Is there any hope?

Well, it's been a loooooooong while since I have posted on here. I hope everyone is well. I'm glad to report that my depression has lifted, but I am still experiencing reflux. I hate it! It's not bad, but I know it's there. It's the only thing since my surgery that I regret about the whole hyster road. The reason I say that, is because I never, EVER had reflux, GERD or heartburn prior to my surgery! About 2 weeks after my hyst is when this started, I thought for sure it would go away BY NOW(4 months post)but it hasn't. It's really bringing me down.. I saw a gastroenterologist and he sent me for an esophageal manometry test and a 24 hour pH test. Those were not fun! The results came back negative for spasms or any true weakness of my LES, and the pH test came back with only minimal GERD. So, my question is 2 part, if anyone can help me....

1) Why is it that SO many of us are having this problem post-hyst when we never had it before??

2) Will it EVER get better on it's own? Please tell me there is hope! I don't want to go on those acid meds and I don't want to have that fundoplication surgery to fix the acid problem.. I feel as if I've been through enough!

Also, if someone can help me on this one, I am in pain now around my incision and where my ovaries are. I am also experiencing swelly belly sometimes now, after alllll this time. Is the healing process still going on in there, this far down the road? I'm confused about all this and feel like my body is punishing me for having my uterus out. But, the reflux is what bothers me the most, although I never get a burning sensation, it feels like a pressure in my throat.. Help, help, help, help, help???

sorry I can't help you with your questions, but I can give you a great big sister Praying for you also.

Post on the prayer forum

Hi Julie, at last someone with the same problem as me, im sorry you have it though. I have reflux terrible dyspepsia and have been taking the meds precribed which were all too strong and gave me more pain and discomfort. I had to go back to the hospital 2weeks post op as i was impacted and the gas was a killer. I had chills, burning in my chest i felt soooooooooooo miserble i wished id never had the hyst done as id just come back off of holiday feeling great. That's when the black clouds moved in i had panic attacks from hell and cryed if the weather changed. my consultant does'nt believe in anti-depressants so he suggested st johns wart which made things worse they can have terrible side effects. so at last i have seen a physician who is also a psychiatrist and he has at last put me on Anti-depressants im only three days down the road and im climbing the walls thinking i will never be well again. He told me the reflux can be caused by the anaesthetic and can last for ages im nearly 8wks post op and now take gaviscon and rennee (antacid) tablets like sweeties but then if you were anxious like me this would increase you stomoch acid. Im sorry i have gone on about myself but i needed to talk to someone who has suffered the same. Let me know how you get on i have sent you a big

Hang in there girls

Antidepressants can take weeks to "kick in" and do their job - try and be patient
Also, it can take several tries on different antidepressants before you find one that works, and suits you.

Have you guys considered other holistic therapies, such as hypnotherapy or other "nontraditional" methods? Sometimes these can really work well.

You're not alone in this

Blessings,
Tess

Here are a few things I have heard to do when you have reflux, you may already know them? You can place a few blocks under the head of the bed to elevate it and help decrease reflux during the night, small meals, no eating 2 hrs before bedtime, little caffiene/alcohol. I hope you are feeling better. Judymk

Julie,
My intestinal problems have definetly gotten much worse since my hyst. I was on Protonix for reflux, but was recently able to stop taking it. I'm seeing an Ostepathic doctor who has seem to hit upon a few ideas why my stomach is giving me fits. While I still have a long ways to go, I am seeing some improvement. As Tess mentioned, perhaps a nontraditional med doctor can help sort things out for you. This site www.aoa-net.org has some good information on Osteopathic doctors.

As for the swelly belly, it could be that your still healing. Full recovery from a hyst can take from 6 months to a full year. However, I would give the doctor a call just to be sure nothing else is going on.

Keep us posted on how you're doing Julie.

Thanks everyone.. For as much as I wish none of us were having these problems, it helps to know I'm not alone in this. I just pray that we can all move past this and SOON!

I have founf that the only thing that helps my reflux, is to eat very small meals throughout the day, not eat anything(even water)4 hours before I go to bed, cut out all forms of caffiene(which is SO depressing, I loved my coffee ) and take DGL tablets and aloe vera juice after each meal.. I also suck on tums at night. It doesn't seem to be what I eat, but how much of what I eat that determines if I'm going to have reflux or not.

As for my swelly belly and pain, I should have also said that the swelly belly isn't there all the time or everyday, just sometimes. The pain around my incision just started about a month ago and it feels like the nerves around it and even a few inches above it, are just now coming back to life somewhat. I guess it really does take a looooooooong time to heal from this surgery! I have always healed so fast from my c-sections, so I just never thought it could take this long.

karen-Anne, you are in my prayers!! Please let me know how you're getting on, k? Maybe we can help eachother through this..

Kim, thank you so much for that site! I am very much into natural ways of treating things and do believe that the body can heal itself from almost anything if given time and the proper methods.. I'm so glad you were able to get off the protonix, too! How is your reflux these days? Do you find that you still get it? You are in my prayers, too. I'll keep you up to date and I'll look for posts from you to see how you're doing!

Thanks again everyone, big s to all of you!

Julie,
I stopped the Protonix about 2 weeks ago and things seem to be okay. I also have to limit my food intake to small meals. If I eat too much I swell up like a balloon and have lots of pain. I'm hoping thru this controlled diet, supplements and with the help of the Osteopathic doctor that we will get this figured out.

I am on a very strict diet, as we found out that I am allergic to alot of foods. I also have an overgrowth of yeast in my intestines so we are working towards getting rid of it.

There are some things however that I just can't give up, my morning cup of java is one of them.

All in all, things are better stomach wise than they were 6 months ago.

Good luck Julie, do keep us posted on how you're doing.

Julie, sorry to hear you are having problems. I also have acid reflux...had it before my hyst and still have it. I take Prilosec every day at the same time every day. This is like a miracle drug for me. If you have good insurance to pay for this med I highly recommend it. It's the only thing that gives me any day to day normalcy in what I can eat.

Just a thought.

Sherry