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Nissen fundicplication and life
After hearing from 50 posters about their stomachs, I thought I would share my digestive story.
I am a 57 year old woman and have lived with "indigestion" my whole life. Stress is a great trigger which can start all the problems rolling. But my stomach even controls my blood pressure!
In 2002, I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and Barrett's Esophagus. I was told that if I did not have a Nissen fundiplication, I would be die of esophageal cancer within 5 years-I was 47. So this is my 10 year report and I plan on living at least 25 more.
After the Nissen surgery in 2002, in recovery, I thought they had broken my shoulder. That is where my "stuck" gas continues to go 10 years later. The surgery did not eliminate the need to take any medicines. I took Nexium twice a day for 9 years after the surgery. Then it quit having any effect. I take Dexilant (Kapidex) now and will have to take medicine for life. I also take Zantac before dinner. When I have a really bad spell, I add Carafate liquid to the meds.
In 2006 I had vocal cord polyps removed--the ENT said the GERD/reflux caused them, and the Gastroenterologist said they came from talking...
I've had esophageal mammomaphies and I have esophageal spasams and sometimes cannot swallow the food in my mouth and have to spit it out-or choke. I take Norvasc, blood pressure med to help the spasms. I cannot burp at all but everyone in my family --and friends-- have to put up with my continuous passage of gas. I also have IBS. In 2009-2010, I was hospitalized 3 times for a total of 14 days. But I found the most remarkable gastroenterologist. He has explained to me that I just have to accept that some people have digestive problems all their lives. I would like a miracle, but I'm not likely to get one, so taking care of my stomach leads my life. When I cannot swallow on some days, I eat liquids and use the Carafate. I can't vomit either. No BURPS - No VOMIT - lots of FARTS!!!
I take 2 medicines for high blood pressure (including the Norvasc), but it is amazing how my stomach controls my blood pressure. My digestive tract is connected in the weirdest way: Right before an attack of ischemic colitis or IBS, my blood pressure drops (from normal-high) so low that I faint. My pressure has been 66/30 or 56/35, I pass out (syncope or fainting spells), and then diarrhea starts. When my pressure returns in a few minutes, I usually find myself in a hospital. But then I have pains in my shoulder and sigmoid colon that are so bad. I have fainted twice in supermarkets and ended up in the hospital. I said I had a great gastro doctor and he is the one whom put it all together. Correcting my reflux by redoing my Nissen, would not eliminate any medicine.
Has anyone experienced the blood pressure and reflex connection? If I were to give my two cents to a suffering person like me, I would say don't have the Nissen surgery, it's not worth it. Take care of yourself, watch what you eat, and avoid stress. Your stomach rules your life, accept it and try to stay well. I don't like taking all that medicine but I am convinced after reading many of your posts that my situation is "controlled" and that's all I can ask for. I get an endoscopy every year and am happy to say there is no sign of Barrett's! I also get a colonoscopy every year to be safe. Does anyone have weird blood pressure that is connected to their stomach that way?
This discussion is related to Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication Side Effects.
I am a 57 year old woman and have lived with "indigestion" my whole life. Stress is a great trigger which can start all the problems rolling. But my stomach even controls my blood pressure!
In 2002, I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and Barrett's Esophagus. I was told that if I did not have a Nissen fundiplication, I would be die of esophageal cancer within 5 years-I was 47. So this is my 10 year report and I plan on living at least 25 more.
After the Nissen surgery in 2002, in recovery, I thought they had broken my shoulder. That is where my "stuck" gas continues to go 10 years later. The surgery did not eliminate the need to take any medicines. I took Nexium twice a day for 9 years after the surgery. Then it quit having any effect. I take Dexilant (Kapidex) now and will have to take medicine for life. I also take Zantac before dinner. When I have a really bad spell, I add Carafate liquid to the meds.
In 2006 I had vocal cord polyps removed--the ENT said the GERD/reflux caused them, and the Gastroenterologist said they came from talking...
