Now this is a first to me!  JC...You took TYLENOL for spasms and it
WORKED??

Linda

Hi,I am a new member, my name is Carole I am 49.  I was diagnosed
with 'A'last year.

I have had 2 baloon dilations both didn't work the second dilation
was with the largest balloon, so I am now waiting to see another
surgeon to discuss having an operation, I am quite worried about this
after reading other peoples expierances on this line.

can anyone give me anything posotive to think about????

look forward to hearing from you.

Hi
   I myself do not suffer from achalasis, but my husband does. He had
the Heller Myotomy with a loose wrap and it improved quite a bit. He
at least can get some nourishment in his body now. What I would like
to know is this, are there others out there that suffer from constant
fatigue,even though they have had the surgery and are gaining back
their lost weight? My husband has bouts with heartburn that can keep
him up all night. He takes Prevacid daily, and after a couple of
hours of any kind of work, he has to rest for a while. The Drs. do
not seem to understand why. My husband is 55 yrs old and I'm
interested in hearing from anyone with this disease and comparing
histories. Thanks for hearing me out. Hope to hear from you.
                                          Frances

Is this a digest that I can order a copy of and subscribe to . I would
really like to share these stories with my family members who do not
have access to the internet.

MAY GOD GUIDE YOUR PATH IN THE NEW YEAR!
http://community.webtv.net/bethadelph/FEBRUARY142002

Hi everybody:

Well, I don't know  if achalasia is inheritable, but  nobody in my family has had stomach or swallowing problems, apart of some small gastritis, everyone is able to eat very well. The first one with an uncommon disorder was me. As far as I know, this is not a problem family, but could be more like a nervous problem. When I'm under a lot of stress i have more difficulty to eat, although I've gone to surgery twice (lap surgery), and i fell much better right know.

Good luck!

Adriana

  claire smith <claire.j.smith@...> wrote:

Dear Allison,
My Father didn't have stomach problems but he died of Bowel Cancer.
Keep your chin up we all can support each other.
Claire
----- Original Message -----
From: "antrayne" <antrayne@...>
To: <achalasia@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 12:07 AM
Subject: [achalasia] what do we have in common?


> It seems we all share a lot. I would like to know if anyone's disease
> is much worse under stress?
>
> I also have another question. My doctor says that achalasia doesn't
> run in the family. Does anyone else out their have achalasia in the
> family or stomach problems? My grandfather died of stomach cancer and
> my father has terrible stomach problems, he has been hospitalized for
> a stomach infection.
>
> Thanks, Allison
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

I think dilations are not a good way to figure out this problem. My doctor told me they were indicated for people who cannot go to surgery for other medical reasons. In fact, dilations may cause fibroms (I don't know if that's the word in English), like balls of muscle that make more difficult the myotomy. Besides, it has more risk than the surgery, because the doctor is not seeing what is happening in the esopahgus, so the baloon may perforate the membrane, leading the patient to go to toracic surgery.

Good luck to everyone!!!

Adriana

  JC Elder <jc_elder@...> wrote:

I just have one comment.  When I was finally diagnosed I was at the point where a dilation would not help me.  I had surgery as the only option for me.  Frankly, after listening to this group it seems the ones who have had dilations are the one who have had complication.  Linda has had no complications during surgery.  The ones who have had dilations have scar tissue which prevents any surgery being done laproscopicly (sp)  Personally, in my opinion, if I were new at this and I read all the stuff about dilations and the complications for later surgery there is no way I would do.  To me (again my uneducated opinion) it seems to cause as many problems as it may help.  I don't think it would be worth the risk.  Personally, after years of dealing with doctors & insurance companies, I believe it is just a cheaper way out.  They say lets do this first and see if it helps.

Just my humble achalasian opinion

 

J.C.

----- Original Message -----

From: Patricia Dahlquist

To: achalasia@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 4:21 PM

Subject: Re: [achalasia] Dilation Effectiveness?

