Hypersensitive Esophagus

I forgot to mention that my Dr said I should take Gaviscon after every meal as a "prophylaxis". Why?!
I also take Digestive enzymes, probiotics, vitamins and occasionally DGL

Is there any chance that the symptoms of my illness might diminish over a period of time
or become something that I find easier to live with?
Could it get worse?

Thanks to you all
and wishing you strength and comfort,
HopefulMimi

Hi mimi. Welcome to the forum. Sorry we're not doctors. I hope some of our experiences will help you.

I don't know how the LES could be open and then shut by itself. Did they say anything about a hiatal hernia?

No, GERD doesn't go away by itself. It can get much worse.

You mentioned having an episode with wine, also episodes getting worse from time to time. Have you noticed episodes only after meals, even if it's two hours after a meal?

I diagnosed my sensitive esophagus when I drank some of my homemade wine that I had sulfited. I had been having refluxing after certain meals for a long time. I went to an allergist with my symptoms and she had me start keeping a food journal.

You can find many posts about keeping a food journal by putting keywords in the search box at the top of the page.

One thing I would do is stop the DGL and the Gaviscon, for a while at least. They have sulfites, and if that is your sensitivity, like mine is, they could mess up your journal results.

I tried acupuncture and it made pain worse. Exercise is good as long as it's not intense. A nice long walk or swim is good. I would definitely not lift weights.

I had a bad LES, so I needed to take Nexium, but I got my reflux "episodes" to stop when I learned which foods I had to avoid because of my sensitivity. My sensitivity triggered tachycardia in addition to nausea and refluxing. My GI doctor never did believe that I "cured" myself of those things. I still had a bad LES, so I needed Nexium, but I got rid of the worst symptoms.

Keeping a food journal takes a couple of months at least, but it's free and easy. I still keep a nice notebook on the kitchen counter where it's convenient to write down everything I eat, my meds, etc. I read ingredients and avoid processed food.

Has anyone with a hypersensitive oesophagus/esophagus experienced an improvement in symptoms,
apart from with the use of medications?
I'm finding it hard to accept that this is how I am going to feel from now on, but maybe fighting it isn't going to help and acceptance would be a step to feeling a little bit better…
Thoughts?

@theacidrefluxman,

Thank you so much for your encouraging words.
I'm so glad that you are finally experiencing an improvement after such a long struggle.
I'm going to work with a hypnotist (who helped me stop smoking 10 years ago and works a lot in hospitals with pain relief) in a week or so. She says that I cannot do CBT at the same time, as they are opposing approaches, but I would be interested to try it at some point in the future.
I will post back on how the hypnotism goes.

Do/did you take any medication for the hypersensitivity?
Was your pH test and impedance all normal?
I have only experienced reflux once (in July), so I am very lucky, but the chronic symptoms 24hr
are wearing me down. I am not the optimistic, cheerful, strong person that I used to be.

The stress that brought all this on, is all still very much present in my life, so maybe that doesn't help either. I'm trying to keep all the problems in separate boxes and only open them one at a time…

The kids (11&13) are being incredible, but this is all putting a strain on them.

I think the amitriptyline (now on 20mg) is perhaps finally helping, after 4 weeks.
Last night I only woke once between midnight and 7am. My nausea seems a bit less too.
I am feeling marginally less depressed and have started working again (I'm freelance).
The pain in the sternum area is dulled but still gets worse in the afternoon.
I take the Ami at about 7pm, so maybe it wears off the following afternoon.

I read your description of sternum pain and it seems to match mine a bit:
Constant dull pressure, discomfort, malaise, not related to what I eat or drink, although chewing gum the other day made it more sore. No heartburn (only felt once v badly in July)
Discomfort after eating and sometimes a sensation of regurgitation, or a "stickiness" in the throat.

I had normal pH and impedance off PPI's. They said that I have slow gastric emptying,
but the doctor said that he thought I did not need a gastric emptying test.
He did say I should have an abdominal CAT scan to exclude anything else, but the NHS doctor here in Italy won't send me for one.

