Am i a candidate for Nissan surgery

[Mum007]

I have had prolonged chest pain for over five years. It feels like I am having a heart attack sometimes. I get extremely tired I have a hoarse voice and only occasional reflux. I had an endoscopy five years ago and was told I had a small hiatal hernia. I recently had another endoscopy and was told I had some gastritis and a rolling hiatal hernia. I have tried taking PPIs and Gaviscon etc Which don’t seem to help at all but in any case I can’t really take them as I suffer from restless legs syndrome and acid blockers just make my legs go Bazerk. I find that red wine in particular and alcohol, chocolate i.e. cacoa, fatty foods and tomatoes make chest pain much worse. The odd thing is that these particular foods give me chest pain around 36 hours after I have consumed them not straight after the meal and it can then last for days. Can anyone explain this. I am a 56-year-old female, slightly underweight as I don’t seem to be able to put weight on and I am fit and healthy apart from GERD. I don’t eat gluten and dairy in general as I am intolerant to these. My Dr doesn’t seem interested and says I will just have to learn to live with it or have the operation which is not to be taken lightly. Has anyone else suffered mainly from chest pains and had a successful operation.

[Ruqys]

Me too has loose sphincter and chronic Gerd with oesophagitis grade B. Doctor advised Antireflex Mucosectomy. I take ppi 40 mg which keeps me symptom free. Yes ppi has made my all joints or I can say muscles weak. I am 43. Not decided yet about ARMS, don't know its complications and success. Do share if you get some information about nissen

[Ruqys]

I heard that surgery for GERD is good option but then screening for Ca becomes difficult, do discuss it with your doctor.

[Tizzie05]

Hello I have exactly the same symptoms as you, I mean exactly!! I am bang on ideal weight and can’t put any weight on . about 3-4 years ago I felt chest burning pain but no feeling of regurgitation at all, some days mild some severe, I’ve had 2 endoscopic examinations, ph test, les pressure test . 1st endoscopy said sliding hiatus hernia and all over examinations came back normal or inconclusive, I am considering a Linx procedure, but not sure if they will say symptoms are not serious enough but one day it may be too late. The condition is definitely not taken seriously by my doctors. If they experienced this for a few days they would definitely Chang’s theirs views on reflux, it is not just a little heartburn now and then it can dominate your life !!! Ps tried all prazoles and rinitidine and don’t really do anything!

[Mum007 in reply to Tizzie05]

Do you find that certain foods make it worse but there is a long delay between eating it and feeling the symptoms. Also do your symptoms last for days on end. Let me know if you have any more feedback from doctors specialists etc. are you in the uk. I also suffer from severe tiredness which is not through lack of sleep as I have suffered lack of sleep all my life. Just wondering if this is connected as well. I’m sat here eating my breakfast feeling like my chest is going to cave in.

[Tizzie05 in reply to Mum007]

There is a delay of a day maybe a couple of days. I have been trying to resolve this myself as it came from nowhere 3 years ago and I hope one day it will just go away. I can’t remember what brought it on, Omeprazole worked for a month or so then stopped working as gave other meds. I drink yakult in the morning and at night, decaf tea. When it is really bad I suck a small piece of ginger at first it is strange but then it seems to neutralise the burning.

Rock salt on the tongue helps when it’s really bad, I have just bought milk of magnesia as apparently it helps with muscle spasms and as the LES is a muscle , it’s worth a go. I live in Southampton uk . I worry that the drugs contribute to the problems. I think GORD and GERD are viewed like IBS by the doctors, one doctor suggested anti depressants which I would consider but that seems like a slippery slope to me .

[Mum007]

Maybe that’s when your hiatal hernia appeared.

[Vinter]

I also have GORD and a hiatus hernia. Before my diagnosis in April this year, I was going in and out of hospital like nobody’s business. I had sooo bad chest pains. The doctors thought I had unstable Angina - I was even put on heart meds whilst waiting for all the various heart assessments and was told to use a nitroglycerine Spray under my tongue whenever I felt chest pain (surprise it disnt help...) and if it didnt go away within 15 mins to go to A&E. All heart assessments came back clear and then they started to look at gastro related issues. Endoscopy confirmed diagnosis.

I am on 40mg Omeprazole but this alone doesnt help completely. I also don’t eat or drink 3 hrs before bedtime and have raised the top of my bed about 15cm. As you say the diet plays a huge role. I have been following the “Acid Watchers Diet” book’s “healing phase” and also done a Fodmap elimination period before that. I avoid:

Coffee, tea (except camomille and rooibos), chocolate, alcohol, wheat, dairy milk (but some hard cheese and butter ok), citrus fruits, fizzy drinks, fruit juices, all oils except olive oil, fried or spicy food, uncooked onion or garlic, apples, strawberries (unless mixed with for example almond milk) - and lots of various fruit and veg that I cannot have.

It is daunting but through this steict diet I feel so much better. I hope that in a few months time, I will be able to have a piece of chocolate or coffee again (but never like before).

(apologies post got a bit long...)

[Mum007]

Much the same Diet as me then. Is life worth living. Who knew that one tiny piece of chocolate could cause so much pain Makes it pretty hard for me to put on weight with all the exclusions. My main problem is working out what causes the chest pain as it usually appears around 36 to 42 hours after consumption.