Question PLEASE HELP!

There is an alternative to the PH test tube. It's called the bravo. They'll put it in under sedation if you ask. It's a small capsule they attach to a certain place on your esophagus. You wear a monitor and keep a journal for two days. It eventually falls off and passes out your body easily.

Have you had the barium swallow test yet? The motility test is no fun I know. Also ask for the stomach emptying test. It's very easy to do. You eat some radioactive food and they xray it as it moves through you stomach.

Have you tilted the head of your bed yet? 6-8 inches helps the most. Use bed risers...

Ask for the newest stomach relief ...caraftate(sp?). Others' here have been taking it.

You may wind up needed the surgery if the meds can't help you. I had the Hill procedure and I'm three months post-op and eating normally now.

Others will be here soon to add to my comments.
I hope this helps.

Joy

The barium swallow is a florascope of your swallowing. You stand in front of an x-ray machine and drink this thick milky contrast as they film you swallowing. You're also given something like alkaselter which causes fizzing in your stomach to expand it. You roll around on a special table as the film your stomach's reactions.
Yes, the bed tilting can help. It's not a total cure, but it helps some.

The surgery will help the HH. Mine was repaired at the same time as the Hill.

My surgeon is famous for doing a modified Hill procedure. He wraps the top of the stomach around the esophagus like wrapping your pants' leg around your ankle. The Nissen is like wrapping the stomach around like a hot dog bun.
Don't get the surgery without having all of the tests ran. Babygirl rushed her's and is now having trouble. Research your doctors.

Joy

Hi Becky,
Chest pressure is a very subjective term. I've had what might be considered "pressure" but I call it a "lump" feeling--ca.

Don't worry about the PH monitor. It's more of a wire than a tube, and it's NOTHING after the manometry test. You shouldn't avoid it just because of your discomfort with previous tests. Once the place the wire, it's not bad at all. The most annoying part of the test is that you have to be off PPI's a week or two prior (You can take a Zantac type med until a few days), then just Maalox until the day of the test.

You'll be glad when it's removed, but it's more of an inconvenience and annoyance than anything else.

It will tell if your chest pressure sensation is caused by acid escaping into your esophagus, creating injury to the delicate tissue.

Good luck getting to the bottom of your problems. Try to be patient, and don't panic. You will find an answer. Unfortunately, the tissue that lines your esophagus is very delicate and takes a long time to heal, once it's inflamed.

We're all here for you! Hang in there.
Denise

Thanks for your replies! I appreciate it very much!

Well, let me back up a bit and give you some more info. Back in June of 09' last year I had a real stressful event happen. All of a sudden I was burping non-stop! TMI but gas as well. I made my way to the gastro doc as I freaked out because burping can be a symptom of ovarian cancer. I'm a Non-hogkins lymphoma survivor now for 4 years! YEA ME! LOL! So, in telling you that, that was why I went to my OB to rule that out. Then I went to see a GI doc. He diagnosed me with GERD and gave me Aciphex to try...for some reason, I'm trying to remember..it didn't help much. I got better and the symptoms were something I could handle still the frequent burping and such but that was it. Then Dec.09' last year again a really stressful event pushed me over the top I developed even more symptoms...my chest was hurting, chest pressure now with regurgitation and acid taste etc. I went on omerople? (I know I totally spelled that wrong) and a few others and none worked, over the counter, under...etc. LOL! He did an endoscopy. He told me I had a hiatal hernia (slider). He also stated that it was not giving me symptoms but it was the reflux and that just because I had the hernia did not mean that was why I had reflux. He explained that you can have one without the other la la la...he put me on a double dose of Nexuim..... OMG!!!my chest pain got worse!!!! I kept burping and regurgitating. I went back....he have me Lortab for pain and set up the motility and PH. After the motility I could NOT do the PH. During this time that I went to see him, I went to my oncologist scared etc. She did lots of blood work and said she really did not think it was cancer related at all! Told me I have a CT coming up in April and to not worry and go back to the GI doc. SO, I go to my family practice doc to have her run tests to make sure my heart was ok, she did the blood work, stress test, and EKG....chest Xray etc. Everything A-OK. So, here I sit with this chest pressure pain and no PPI's nothing helping me. Today my symptoms are totally burning, chest pains and pressure and reflux, regurgitation and my throat is burning. That is classic GERD. I called to get a NEW GI doc next week and I'm hoping to get some help! I'm afraid I will have to have the PH. I don't think they will take my writing down my burps etc. as the same thing. I really dread that. I hope I like this new GI doc. The one I had totally sucked. He never would explain anything to me and his office was run poorly....and that is putting it mildly.


Thanks for listening! I'm glad I found you all! I again appreciate any and all advice! Being as I have extensive testing all the time anyway, I REALLY don't want to put myself through a bunch of unnecessary testing, it's too much stress for me personally. What does one do when the PPI's don't work? My motility test came out fine. Oh well, Ya know? Do you then jump to surgery???

Thanks for your kindness!

Becky

XXOO

Babygirl didn't have all of her testing done and is now having some problems. That's why you need to go through all of the tests and be positive that it is right for you.

Joy