I've had esophageal mammomaphies and I have esophageal spasams and sometimes cannot swallow the food in my mouth and have to spit it out-or choke. I take Norvasc, blood pressure med to help the spasms. I cannot burp at all but everyone in my family --and friends-- have to put up with my continuous passage of gas. I also have IBS. In 2009-2010, I was hospitalized 3 times for a total of 14 days. But I found the most remarkable gastroenterologist. He has explained to me that I just have to accept that some people have digestive problems all their lives. I would like a miracle, but I'm not likely to get one, so taking care of my stomach leads my life. When I cannot swallow on some days, I eat liquids and use the Carafate. I can't vomit either. No BURPS - No VOMIT - lots of FARTS!!!
I take 2 medicines for high blood pressure (including the Norvasc), but it is amazing how my stomach controls my blood pressure. My digestive tract is connected in the weirdest way: Right before an attack of ischemic colitis or IBS, my blood pressure drops (from normal-high) so low that I faint. My pressure has been 66/30 or 56/35, I pass out (syncope or fainting spells), and then diarrhea starts. When my pressure returns in a few minutes, I usually find myself in a hospital. But then I have pains in my shoulder and sigmoid colon that are so bad. I have fainted twice in supermarkets and ended up in the hospital. I said I had a great gastro doctor and he is the one whom put it all together. Correcting my reflux by redoing my Nissen, would not eliminate any medicine.
Has anyone experienced the blood pressure and reflex connection? If I were to give my two cents to a suffering person like me, I would say don't have the Nissen surgery, it's not worth it. Take care of yourself, watch what you eat, and avoid stress. Your stomach rules your life, accept it and try to stay well. I don't like taking all that medicine but I am convinced after reading many of your posts that my situation is "controlled" and that's all I can ask for. I get an endoscopy every year and am happy to say there is no sign of Barrett's! I also get a colonoscopy every year to be safe. Does anyone have weird blood pressure that is connected to their stomach that way?
This discussion is related to Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication Side Effects.
Great answer "Flycaster"!
I would also suggest that you should consentrate on finding the cause for your hypotention and POTS does fit and it can be a dysrythmia coming from the electrical nodes from your heart and not GERD related.
Prior to my GERD symptoms and diagnoses I had SVT treated with Cardiac Ablation and had 2 open-heart surgeries for sick mitral valve. Sometimes Doc's misdiagnose the symptoms as being heart-related or GERD or vice versa. So you actually need a full Cardio workup and Tilt test, 24hr ECG's, etc. and a 24hr bloodpressure-test can also help diagnose the problem.
I am now 3 months post-op from my Nissen Fundo and I still get occasional shoulder pains from eating and drinking and I now do have IBS symptoms (constipation, passing gas alot) but I have a long segment of Barrets and I am now 36yrs of age, so I am not at all sorry that I had the operation and IBS can be managed with good diet and some herbal-meds.
All the best and please let us know how you are doing.
I would also suggest that you should consentrate on finding the cause for your hypotention and POTS does fit and it can be a dysrythmia coming from the electrical nodes from your heart and not GERD related.
Prior to my GERD symptoms and diagnoses I had SVT treated with Cardiac Ablation and had 2 open-heart surgeries for sick mitral valve. Sometimes Doc's misdiagnose the symptoms as being heart-related or GERD or vice versa. So you actually need a full Cardio workup and Tilt test, 24hr ECG's, etc. and a 24hr bloodpressure-test can also help diagnose the problem.
I am now 3 months post-op from my Nissen Fundo and I still get occasional shoulder pains from eating and drinking and I now do have IBS symptoms (constipation, passing gas alot) but I have a long segment of Barrets and I am now 36yrs of age, so I am not at all sorry that I had the operation and IBS can be managed with good diet and some herbal-meds.
All the best and please let us know how you are doing.
I've also had the Nissen procedure, but mine was quite successful. I can burp, but it's an effort, and it's a small event. Yes, I tend to pass gas more often than I used to, but my Barrett's Esophagus symptoms are arrested, and I haven't had an antacid issue since the surgery.
