Esophageal Achalasia / Spasm :: Botox Injections Into Oesophagus
After 15 years with Achalasia and difficulty with food passing into my stomach I finally had Botox injections yesterday. During the endoscopy the dr said the valve at the bottom of my oesophagus was really tight and he's hoping the Botox will help me.
View 8 RepliesEsophageal Achalasia / Spasm :: Acid Reflux From Hiatus Hernia
For a long time i suffered with acute pain from O S mostly brought on by acid reflux from hiatus hernia. I came across a sort of solution which works for me.
At the first sign(generally slight pain and a tightening of my chest around the base of the esophagus ) which generally happens during the night ,but not always I eat dry biscuits(digestives are good) they seem to force the stomach back where it's supposed to be.If that doesn't work then its a piece of toast and hot tea.
It seems to happen more when my stomach is empty,but that may be just co-incedence.It has helped me avoid the development of a more serious,painful problem.
Oesophageal Achalasia / Spasm :: Choking Feeling
I have suspected bilateral diaphragm paralysis and increasing difficulties breathing and swallow king. Weak and short breath on inspiration and expiration and barely sleeping. Are there any exercises can be done at this late stage as now have impending feeling of doom. Have been told intervention is pointless.
View 2 RepliesOesophageal Achalasia / Spasm :: Swallowing Difficulty
God this is really getting me down, to point I have been wondering if I am ever going to eat again and I am frightening myself with the thoughts I am having.
I just cannot swallow solid foods, it started 4 weeks ago. i was happily eating some chicken and all of a sudden my throat 'closed' and I choked. I managed to cough it back up and carried on eating after.
Next day, for love nor money could I swallow, each time I tried i choked.
4 weeks later and I still keep trying the odd bit of food here and there and it just won't go down.
I have had an endoscope - that was a highly unpleasant experience but it found nothing. I was told to go home and eat and to stop being so stressed.
I have been to seen a sports therapist and she has found that I have very very tight neck and jaw muscles. But it still feels like food won't go down, although I did feel better once I had seen her.
Trying to get another appointment with the doctor is like golddust.
I am normally a fit and healthy 37yr old woman, mum of three. I love my food and I want to eat. Thing is, this has gone on so long now I have gone past being hungry. I think this is probably a bit phycological now as well but the tightening really does happen.
The back of my neck, round to the front and up under the jaw is so tight.
Oesophageal Achalasia / Spasm :: Can Only Tolerate Liquids At Present
I have had swallowing problems, oesophagus pain, burning in chest feeling as though food is getting stuck and an awful sensation of a lump in my throat for the last four years. I was wrongly diagnosed with GERD and treated with PPIs. My symptoms have gradually got worse and after three attempts managed the manometry and twenty four hour pH test following this I have been recently diagnosed with achalasia. I feel so unwell and life is feeling unbearable I can only tolerate liquids at present and my symptoms seem to have deteriorated since diagnosis feels like everything sticking in my throat an awful taste the lump has got worse and feels like I can't feel my throat properly and my swallow feels weak. All my symptoms are bringing on the most awful feeling of anxiety and I just don't know where to turn no one understands how bad this feels. Has anyone else had this terrible sensation of a lump and at the same time a sort of lack of sensation in the throat.
View 47 RepliesPregabalin :: Successfully Stopping It
i have been on Pregablin for 6 years now. I'm an amputee and suffer badly with phantom pains. I want to stop taking them but fear not only the phantom pains becoming unbearable but also how I may react on other levels. I take 600mg daily. My memory has been badly affected as well as my concentration levels and I feel constantly tired. Has anyone on here sucessfully come off pregablin? I feel that I am a spectator watching my life pass by and all my emotions are very flat. Hoping someone can help me out with an answer.
View 1 RepliesSuccessfully Dealing With Diabetes 2?
How many people have input on successfully dealing with diabetes 2?
View 3 RepliesHemorrhoids :: 10 Years Of Issue Ends With Haemorrhoidectomy Successfully
I first had an issue with haemorrhoids 16 years ago (when I was 23). I spent a day off work with a bad stomach ache, and straining on the toilet a few times during that day. Later that night I felt a lump, which I now know to be a perianal haematoma which isn’t a haemorrhoid, but it is very very painful and causes haemorrhoids. It is basically a blood clot which the body can break down over two weeks. Pain killers and ointments etc don’t help, the only thing that did is a warm bath. After two weeks it was gone.
