Achalasia and depression

Andy,

That's a tough one to answer.

For me certainly, there was mental strain in getting diagnosed, facing the op, and then coming to terms with living with it.

However, everyone's circumstances are different and each deals with situations differently.

It sounds like you have not had a good time and I can only suggest you talk through this with someone, ideally GP.

It's not about drugs or stigma, it's about working out how YOU deal with YOUR circumstances.

Go for it and good luck.

[b:9e5bba76dd]Hi, I have recently had the baloon dilation and can only say that at the moment it appears to have been successful!. I too suffer with depression because of the Achalasia and it is the only thing that does not seem to have got any better, but I am hoping and that can only be a good sign.

At my worst pre the procedure I was only managing to consume small amounts of liquified food - in the end I just ate and would sometimes visit the loo 8 - 10 times (quite annoying if you are eating out - people tend to think it is the poor restaurant food). The good thing, if there is a good thing, is that I lost all the weight I had put on before the Achalasia really took hold! So for me there was an up side!

I am trying to come to terms with my depression I am on 30 mg of Mirtazapine which I take at night to help me sleep through the night, and it has helped, but it worries me as I found that I used to choke a lot during my sleeping time. But being the ever optimist I hope to get over this. It is difficult with depression to be able to offer advice as on here we do not know the underlying reason for YOUR depression but if it is the Achalasia I can only say that it can be treated and for most it can be successful so do try and take some comfort in this.

Re-visit your Doc and discuss the options for you and believe ME it is not the end of the world, and you can live with it, albeit it is a pain the the backside. Take care and look after the rest of yourself.[/b:9e5bba76dd]

Richard and Paula,

Thank you for your replies. It is good to know that people out there take an interest. On the drepression front I would like to reassure that I have been treated for this and so I am not facing it alone.

The point I was trying to make was whether the reduced quality of life issues associated with the eating difficulties affected people emotionally as well as physically. While the eating problems were not the main reason for my depression, I certainly feel they left me at a low ebb so that other circumstances had a much more profound effect on me.

I AM LETTING THIS ILLNESS GET TO ME ONE REASON I HAD TO STOP TAKING SAROXAT WHICH I WAS TAKING FOR MORE THAN 10 YRS.THIS ACHALASIA IS GONNA BRING ME DOWN BIG TIME IF I AM NOT CAREFUL.ON BAD DAYS I JUST SIT ON THE SETTE AND DRINK ICE WATER AND SICK IN A BUCKET ALL DAY.I WOKE TODAY AND SO FAR ONLY BEEN SICK TWICE.PEOPLE TAKE THERE HEALTH FOR GRANTED PHYSICLY AND MENTALY.I AM WAITING FOR OPERATION I HOPE ITS SOON.I ALSO HOPE I HAVENT BEEN MISDIAGNOSED.I HAD A BRIUM MEAL AND LAST WEEK HAD A TUBE INSERTED IN MY NOSE DOWN TO MY BELLY TOLD TO SWALLOW AND THEY MEASURE THE PRESSURE MY MUSCLES GIVE OUT SO I WAITING TO SEE THE OUT COME OF THAT.I FEEL SORRY FOR ANY BODEY WHO HAS THIS AS IT IS A LIFE CHANGER BIG TIME.GOOD LUCK.DAVID777.HELLERS MYOTOMY.

DAVID777.FEEL FAINT TODAY.WAITING DAY BY DAY FOR A LETTER OFF THE HOSPITAL.I SO MUCH WANT TO GET THIS OVER WITH.THANK GOD I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THIS ACHALASIA AFTER BERIUM MEAL.I HAVE HAD THIS SWALLOWING PROBLEM FOR YEARS BUT GOT WORSE AS TIME WENT BY.I AM AT MY WITS END.I LIVE ON MY OWN WHICH I THINK MAKES IT WORSE PLUS LOOKING AFTER MY SONS DOG WHILE HE\"S AWAY.HARDLY ANY WATER OR FOOD IS PASSING INTO MY BELLY.FEEL TO WEAK TO DO ANY THING.QUALITY OF MY LIFE HAS GONE DOWN TO PRACTICLY ZERO.PLEASE GOD HELP ME.

these last few days have been ok,since watching what i eat.I also got an appiontment for the 10 june to see sergeon to discuss treatment but on one appointment he did say he was going to perform a hellers myotomy.So i got a date to look forward to it seems a long way off but as long as i have good days i think i can cope.Any one who is suffering this horrible illness just know you will feel better o and i realised why i was suffering so bad .I was eating ice cream with nuts .Hasnt been so bad since i stopped.be happy dai. :roll:

hello there i am 32 years ols and was diagnoised with achalasia 3 years ago after years of suffering in silence and my family thinking i was annorexic ...... i couldnt eat anything without regurgitating the food afterwards it was a nightmare i lost alot of weight ...... after the op everything seemed alot better and for the first year eating was great! i put on 3 stone but then about 18 months ago i started struggling to digest the food again not everday as b4 i ignored this as i hoped it would just pass but today i had to see my gp as the chest pains have been unbearable it feels like im having a heart attack its that bad my gp has made an urgent referral bk to my consultant im wondering if anybody else suffers from the chest pain after having the op? and if so how is achalasia treated when the op has already been performed once before?

Hi there

im a 34yr with history of achalasia since 4 yrs and had my myotomy 2yrs ago and still suffering dysphagia and recurrent chest pains very unbearable actually being more frequent than the pre-op stage it is usually induced by stress and lack of sleep.

about why it occurs though myotomy was done; well that is a difficult question that withstands several possibilities including that the myotomy doesnt have to be certainly so precise to cut ALL the muscle fibres in the oesophageal wall, another thing is that spasm can occur in the upper part of the oesophagus that is not included in the op, one more thing is that there is incoordination in the motility the torn muscle can also go into spasm.

any way some people can gain relief from sublingual nitroglycerine; that is if you can tolerate the headache induced as a side effect, some can be reliefed by drinking ice cold water, some by warm herbal drinks as mint,

as for my self i use warm mint (it is an antispasmodic) and try to get some sleep, also antispasmodic medications can be used. Some people do not get any relief except in the ER by intavenous narcotin analgesics as pethidine or morphine.

Wish all the best of luck.

me again well i was perscribed liquid seroxat and it done the same thing as the tablet its made my stomache really sore the last couple of days i cant keep enough water down to keep me going so i been really lethargic and low every body in the gardens enjoying the sun and me on settee.what is depressing is the thought of having this hellers myotomy and its not going to work.i just want to eat a meal and drink without the fear of being sick.i hope its a small persentave[sad though it may be] that it doesnt work for because if people are having problems after why do the operation in the first place. :o