Anything else I can do if I have been ruled out for Fondo surgery? - Digestive Disorders Message Board

sportsmom1968 · 08-18-2005, 09:50 AM

If my motility turns out to be as poor as the nurse doing the test said, what can be done to correct the severe GERD? Medications did not work at all. I am very worried that I will have to live with this forever and ever! I already have Barretts and am afraid if the GERD is controlled I will progress to cancer rapidly!!!!!!

What causes poor motility of the upper esophagus? Is it always a neurological disease?

EosLady · 08-21-2005, 04:26 PM

Hi Sports Mom...
When Medications for GERD do not work, it often can mean that food allergy is involved.. You may not realize that you have any food allergies, and they may not even show up on allergy tests..

Eosinophilic Diseases (APFED.ORG) often result in unresolved Gerd, but when the eosinophils are brought into control either through diet changes, not the standard ones for GERD, or steroids then the GERD will resolve..
If a Fundo is done in the presence of eosinophilic disease then the reflux will continue because the source has not been treated..

Diagnosising Eosinophilic Disease is fairly simple, although invasive... Biopsies are taken along the entire length of the esophagus and the stomach and as far as they can get into the small intestine... If there are eosinophils present in the esophagus, especially the upper part, it is a good indication of Eosinophilic Esophagitis.. If they are found in the stomach or small intestine in larger than normal numbers that can indicate Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis...
In the Colon too many eosinophils are indicative of Eosinophilic Colitis...

Because the older literature does state that there must be extra eosinophils in the blood, many doctors do not even look for this disease if they are not present in the blood... It has been proven in recent years, that less than 20% of us with eosinophilic disease of the GI tract have more than normal peripheral eos..

Eosinophils are a normal part of white blood cells, so we do have them always on hand to fight parasites and or allergies... It is when they attack us that the problem arises...

I hope you will discuss this with your GI, and hopefully get some help... NIH does have a group of doctors specializing in research on this disease...

There is a good article on Emedicine about Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis...

I don't know if this is an answer for you, but it is something worth checking into in hopes it would help take care of your GERD issues..

Just wanted to mention that motility issues are often a symptom of eosinophilic Gastroenteritis as well... The tissues of the GI tract can become inflamed and therefore block the outlet of the stomach... Again, steroids or diet changes can help...

Eos Lady