Fast forward 5 years to 2001, and after a heavy night on the drink I got up in the morning and fell down the stairs, I landed square flat on my back side, which hurt, but thought nothing of it. Later that day I felt a very painful lump, it was a perianal haematoma again, excruciating painful, it changes your mood and nothing at all helps but a bath, creams are useless. But again, because all it is, is a blood clot, the body breaks it down and it’s gone after 2 weeks.
After two weeks and 2 days after the perianal haematoma occurred (basically 2 days after the perianal haematoma had cleared up) I felt a pain coming on, getting stronger and stronger, but no lump or anything else I could feel or see. This was the start of internal haemorrhoids.
It was very very painful and again all the creams and ointments simply don’t do anything, the only temporary relief was a bath. It hurt all the time, whether I was sitting or standing, I tried carrying on but people must have thought I was miserable, and people simple do not understand, it’s not like you have broken arm that people can see, and you don’t want to tell people what is wrong, and those you do tell, still can’t comprehend the pain.
I gave it a chance to clear up, but it didn’t, so I went to the doctor after a month. The GP at the time referred me. I got an appointment for 2 months later at an NHS hospital (so that’s 3 months in terrible pain, having to carry on at work!) During this time I remembered I actually had private healthcare! So contacted them to hopefully get something sorted a bit quicker.
The NHS hospital banded me 3 times, it was a bit of a factory line, and a bit off putting by a female student being shown the ropes. It was a painful procedure, and as I left I nearly fainted in the car park walking back to my car. I made it, made it home and was very pleased this should be the beginning of the end. I had a follow up appointment just over a month later.
After 2 weeks I was still uncomfortable (but better), so kept my appointment with the private hospital. The consultant there couldn’t really help, he recommended a muscle relaxant.
I went back to the NHS hospital for the follow up appointment and said that I could still feel pain. The same consultant was dismissive, questioned my sexuality and said couldn’t I just ignore the pain. My opinion of him wasn’t a good one, and I didn’t want t go back there!
The relaxant from the private consultant didn’t help. I continued putting up with the discomfort (i’d no longer describe it as pain since the banding) and it eventually went away, by September it was gone completely, brilliant!
A year later I went back to the private hospital because some discomfort had returned. I work with computers so sit down for most of the day, and I was suffering with severe pins-and-needles down the backs of my legs which made sitting very uncomfortable.
He referred me to another consultant and in April 2004 that consultant gave me an injection, which seemed to solve the problem for 4 years.
4 years later I got a perianal haematoma due to a bike ride, I got it checked at the private hospital again and it cleared up by itself in 2 weeks.
A year later another bike ride brought on some pain, and I continued to manage this with off-the-shelf treatments. I was now getting a lump after a bowel movement, this lump would disappear almost immediately however.
I went back to private hospital about the pain and was referred for a endoscopy within the NHS (because I no longer had private healthcare) in Jan 2010. That came back OK, and was banded then also. Things were fine for 6 months.
Pain came back mid 2010 so I decided to go to my new GP (new doctors since moving house) and money was getting tight for the private consultations.
The GP would not refer me, and prescribed Proctosedyl. This didn’t seem to work and I started investigating privately funded options like Halo.
I kept going back to my GP saying I was trying Proctosedyl without much success, I did think it helped but it certainly isn’t a cure.
My GP referred me to hospital for a consultation. The consultant examined me and said it was a small pile mass and not much could be done. That was not good news, but he did want to check for an abscess, so that was good news in terms of progress. I was referred for an ultrasound and went for that in Oct 2010. It was not pleasant at all.
I was then referred for an MRI. A bit worried by that, and went for that in Jan 2011, again all on the NHS which has always been utterly brilliant since the first 3 bandings I had.
All results came back OK and I saw the consultant who then did some banding in Jun 2011. 24 hours later I felt really bad, faint, very cold, shivering, sickness, and slept as soon as I got home, it was like I had some bad reaction to the banding.
The pain had been relieved though, for only a month, so went back to the consultant who did some more banding on 24 Oct 2011. Again the pain cleared up and pain came back just after a month after a bowel movement.
I decided to go back to the private consultant and to ask his opinion in Dec 2011 and he just said enough is enough and it is time to be referred for an operation with the NHS. I got an appointment for February but could not take it. Got another for April and I went for that.