Like you said, everyone is different. There is no typical achalasia.  I just had a dilation in December.  I spoke to and saw many doctors who felt that dilations are transient.  Yet the doctor that performed my dilation said it could last a number of years.  So, there are two schools of thought on the long-term effectiveness of a dilation. Who is right the doctors that say they don't last or the ones that do believe it is a long-trm effective treatment.  I think we only find out after we have had one.  After the dilation when I asked the doctor if the procedure worked or not he honestly replied that he didn't know.  I think the only way to tell is to see if the symptoms that one had before the dilation return,   Before the dilation my problem really wasn't about  having an unusually hard time swallowing, rather it was that I could only consume very small amounts of food, and I was beginning to feel weak and tired all the time.Although I compensated for 33 years with Achalasia I decided to have it taken care of because of the weakness and because the many web sites hinted that it could lead to cancer and this scared me.  Note: not one doctor ever mentioned the danger of cancer from having achalasia.  Before the dilation I had spasms, really bad chest pains, and sometimes mild chest pains that went away with swallowing room temp liquids.  After the dilation I started having daily spasms, and most of them were the extremely painful ones.  These spasms started as soon as I awoke and had no relationship to food.  My doctor is puzzled by this and suggested I have further tests.  Since I don't want anymore tests to find out why this  is happening I take prevacid in case reflux is the cause of the chest pain and Levsin for the spasms on a daily basis.  Both have helped.  Noone can seem to give us concrete answers on the whys and wherefors of Achalasia.  I wish you the best in whatever decision you make.  Mine was to have the dilation and see how things progress and if things don't work out I won't have a repeat dilation I will see if I am a good candidat for lap surgery.

  toomuchclutter <sandycarroll@...> wrote:

I saw a specialist at UCLA yesterday and will have the manometry on
Thursday.  The Dr. said IN GENERAL the dilations are effective long
term.  That is not the impression I had from this group.  Would the
dilation take away most symptoms?  Would I still have trouble
swallowing?  I know we are all different, but I have the impression
the dilations are pretty short term.  Has anyone had long term
successful results?  I don't have the chest spasms now, do those
generally come after dilation?

I appreciate your input, I will probably get a 2nd opinion but this
Dr. was much more encouraging about dilations than I had built up in
my mind.

Oh, I haven't had any treatment yet. 

Thanks,

Sandy


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Yahoo! Auctions Great stuff seeking new owners! Bid now!

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Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Hi, I agree with you about the depression, specially, because eating is the most common social act in our everyday life. That's why most of us prefer to keep our disorder in secret. But I must say that when I have explained to the people around me, about my problem, even if they don't understand, they are patient and understanding. I think your mom would feel better if she can share with other people other kind of "social moments", such as going to the movies, exercising, ....

JaeLee, I can say that Ensure is the most effective product to maintein weight and strenght (at least in my case). All my bood tests have been ok since I took this supplement. I hope this will help you both.

Adriana.

  JC Elder <jc_elder@...> wrote:

JaeLee,
I am glad you found this group.  I happy to see you helping your mom.  It is
very hard with Achalasia to find people who will at least try to understand
what you are going through.

I think alot of the depression the people with Achalasia have is due to not
getting the right nutrition.  If she can swallow it, your mom might try
getting a good protein drink for the health food store.  They have lots of
vitamins minerals stuff like that.  I use one called Spiru-tein.  You mix it
with water or milk (never mix protein with juice).  If she can get that down
and start feeling better I am positive some of the depression would lift.

Another thing is if you tell us what area you are in, we may be able to help
you with a doctor.  Usually you have to go to a Gastro doc for them to even
have a clue what you are talking about.  Even some Gastro's don't know much
about Achalasia.  If you go to a doc who does not seem informed or in not
really concerned the word for him is NEXT!  Keep looking until you find a
doctor you can trust that has a idea what you are talking about.

Tell your mom, we would like to hear from her in this group.

I will be praying for you and your mom.  Feel free to email me anytime.

J.C.
----- Original Message -----
From: "jmdaughter" <LaLocaG@...>
To: <achalasia@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 8:47 PM
Subject: [achalasia] New Member


> Hello,
> My name is JaeLee. I just joined this group.  I have joined because
> my mother is sick with achalasia and we are kind of new to this.  Her
> symptoms started just about 1 year ago when she lost her job.  We are
> thinking that this all came about due to stress?  She didn't go to
> the doctor because she thought this was something that would pass and
> she kept putting it off thinking that it would go away as well as
> being scared to hear bad news.  Just recently, about 2-3 months ago
> she finally went in because he symptoms got worse to where she has
> dropped almost 100 lbs and can barely swallow water.  It has been
> very hard for our family to deal with.  It is something we never
> heard about before nor had to experience such a medical problem. She
> is very depressed from this, on a daily basis it's very hard for her
> to deal with and I thought that by joining a group it would help her
> to know that she is not alone and there are other people out there
> that she can maybe relate to and talk with for some emotional
> support.  I look forward to meeting you all.  I do not have any such
> symptoms as you have but I see my mother everyday and I see what she
> goes through and it just tears me up inside to see what a person with
> this achalasia disease has to go through. I am very interested in any
> stories anyone may have, info, or anything that pertains to this. If
> you have any questions yourself, feel free to e-mail and I will get
> back to you right away.  I look forward to talking to you all and
> hope that we can all help out eachother in any way.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Mary: you should try to see a surgeon (prefer a person who has a lap surgery especiality), not a gastro. The gastro supports the surgery, but they don't perform it.

