Heartburn post redo-fundoplication

Simon,
I think your theory is probably right. You may even have gotten something hung up in the wrap, which allowed some acid through. Good plan regarding the PPIs. Once things are burned it takes time to heal...the heartburn feeling your having may be the burning that occurred with the episode that was brought on by overeating, or even something hung up in your wrap. Once acid has burned that delicate tissue, continued burning feelings are to be expected.

Those of us who have had this surgery had touchy upper GI tracts to begin with. We will continue to have touchy GI tracts after the surgery.

Sorry to hear you're struggling, but have faith that things will heal and you will be feeling better again. I know how frustrating and scary it is to have a setback like the one you're experiencing. Most of us have experienced a similar scare.

Hang in there...
Denise

Hey, If it makes you feel better, I still continue to have problems that were never stopped by the surgery. I sent my x-rays to an expert in the field and he said that half of my shots suggested incomplete surgery - hernia was not closed properly. Can you imagine how mad I am at the surgeon who did it? What a quack. And I learnt that he lied on Pre-op report just to get the surgery going from the insurance co. And that he only did 42 of these surgeries or LESS prior to me. Now he's avoiding me by all means possible. And there is simply no other surgeon that does it in the entire country. How's that for a twist? So hope for the best if your surgeon was good. Now I would have to be heading to the good old US of A to get it fixed. I wouldn't trust a zit to the quacks here in the third world. And to think it isn't the most difficult surgery and they do tons of them even in Russia. Ok I done now. Hope all of us get our problems resolved.

Well mostly my concern is that I've had a wrap outright fall apart before (literally the stitches disappeared and the tissue never knitted together)... the sensation was different though so hopefully that's not what's happened again. My larger concern is that my health benefits will run out in a months time (I'm between jobs at the moment) which makes the prescription drugs a touch more expensive if I need to buy them personally. Fortunately, being a Canuk, my access to doctors, hospitals, specialists, ect. will be unaffected. I will see what I can negotiate with my doctors with all of this taken into account, perhaps I can get a pretty large supply of the drugs before the health benefits go kaput.

Thanks everyone for your support, it's very frustrating to have a fully functioning wrap (I had total relief!!) suddenly have problems. I'm back to full strength drugs to no affect so far (which makes me suspect the problem isn't directly acid based) and I'll see what happens. Will keep ya'll posted as things progress.

Okay, day 8:
Heartburn seems less today, had weird pain in my stomach last night, felt a lot like the pain when the wrap was healing in the first place... hope it is.

Hi drgrcr,
Believe me I felt the same way sometimes. You have to understand that these forums are usually stocked with people who are encountering, or have encountered, problems and are looking for support. MOST fundoplications work very well and the patients are very much better for the experience. For some of us it just doesn't work out that way and finicky systems get more finicky when messed with.

Trust your surgeon, hope that everything will work out for the better. Even with my issues, I'm still WAY better off with the fundoplication (and it's re-do, OY!) than I was without.

A possible thought to bounce off all you people. I recently (about two months ago) started taking Wellbutrin for some serious circumstances that were causing situational depression. Listed amongst the side-effects is heartburn... is it possible that this bout of heartburn is being caused by the Wellbutrin despite the wrap?

If that's the case I should probably go off it (of course under the care of a physician) since the reason for taking it has been resolved and I'm not feeling the need for it anymore. Of course that's while under the influence of the drug but still...

Thoughts?

 

hello all.

 

this is my first time posting on any forum but i am desperate for answers following my fundo. 

HISTORY:

I have sufferred with GERD since I was in the 5th grade, so about 15 years. I have been taking Nexium 40mg 1x day for 5+ years.  I was told to go up to 40 mg 2x day since it was stopping to work about a year ago.   More lately, I have had constant nausea for about 4 months.

FUNDO SURGERY:

First, two days after my surgery (which my dr told me I was fine to stop taking my Nexium, 40mg 2X day, right after the surgery) I was in the ER with TERRIBLE pain and nausea.  I was severely dehydrated and I stayed in the hospital for 4 days and I had to restart my Nexium at the hospital.  My dr put me on Levison (an antispasm medication) and amitiza (i was having constipation as well).  After my 4 weeks point, I was still having a pain that felt like someone punched me in the sternum, that aleve and other OTC pain relievers couldnt take care of.  The doctor wanted me off of Vicodin that I had been taking for 4 weeks straight, (750 mg every 4-6 hours), so he put me on Neurontin because he thought I was hypersensitive, and instructed me to cut down my Nexium to just 40 mg 1X day.  Well, I decided to reduce my dosage by taking 40 mg Nexium in the AM (as instructed) and then Omeprozale 20 mg at night and as much Maalox, tums, etc I could take in between my 3x day Neurontin (where i cannot take Maalox, tums, etc within 2 hours before and after this medication).  about 4 days after doing this (at the beginning of my 5th week post-op), my stomach started to burn like crazy and I had nausea so bad that I wanted to throw up all the extra acid in my stomach, like i would have prior to the surgery, but I am unable to vomit due to the fundo.  5 days - 8 days (Tuesday-Thursday of this past week) = TERRIBLE swelling of my stomach and wrap area.  It felt like i had something the size of a fist where my wrap is.  Therefore, for three days, I couldn't eat anything but a couple crackers (which i liquified with water) and could barely get water down.  I was able to eat part of a banana on Thursday.  I was severely dehydrated but I was determined not to go backward on getting off the Nexium, however, I started to take 40 mg of omeprazole at night starting last Friday or Saturday.  I feel a bit better, but I can still barely eat anything but part of a banana, fat free yogurt and creamed soup.  Water still has a bit of trouble getting down and there has been no improvement since last Friday.  Also, I feel a low choking sensation constantly, which mainly started when I went off the Nexium.  I saw my doctor today, which has been performing this procedure for 20 years, and he suggested me to go to the Cleveland clinic.  I am waiting on an appt with a doctor there (which will probably take a month), but in the meantime he ordered blood work to check my blood gastrin levels to check for Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome.  I have to be completely off any PPI's for 2 full days for this.  I am scared of this, for sure.  But my worry is that I kind of know that my gastrin levels will be elevated due to the rebound effect that the dr is aware of, but he says that I sould not be having this harsh of symptoms by only decreasing my ppi by 20 mg.  He also put me on carafate (at my suggestion) to protect my stomach from the acid, although I have never had an ulcer.

