Re: Newly diagnosed from Australia.

October 3, 2011

Hi

I took 3 years and four GI doctors to get analyzed at 77, then found this site.

Because of my age have held off on an operation. Now have found out how to

handle it, magnesium 250mg twice a day , a lot of butter, the fat opens the LES

and makes it relax and a real can of COKE as the CO2 also opens the LES and a

lot of Ensure plus. Also beans, the small white bean I add a bit of water and

some butter. Now I can have a good BM.

And activity and gravity makes it go down. I was on Nexium 40 mg for years, it

didnt help and made my stomach alkaline. When I got rid of it my stomach now

works properly. I lost 35 lbs but now have gained back 10.

Also if on items like Nexium if you are over 50 and have been on it for 5 years,

dont fall, you might break a hip, medical report.

Glad you found this site!

Ray Calif OC 81 old as dirt, but very active.

>

> Hi there, I am a 50 year old female from Australia who has been on a

merry-go-round of reflux drugs for 6 years.

> I stayed on 40mg because the 20mgs never worked (although the docs said they

should). Everytime it got worse I would switch medication.

> 2 years ago when it got really bad they found gallstones and took my

gallbladder out. That didn't fix the pain and it continued.

> I was scheduled for an op to fix my 'reflux' on Oct 5, when my surgeon

actually listened to me about my difficuly swallowing and ordered some more

tests. Finally, on my 25th wedding anniversary last week, Achlasia was

diagnosed. I am angry that for 6 years, none of my doctors listened to me and

my symptoms. This should have been detected at least 2 years ago.

> Next week I go back to a different surgeon to book a date for my new op (prob

mid Nov). I am trying to read as much information as I can before the

operation.

> It's nice to find a place where people understand this rare condition.

>

October 3, 2011

hello lindsay and welcome to the group.

I wanted to tell you that this is the best site for all your questions. You will

find that many people do many things to help their symptoms that may or may not

work for you but it sure beats not knowing anything. I was diagnosed after a

little over a year and a half at the age of 23. I was just diagnosed in July and

had surgery (Heller Myotomy) in August. I spent the entire year and a half

eating green beans and potato bread. I cant stand the site of them now. But im

telling you this is the site you want to be at and i am sure that people on here

know of doctors in Australia that can further help you and understand it

properly.

Good luck

in philly, pa

________________________________

From: lindsaykite <lindsaykite@...>

achalasia

Sent: Monday, October 3, 2011 9:05 PM

Subject: Newly diagnosed from Australia.

Â

Hi there, I am a 50 year old female from Australia who has been on a

merry-go-round of reflux drugs for 6 years.

I stayed on 40mg because the 20mgs never worked (although the docs said they

should). Everytime it got worse I would switch medication.

2 years ago when it got really bad they found gallstones and took my gallbladder

out. That didn't fix the pain and it continued.

I was scheduled for an op to fix my 'reflux' on Oct 5, when my surgeon actually

listened to me about my difficuly swallowing and ordered some more tests.

Finally, on my 25th wedding anniversary last week, Achlasia was diagnosed. I am

angry that for 6 years, none of my doctors listened to me and my symptoms. This

should have been detected at least 2 years ago.

Next week I go back to a different surgeon to book a date for my new op (prob

mid Nov). I am trying to read as much information as I can before the operation.

It's nice to find a place where people understand this rare condition.

October 4, 2011

If the doctors don't know what causes A, but most start with reflux, then

wouldn't they think that the reflux might be actually causing it?

Just my opinion. Perhaps over time it might become more common as more people

seem to get reflux these days.

Perhaps one day, a doctor might even look into the cause.

(Aust)

>

> hello lindsay and welcome to the group.

> I wanted to tell you that this is the best site for all your questions. You

will find that many people do many things to help their symptoms that may or may

not work for you but it sure beats not knowing anything. I was diagnosed after a

little over a year and a half at the age of 23. I was just diagnosed in July and

had surgery (Heller Myotomy) in August. I spent the entire year and a half

eating green beans and potato bread. I cant stand the site of them now. But im

telling you this is the site you want to be at and i am sure that people on here

know of doctors in Australia that can further help you and understand it

properly.

> Good luck

> in philly, pa

>

> ________________________________

> From: lindsaykite <lindsaykite@...>

> achalasia

> Sent: Monday, October 3, 2011 9:05 PM

> Subject: Newly diagnosed from Australia.

>

> Â

> Hi there, I am a 50 year old female from Australia who has been on a

merry-go-round of reflux drugs for 6 years.

> I stayed on 40mg because the 20mgs never worked (although the docs said they

should). Everytime it got worse I would switch medication.

> 2 years ago when it got really bad they found gallstones and took my

gallbladder out. That didn't fix the pain and it continued.

> I was scheduled for an op to fix my 'reflux' on Oct 5, when my surgeon

actually listened to me about my difficuly swallowing and ordered some more

tests. Finally, on my 25th wedding anniversary last week, Achlasia was

diagnosed. I am angry that for 6 years, none of my doctors listened to me and my

symptoms. This should have been detected at least 2 years ago.

> Next week I go back to a different surgeon to book a date for my new op (prob

mid Nov). I am trying to read as much information as I can before the operation.

> It's nice to find a place where people understand this rare condition.

>

October 4, 2011

Hi ,

Â

I understand and feel your frustration in dealing with this strange disorder

(aka " disease " ). Having lived with it for nearly 30 years, I have become more

accepting to the fact that there is no known cause and perhaps in my lifetime it

may never be found. Some think it might be caused by stress, but still nobody

knows the mechanism for the stress to have led to achalasia. After all, there

are millions of people with experiencing tons of stress, yet only a relative few

have achalasia.

Â

The same might be thought for reflux (that you made reference to). There are

tens millions of GERD sufferers in the U.S. but only a few with achalasia.Â

Seems hard to think that reflux would be the trigger for achalasia. In fact, I

wonder how many of us who have been initially told that we were suffering from

reflux might have actually been experiencing something else.

Â

You should be aware that in the U.S. (probably Europe too) there are doctors and

scientists looking into the cause of achalasia, but you would be correct in

saying that with so many dollars being tossed in the direction of the more

lucrative markets (cancer, heart, diabetes, etc), it is unlikely that a

cause/cure will be found, except maybe by accident.

Â

In Australia, if you look back 5-7 years ago, you will see that at one time

Adelaide was the Achalasia capital of your country, and on a per capita basis,

maybe of the world.Â You might find the best doctors there, certainly the most

experienced.

Â

Good luck,

Â

From: lindsaykite <lindsaykite@...>

Subject: Re: Newly diagnosed from Australia.

achalasia

Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 7:13 PM