Re: Barium swallow results [1 Attachment]

[Guest guest]

,

I appreciate your input. The purpose of my having the barium swallow was to evaluate my swallow, the actual physical motor function of the cardiac sphincter and to check for the presence of a hiatal hernia. It is a basic, minimally invasive test and as such has it's limitations. I am aware of those limitations and so is my physician. Based on the results of this test my doctor may or may not order more tests.

I've had my doubts about whether or not I actually have GERD from the very beginning. As I explained earlier this week, the only tests I had were when I was in NY and were done at the same time I was on high doses of prednisone and struggling with repeated fungal infections in my mouth and esophogus.

I will wait and see what the final report from the doctor says. In the meantime I will continue to take my omeprezole until I find out it's safe to do differently.

Thanks again.

Beth

Moderator

Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 Dermatomyositis 11/08

To: Breathe-Support Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2009 11:07:01 PMSubject: Re: Barium swallow results [1 Attachment]

Hi Beth,Thanks for the details of what you went through for the Barium Esophagram, I'm scheduled to have it done tomorrow morning and then Monday I am going in for the Esophgeal manometry and 24-hour PH monitoring. I have been reading about some of these tests for GERD and the Barium Esophagram is a poor test for documenting inflammation of esophagus and its unreliable in detecting reflux. See the attached document from the Hopkins Medicine.

C_53_Familial IPF_5/09Washington

From: Beth <mbmurtha (AT) yahoo (DOT) com>To: Breathe-Support@ yahoogroups. comSent: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 7:57:42 AMSubject: Barium swallow results

Hello all,

Boy efficiency is there middle name over there at Duke. I was scheduled to have my barium swallow at 9:30 this morning and we were actually underway by 9:20.

Bottom line?

After an hour of drinking barium, and going through a series of semi acrobatic contortions, then using the fizzy stuff and drinking water (reminds me of Pop Rocks, it's meant to fill my esophogus with air but then the tell me not to burp....who thinks this stuff up?) then lying flat and drinking more barium out of a sports bottle with a straw....then turning round in circles (to "mix the stomach contents" LOL) and lying on my left side, my back, my right side my stomach and on and on and on. After all that they found not a single sign of any reflux at all, much less GERD.

The radiologist doing the test was baffled which is why he kept going over it and making me do more stuff and drink more of that vile junk. But he could find nothing at all. He speculated that the reflux I had previously may have had more to do with the prednisone than anything else and now that I've been off for so long whatever was happening has stopped. It's as good a theory as any I suppose.

So I will talk to my primary about stopping the omeprazole. If there's no need for it, I'd prefer not to take it.

That's it for now. I leave in about an hour for rehab. Will update you all later!

Beth

Moderator

Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 Dermatomyositis 11/08