Dreaded sunday

Good luck with your appointment.  I hope the surgeon can shed some light on all of this. Like you, I'd reached my limit when I had my Nissen 4+ years ago.  In my case, it was uncontrollable asthma caused by much less reflux than you're having. Bile or acid both do a number of lungs/esophagus, and all points North of the stomach.  My breathing was dangerously bad, and my PCP fought long and hard with my GI doc, finally referring me to a surgeon himself.  At that point, I revisited the GI with the new testing info in hand (as well as the obvious statement from my PCP--"If you're not going to do anything to help her, I will!")

I went into the Nissen as worried as anyone.  I'm an internet gal, and had researched enough to read about all the horrible symptoms and people warning me off of having the surgery.  I knew that my atypical symptoms were helped 70-80% of the time, and didn't know if I would be in that group.  Still, I was at the end of my rope, and had to rule out GERD as the cause of my horrible lung condition.

Within two and a half months my horrible lungs/lung infection was cured, and I finally had healthy lungs for the first time in at least 6 years. 

After four years here, listening to people who are panicked over post-op symptoms, I've come to believe that most of those symptoms that I'd read on the internet (and had kept me from having a Nissen much, much sooner, and avoiding long-term damage) are simply normal recovery issues that weren't explained by surgeon or forum.  So many people come here afraid that the symptoms they're suffering at two months will be with the forever.  Of course, there is an occasional botched surgery by a surgeon who doesn't have the experience and skill required to do the job right--or hasn't done the prerequisite testing and has done the surgery on someone who is not helped, or even made worse.  The surgeon I saw said that an important piece of the puzzle is for the surgeon to select the proper patient for the surgery.  It works both ways.

Hang in there.  I know it's hard to wait through all the discomfort and pain.  It's doubly bad with bile reflux, since nothing really helps.  Have you tried Carafate suspension?  I always keep that on hand for my reactive stomach.  It helps me a lot.

Best wishes,

Denise

If you're having symptoms in your esophagus, Carafate suspension works better, because it coats the esophagus as well as the stomach.  The tablet form works well in the stomach, but doesn't coat the esophagus. If you want some relief in the esophagus, put the tablet into a medicine cup, add a little water, and stir it with a toothpick.  Then throw it back, like a shot.  That way, the medication can have a chance to coat the esophagus on the way down.

If you have good prescription insurance, ask your doctor to order the suspension form for you. It's very expensive, though, so you really need the insurance.  If not, then use the tablet in liquid for the closest facsimile.

My PCP of 25 years said that it was very good that I found relief with Carafate, because it's a very safe and benign drug, and most is excreted in the lower GI tract.  It says that a side effect is constipation, but I've used it a lot without any constipation issues.

I hope it helps you!

Good luck,

Denise