.
I can understand diet IF someone suffers from reflux but they don't have a dysfunctional LES.... than YES you need to stick to a diet and some lifestyle changes to prevent it from turning into what I have and hundreds of others here on the forum.
KEEP things simple: Dysfunctional LES, Medical therapy has negative results='s SURGERY. FIX THE PROBLEM.

How much are these doctors making on me off of my prescriptions? Is it that MUCH???? MY GOD if they were to let me get surgery and I walk away and never have to see a GI again guess What???? There will be 50 people behind me with GERD with the same symptoms as me. The flow of patients won;t stop.

So again what does diet going to do for me in my condition. Because with the most bland diet I would have burning beyond belief and therefore still causing acute damage to the area in question. Either way I'm getting burned and if they really dont treat this.... well, Ill just go start looking for my tombstone no thanks to any doctor.

To the doctors out there...thanks for the second chance. Im happy you were able to stuff your pants with all that money at my expense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit:  Your post is more in the line of an angry vent.  Please know I am sorry you feel upset but do try to soften your vent next time around.

11. No posts of an overtly political or religious nature OR posts promoting advocacy of particular personal, medical, legal, religious, political, or non-profit causes.  The forums are intended for offering mutual personal support.  Debating controversial subjects should be taken elsewhere.

Thank you for your understanding.

Kitt

 

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 2/3/2010 4:21:23 PM (GMT-7)

Hi Tracks -

Sorry you are so upset.  If you read enough of the info available you will start to understand yourself, and I hope you will start to feel better.  I've been a GERD patient since I was born, and I'm on Medicare now, although nobody recognized it until I hit my late 30s.  I've spent hundreds of hours researching how to feel better, and it's not the "bland" diet.

I too had a bad LES, but it was never recognized until the last few years.  But that wasn't the cause of my reflux.  Yes, the LES let acid into my esophagus, but PPIs took care of that by cutting the acid.  Reflux has triggers.  In my case it was my diet, or rather, my food sensitivities.  My allergist taught me that!  She had me keep a food log for a month.  Then after I identified the foods, I did "challenge testing."  I needed to find out what it was in the foods that caused the reflux.

It wasn't the waffle, it was the maple syrup I put on it.  It wasn't the hamburger, it was catsup and mustard and pickle.  It wasn't the fruit in the cherry pie, it was the cheap (beet) sugar, the bottled lemon juice and the corn starch.  I could easily recognize wine and beer.  But what do all these things have in common?  They obviously aren't spicy!

My sensitivity (allergy says my allergist) was sulfite.  It's in all the things that give me reflux.  By avoiding sulfited foods I stopped most of my reflux.

Keeping a food log is worth a try.  It's cheap and it doesn't take much time.  Challenge testing is a little more involved, but really easy too. 

Hey Mookie,

Which surgery did you undergo? Was it the nissen or the Esophyx?

Thanks

I was diagnosed with GERD almost 8 years ago.  Been on PPIs ever since.  I also have a dysfunctional LES--hypomotility disorder of the esophagus too, and my GI doctor told me it doesn't matter what I eat.  A sip of water will cause my stomach to produce as much acid as chips and salsa.  That being said, I do tend to avoid eating real heavy meals, but I don't avoid spice because that's not the issue.