infection in throat? after Nissen Fundoplication

Linda Sue,
Just came back from the thyroid doctor everything is ok. I'm fighting an infection in my throat. My internal
doctor said it's not strep, or mono. 4 days on antibiotic the throat culture came back negative.
I'm scheduled for another EGD on Monday October 19th.

about a month ago my internal doctor thought I had diverticulitis, I was on two rounds of antibiotics.
My GI doctor said no i'ts not diverticulitis, so now the new GI Doctor will look on Monday the 19th.
I seen a new ENT he said nothing wrong. Does someone have any idea what to do since I have
stump 4 GI, 3 Ent, 3 lung doctors. I have an infection but no one ones what to do? Help if you have
any suggestions.

Sunshine(Humpty Dumpty)

.... and the 'crap' goes on! I'm sorry to hear about your ongoing challenges, SUNSHINE, I too am at the end of my rope. I'm 15 weeks-post op (LNF), and sicker than i've ever been.

I must now start over to find out why I am having so much debilitating esophageal pain. Hell, I'm still recovering from a surgery that seems to have done NOTHING to alleviate my problems.

I am scheduled for manometry and pH esophageal study on Mon. Oct. 19th. Tests were ordered by a new gastro doctor. She will also do an endoscopy. The earliest follow-up appt. I could get with her is Nov. 11th!!! I will be calling multiple times during the weeks following my tests to see if I can get in sooner. This is NO LIFE! I'm in misery every day. I won't be posting a recovery journal anytime soon, or until I find out what is going on.

Ever since i started trusting doctors for my health care, I've just gone downhill! If just ONE OF THEM could feel the pain I have for just ONE HOUR, they would be racing to the ER begging for PAIN RELIEF!!!!!!!!!!

Wishing you well, SUNSHINE. I am still on a mostly soft diet and am careful about how much I eat. Still can't handle anything that was an issue before surgery, like so many others were able to do by this time in their recovery.

I hope you get some positive answers and that your problems will be over soon.

My biggest issue is pain control. It takes a miracle to get narcotic pain relievers but that's the only one that takes the edge of my pain so that I can function. I have been able to get these pain meds from my 'inner circle' and it's a life saver.

I have an appt. with my primary care doctor next week and will beg for narcotics until I can get this pain under control and that won't happen until my gastro doctor reviews my manometry and pH study I'm having on Oct. 19th, and she also wants an endoscopy so I don't know when that will happen. I didn't know that gastroenterologists are not certified to prescribe narcotics!

They are so afraid you will get 'hooked' on narcotics. Hell, I never need them before the surgery and I certainly would NOT take them if I wasn't in excruciating pain. Duh!!

Sorry to spout off but this is the only place where everyone understands fully what real pain is.

Best to you, SUNSHINE!

Yes, Andy 1986, I will be looking into this.

Oh one other thing I read about, I know you said you had reactions to antidepressants, have you tried different types or just tricyclics? There is an SNRI called Cymbalta which is used for chronic pain, sometimes people that have a reaction to one type of antidepressant are OK on another type.

Andy 1986,
My symptoms are identical to BEFORE surgery, only many times worse, as I abruptly stopped Nexium the day of surgery. I don’t want to ‘try’ yet another medication that ‘takes time to get into your system’. I am in agony every day without narcotics.

If sure feels like I have full-blown, uncontrolled Acid Reflux!!!!!

I have manometry and esophageal pH study on Monday and appt. with my primary care doctor on Wednesday and I will beg for narcotics to get me through all the waiting needed to get tests back to gastro doctor (Nov. 11th is the first appt. I could get), and THEN I still have to have an endoscopy. I will ask her about Cymbalta, but that’s also an anti-depressant and I have taken at least 3 some years back that made me very depressed. Hell, I’m ALREADY DEPRESSED! On a positive note, I have an appointment with Michigan Medical Marijuana clinic on Oct. 23rd for consultation and will be taking all of my medical records. This clinic is just 10 minutes from home.

I HATE TAKING NARCOTICS and so many have gotten relief from medical marijuana and I am getting as many reinforcements in place as I can until I find out what did or did NOT happen with my LNF surgery. Thanks, Andy, for your input; it’s always appreciated.

SUNSHINE, What is a ‘GI cocktail’? I will try hot/cold, but cold didn’t do much for me and I would have to walk around with heat/cold every waking moment. Currently, only a 10mg Norco allows me to function for about 4 hours and takes the sharp edge off my pain.

I can’t stoop easily because of knee issues but bending is something that I avoided for 8 weeks after surgery and then I was given the go-ahead to return to work. Bending multiple times during my work day is necessary and I do the best I can, but must work for income. I've missed so much work already!