Does anyone have a similar experience or any advice?  I am only 25years old and I dont want to have to suffer for the rest of my life, as i suspect the large amount of Nexium was/is causing my constant nausea, so PPIs on large doses is not an option for me.  I am losing hope.  Please help.

I hade 270 degrees warp surgery ( toupet ) done 3 weeks ago and i feel now heartburn and throat pain whin i stop my medication , i take lanzoprazol 30mg one capsule every 3 days with zantac 150 in the days that i didnt take lansoprazol , my doctor say that is acid rebound and i shoud tape off my ppi gradually .

I hope that is correct , and i hope u r all fine now after recovery .

Please tell me whats happen with u , r u still had gerd/lpr or no more ??

Thank you densie ,

I was think i will not feel reflux or hartburn when i wake up after surgery and i dont need to take my ppi again .

The surgery was my only hope and it was dream to tape off my ppi but know i face the fact and i will try to relax for all the way .

I feel much beter no gas no pain in my surgery area , but only the hartburn with LPR is my problem now .

Hi said360,

Many people worry that their surgery is a failure as they feel reflux during the recovery phase.  I know it's hard to trust that with time and healing, all will be well, but that's the case.  The odds are in your favor, believe me.  I felt the same way during my recovery, and even called the surgeon's office and had him call me back so I could hear his opinion.

Nobody wants to go through all the trauma of surgery and the difficulties of recovery and end up in the same reflux boat they had the surgery for.  I certainly didn't, and feared my surgery was a big fat failure.   My surgeon told me this: "During the first weeks of recovery, pretty much anything is possible.  You could be getting some reflux because the wrap is swollen, and can be more swollen in one place than another, thus not allowing a close fit for the wrap. Also, your esophagus is a dumb organ, and interprets all pain as reflux."

I'd add one more thing.  At times during the early weeks of healing, the wrap is extra-tight because of swelling.  Because of that, food and medication can get stuck at the wrap site and sit there, irritating the esophagus and creating irritation and pain that your brain interprets as reflux.  Be sure to take sips of water/tea after drinking to ensure that the food or meds are getting through into the stomach.

This recovery is challenging, there's no doubt.  But remember that it takes a full six months for most of the healing and a year for the rest.  You can't rush the process, no matter how much you'd like to.  If you can surrender to your recovery and accept what is, things will be a lot easier.  If you've got irritation or reflux feelings, be sure that you're chewing your food thoroughly so that it's a liquid/creamy consistency before swallowing it.  You can always back off and go to an earlier stage of eating.

Another thing can happen.  You can have food/liquids sitting at the wrap site because of swelling, then burp it right up into your mouth.  It's not coming from your stomach, but rather, from your esophagus.  I don't know if that's possible in your case, but consider it.

Hang in there! Try to relax and go with the flow.  Don't worry that the "reflux" feelings or even reflux that you're having now will be with you when you are fully healed.

Glad you've joined the forum!

Happy healing,

Denise

Hi said,

I had my surgery four years ago, and have helped out here on the forum since then.  In my experience here, I've found that most surgeons don't prepare their patients properly for the surgery.  Often surgeons create the impression that the patients will be back to normal in a couple of weeks.  That isn't true, though.  I've come to believe that maybe they don't really understand themselves, the challenges of recovery. 

Surgeons do surgery.  They are not trained, nor do they care about, following their patients throughout the surgical recovery.  They do the surgery, dry their hands, and say goodbye and don't bother me!  I think they become surgeons because they are good with their hands and like to do the procedures.  Their strength is in working with their hands, rather than communicating with or supporting with patients effectively.  I am sure there are some wonderful exceptions (actually mine was quite good, but even he had his limits).

You are right about treating the symptoms during recovery.  Many surgeons want their patients to continue with acid reducers post surgery just because of the problems you're having.  It just makes the recovery easier, and protects the healing wrap.

I'm happy to help.  I came to this forum shortly before my surgery and was supported and helped throughout my recovery.  That's why I stuck around to help out others!  There are very many negative and on the internet, and they can scare people.  It's good to find a positive place with people who have been through the same things that you're going through.  We're here to help!

Good luck with your recovery.  Stay strong...it will get better!

Happy healing,

Denise

hello dencha and every one
did you have a lot of gas after the operation ?
because after meals i have a lot of gas and i fart a lot, i hope it well heal soon cause it's embarrassing