Hello all.
I had a Laproscopic Nissen 7 years ago to correct a hiatal
hernia. I was twenty one then, and it was absolutely ruining my life. Anyway—surgery
done, problem solved.
Then, about two years ago, I started having unusual stomach
issues. I was seeing a doctor here about it, and he kept prescribing me
different pills (mostly PPI’s), but never came to any strong conclusions or a
diagnosis. I’ve recently moved onto a new doctor after an expensive, painful,
and ultimately useless run with the previous one, but I’m finding that I’m he’s
not much more proactive beyond “tinkering” around with small notions about what
to do.
My symptoms typically last for a few weeks and then switch
off for a few weeks. They generally include:
-An intense gas-like sensation around my stomach/lower chest as if I need to
burp. Sometimes I can manage a burp, but it never feels like enough.
-A tight muscle cramping sensation just an inch or two below
and to the left of my sternum.
-Pain behind my left ribs about halfway between my sternum
area and my sides.
-An occasional debilitating nausea.
I’ve tried dietary changes (gluten-free, lactose-free, non-gas-causing
foods), PPI’s, and a few other pills. There’s little rhyme or reason as to when
it will start or how long it’ll last, but when it strikes, it becomes the focus
of my day, generally lingering for a couple weeks at a time.
They’ve done some tests, but nothing supremely conclusive
has come up. The barium swallow either produced no results or mostly negligible
results, depending on which doctor’s interpretation. The endoscopies (I’ve had
three so far) had the doctor briefly thinking it was eosinophilic esophagitis, but
he later said otherwise, concluding that maybe my esophagus is just “like that”
or whatever. I asked if the wrap was still intact, and he said he didn’t think
it needed to be redone.
I’m at a complete loss as to what I can do from here on out.
The doctors don’t seem to be doing anything
that helps. A surgeon I went to for a second opinion suggested I consider a dilation,
but neither doctor took a shining to this suggestion for some reason. Also, neither
doctor wants me to get another nissen (neither do I), but I can’t really endure
this for too much longer.
Has anyone had this happen before? What should I look into,
and what possible actions could one take?