Acid reflux, Gord, Hiatus hernias

[Forever yellow76]

Hi guys, slightly left field, but I just wanted to share something with you all incase any of you suffer or know someone who suffers with severe acid reflux, commonly know as GORD. I was diagnosed 2 yrs ago with acid reflux. I had 2 endoscopes without sedation which showed a hiatus hernia, which for me they said was insignificant?! I was suffering with heat-burn which id never had before ever, chest heaviness, pain between my shoulder blades and worst of all a feeling of a lump in my throat which i needed to swallow down every couple of minutes.

This was truly ruining my life, everything I ate or drank, even water felt like it was coming back up into my throat. I had a PH test which confirmed high acid levels.

Ive just turned 43, in good health, train a lot and in decent shape for my age so a change of diet wasnt helping me.

The doctors thought it could be a faulty food valve (sphincter muscle) and that there was a new procedure out on the NHS that may help me called ‘Stretta’. Its been around in Liverpool & Middlesborough on the NHS but only just available in London this April but the waiting list would be 18months with up to a further 12months for the procedure to work. Private cost for it is around 7k depending on where you live. 7.3k where I am which I didnt have, plus its not guaranteed to work.

Stretta works but sending electric waves into the valve which in turn scars the muscle and makes it bigger over time, but can take up to 12months to work, if at all, but it does have good clinical results. Its non invasive compared to other acid operations which require invasive methods of wrapping the oesophagus. Stretta is a 1hr procedure, and you can home home after you wake up with only liquid diet to deal with for 2wks afterwards as the only hardship.

Prior to having this procedure i was taking meds, every day, from Lanzoprasole and Omeprazole, zantac and of course Gaviscon! All of which hardly touch my symptoms.

Im 4months in from having Stretta, which i had in April after vastly being brought forward in the waiting list(very lucky) and mine started working after 3.5 months and i feel so good, i feel like a new man again and im hoping its sorted for life now.

I just wanted to share this with you guys as its wuite a common problem but can be so debilitating and effect your mental state too.

I can help answer questions if anyones interested on here or message me directly if you prefer.

 

[Nathan_NCFC]

Glad you found something that has worked for you FY. My uncle suffers terribly with acid reflux and like youself has had a endoscope but to my knowledge they didn't confirm any sort of condition or problem (except obviously high acid levels) - he is on a few things to keep it under control but is forever complaining about it. He will drink gaviscon like water from the bottle on some days and chews rennies like chewing gums lol. Terrible thing to have. I'll pass this information on to him! Cheers.

 

[Forever yellow76]

Glad you found something that has worked for you FY. My uncle suffers terribly with acid reflux and like youself has had a endoscope but to my knowledge they didn't confirm any sort of condition or problem (except obviously high acid levels) - he is on a few things to keep it under control but is forever complaining about it. He will drink gaviscon like water from the bottle on some days and chews rennies like chewing gums lol. Terrible thing to have. I'll pass this information on to him! Cheers.

Hi Nathan, thanks for your reply.

Yes i cant tell you how i feel now, had almost given up tbh.

Defo tell your uncle about it, and get him referred for it asap as waiting lists can be long. Or if he can afford it go private and jump the que, obviously read all about it online first but the great thing about it is theres hardly any risk element to it. My mum had a oesophagus wrap but they over tightened it and had to reverse it, this time of procedure wasn't available back then and now shes quite old and just manages her consition.