I went into hospital in the morning at 8am. Had an enema at 9:30am which cleared me out good and proper. 11am they came to get me for surgery, 11:50 I woke up, felt brilliant. Then rested.
Other blokes on the ward had trouble doing a wee, one wet the bed because he couldn’t feel anything. Luckily I was fine, did a wee so that meant I could go home.
I got home at 7pm, and slept slept slept. Got out of bed at about 10am the next morning, felt very uncomfortable but I wouldn’t call in painful, afterall the haemorrhoids were painful!
I went out shopping, walking slowly. There was blood, but had a pad to absorb that.
I went back to work the day after, I was getting on fine.
The next day I needed a poo in the morning, and nearly fainted, the pain was unbelievable, and had to take the day off work.
I went to my doctor and he gave me some Lactulose to loosen things up a bit. Going to the toilet became OK after 2 weeks, but successive bowel movements were never as bad as the first.
It is now almost 2 two after my operation, and I still haven’t fully healed. I forget about it sometime which is brilliant, a true test that the pain of piles has been eradicated for me. Some bowel movements can hurt sometime, and produce some blood, but it soon stops.
There has been a lump, which used to ooze puss, but that has stopped, and the lump seems to be getting smaller, very slowly over time.
The operation by the way, was a very simple removal of one haemorrhoid, they didn’t staple, just because it was one, they simply cut it out, good bloody riddance!
So after over 10 years, and creams, bandings, injections, the proper haemorrhoidectomy seems to have solved the problem, but the reluctance of doctors and consultants to refer me for the operation is a surprising one. I have heard it maybe because the cure can be as bad as the symptoms. If someone has been struck by this horrible condition in its worst form, they wouldn’t say that!
Esophageal Spasms And Dysmotility For 18 Months
I have had ongoing chest and heartburn pain for 18 months now and although previously had acid reflux a 24hr PH manometry which shows i don't have acid reflux any more i appear to have Esophageal Spasms and dysmotility.
Does anyone have any advice on this with what i can do to help this as i know it will probably be about 2 months before i see my gastroenterologist following this test as so fed up with being in pain on a daily basis
How I Treated My Allergic Rhinitis
I have a predominantly obstructive form of perennial allergic rhinitis with multiple allergen sensitivity.
Negative stress aggravates it - positive stress alleviates it. Jogging and exercise helps to overcome nasal airflow resistance for me and seems to reduce the sensation of blockage - a lot of good consistent exercise definitely improves rhinitis in my case e.g. swimming, jogging, running, cycling.
Irregular sleeping hours and too much sleep can provoke an attack in my case.
As many people will agree, it can have a significant impact on sleep, cause tiredness, lack of concentration, irritability, tension, nausea, post nasal drip, dryness and can have a serious impact on relationships in work and at home.
I found that nasal spray corticosteroids don't work consistently in my case - they don't always prevent my attacks from occurring, even with long term use. This is only my experience though!
I use a prescribed formulation of medicinal herbs prescribed by an approved medical herbalist - I have found them to be more effective and longer lasting than any other treatments I tried - single herbs I found did not work. I use this constantly throughout the winter and intermittently during the summer.
Plaintain and eyebright compound is good for the dryness I experience in the winter and is good for clearing the mucous.
Nasal saline irrigation can be very helpful also to clear mucous in the nasal cavity for me.
Fisherman's friend and airwaves chewing gum is very useful to make me breath through my nose more easily.
I have fewer attacks now (almost a normal life) that I use the herbal medication, compared to when I used only steroid sprays.
But when I do have the odd attack, I immediately begin using betamethasone sodium phosphate drops (betamethasone is a potent corticosteroid). I usually need them for no more than 5 or 6 days because I feel that they lose their benefit if using them long term - the medicinal herbs are my long term treatment.
A useful method recommended by my ENT consultant was to invert my head over the back of the bed when using the drops, and wait a few minutes - this allows deep penetration into the sinuses - (i believe that there is a sinus called the ethmoid sinus deeper in the nasal cavity)
If my nose gets really blocked up, I will use an oral decongestant, phenylephrine hydrochloride (60 mg) (short acting) and take these for a few days (this can also help the betamethasone drops get to the right place as it is a vasoconstrictor). I find that this decongestant, in my case, does not give me the shakes and nervousness that pseudoephedrine does.
