Guest guest Posted January 16, 2004 Report Share Posted January 16, 2004 ok, I just read the paperwork the dr gave us. It's actually called gastoesophageal reflux disease (hiatal hernia) So I'm confused. It talks mostly about heartburn, which doesn't have. Am I missing something here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2004 Report Share Posted January 16, 2004 , I was recently diagnosed with GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) as well as a possible peptic ulcer and i don't have normsl heartburn. i was getting pain and tenderness just below my ribcage, and a tender upper belly, acid taste in my mouth a couple of times, nausea etc etc. I was put on Nexium first (but turned out to be allergic to it <typical>) and am now on 150mg Zantac twice a day along with mylanta rolltabs when needed and some mucaine if really bad, but since i have been on the Zantac (after i was on it about 1-2 weeks) i don't nned anything else very often. i can eat most foods (except those acidic foods like juice and tomatoes etc and also spicy food (which i can't eat anyway). Good luck with his upper GI (it can be a x-ray series (this is the barium thing) and later a camera (there is a little capsule camera that they can use too, which you swallow and it takes pictures all the way through (my Celiac sister is having this done soon). I too may be having this done soon :-<. Good Luck and see your instincts that something was wrong and he needed to be seen sooner was RIGHT (don't mess with a Mum's gut instinct about her kids !!!!) at least GERD can be controlled (I too have to sleep with my bedhead raised sometimes (now that the Zantac is working it isn't really necessary most of the time). Good Luck with the diet (he will enjoy getting to eat at school when others can't :->. Sharon Australia H-EDS, GERD and OH so much more....... > ok, I just read the paperwork the dr gave us. It's actually called gastoesophageal reflux disease (hiatal hernia) > So I'm confused. > It talks mostly about heartburn, which doesn't have. > Am I missing something here? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2004 Report Share Posted January 16, 2004 > ok, I just read the paperwork the dr gave us. It's actually called gastoesophageal reflux disease (hiatal hernia) > So I'm confused. > It talks mostly about heartburn, which doesn't have. > Am I missing something here? I am going to reply to both of your posts on this one. Acid Reflux and GERD (gasroesophageal reflux disease) are just two names for the same thing. A hiatal hernia might be involved, but as a possible cause, not the disease itself. You are right, based on all the TV commercials, that the primary symptom of GERD is major heartburn, but it is much more than that. And it is possible to have GERD and not show any signs of heartburn. The cause of the heartburn pain is that the sphincter valve where the esophogus enters the stomach is not working properly, allowing stomach acid to " back-flow " up into the esophogus. It hits worst at night when you are on your back or stomach instead of in an upright position. This is why your doctor prescribed raising the head of the bed, to minimize back-flow during the night. As for the diet issue, the book I checked says " Diets high in fat, whole milk, orange juice, chocolate and tomatoes tend to lower the pressure of the lower esophogeal sphincter, while protein, carbohydrates and nonfat milk increase the pressure. " And pressure is what helps keep the valve working in the right direction. The stomach lining is designed to handle stomach acid (and it is literally a very powerful acid.) The lining of the esophogus is not. Overtime, that stomach acid can literally burn a hole in the esophogus. A sporadic case of heartburn is not a problem. But when it turns into GERD, it is a problem. A hiatal hernia is " an abnormal opening in the diaphragm that allows a portion of the stomach to enter the thoracic cavity. " You can visualize the esophogus as a tube running from the mouth down to the top of the stomach. The diaphragm muscle runs across the body, just above the stomach. The esophogus passes through the diaphragm through a hole called the esophogeal foramen. A hiatal hernia changes the shape of that hole, allowing a piece of the stomach wall to enter the hole and get pinched by the diaphragm muscle. This pinching can cause pain similar to GERD, but it is not the same thing. My experience with hiatal hernias and GERD is that Darlene has or has had both. She had the hernia repaired surgically a few years ago. She still has GERD. She was on Prevacid for a long time but is now taking Nexium. Feel free to contact her direct if you want to talk to her about it. I don't know enough about the actual breathing technique to reliably describe it to someone, but it is my understanding that hiatal hernias can be repaired with a form of deep breathing. It came up as " an interesting side comment " when I took an intro class in Chi Nei Tsang a few months ago. My main reaction at the time was " Fine - why didn't I know about this before she had to go through the surgery? " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2004 Report Share Posted January 17, 2004 In a message dated 1/17/04 12:34:30 AM Eastern Standard Time, monica-jb@... writes: << So, what I want to know is how many of you have this, how do you handle it, and is it EDS related? >> I have it too!!! Hugs, Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2004 Report Share Posted January 17, 2004 I am glad that things went well . There are a few things to think about with regards to the new diet though, your son will look at it as a punishment no doubt for the first little while, and be upset that he can't eat certain foods for a time, but when he sees the difference it makes, there may be no arguement from him anymore. He may become quite adept at self-policing and this may prove to be no problem at all for him once he gets the hang of it all. A barium swallow or " upper GI series " is an x-ray test used to examine the upper digestive tract (the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine). Because these internal organs are normally not visible on x-rays, he will be asked to swallow a liquid that does show up on x-rays (barium - it tastes like flavoured chalk and is the consistency of a milshake). The barium helps make these organs more illuminated on x-ray. The barium will temporarily coat the inside lining of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine, allowing the outline of these organs to be visible on the x-ray pictures. This test is useful for diagnosing ulcers, problems that cause narrowing of the esophagus, hiatus hernia, some causes of inflammation in the intestine, and some swallowing problems. Now. The UGI SBFT study is an acromyn for: Upper Gastrointestinal Study Small Bowel Follow Through. This means that ater the barium has made it to his stomach and into his small intestine, they have to wait and continue to take films until it reached his large intestine as well. This is a long procedure depending upon how his motility is - so be prepared, it could take anywhere from an hour, to 6 hours! I have had this test done and the lab had to close for the day, I wasn't finished. It got held up in my stomach and they never did film it in my large intestine. My test began at 9:00 am. By 6:00 pm, I was still there and it had just started to coat the small intestine. The radiologist said 'ok, we get it, motility disorder' and let me go. lol This is not an invasive test at all, your son will just lie on a table with a flourscope above him - it's a running x-ray, unlike a regular x-ray where it takes films at intervals and one at a time. It's not an incomfortable test. If something requires further investigation, the doctor as some point in the future may wish to look down his throat and into his stomach. This test is known as an Upper Endoscopy and is an inspection of the esophagus and stomach using a camera on a lengthy tube that is placed down the throat. It allows doctors to find ulcers, irritation and infections in the upper digestive tract and is useful for explaining bleeding, swallowing problems, or abdominal pain. The test is only carried out with a sedated patient and most times, the patient wakes up having no recall at all of the test and what happened. I can't imagine the doctor doing this test at this time - he might wish to depending upon the results of the UGI SBFT, the medications and if the modifications to diet at home do not work after two months however. Now, about the paediatrician and his diagnosis of lactose intolerance - depending upon what he heard in terms of symptoms, you have to understand that at the time, this may have been a logical conclusion for him to make. Talk to him about his decision. There are GI issues and EDS, I'll forward the articles I have about them to you. Jill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2004 Report Share Posted January 17, 2004 Hi - I, too, have acid reflux disease. And, yes, it can make me double right over with pain!!! I am on Nexium and it is working very well for me. I take one a day and it keeps it in check. I do try to keep track of what I eat, but I only do this on my own (not something my doc wanted me to do). I hope feels better really soon and that his tests come out fine. Love, Patti Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2004 12:34 AM Subject: Back from the GI Dr. To learn more about EDS, visit our website: http://www.ceda.ca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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