Re: Surgery or not? (and peanuts)

[Guest guest]

Regarding peanuts: Yes.

Before I had my dilation my eating and drinking was really restricted.

Mostly light soups, fluids and frozen yogurt. My main sources of protein

and fat calories were peanut M & Ms and chocolate with almonds. I could eat a

handful of lightly salted nuts as well with no ill effect. Why that was, I

have no idea, but it helped.

Pat

On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 2:40 PM, mer <ray_me_99@...> wrote:

> **

>

>

> >peanuts

> Jack

> Realy do you eat peanuts? I would never try something like that.

> I eat toasted bread,things covered with butter or pasta with a cream sauce.

> Also cerial with a lot of fiber and Lactaid 4 % milk. Mostly thin

> soup with addition pasta with a lot of fiber.

>

> Yes at my age a HM never. I might consider a dilation. I had a heart

> bypass 15 years ago so stay drom Doctors.

>

> Ray CA OC 81

>

>

>

> > > >

> > > > Hi All,

> > > > Though I've been reading the posts for a while, I just joined after

> my recent experience.

> > > >

> > > > I have had achalasia since the late 90's. Had dilation in 2000 which

> significantly eased the swallowing requiring a water push down only every 8

> bites or so. Am able to eat everything but several foods are a bit tougher

> to get down. The swallowing has not deteriorated since.

> > > >

> > > > The big problem is heartburn. First 8 years or so had bad heartburn

> 3-6+ times per month during evenings lasting 4-6 hours despite taking

> Losec. Went off Losec on to Ranitidine at suggestion of doctors who didn't

> like what they saw with kidney testing. Also ended up feeling I had to

> urinate several times before bedtime. Ranitidine eased that problem but I

> have no idea if it eased the heartburn.

> > > >

> > > > The heartburn has eased over the last several years both in

> intensity, frequency and duration…until several months ago. Something took

> place and I find myself with regular mild heartburn which at least I can

> sleep through. However not a great way to live. Strangely I took a half of

> a sleeping pill several nights ago and had no heartburn for a few days.

> Since then it has returned but still mild and less frequently.

> > > >

> > > > I have read many of the posts on HM and I feel there is a good

> chance my lifestyle could deteriorate further as so many have had all sorts

> of problems in the long (and occasionally short) term. Understand a

> properly executed Dor could help relieve the reflux problem but worried

> about other outcomes which I currently don't experience.

> > > >

> > > > Very little said here about Ranitidine when compared to anti

> depressants and the like.Don't know whether I should start taking them as I

> have only heard about the relief they offer snce reading the posts.

> > > >

> > > > Am heading off to the surgeon tomorrow but don't expect much help

> other than a recomendation for surgery.

> > > >

> > > > Anypne out there have similar problems or any suggestions.

> > > >

> > > > Thanks, Jack

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I may have lost you there Pat...how about since dilation...any heartburn and if

so how do you avoid it...the surgeon I saw yesterday suggested I go back on

Losec which he felt was very effective...i'm not so sure of the long term

effects however

> > > > >

> > > > > Hi All,

> > > > > Though I've been reading the posts for a while, I just joined after

> > my recent experience.

> > > > >

> > > > > I have had achalasia since the late 90's. Had dilation in 2000 which

> > significantly eased the swallowing requiring a water push down only every 8

> > bites or so. Am able to eat everything but several foods are a bit tougher

> > to get down. The swallowing has not deteriorated since.

> > > > >

> > > > > The big problem is heartburn. First 8 years or so had bad heartburn

> > 3-6+ times per month during evenings lasting 4-6 hours despite taking

> > Losec. Went off Losec on to Ranitidine at suggestion of doctors who didn't

> > like what they saw with kidney testing. Also ended up feeling I had to

> > urinate several times before bedtime. Ranitidine eased that problem but I

> > have no idea if it eased the heartburn.