Treated My Lifelong Hemorrhoids
Suffered since then and now fifty seven, late Father senior consultant. Mother had the operation and was worse than before after it.
I just had pain until I was about thirty and then the bleeding started, it got very bad and was a constant worry. About three years ago I started thinking of an idea. These things are blocked veins, so I wondered if I massaged them while in a bath of warm water what would happen. If I could loosen the blockages slowly over time, it might just work.
So I got on my knees in the bath after soaking for a while and washing, soaped my fingers up well with soap, then lined my fingers and thumb in a straight line, then massaged the area up and down and around. I did this about three times a week. After two or three weeks of this method of massage, I found that they had all but gone away. I do the same thing every time I bath or shower, I am rather vigorous with this method now, pushing the line of fingers around and at a faster rate. My bleeding stopped almost immediately, I have never had any pain since and the once not tight orifice of my ass is now, about as good as when I was a younger man.
I have had probably four or five small bleeds when using toilet paper since, but I used to bleed that many times a week before I started this procedure.
i was worried that a clot could cause an issue once it was released, but by starting this method with care, I am as happy as could be again. I can wear light colored trousers and shorts with no fear.
i told my GP what I had done and suggested he tell any of his patients, I just hope he did.
I was born in the UK but have been in the USA for the past twenty five years. I am giving you a jewel of help here, I suppose I could have made some money here with this idea but I do not want a free ride. Try it out, I honestly know it will help all of you out there with this horrible ailment.
GERD :: Lower Esophageal Sphincter - Burning Throat And Stomach
I am having burning throat and stomach... I have had a barium swallow and when the machine tipped me on my back, the contents of my stomach go up into my esophagus. I had a scope which said the ph in my stomach wasn't horrible and then a ph monitor in my throat which showed that the ph in my throat isn't bad until I lay down at night. My doctor also said my lower esophageal stayed open during the entire procedure and and he thinks it doesn't close at all anymore. My throat hurts everyday. I am supposed to take 40mg of omeprazole twice a day but I know long term it's bad for you. I am looking at nissen fundoplication but am afraid because it's serious and requires a long recovery. I am nervous as I heard you can never vomit again and I do ge nauseated even just on a ride in the car. Anyone had good results with surgery or anything else ?
View 1 RepliesIf Not Treated, Gonorrhea / Chlamydia Can Lead To HIV?
After this infection i stopped having sex but masturbating 1)if we have any infection like gonorrhea chlamydia do we get hiv if not treated if u dont have sex also.2)if any std is given Wrong tablet does it convert into hiv
View 1 RepliesOvarian Cyst Can Be Treated Without Surgery?
can a ovarian cyst be treated or one has to do a surgery to get rid of it?
View 1 RepliesRecurrence Of Achalasia After Heller Myotomy
I'm now 38 and was diagnosed with achalasia in 1998. The condition stated in late 1997 and progressed very quickly. I was unable to eat any form of solid food and every meal had to be accompanied by buckets of water!
I had the myotomy and a fundoplication in Sept 1999.
However, the symptoms soon returned. They never got as bad as they were before the operation, but I think suffers of the condition become very adept at managing the condition.
I went through a series of dilations and other tests until, in 2005, my surgeon decided that another operation was the only hope. However, by this time, I had completely lost confidence in my surgeon and decided to live with the condition.
I have found that swallowing has continued to get worse over the years, but I manage it reasonably well by drinking lots of water with meals and avoiding problematic foods such as bread, pasta and fruit.
However, I suffer from dreadful substernal pain and have been admitted twice to A&E with a suspected heart attack. My use of painkillers is now at pretty serious levels so I am having the condition investigated again.
I guess that I knew this was inevitable, but I'm not looking forward to the barium swallows, endoscopy, manometry etc and I guess further surgery is unavoidable.
I utterly sympathise with those who have the condition. It is painful, restricting and embarrassing - you only have to regurgitate an oesophagus full of chewed food over a plate to realise what a bummer of a condition this is. It may not be life threatening, but it is certainly not fun!
I wish everyone with the condition every best wish in managing their condition.
PS - I really struggle with my weight and am now 5 stone overweight which must be a record for achalasia!!! Would love to hear from anyone in a similar position.
Banding Surgery Experience - Finally Treated My Hemorrhoids
I'm posting this (rather long) history of how I finally solved my hemorrhoids problem in the hopes it will help people who are still trying to figure it out.