Wishing you the best with your EGD! God help us ALL!!!!

Thanks, jenegade,
I was also wondering about 'acid rebound', but how can it keep getting worse? I've been TOTALLY OFF Nexium since June 30th, going on 4 MONTHS! Not that the Nexium was that great because it wasn't. I still had chest pain all the time but it was nothing close to what I am now experiencing.

I will ask my doctor about SNRI, but I will need something to manage pain so that I can function. I can't wait WEEKS for something to 'try' and it takes TIME to kick in! That's what I got from the Pain Clinic! These people are 'trying me' on this and that and it's NOT WORKING!

Even a 10mg Norco only takes the edge off the pain for 3 hours before it starts amping up again. I know I am particularly high-strung right now dreading those tests on Monday. The best part is that these tests will be given by the same male RN that did my esophageal pH test last April and he is kind, gentle and very good with comforting and relaxing his patient. Wish me luck!

Linda Sue

A GI cocktail is for the swallow of food. it's a liquid antacid with ladacaid.
Have your doctor test you for hypercontractual esophagus. It happens when you do the water swallow test. I have swallowing pressure at 80000. I'ts also call nut cracker. I hope the doctor didn't hit
your vegas nerve. My doctors rulled that out on me terrible pain in throat then it moves to
the middle of my chest. I will let you know what they find on Monday.
I still can't figure out with my bowels this time they are causing terrible pain.
Be careful with the antidepressiant meds they cause terrible side affects.
We is the pain you are having? The ice helps with pain it numbs the area till you recover. Heat also helps with pain. Be careful I was told to much narco's stop the bowels.
I hope you get answers soon.

Thank you Sweetie UK & SUNSHINE,

Sweetie UK: I know how well you’ve done after your Toupet and I’m very happy for you! I am open minded more than ever to alternative healing as I’ve mostly lost any faith and trust in ‘mainstream medicine’ after 7 LONG years of suffering. Ever since I began seeing doctors for ever worsening Acid Reflux, my health has continued on a downward spiral. Acupuncture is something I will also look into, as I know it can be helpful, as well. I will ask about hypercontractual esophagus when I have my tests Monday.

I am already looking into alternative and holistic healing as one of my sisters is well-connected in that area and is living proof that it can work. MIND CAN HELP HEAL BODY! I also have an appointment Friday, Oct. 23rd at a medical marijuana clinic to get certified to use it. I don’t know how long THAT will take as the State has involvement and we all know how long it takes
‘government’ to get things done.

My tests, on Monday, were ordered by my new gastro doctor to see if acid is getting up into my throat. Sure feels like it is. Then, after I meet with gastro doctor to go over those tests, I will be scheduled for an endoscopy so she can see the condition of my esophagus and wrap. Yes, I did have a FULL wrap done. SUNSHINE, I isn’t the manometry test for testing swallowing pressure in the esophagus? I also recently had a barium swallow. I do not have any problems swallowing but my throat gets tired and irritated easily. Just TALKING causes me discomfort for hours after a conversation.


I have no problem with bowel activity as I have been drinking 3 oz. of Prune Juice morning and evening since surgery. Even with all these narcotics, prune juice works like a CHARM, plus it’s healthy as I buy the ‘no sugar added’ and it is delicious.

THEN, I have an appt. with my primary care doctor on Wednesday and I will see if she can prescribe something for pain that might work better than Norco (Hydrocodone). I hate taking all this crap and will be researching a more natural way to heal, now that I’ve had the LNF surgery. I brought up the ‘vagus nerve’ to my surgeon AND the gasto doctor and they just blew it off!

SUNSHINE, I will be thinking about you Monday as we both have tests we will be glad to be done with!

SWEETIE UK, keep up the good healing! You’re now 7 months post-surgery and doing great as you’ve kept me updated!

Linda

They did another biopsie of my throat, now I know where the strange white stuff is coming
from. I see an ent on Friday the GI can't help.
Best of luck to you I will let you know when I know more.
Sunshine that is fading

Sorry you're having a tough time, could you have glandular fever? I had that a few years ago, my throat was very painful and covered in white stuff. Not much they can do though other than give pain killers and wait for your body to fight it off

How are you both doing?

Linda, could your pain be from esophageal spasms perhaps? Have u tried an antispasmodic like baclofen?

Keep us updated with what they find on Tuesday. You must be glad to be getting some movement in the right direction to finding the cause though! You and sunshine are both in my thoughts, I hope you can get some relief very soon!