Your symptoms suggest to me that perhaps your Vegus Nerve was cut during the surgery. I would ask your doctor about that possibility. My daughter fell off a stage in high school while being silly and hurt her spleen. The spleen bled onto the vegus nerve, which transfered the pain to her shoulder. The pain was so intense we took her to the emergency room of the hospital, and that was where we learned her spleen was bleeding, and the spleen was removed.
When I had my Nissen F. procedure, research told me that cutting the Vegus nerve is a possibility, so when I interviewed doctors prior to the surgery, I asked that question of each of them... I can tell you, all of them suggested it could and does happen, but unlikely. I was nervous enough that I wrote in a caveat on the surgical agreement paper that the surgeon would be responsible if the Vegus nerve was cut.
It sounds like you also may need a pacemaker. Feel free to send me a private message as that is a separate subject, not associated with this forum.
Your symptoms suggest to me that perhaps your Vegus Nerve was cut during the surgery. I would ask your doctor about that possibility. My daughter fell off a stage in high school while being silly and hurt her spleen. The spleen bled onto the vegus nerve, which transfered the pain to her shoulder. The pain was so intense we took her to the emergency room of the hospital, and that was where we learned her spleen was bleeding, and the spleen was removed.
When I had my Nissen F. procedure, research told me that cutting the Vegus nerve is a possibility, so when I interviewed doctors prior to the surgery, I asked that question of each of them... I can tell you, all of them suggested it could and does happen, but unlikely. I was nervous enough that I wrote in a caveat on the surgical agreement paper that the surgeon would be responsible if the Vegus nerve was cut.
It sounds like you also may need a pacemaker. Feel free to send me a private message as that is a separate subject, not associated with this forum.
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS, also postural tachycardia syndrome) is a condition of dysautonomia, to be more specific orthostatic intolerance, in which a change from the supine position to an upright position causes an abnormally large increase in heart rate, called tachycardia.
Symptoms
The hallmark symptom of POTS is an increase in heart rate from the supine to upright position of more than 30 beats per minute or to a heart rate greater than 120 beats per minute within 12 minutes of head-up tilt.
This tachycardic response is sometimes accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure and a wide variety of symptoms associated with hypotension. Low blood pressure of any kind may promote the following:
lightheadedness, sometimes called pre-syncope (pre-fainting) dizziness (but not vertigo, which is also called dizziness)
exercise intolerance
extreme fatigue
syncope (fainting)
Excessive thirst (polydipsia)
Chronic or acute hypoperfusion of tissues and organs in the upper parts of the body are thought to cause the following symptoms:
cold extremities
chest pain and discomfort
disorientation
tinnitus
dyspnea
headache
muscle weakness
tremulousness
visual disturbances
Autonomic dysfunction is thought to cause additional gastrointestinal symptoms:
abdominal pain or discomfort
bloating
constipation
diarrhea
nausea
vomiting
Cerebral hypoperfusion, when present, can cause cognitive and emotive difficulties. Symptoms that persist in the supine (recumbent) state are difficult to attribute to "cerebral hypoperfusion"
brain fog
burnout
decreased mental stamina
depression
difficulty finding the right word
impaired concentration
sleep disorders
Inappropriate levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine lead to anxiety-like symptoms:
chills
feelings of fear
flushing
overheating
nervousness
over-stimulation
POTS can be difficult to diagnose. A routine physical examination and standard blood tests will not indicate POTS. A tilt table test is vital to diagnosing POTS, although all symptoms must be considered before a final diagnosis is made. Tests to rule out Addison's Disease, pheochromocytoma, electrolyte imbalance, Lyme Disease, Celiac Disease, and various food allergies are usually performed.[citation needed] A blood test may be performed to verify abnormally high levels of norepinephrine present in some POTS patients.
Between 75 and 80 percent of POTS patients are female and of the menstruating age. Most male patients develop POTS in their early to mid-teens during a growth spurt or following a viral or bacterial infection.
Hi thank u for sharing ur experience, but not everyone has had a negative one with this surgery....
It could well be u have other issues going on in addition and I pray u find some relief.
And I hope those with a positive experience will post to u offering some suggestions.
I pray u find answers and relief.
?- have u been tested for a condition called POTS?
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