I'm a 58 year old man in good health and at the correct weight for my height. I'm not on any prescription drugs, I eat sensibly and work out at least 2-3 times a week.
I've had hemorrhoids for many years and pretty much ignored them, but then about 3 years ago they started getting worse, eventually to the point where I had to do something because they started to affect my life style.
The lifestyle effects were mostly about physical exercise. For example, when I played more than 9 holes of golf, the hemorrhoids would start acting up and get so uncomfortable I couldn't focus on my game. Or playing racquetball for more than a half hour would cause the same problems. The symptoms were pain, sometimes some type of clear fluid discharge (I know - totally gross), and sometimes bleeding. I could actually feel the hemorrhoids stick out of my butt. The pain could last for several days and would be constantly on my mind to point where enough was enough, I had to get help.
So I got a referral from my regular doc to a colorectal doc. It was a bad experience... he examined me and afterward said, "Yup, you got a nice bunch of marbles down there," and told me I needed surgery and how painful it could be. His nurse told me that she'd had post-op patients call her and literally scream and swear at her because they were in so much pain. I left that office and never went back. I forgot about "getting better" and figured I'd just have to live with it for now.
But a month or two later I was playing softball at a meeting away from home and the hemorrhoids got real bad and when I got to the hotel they were bleeding and I had to go out to dinner with a bunch of associates, then get on a plane early the next morning. I didn't know if I'd be able to do either, but I somehow got through it and vowed to go back to the doc.
So I got a referral to another doc and he was a little better. But he too recommended surgery and told me there would be a 2 week period I'd have to take off from work. I still wasn't ready for that, but he did give me a very good key piece of advice, and that was to take one big tablespoon of orange flavored sugar-free Metamucil (he was very specific) mixed with a big glass of water once a day, and to drink lots of water each day. I started taking it the next day and it made a big difference in my bowel movements. They became much 'easier' and didn't bother my hemorrhoids nearly as much as before. That was about 18 months ago and I've taken it every day since (I think it's good for cholesterol reduction too as a side benefit).
Still searching for a non-surgical solution, I got a referral to another doc and the third time was the charm for the time being. This doc examined me and said I definitely didn't need surgery, that my main problem was a couple of internal hemorrhoids and they could be handled with rubber band litigation. I said what about the external ones that I could see with a mirror? He said those weren't the offenders, which was quite different from what the other two docs said. So he did the procedure. He picked the biggest one and put the band on it. It took about 5 minutes and was very uncomfortable but not painful. He told me that's it, that there's no after-care, there should be no pain and to come back in a couple of weeks.
Well, he was wrong about the pain. I woke up that night at 2 am in pain. I took a couple of Advil which didn't help much, so an hour later I took two Tylenols and that did the trick. The procedure had been on a Friday, so I couldn't call the doc to see why I was having pain, but I looked it up online and saw that it wasn't uncommon, especially if the rubber band had been placed too low, i.e., too far towards the lining of the rectum where it would pull on the wall.
I had to keep that up the meds for the next 2-3 days. The whole area was swollen and felt like a typical 'bad' attack, and I was bummed out thinking this wasn't going to work. On Monday, I called the office and found out they're closed on Mondays. Great.
On Tuesday things were starting to get better. There was still some pain but no big deal. I called the doc's nurse and she said I could come in, but it sounded like I was progressing ok and that yes, sometimes there is pain if the band is too low, and that's exactly what this sounded like. So I decided not to go in, and day by day it got better.
After about a week, I was back to working out, and for the first time in a long, long time, I didn't have hemorrhoid problems. I was now able to resume most activities without having those nagging problems anymore. What a relief!
I say 'most' because I still would have some minor problems after longer periods physical exertion, say after 3-4 hours, like a round of golf. But again, the issues were much less.
At 6 months after that first procedure I was still having some issues, so I decided to get another band done to get the second-worse internal hemorrhoid taken care of. I had it done, and this time there was no pain at all afterwards. The procedure was still uncomfortable, but now knowing what the result would be, I went into it with much less trepidation, and knew that even if I did have the same pain as the first time, it would be worth it.
So for me, it was all about getting those internal hemorrhoids dealt with. I still have the external ones, but much to my surprise they really don't cause any issues. I had always thought they were the culprits since I could see them, but I guess that's one of the pitfalls with self-diagnosis; the obvious answer was the wrong one. I may still have one more internal one to take care of, as the doc said they usual form in groups of three. But with the first two, worst ones taken care of, I think most of my problems are gone.