I wrote to a doctor in America, who had written that desensitisation of the oesophagus is sometimes possible (the only reference I found) and he wrote back the following:

" I have weaned neuromodulators off in many instances where adequate desensitization was achieved. However, not everyone gets to this stage.
If your doctors noted reflux as a mechanism for hypersensitivity, hopefully you are taking an acid suppressive medication. I would also contend that a 10 mg dose of amitriptyline is too small. I typically start at 25 mg, and go up in 25mg increments every 3-4 weeks up to 100 mg until symptom improvement is achieved, or till there are limiting side effects. Other agents that have benefit could include venlafaxine, gabapentin, duloxetine."

This gives me some hope.
I am considering going up to 30mg of amitriptyline, but I am a little bit worried about side-effects.
I know it slows gastric emptying and can cause constipation amongst other things.

The hypnotist said that I had to write an account of what led up to the moment I got this "illness",
before she could treat me. It is a painful task, as the last year or two have been very sad and stressful,
but I will do as she says and let you know how the hypnotism goes.

I've read you have a little boy. Having children is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Or vica versa of course - the symptoms create terrible anxiety and in my case depression too...

Hi Noelle3,
Yes I had terrible dry mouth for the first few weeks, especially at night. I would drink more than a litre of water during the night, but not need to pee (ami is also used to stop children bedwetting - seems a bit extreme!) I also couldn't go out of the house without a bottle of water. Now it's a lot better. I've been taking the Amitriptyline for nearly a month (20mg over the last week) and I only drink a small bottle of water in the night. I'm going to give it two months to see how it goes and maybe go up to 30mg. Getting up in the morning is a lot easier now too :)
What symptoms do you have with your hypersensitivity? How did it start?
Take care, Hopefulmimi

Hi Hopefulmimi,
Thanks for that helpful reply. It's good to know that the dry mouth improved after the first two weeks.

I get sore dry throat, burning dry tongue and really dry mouth at night. Also get sinus problems at night and early morning. These symptoms are made worse by certain foods.

I had normal PH and manometry test and although I have slightly excessive acid reflux events, I have a normal Demeester score. The GI said he thought there was some sensitivity.

Post Edited (Noelle3) : 1/18/2015 12:15:01 PM (GMT-7)

I am trying to learn to deal with stress and anxiety and have started meditation, following John Kabat Zinn. It's worth looking into if you don't know it already. He has many techniques and thoughts to reduce chronic stress and pain. MBSR, mindfulness based stress reduction. There is a free online course called Palouse. Now to find the discipline and time to follow it :)

I have had a constant dull ache in the upper middle to right side of my chest since November 2014 so going on 3 months my I had and upper scope done they said I had stage B erosive esphogus, hiatal hetnia and acid reflux and also they stretched my esphogus because of a stricter. But all your symptoms are like mine. I had a stress test done last week and it was negative and chest xrays and a full ultrasound on my abdomen. Its such a lifestyle change for me. I just want to be normal again. I take 40 mg of nexium and my Dr gave me carafate yesterday and I tried it today. But still the dull achy pain but sh also gave me atarax for anxiety. I'm gonna try it. I hope me and you both get some relief soon

Thanks im just confused of why they think this chest pain is from my esphogus. I think I'm gonna call my GI doctor back next week and schedule another appointment. Something's gotta give. I'm sad I wake up thinking I'm dying. I've convinced myself they have missed something. I was reading in this forum that the replies say anxiety and depression are part of this disease and that's what it is. I hate feeling anxious and having this dull pain constantly from my esphogus. I'm so glad I can read that other people feel the same way it helps.

Hi @riath,
I have just seen a consultatant who said that the esophagus pain is entirely caused by stress; the cells in the esophagus separate, making more space between them and the esophagus becomes sensitized. He said that my levels of anxiety and stress were very high and sent me to a psychiatrist. Now I am taking sertraline (50mg) for anxiety and amitriptyline (30mg) for the nerve pain.
Both doctors seemed convinced that the esophagus can heal with time. It seems to be working. I have been told to start Cognitive behavioural Hypnotism. I will post when I have started it.
Take care, Mimi