  Mary <marywierda@...> wrote:

Chris,

 

I have an appointment with my GI doctor Feb. 6th.  I see him for scopes but he doesn't do the surgery.  I have a three hour drive to see my doctor that does dilatations.  He does not do the myotomy.  I will need to see another doctor.  I don't know what my next step is going to be.  I have had a couple of bad days with spasms this week.  I may seek other options.

 

Mary

----- Original Message -----

From: cmjfriary@...

To: achalasia@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 4:10 AM

Subject: Re: [achalasia] Other symptoms( Mary)

i have posted a general reply to the comments about other symptoms. I would seek soem advice about it all as they can eb more than just irritating symptoms .
Let me know how you get on
Chris

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Hi Carol,
     I am 50 and had a very successful myotemy/fundoplication in
December.  Where do you live?  Feel free to email me directly if you
wish.

Linda

Carole, I know how you feel.  I was diagnosed last year also and had
two balloon dilations and my second one didn't work.  I'm scheduled
for the lap surgery in March.  I live in a suburb of St Louis and do
have the advantage of numerous "teaching hospitals" in the area.  My
surgeon is confident he can do the lap surgery and has performed
numerous sugeries with success.  Of course, I'm no fool and realize
anything can happen during surgery and I could wind up having the
thoracic surgery (the big one).  It scares the heck out of me too.  I
don't feel like I've got an alternative so I'm going for it.  I'm in
my fiftys and don't feel like living the rest of my life like this if
there is an option. I think the positive feelings have to come from
within ourselves.  Sometimes I read the posts from people who didn't
fare so well and get myself more scared.  Sometimes I read the posts
from the ones who've done well and recommend the surgery and then I
feel more optimistic.  I've finally come to the conclusion that my
situation will be "my situation" no matter what I read or worry
about.  I'm finally filled with confidence that I will do very well.
Keep in touch.
Judy





--- In achalasia@y..., "carole1952uk" <carole.dunningham@n...> wrote:
> Hi,I am a new member, my name is Carole I am 49.  I was diagnosed
> with 'A'last year.
>
> I have had 2 baloon dilations both didn't work the second dilation
> was with the largest balloon, so I am now waiting to see another
> surgeon to discuss having an operation, I am quite worried about
this
> after reading other peoples expierances on this line.
>
> can anyone give me anything posotive to think about????
>
> look forward to hearing from you.

Carol,
Welcome, I am glad you found this group.  I am always glad when people find
this group because I struggled on my own for many years.  I was diagnosed
with "A" when I was 16.  I am now 40.  Anyway, positive things to think
about.  I think they abound.  Think about getting back to normal.  Think
about sitting down to a "normal" meal with your friends/family.  Focus on
the positive things you have in your life.  I think we can either let "A"
rule us or we can take charge of our lives.  I choose to take charge!

J.C.
----- Original Message -----
From: "carole1952uk" <carole.dunningham@...>
To: <achalasia@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 12:19 PM
Subject: [achalasia] Achalasia. new member


> Hi,I am a new member, my name is Carole I am 49.  I was diagnosed
> with 'A'last year.
>
> I have had 2 baloon dilations both didn't work the second dilation
> was with the largest balloon, so I am now waiting to see another
> surgeon to discuss having an operation, I am quite worried about this
> after reading other peoples expierances on this line.
>
> can anyone give me anything posotive to think about????
>
> look forward to hearing from you.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

You can go to the website and print them off.  You could just print the
email you receive.  I copy and paste things I want to save to Word and take
out all the stuff I don't want to print.  Just a suggestion.

J.C.
----- Original Message -----
From: <bethadelph@...>
To: <achalasia@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 7:37 AM
Subject: Re: [achalasia] Digest Number 462


> Is this a digest that I can order a copy of and subscribe to . I would
> really like to share these stories with my family members who do not
> have access to the internet.
>
> MAY GOD GUIDE YOUR PATH IN THE NEW YEAR!
> http://community.webtv.net/bethadelph/FEBRUARY142002
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

----- Original Message -----

From: Adriana Gil

To: achalasia@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 12:14 PM

Subject: Re: [achalasia] Dilation Effectiveness?