For any of you fellow sufferers out there, I hope you can learn something from these first experiences. The whole thing was embarrassing (to me) at first.... having those first docs checking me out 'down there' took some getting used to, but now I look at it as just another medical procedure, somewhat typical to what women have to go though their whole lives, or so my wife says.
About a year later and I was still having problems with at least one internal hemorrhoids. I went back to my doc who it put a rubber band on but it didn't help all that much. I went back again and he said well, there is another one, and I'll try to band it. I didn't really get what he was talking about with the try (he was never hesitant before) but said go ahead anyway. He said the issue was that he couldn't get the band all the way around the base of it but hopefully this would work. The next morning well sitting on the toilet, the band popped off. I realized that the banding procedure was no longer an option and thought that maybe it time to get surgery and get this finished once and for all.
I asked a separate doc that I trusted for a referral to a younger (<45) doc who knew all the latest procedures, as I was looking for the most non-invasive possible. I found one. When meeting with him he told me all the different techniques he uses and said that during surgery he'd decide which was best depending on how things presented themselves, and I was good with that approach.
I had the surgery and it turned out to be more complex than we thought. Initially, we knew there was at least one internal hemorrhoid that was the main culprit, but during surgery he found two other internals and one external. In fact, the main internal one was connected to the external one, so they both had to come out. So the surgery, which was in a full-blown operating room and I was completely unconscious, was rather extensive. Although it was scheduled to be outpatient I couldn't pee afterwards so they inserted a catheter and keep me overnight (The catheter insertion was weird and uncomfortable and freaked me out a little as a friend had just had one a month before and told me how awful it was. In reality, the fear from that was much worse than the actual procedure. But next time I would still ask for a Xanax or something first). I came home the next day in some pain. He gave me Percocet which helped quite a bit. (He started out with one 5 mg every six hours and it wasn't nearly enough. I had up it to two 10 mg every four hours for the first day or two.)
Here's the recovery process, which I wrote as it happened:
Day 1, Thursday Surgery @ 7:30 am. Prep was nothing to eat or drink after midnight and an enema the night before (more on that later). Woke up after, no pain yet but felt pressure in lower abdomen. Because of the catheter, they kept me overnight and removed it the following morning.
Day 2, Friday I went home, slept a lot, caught up Netflix (the one silver lining). Took 10 mg Percocet every 4-5 hours, which did a good job of containing pain. Was able to walk if needed, e.g., to the bathroom, but only felt like laying in bed. Total meds: 30 mg Percocet, 1 Senokot, 2 Colace, 2 Advil.
Day 3, Saturday - I'm now in the third day after the surgery and things seem to be getting better. I still haven't had a bowel movement which I am anticipating will be somewhat painful, But I'm looking forward to get through it because that will be kind of the last step. Total meds: 10 mg Percocet, 3 Colace, 3 Senokot, 1 Miralax, 2 Advil. (Might have taken more pain meds, but I was asleep quite a bit.)
Day 4, Sunday Had first bowel movement. Was more uncomfortable than painful and I wish I had been taking more stool softeners, because the surgical area is apparently swollen and theres not much room for stuff to exit. I upped my dose immediately to Colace 3x a day and one dose of Miralax before bed. The pain occurred afterward about 5 minutes after I was done, an aching started in the surgery area and got quite bad, to the point where I had to lay down in bed and wait for 10 mg of Percocet to kick in. Thank God for Percocet. From there on, I pre-medicated for the next few days which helped a lot. Had two more BMs that say, the 2nd followed by 2 Advil, 3rd by 2 Percocet. Total meds: 30 mg Percocets, 6 Advil, 5 Senokot, 3 Colace, 1 Miralax,
Day 5, Monday Stayed home from work. Sent email to direct reports why I was out (hadn't told them previously). Woke up at 6 am took 2 Advil. Took various softeners and pain killers throughout the day, had two BMs. Still painful with achiness but not as bad due to taking more softeners and stating ahead on the pain meds. Total meds: 6 Advil, 10 mg Percocet , 2 Colace, 2 Senokot, 1 Miralax.
