Gerdhater Linx Journal

day 21
Feb 20, 2013


Back to 40 mg Nexium after 20 mg seemed to have given me back some symptoms.
I can still notice some reflux happening from time to time, but it usually is after meals and/or brought about by lying flat.
Breathing tightness is immediately brought on by lying flat. So, still using the wedge pillow which helps a bit, but not a lot.

Dsyphagia is improving.Can eat at a better pace and drink cold water faster than before. Also, perhaps chewing is second nature by now :) I tried out rice and it went down fine too without much effort.

I took a big Calcium pill today after reading NDL's post about bone density and it went down fine. My throat seemed to have more problems with the pill than the Linx.

I used to get nosedrip right after a meal. It is much reduced now, though it happens to a small extent.

Next milestone is better breathing. When I will hit it, I don't know.

Overall, I think I would say reflux is down by at 75% or more, conservatively. Whether this will translate into improved breathing remains to be seen.

Bear in mind, mine is probably one of the worst cases of reflux here and I think so far Linx has made a positive difference. It is surely not 100% for me yet, but if my breathing improves, I will be very happy indeed !

GH

Post Edited (gerd_hater) : 2/20/2013 8:25:20 PM (GMT-7)

day 26
Feb 25, 2013


Swallowing: Quickly improving even with solids. Was able to drink a glass full of cold water at almost normal pace.

Reflux: Mild reflux that seems to occur along with burping. Lying down immediately after meals also seems to bring it on.

Breathing: No serious changes yet. I've been doing cardio regularly to build up lung capacity. I think it may be starting to improve.

Hiccups: Much reduced from since the surgery. Compared to prior to surgery, post prandial hiccups seem to have reduced in both intensity and number

Pills: Nexium 40 mg once in the morning.

GH

(1) Not anytime soon
(2) This is tricky. I am not sure if it is actual reflux or if it is some sort of vapor hitting the throat but I feel some tightness at the throat
(3) Will update once I receive clear communication from them

GH

Breathing: No changes - still struggling to sleep.

Swallowing: I still have to chew, but it is not horrible. Sometimes, the first bite is hard.

Reflux: Mild reflux still going on and it does bother me from time to time. It is probably 20% of what it used to be. So, vast improvement.

Post prandial rhinitis: For years, I've had nose drip after any meal. This seems to be gradually going down. I only seem to notice it with hot/spicy meals, which of course is expected.

Hiccups: They do occur after a meal, without the click sound, but they are less noticeable now and seem to happen only when I eat fast.

Water: Drinking water (cold&hot) fast is not a problem.

Burping: I do let out huge burps once in a while and they are out of my control. Suddenly, one just comes out of nowhere.

Overall: I still feel irritation on the esophagus and mild reflux, usually immediately after meals. Doing ellipticals seems to bring about some reflux. I am swallowing mouthfuls of air because of lack of proper breathing and that could be causing some slight bloating.

Medication: 40 mg Nexium once in the morning.

Rating: Sideeffects 9/10 (no real worries), real effects: 7/10 so far and *I think* improving.

Hi GH,

OK. Thanks for the update and please keep us informed as to your progress.

Feel better!

GM

By real effects, I meant expected effects like no reflux, improved breathing etc.
My Les pressure was low, < 10mmHg prior to Linx.

GH

NICKUK,

I certainly hope thats the case. I am still refluxing even if its only a fraction of what it used to be.

GH

GM,

No, he did not order the Gastroparesis test. I haven't spoken to him since the Linx.

I had a prescription for the test from a long time back which I had not gotten around to. I thought I should act on it and remove (hopefully) any lingering diagnostic holes.

Why did you get it done yourself and what was the result ?

GH

GM,

Dr. Lipham was not particularly concerned about testing too much in general since I had most of the tests already done and a diagnosis of GERD. I did not press too much on testing since I wanted to try out the Linx anyway.

Eggs used to give me reflux in the past, so I guess if there is any gastroparesis component to my reflux, it should probably show up.

As for my current state, I think Linx is getting better(tighter perhaps) and if I can maintain my past habits of smaller meals, I should be able to manage. However the two unknowns are medication & breathing.

Hopefully sphincter muscle regeneration will come along in a decade or less :)

GH

33333,

I did not get my UES pressure tested. What is the appropriate test for it?

GH

3,

My 24 hr test was an old school test with a tube up the nose and it did not test anything above the LES region, unfortunately. Similar with the manometry.

I wouldn't mind having the test repeated now but I gues I will wait 3 months or so before going off of PPIs.

GH

Hi JPT,

The local mart where I got the 9.5+ alkaline water no longer seems to stock it. I have been a little low on energy and not pursued it further. I am going to give a serious try with alkaline water inhalation.

Thanks for reminding and pushing me :)

GH

JPT,

Are you carrying the alkapod with you and use it every time you drink water?

Thanks again,