Esophageal hypersensitivity

I have been through the ringer. I had a fundoplication in July 2013 done wrong. I lost 20 pounds and half my hair from malnutrition. I had a redo partial wrap in December 2013 and surgeon found a vagus nerve was cut from first surgery. I recovered after a lengthy ICU stay. I was eating all the foods I never could prior to surgery, but in smaller amounts. I now have gastroparesis and dumping with episodes of hypoglycemia from the incompetent first surgeon. After 9 months, the burning started coming back. Slowly over 4 years, the trigger foods have increased to the point where I can no longer eat fruits except melons and many other foods including even non acid foods like toast and warm water triggers the burning. I am seeing a new GI doctor and he explained I likely have esophageal hypersensitivity. My latest EGD shows zero esophageal inflammation. I'm waiting for ambulatory pH study results to confirm this (reading expected in 2 weeks). He started me on Elavil. I started with 10 mg one week ago and adjusted well to the medication. Does anyone have any experience with this medication in reducing the burning associated with trigger foods? I am hoping for a miracle so that I can eat some more foods. My diet is so limited and keeps fading.

Thank you, Sharon. I need hope. I'm glad to hear some are having success.

My new GI thinks I've had the esophageal hypersensitivity all along. The vagus nerve injury slowed down stomach emptying. So the surgery was likely not needed in the first place and just gave me side effects and and the injury resulting in gastroparesis. I started Elavil two weeks ago and I'm hoping for positive results. It's frustrating after all these years. Have you been offered any treatment?

Do you still have some vagus nerve function? I would not recommend the prokinetics. I had one dose of Reglan and it made me feel jittery and horrible. The long term side effects can result in permanent tremors. I deal with the gastroparesis by eating small amounts and just feeling crappy most of the time. I also developed late dumping symptom from the injury. That means sometimes large amounts of food dump into my small intestine and the pancreas reacts by releasing large amounts of insulin and my blood sugar drops fast resulting in shakiness and lightheadedness. I am so limited with food the only thing I can take to bring back the sugar up fast is glucose tablets or table sugar. Its a living nightmare. I wish I never had that surgery.

What kind of virus did you have that injured the vagus nerve? Why do you have chronic shortness of breath?