I think dilations are not a good way to figure out this problem. My doctor told me they were indicated for people who cannot go to surgery for other medical reasons. In fact, dilations may cause fibroms (I don't know if that's the word in English), like balls of muscle that make more difficult the myotomy. Besides, it has more risk than the surgery, because the doctor is not seeing what is happening in the esopahgus, so the baloon may perforate the membrane, leading the patient to go to toracic surgery.

Good luck to everyone!!!

Adriana

  JC Elder <jc_elder@...> wrote:

I just have one comment.  When I was finally diagnosed I was at the point where a dilation would not help me.  I had surgery as the only option for me.  Frankly, after listening to this group it seems the ones who have had dilations are the one who have had complication.  Linda has had no complications during surgery.  The ones who have had dilations have scar tissue which prevents any surgery being done laproscopicly (sp)  Personally, in my opinion, if I were new at this and I read all the stuff about dilations and the complications for later surgery there is no way I would do.  To me (again my uneducated opinion) it seems to cause as many problems as it may help.  I don't think it would be worth the risk.  Personally, after years of dealing with doctors & insurance companies, I believe it is just a cheaper way out.  They say lets do this first and see if it helps.

Just my humble achalasian opinion

 

J.C.

----- Original Message -----

From: Patricia Dahlquist

To: achalasia@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 4:21 PM

Subject: Re: [achalasia] Dilation Effectiveness?

Like you said, everyone is different. There is no typical achalasia.  I just had a dilation in December.  I spoke to and saw many doctors who felt that dilations are transient.  Yet the doctor that performed my dilation said it could last a number of years.  So, there are two schools of thought on the long-term effectiveness of a dilation. Who is right the doctors that say they don't last or the ones that do believe it is a long-trm effective treatment.  I think we only find out after we have had one.  After the dilation when I asked the doctor if the procedure worked or not he honestly replied that he didn't know.  I think the only way to tell is to see if the symptoms that one had before the dilation return,   Before the dilation my problem really wasn't about  having an unusually hard time swallowing, rather it was that I could only consume very small amounts of food, and I was beginning to feel weak and tired all the time.Although I compensated for 33 years with Achalasia I decided to have it taken care of because of the weakness and because the many web sites hinted that it could lead to cancer and this scared me.  Note: not one doctor ever mentioned the danger of cancer from having achalasia.  Before the dilation I had spasms, really bad chest pains, and sometimes mild chest pains that went away with swallowing room temp liquids.  After the dilation I started having daily spasms, and most of them were the extremely painful ones.  These spasms started as soon as I awoke and had no relationship to food.  My doctor is puzzled by this and suggested I have further tests.  Since I don't want anymore tests to find out why this  is happening I take prevacid in case reflux is the cause of the chest pain and Levsin for the spasms on a daily basis.  Both have helped.  Noone can seem to give us concrete answers on the whys and wherefors of Achalasia.  I wish you the best in whatever decision you make.  Mine was to have the dilation and see how things progress and if things don't work out I won't have a repeat dilation I will see if I am a good candidat for lap surgery.

  toomuchclutter <sandycarroll@...> wrote:

I saw a specialist at UCLA yesterday and will have the manometry on
Thursday.  The Dr. said IN GENERAL the dilations are effective long
term.  That is not the impression I had from this group.  Would the
dilation take away most symptoms?  Would I still have trouble
swallowing?  I know we are all different, but I have the impression
the dilations are pretty short term.  Has anyone had long term
successful results?  I don't have the chest spasms now, do those
generally come after dilation?

I appreciate your input, I will probably get a 2nd opinion but this
Dr. was much more encouraging about dilations than I had built up in
my mind.

Oh, I haven't had any treatment yet. 

Thanks,

Sandy


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Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

---

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Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Linda,
This is gonna sound gross, but I take Tylenol tablets and let them dissolve
under my tongue rather then swallow them.  Yep, it works!!  Amazing huh?

J.C.
----- Original Message -----
From: <lindwood@...>
To: <achalasia@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 5:23 AM
Subject: Re: [achalasia] what do we have in common?


> Now this is a first to me!  JC...You took TYLENOL for spasms and it
> WORKED??
>
> Linda
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

----- Original Message -----

From: lindwood@...

