Re: a question about swallowing air

[Guest guest]

Yes and yes.

In my first Heller the LES was not completely cut, so I had a second

one. Nevertheless I have the air problem with the unpleasant pressure.

For me jogging makes the situation better. It seems that it brings the

air up.

>

> Here's a little question for those of you who have had a myotomy:

> I had my myotomy in late January of this year and just recently

I've begun

> to get large quantities of air in my stomach and somehow even more

pockets

> of air in my lower esophagus, just hovering there, causing lots of

pressure.

> It's weird. It doesn't hurt, it is just awkward and a little bit

uncomfortable.

> Anybody?

>

> Thanks, Deborah

>

> P.S. Oh, and I am having blockages again, towards the LES. And some

> liquids are starting to come up my throat. Anybody else have this

problem

> after having a Heller's?

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Deborah,

I had the myotomy in December and I have only had 1 episode so far

of feeling like something was stuck. I just sat for a bit, drank

some fluids and it went down ok. A couple of times some liquid had

backed up a bit but not bad. I blame it on eating too fast which

for others would still be dead slow but too fast for me. As for the

air, I seem to be collecting lots of it but it is passing through

way further down the digestive tract, if you know what I mean.

Maybe I can blame retained air for my expanding stomach.

Liz

Cambridge, Ontario

>

> Here's a little question for those of you who have had a myotomy:

> I had my myotomy in late January of this year and just recently

I've begun

> to get large quantities of air in my stomach and somehow even

more pockets

> of air in my lower esophagus, just hovering there, causing lots

of pressure.

> It's weird. It doesn't hurt, it is just awkward and a little

bit uncomfortable.

> Anybody?

>

> Thanks, Deborah

>

> P.S. Oh, and I am having blockages again, towards the LES. And

some

> liquids are starting to come up my throat. Anybody else have

this problem

> after having a Heller's?

>

[Guest guest]

Oh, and I am having blockages again, towards the LES. And some

> liquids are starting to come up my throat. Anybody else have this

problem

> after having a Heller's?

Hey Deborah - I'm not sure about the air, I do have to burp alot when I

eat, it helps everything go down. You have to figure that when we have

no peristalsis left, there's nothing to push the air down that we

swallow, so it too can just sit.

As far as the blockages, do they go down OK with fluids? Again, your

LES may be open but you need gravity and fluids to push down your foods.

It's kind of touchy to comment on because even 17 years post-op I still

have some trouble sometimes and I ALWAYS drink water/fluids to push my

food down but, that being said, if it's all the time or really painful

or drinking doesnt' help - then you may need to get checked. It hasn't

been that long so you are still really figuring out your 'new normal'.

The first year or so is probably going to be a lot of trial and error.

You are going to have to discover which foods work for you and which

ones don't and get used to the new rythm of your swallowing. Does that

make sense?

I so wish that doctors would let everyone know pre-op a little more of

what to expect.

Hope that helps.

Happy Swallowing!

- in Va.