24 hr esophageal pH procedure reassurance

Guys and gals,

I'm having a 24 hour esophageal pH test done tomorrow morning. Emotionally, I'm strangely calm about it, although I suppose I have intellectual fears/concerns about this procedure. Maybe it hasn't hit me yet, and I might freak out in the lab room when it starts.

Any words of reassurance from those of you out there who had this done? Having that thing stuck through the nose...would be enough to scare anyone, eh?

Discomfort? Not painful? ???

Ruhr

I got a tip from someone on this forum which was really helpful. Keep drinking the liquid non-stop until the tube is all the way in. That helped it slide in and I think it made me concentrate on drinking rather than on the tube going down.

Holding your tongue is what helps with not doing a second swallow during a manometry. The PHi study probe is a lot smaller than the manometry one. Every time I had the PH study done I also had the manometry done right before it.
This was to determine at what length the LES is so they can position the PH probe correctly.

Take care,
Bill

Thanks for the responses guys! I elected to take off tomorrow. Explained it to my boss. She agreed with me--I'd probably be a little uncomfortable and start getting tired of having to keep explaining it to people. Better to just go home and not deal. I'll be sure to keep active and do some light housework and chores, to get an accurate reading.

I'll report back on how things go. It'll soon be midnight for me: no drinking/eating after 12am!! I'll take my last gulps of water shortly

Ruhr

Well done - it'll soon be over!

I'm confused by my hospital's description of the test - does the wire really go all the way from your stomach to the box on your waist?! I thought it sent radio wave messages to the box but it seems not?

MMM

MMM,

My probe was directly connected: it is actually a thin copper-looking catheter that they strung through my nose, down my throat, into the esophagus.

Today was not a big shortness of breath day (mixed blessing: I kinda wanted those SOB bouts to show up in the data). But I think I'm getting tired of this probe. I feel slight heartburn sensations, and I'm recording it in my diary, though maybe it's really the probe that's causing this.

It's been such a drag all. It is mentally draining. I did watch a movie after dinner though, to try to take my mind off it and pass the time.

10 hours to go. I'm going to go to bed so I can pass the time quickly. I'm tired of this stuff already. Let it be over.

Ruhr.

How are you doing Ruhr?

I've started mine but it was pretty horrendous! Took 3 goes to pass the first tube because it hurt the back of my throat so much (the bit of throat you can see if you say "ah" to a mirror!). After much choking, coughing and crying (me not them) it went down on the last try. I had no sensation of the catheter below that bit of throat so didn't mind it being in my stomach.

Swallowing the water lying down was also a challenge and made me cough and splutter until I learnt to catch the bolus of water as it was squirted in and form a proper mouthful and swallow from it. Had to do that about 12 times as I had coughed!

Was almost as horrible putting in the second catheter but that time I knew how long I had to grit my teeth for. Would have been useful to know how long it takes to get it in place e.g if they said "keep swallowing, don't stop, it will take half a minute". The biting or fixing tongue tip was useful and I didn't get told to repeat any swallows other than those I'd coughed over!!

I feel quite uncomfortable, like I have a very sore throat. Having to wash food down with a lot of drink. Not got huge amount of symptoms, so am very worried this will all be for nothing.

Fifth day off the PPI was pretty bad, after that it's not been as bad as I thought, so am tempted to try Zantac for a bit and see how long I last. My skin is so much better off the PPI it's hard to think about taking it again, but I guess that day won't be far off.

I found the manometry pretty hard with the choking sensation and pain at back of throat - wondering if I do have hypersensitivity and not much else!

MMM

MMM,

Sorry to hear your manometry was a little rough. I didn't have that done--just the 24 hr tube. The 24 hr tube is a lot thinner so I could imagine the manometry one was very difficult! At least it is behind you now.

Try to do things today and tonight that will take your mind off that tube. Watch a movie, or the television. Take a nap. Go to bed early to pass the time!

The only thing about this morning was the quick yank getting it out. My left nostril was sore for about 5-10 minutes, but then that was that! I'm glad it's out and I feel normal again. Now for a nice refreshing shower (I couldn't do that yesterday!), and off to work.

You'll get through this day!

Ruhr

I've had the 48 hour hour and 24 hour tests. The only thing that was fun about it was my docs all told me to eat what I wanted so they could see how my system was working while taxed.
So, maybe you can eat all the foods you don't normally eat. I had baby back ribs, pizza and ice cream. In the future , I will eat a lot before I have the test and while I have the tests. Sometimes I think it takes my system a few days to get to that nasty point of reflux.

Molly,

Yeah, I know what you mean. I had plans to try to stay active yesterday to get good test results, and all I wanted to do was lie down and sleep. In terms of eating, I ate slowly though I still felt like crap. Plus, they said no wine, orange juice, or fizzy colas. No antacids. I mean, what the hey? I felt cheated.

I'm just glad it's done and over.

MMM, hopefully it's gone OK for you so far. Tell us when you get your probe out (yay!)

Ruhr

PS also told no fizzy water because it is acidic?! The little mudmagnets drink fizzy water and I checked the pH because I was worried about their teeth - it's pH neutral!

MMM

Ruhr, did they give you any indication of the results when they took it out?
I've still got a dent in my nose from where the tube was over a year ago.

MMM, which hospital in Manchester? Sorry, I sound like a stalker!! I was at Wythenshawe for all of mine.

Woah!! That's shocking, I've had 3 mannometries at Wythenshawe. I can't understand why they say they don't do them!!! I did have one at Hope when I was a child but I was under Stepping Hill then.

When you go to your next appointment tell the nurse when you arrive that you want to see the consultant himself. That's what I do

Did you get any scores from your mannometries today? I was told my demeester was 26 and my Los pressure was 3mmHg and also I didn't have very good contrations in my oesophagus. I could see that on the screen.

So all that got me my Nissen in January this year :-D I'm doing really well, reflux has gone, Asthma has gone, I'm off Nexium so all my IBS symptoms have gone, I still get pain, mostly in my back and chest but I'm very happy, it was definitely the best thing I have ever done.

Who is your surgeon and GI?

My surgeon is an amazing man and definitely one of my heroes ;-) He could read me like a book and was very kind and understanding and when I had problems he was very quick to try and sort them out

I'm sorry you have problems with endoscopes, in my opinion after having many of them, the surgeons are better at them than the GIs.