Fundoplication and hernia repair

Your stomach shrinks with the surgery anyway so literally, you don't feel like large portions. You are advised to have 6-8 small meals/snacks a day and it's working for me !! 

You have have to look into the future and what implications reflux can cause somebody longterm when having this condition at such a young age. 

I have lived my life being able to be sick at the push of a button, puking whilst driving, in middle of restaurants, for laughing too much, anything! Friends and family knew I could be sick really easy, as did doctors but never once did they suggest acid reflux, for years it was just put down to the fact that I was lactose intolerant. I don't think this was ever the case!

I have probably suffered unknowingly with acid reflux for 24 years!

When you suggest surgery should be a last resort I ask; have you had confirmed Barratts? With only being 24 I am then given the Barratts chance to progress for the next however many years?

Also I had it confirmed after a manometery and ph test that my acid levels were reading 48.9 which is dangerously high, and they should be max of 14. And when they did this test i was having a.very good 24 hours!

I do really appreciate your advice and I'm glad that the remedy is working for you, but how do you know it is actually repairing and not just helping the symptoms?

Different things work differently for everyone if we were all just the same, medicine would be easy!!

My advice was for a person who gets acid reflux from stress or age related causes. 

I have a friend who was born with a sealed esophageal sphincter and needed surgery days after birth or he would have starved to death.

So I understand your situation.

If I were in your shoes I would have the surgery.  I do recommend a second opinion, perhaps you already have it. 

I wish you all the best.  Please let us know how you are doing afterward.

Jonathan

Now here's an interesting fact:

Before the surgery, I decided to up my life insurance just in case the worst should happen. Needless to say, I had to declare my forthcoming surgery My insurers upped my premiums by 250% for 12 months after which the premiums return to normal. This fact alone told me more than any surgeon could about the medium to long term risks.

This is a good debate going on here and I hope that others (like me) are learning useful stuff

Besides that point, it is obvious that every surgery has its risks.  Nothing is really routine.  They are now finding that many colonoscopy devices are not being properly sterilized between patients and have actually spread antibiotic resistant bacteria to some people.

I have also been suffering from acid reflux and have to take 60 mg of omiprazole everyday. It gets hard to breathe sometimes a d other times it's real bad heartburn. All this is making me so anxious. You suggested an alternative and natural treatment. Would you kindly share it with me.

Would really appreciate it.

Thabks

I did some research and decided to try drinking carbonated mineral water to build pressure in the stomach and force my esophageal sphincter to work.

After 2 weeks I was noticing major improvement.  And now after about 6 weeks I not longer have the acid reflux problem.  But, I will continue the carbonated water therapy once daily, because I don't want this problem to come back.  I still deal with some other unrelated issues.

If you want to try it, drink about 10oz of carbonated water, then hold down the burp for 3 to 5 minutes to start.  Then release the air, burp.  Do this 3 to 4 times a day until you can hold the pressure without effort.  The esophageal sphincters job is to always stay shut unless food or water is passing.  And it is supposed to be shut tight all night while we sleep.  I don't know what causes the weakness but I know it can be reversed without surgery.  I almost signed up for some crazy magnet ring surgery called LINX, but I'm glad I did not do it.

After suffering with GERD on and off for some 12 years, I now consider my acid reflux as cured.  My esophageal sphincter is very strong now.  Now, I mainly have too much acid in my stomach so I still take 20 mg of omeprazole 2 hours before bedtime.  But, I'm so glad I did not have the surgery as I can now eat anything I want, even tomato sauce or pizza, which used to kill my reflux.  I hope you give this treatment a try, you have nothing to lose, and much to gain. 

Keep me updated as to what you decide to do.  I do care.  Jonathan

thank you so much!! I will definitely give this a try. But just to clear my doubts....I was always told that because I drank too many carbonated beverages I have a poor functioning LES. What you are saying is exactly the opposite of it.

But if it has worked for you then I am sure that it might work for me as well. At this point I am willing to try anything. I also researched about naturally bringing the acid down by some herbs like DGL licorice which didn't do much to me also because I was too scared to take the recommended dose which is 6 chewable tablets a day. I was taking g only 2. Also this brand Acid Easy by enzymatic therapy. I have ordered them and still waiting for them. It has herbs like marshmallow root and slippery elm. Did you happen to try any of these?

And one last thing...how did you come up with this theory??

did someone else you know benifits from this?

Thanks again for your help.

God bless!!

I do use a product called Acid Ease.  It may be the same. I like it.  It also helps with bloating.  And I do recommend that anyone taking an acid blocker also take an enzyme with each meal.  Otherwise nutritional deficiencies will cause more trouble.  I also tried apple cider vinigar and DGL with no noticable benefit.

I have had surgery now but before hand I couldn't find anything to resolve my issues. Since my op I have tried DGL liquorice from Holland and Barrett, I have a chewable tablet 2x a day ..20 mins before eating before lunch and tea and I found it is good. I went away this weekend and forgot to take them & I did notice a difference. Pre op I tried slippery elm briefly but not really enough to give any advice on it ! 

As Jonathon says you need to keep yourself elevated at night which is the most important thing. I bought a wedge pillow which is really good. 

Try eat small meals often, I'll have porridge for breakfast, then at 11 I will have a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits or crackers, then at 1 I will have lunch of a jacket potatoe or a small dish of pasta, at 3 have another cup of tea & another little snack, 6pm tea and then 8.30 another little snack. I have found this to be great as I am not putting pressure on my stomach by eating three large meals. Sit up after meals, and try and not eat anything 2-3 hrs before you go to sleep. 

Hope this helps !!! 

I wish you the very best now that you have had your surgery. Hope you are feeling good!