Posted , 5 users are following.
I've officially been diagnosed with achalasia as of last Friday. Dr gave me nitroglycerin and procardia and they do nothing except make me jittery and sick. Going to the GI tomorrow to beg for balloon dilation.
Wish me luck
0 likes, 7 replies
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ed95295 danielle59076
Posted
Good Luck. Ask for Dicyclomine (spelling?) for spasm it helps a lot and kept me out of the ER. I highly recommend surgery sooner rather than later as delaying it can stretch your esophagus causing other problems. I had the Heller myotomy with partial fundiplication in October and I don't have any problems with reflux, do not need to take blockers, tums, etc. And best of all I've gained 10 lbs and have managed to eat small portions of steak.
Good luck.
AlanJM danielle59076
Posted
Have a quick look at 'A Patient's Guide to Achalasia' before you go. You can download it from the website of the Oesophageal Patients Association under the oesophagus and Achalasia.
?Dilatation can be helpful, but the benefits might be temporary.
?Some of what you suffer might deoend on whether you have spasms or not.
neil32387 danielle59076
Posted
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jamie62411 danielle59076
Posted
Hi I also have Achalasia with cardio spasms. My best advice is to get into a group that can help you understand your disease. Doctors don't understand slot about it because it's so rare and we have no cure. Be careful about letting the docs stretch your E it just doesn't work. The only treatment is POEM or HM surgery. And that is not a cure.. I hope that I can help in some way and I am one FB. Ballon dialation may help short term but may also stretch E out more. There is a book that a friend of mine wrote as he has had his E removed. It has helped many of us understand what happens with our body. Also he talks about diet. Take care Jamie
danielle59076
Posted
Thanks for all the input. I'm in the waiting room now actually. Fortunately my Dr seems to have a very clear understanding of achalasia he mentioned it on my very first visit. My good friend is an ER Dr and she said immediately it sounded like achalasia so I have a decent support team thus far.
I'm not ready for the surgery and I want to see what dilation will do first. I don't intend it to be my long term treatment. I did just start a new job a month a half ago and I am already missing so much in the training process that I just want some quick normalcy and then make a plan for the long term somewhere down the road.
jamie62411 danielle59076
Posted
I agree 100% There are varying degrees of A and surgery will never fix us. I haven't had surgery either so I know where you are mentally. It took me a year to get to where I could swallow food. And that's without any Botox or other suggestions. Good luck and if you need anything let me knpw. I have several friends across the ocean with A. Take care,
Jamie
jamie62411
Posted
Oh I forgot to mention that the acidity that we deal with is hard on our teetj. It is ruining mine😔