To: achalasia@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 8:47 PM

Subject: Re: [achalasia] Dilation Effectiveness?

Bill,
    What were your complications from surgery if not from dilation,
might we ask?

Linda



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

Chat

Date: Friday, February 1, 2002
Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM MST (GMT-07:00)

Available for chat most evening 7-9 p.m. MST

Carol,

From reading the posts on this site it seems that any procedure for achalasia has different results for everyone.  I guess we just have to continue investigating our options and go with our gut feelings on whether we have more diagnostic testing or have lap surgery.  I was told I had vigorous achalasia.  I just had a dilation and the spasms seem more frequent and intense than they did before the dilation.  I thought, o.k., the next step is I'll see someone about the operation.  The surgeon told me that the surgery would not correct the vigorous achalasia, that this is treated with medication, so now I don't know what to do.  I've pretty much decided that for now I will just try to work things out.  I have prevacid, levsin and vicodin.  Depending on the intensity of the spasm I resort to using medication.  I am sorry that your dilations didn't work.  Right now it seems that mine worked in the sense that I can now eat, and only time will tell how long it may or may not last.  It must be very hard for the doctors to tell the duration of a dilation since when I asked mine if it worked or not his honest response was he wasn't sure.  He also doesn't know why the spasms increased after the dilation.  This is a puzzling, fustrating illness for everyone.

  carole1952uk <carole.dunningham@...> wrote:

Hi,I am a new member, my name is Carole I am 49.  I was diagnosed
with 'A'last year.

I have had 2 baloon dilations both didn't work the second dilation
was with the largest balloon, so I am now waiting to see another
surgeon to discuss having an operation, I am quite worried about this
after reading other peoples expierances on this line.

can anyone give me anything posotive to think about????

look forward to hearing from you.






Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Yes!  i had the surgery and it changed my life.  i can eat again!  i
still get spasms, but i'm so much better than i was....there is hope!

katy


On Wed, 30 Jan 2002 19:19:34 -0000 "carole1952uk"
<carole.dunningham@...> writes:
> Hi,I am a new member, my name is Carole I am 49.  I was diagnosed
> with 'A'last year.
>
> I have had 2 baloon dilations both didn't work the second dilation
> was with the largest balloon, so I am now waiting to see another
> surgeon to discuss having an operation, I am quite worried about
> this
> after reading other peoples expierances on this line.
>
> can anyone give me anything posotive to think about????
>
> look forward to hearing from you.
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
________________________________________________________________
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Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
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Hi Katy

I have knowingly suffered from achalasia for 18 months and I was very
interested to read about the possible connection between achalasia
and pesticides.  All my life I have been exposed to chemicals
(growing up on a farm and working in related industries).

I was wondering if you could remember any of the pesticides discussed
at the bio class you went to.  If we can't find a cure (I have had a
Heller's Myotomy), it would be good to find a possible cause.

I hope you can help.

Richard

--- In achalasia@y..., kkoerber@j... wrote:
> it occurs to me that nerve damage (as some people think achalasia
is a
> nerve issue) can be caused by the use of certain types of (perfectly
> legal) pesticides.  i don't know a ton about this, i took a bio
class
> that talked about it.  while A could be hereditary, it seems like
> pesticide or other chemical exposure could also be the culprit,
> especially when there are families (who tend to live in the same
> geographic region) that all seem to have these similar problems.
> sometimes environmental concerns get masked behind the heredity
issue,
> and vice versa.  who knows what the case is here, but i thought i'd
throw
> it out there.
>
> katy
> ________________________________________________________________
> GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
> Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
> Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
> http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.

Enter your vote today!  A new poll has been created for the
achalasia group:

Are you interested in on-line chat
through the achalasia group's home page?
Check all answers that apply to you.

   o No.
   o Yes, but I am not interested in a schedule, I'll check in whenever I have
time.
   o Yes, I am interested in a scheduled weekly chat.
   o Yes, I am interested in a session once a month.
   o Yes, I am interested in a chat that is hosted by someone from the group on a
specific topic (e.g. surgery experience; alternative treatment options;..)


To vote, please visit the following web page:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/achalasia/polls

Note: Please do not reply to this message. Poll votes are
not collected via email. To vote, you must go to the Yahoo! Groups
web site listed above.

Thanks!

