Achalasia?? - Acid Reflux / GERD Message Board

Streetcar · 12-07-2004, 02:27 PM

Hello everyone!

I don't really know which board to post this on, but maybe one of you gerd sufferers might be able to help. I've suffered with gerd (at least once daily)for twenty plus years and only within the last 4 or 5 have I been treated for it. I've been taking either prevacid or protonix from the start of treatment and they have worked wonders for me.

I had an EGD done on 11/15 as I was having a hard time swallowing and the GI dr dialated my esophagus (second time in 24 months). First time he found a "ring" but this time he didn't find anything to explain the difficulty swallowing. Before the EGD he had me have an esophagram done and it showed that their was a definate stricture when I swallowed, but nothing showed up on the EGD.

Had my follow-up appt from the EGD yesterday, and GI dr said that I might have ACHALASIA, a condition where the esophageal sphincter muscle closes before the swallow is complete. If I don't have the "A" word, then everything will be fine for about 18 - 24 mos. and then I'll need to be redialated. If I do have the "A" word, then I can expect to have difficulties swallowing around the Holidays. I guess thats one way to keep from putting on all those extra pounds since basically I won't be able to eat anything without suffering EXTREME pain. The next step would be to have another esophagram done followed by a manometry (which he really hates to due because they are very uncomfortable to say the least). The next step would be something like an EGD but they use the scope to place a ballon inside the sphincter muscle and inflate it. This will actually tear the muslce tissue so that once healed it won't have the strength to close up very much and my swallowing problems will be fixed.

After rambling on here's my question. Has anyone out there suffered from this condition and had the sphincter tearing procedure done? How long did it take to heal and did it help?

Thanks for any and all replies, although I don't expect that anyone else has had this problem, at least on this board anyway since it is not a very common condition.

slampy · 01-06-2005, 09:22 PM

hi there, i also have achalasia. I am a 21 yr old female, I was diagnosed with achaclasia 2 yrs ago. I had the heller myotomy surgery performed in Aug of '03 and it only lasted until about january, then i started back with the tests and yes the manometry is very painful. I had the balloon dialation done july '04 it seems to have worked for me so far, i havent really had many problems out of it since. The procedure is qucik and easy. in and out in a couple of hours. they put you to sleep, and when you wake up and are coherent they let you go home. i was on a soft food & liquid diet for a day or so (no doritos) then every thing was great and it sure is nice to be able to eat a steak. i hope that this helps you, if your achalasia is to the point that you have to throw up everything you eat this procedure will liberate you.

Streetcar · 01-10-2005, 01:35 PM

Hey Slampy,

Thanks for the reply. Going by what the GI dr said during my early Dec. appt., if I MIGHT have achalasia I would most probably show further symptoms befor Christmas or New Years at the latest. Thankfully those symptoms have not materialized yet. I suspect that the original symptoms were caused by a new med that another dr put me on and which I am no longer taking. Keeping my fingers crossed that that was the problem.

condortax · 08-26-2005, 08:45 AM

I suffered with achalasia for three years (misdagnosed as reflux). I had the Heller Myotomy. It has been FABULOUS. I can sleep. I can eat. While my swallowing is not perfect, it is OK. I have to watch my weight again (I was slowly disappearing before). If you truly have achalasia (barium swallow confirmed the condition, Note: the tube down the nose test for pressure was a horror and I think added little to the diagnostic certainty).

I don't think the ballon stretching is a great idea. Some GI guys aren't surgeons so this is their only answer. Go toia surgeon who does a bunch of these. My results were terrific. I wish I had not gone through three years of hell to get there.

Good luck