> > > > >

> > > > > The heartburn has eased over the last several years both in

> > intensity, frequency and duration…until several months ago. Something took

> > place and I find myself with regular mild heartburn which at least I can

> > sleep through. However not a great way to live. Strangely I took a half of

> > a sleeping pill several nights ago and had no heartburn for a few days.

> > Since then it has returned but still mild and less frequently.

> > > > >

> > > > > I have read many of the posts on HM and I feel there is a good

> > chance my lifestyle could deteriorate further as so many have had all sorts

> > of problems in the long (and occasionally short) term. Understand a

> > properly executed Dor could help relieve the reflux problem but worried

> > about other outcomes which I currently don't experience.

> > > > >

> > > > > Very little said here about Ranitidine when compared to anti

> > depressants and the like.Don't know whether I should start taking them as I

> > have only heard about the relief they offer snce reading the posts.

> > > > >

> > > > > Am heading off to the surgeon tomorrow but don't expect much help

> > other than a recomendation for surgery.

> > > > >

> > > > > Anypne out there have similar problems or any suggestions.

> > > > >

> > > > > Thanks, Jack

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well, it's been over a month since my dilation. To put its effect on a

scale, with 100% being normal eating pre-achalasia, and 10% to near zero

ability to eat just prior to dilation ... I'm somewhere in the 50% range of

normal eating post dilation.

There is some heartburn in the middle of the night but only occasionally.

Eating late can have an impact. Still taking the same medications as

pre-dilation, Pantoprazole, and Bella-Phenobarb, two tabs daily. If

heartburn, get up, walk around for 10-15 minutes and then take a couple a

Tums or something like it and that generally reduces it. Overall, it's not

an issue.

Avoiding breads or anything dense (see below). Well cooked foods

boiled/steam to within an inch of their life (I'm looking at you Cracker

Barrel) are no problem.

Except for the onetime I made two trips (no shame here) to a free food cart

at Costco that was serving up chicken salad on very dense pita bread,

there's been no regurgitation attacks.

Went out to restaurants (Cracker Barrel) for the first time since and as

long as the eating is v-e-r-y s-l-o-w can usually finish about half of a

dinner.

No pizza, but pasta is on the menu again along with small amounts of

chicken, with things like mash potatoes or rice ...........

*Don't take anything here as an endorsement/rejection of dilation to

surgery or any other treatment. I'm making no recommendations, since my

medical decisions are based more on mood, whim, and the amount of tinfoil

on my head, a consequence of the doctors leaving decisions up to me.

Achalasia seems to run a time course that's on a near glacial time scale

and it is too early to tell whether the dilation benefits are retreating or

have reached something of a steady state. (Doctor said first four weeks

would be a sign of whether it would take, so if that's the case, then might

ok for a while more yet.) But, overall, the absence of regurgitation

attacks and the ability to sit at a table with others and to actually eat

food (versus playing with it, smiling, and moving it around the plate to

try to fool people) is enormous. Every day is a blessing and that's all

that matters.

Best,

Pat

On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 1:44 AM, gileps56 <gileps56@...> wrote:

> **

>

>

> I may have lost you there Pat...how about since dilation...any heartburn

> and if so how do you avoid it...the surgeon I saw yesterday suggested I go

> back on Losec which he felt was very effective...i'm not so sure of the

> long term effects however

>

>

[Guest guest]

That's good news Pat. Some similar occurrences to my earlier situation...but

there seems to be one thing in common with this condition and that is there's

nothing in common. I've done a lot of reading as of late and am bemused with

what works for some and what works for others and how operations are much kinder

to some than others. I predict you will be experimenting repeatedly in the days

to come.

Jack

>

> > **

> >

> >

> > I may have lost you there Pat...how about since dilation...any heartburn

> > and if so how do you avoid it...the surgeon I saw yesterday suggested I go

> > back on Losec which he felt was very effective...i'm not so sure of the

> > long term effects however

> >

> >

>

>

>