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

Chat

Date: Saturday, February 2, 2002
Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM MST (GMT-07:00)

Available for chat most evening 7-9 p.m. MST

Bill, OMG your the first person that I have heard
mention the "thirst" I too perforated but during a
dialation... I spent a week at the U of M and I think
at one point I stood on the bed and was just crazy
over thirst.  It seemed everytime I just got my mouth
comfortable, they would come in and want me to take a
million deep breaths and answer questions of course
when your lips are stuck to your gums its tough to
talk ...I tell my family that the hunger was gone in
about 3 days but the thirst was increadable!!!  Im
glad your better now.  Cathey
--- Bill Leavitt <wleavitt5@...> wrote:
> I had a perforation of the esophagus and a hiatal
> hernia which had not been visible from the X-rays.
> I had to be hospitalized until the perforation had
> healed, a total of 7 days without food or water.  I
> was also attached to IVs and had a chest tube, which
> severely limited mobility.  When I finally left the
> hospital, I had uncontrollable diarrheah which was
> diagnosed as a side effect of the IV medication.
> The thirst was by far the worst effect.
>
> Even with all these problems I am glad I had the
> surgery- my symptoms now are much improved.  I still
> have problems with swallowing ( I've never had the
> spasms- thank God for small Favors) but the
> nocturnal coughing spasms were eliminated.
>
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: lindwood@...
>   To: achalasia@yahoogroups.com
>   Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 8:47 PM
>   Subject: Re: [achalasia] Dilation Effectiveness?
>
>
>   Bill,
>       What were your complications from surgery if
> not from dilation,
>   might we ask?
>
>   Linda
>
>
>         Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>
>
>
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Date: Sunday, February 3, 2002
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Hi All,

I am having a manometry test next week. The info sheet I was given
said it is 'uncomfortable'. Just wondered what to expect.

Thanks in advance.
Michael

Hi Michael
It is uncomfortable and unpleasant but not intolerable or
particularly painful.  The worst part is the feeling of the tube on
the back of your throat which if it is in the right (or wrong) spot
will make you gag and probably throw up. When I had it it took about
45 minutes and that was because she had some trouble placing the
sensors in the right spot and getting them to stay there.  If you
have had the endoscopy it is not as bad as that but worse than the
barium swallow.  That is my scale of unpleasant.  The tube going
through your nose is really ok, does not hurt.  And swallowing little
sips of water is fine.  When I had it she just put a kind of bib over
my shirt and I wish she had given me a gown or I had brought a spare
top as things did get a little messy!  I am going for another one in
a couple of weeks.  Good luck
Liz

--- In achalasia@y..., "mfgerrard" <mfgerrard@h...> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am having a manometry test next week. The info sheet I was given
> said it is 'uncomfortable'. Just wondered what to expect.
>
> Thanks in advance.
> Michael

Michael--

Manometries are not the most fun....but they're not horrifying either.
they will stick a tube up your nose that goes down the back of your
throat, all the way to just above your stomach.  then they will ask you
to drink small sips of water.  the tube has sensors on it that can tell
if the esophageal muscles are contracting while you swallow the water.
It doesn't take very long, and when i did it the most 'uncomfortable'
part was at the beginning -- they sprayed my throat with numbing stuff
that kind of stung.  The part where they put the tube in is kind of icky,
but not painful (at least for me).

to sum up:  it won't be a party, but it's not worth losing sleep over.
good luck, i hope it goes well!

-Katy


On Mon, 04 Feb 2002 04:18:42 -0000 "mfgerrard" <mfgerrard@...>
writes:
> Hi All,
>
> I am having a manometry test next week. The info sheet I was given
> said it is 'uncomfortable'. Just wondered what to expect.
>
> Thanks in advance.
> Michael
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I'm sorry, Richard, I don't remember the specific pesticide types.  I
know that they are still used today, and that they are used widely in
farming....I threw out my notes after the class was over -- at the time,
it didn't seem so important!  Sorry i couldn't be of more help....I
wonder if environmental groups would have any info.

-Katy


On Sat, 02 Feb 2002 19:54:25 -0000 "chard1st" <chard1st@...>
writes:
> Hi Katy
>
> I have knowingly suffered from achalasia for 18 months and I was
> very
> interested to read about the possible connection between achalasia
> and pesticides.  All my life I have been exposed to chemicals
> (growing up on a farm and working in related industries).
>
> I was wondering if you could remember any of the pesticides
> discussed
> at the bio class you went to.  If we can't find a cure (I have had a
>
> Heller's Myotomy), it would be good to find a possible cause.
>
> I hope you can help.
>
> Richard
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