Day 6, Tuesday - Getting a little better each day. Still stayed home for work, but had a one hour meeting downtown, so I went to that. It was good to be out. I had been noticing that there was a light hygiene issue with some minor staining and a little leakage, so my wife gave me a mini-pad that sticks to your underwear. It worked ok, but was hard to position properly. After that, I switched to the maxi-pads, which also stick to the underwear, but cover much more area and worked better. Good peace-of-mind as I didn't have to worry about being out in public. Had one BM, as I did from here on out. Total meds: 6 Advil, 2 Colace, 1 Percocet.
Day 7, Wednesday Back to work for the full day. Still a little awkward to get up and sit down, so I stayed at my desk most of the day, felt pretty good, maybe 80-85% better. If I had a job where I had to be on my feet all day, I would have stayed home again. Cut Colace down to 1, which was a mistake due to difficult BM the next day, immediately went back up to 3/day. Total meds: 4 Advil, 1 Colace.
After that first week, things continued to get better each day. I continued to have some achiness after each BM and took couple of Advil proceeding each one which helped. I went back to the doc for a checkup at the end of the 2nd week and he was pleased with progress. He said probably best not to take Advil as it causes bleeding, ok to take 2.5 or 5 mg of the Percocet, so I did that for a couple of days, then switched to Tylenol. I eventually stopped taking even that at about the 3-week mark. I continued to use the maxi-pads until about the 2-1/2 week mark. BMs at the end of the 3rd week were still a little difficult, especially to get them started. It felt like the opening wasn't big enough and I had to strain to get it going, but once stared it opened up and progressed normally. Maybe I was just too tensed up?
At the 4-week mark, the BMs are more normal with almost no straining. I was still taking 3 Colace a day, but considering going down to two. I should also mention that I was taking Metamucil 2x a day during the entire time period. I had been taking it once a day (1 heaping TB of the orange sugarless mixed in water) for the past several years on the recommendation of one of my first docs, and it helped a lot.
I also went back to playing racquetball just shy of the one-month anniversary. My doc cleared me after 2 weeks, but I was still too achy and just not ready. On my first day back to work, there was some pain from the BM (minor) and I was concerned that t would get worse when I played. I took a couple of Tylenol before playing and the pain was non existent. I was tired from not exercising for a month, but it was a good tired and, most importantly, no pain afterwards for the first time in years.
I should also mention that the hemorrhoid pain was gone after 3-4 weeks. It was hard to tell for the first 2-3 weeks, as there was pain form the surgery, but as it started to fade, I noticed that the old pain was no longer present after exercise of BMs. Yes! After all, this was the whole point in the first place, but it's sometimes difficult to remember as you're going through the post-op period.
Things I learned or wish I had known.
Surgery prep I was advised to do an enema 6 hours before surgery which I did (Actually the night before because the surgery was early). But looking back, I wish I had done a more extensive prep similar to a pre-colonoscopy exam, as that would have cleaned out everything and postponed the first BM for a day or two more. Maybe this isn't a viable option for some reason, but Id definitely ask the doc about it if I had to do it over.
Catheter - I was told there'd be a 50% chance of needing one because I'm a man over 50 (58). I wish I had just asked to have it inserted during the surgery, as it was stressful to have it done yet another procedure just 6 hours afterwards. And Id ask for a Xanax or Valium or something.
The recovery time is 6 weeks. Yes, it's possible to be back at work within a few days, but for me, it was really a couple of weeks before I was feeling anywhere near normal enough that I wasn't aware of the surgery, pressure, pain, the pad, etc. After 4 weeks, Id say I was 85-90% recovered. From all outside appearances I was 100%, and most of the time I was unaware of the event. To me, I'll be 100% recovered when I'm thinking/aware of the surgery 0% of the time. Put another way, Id say I was 100% functional 3-1/2 weeks afterwards, but 85% recovered. The 15% difference was that BMs were still an issue I was taking softeners still and there was some pain or achiness, but not much. I stopped taking pain meds for this at about the 3-1/2 to 4 week mark. I should also mention that, due to the softeners, the BMs happened almost first thing in the morning, typically after one cup of coffee. You should have access to a toilet because when I had to go I HAD to go. If I had had to wait more than a minute or two, it would have been a problem.
Because the recovery time is long, I was glad I had no big events or travel planned for a few weeks afterwards. We hosted Thanksgiving at my house exactly 3 weeks afterwards, which I had thought was a no brainer recovery-time-wise. It turned out fine, but I was glad it was at my house as I still wasn't 100%.
Id err on the side of more pain meds and definitely more stool softeners. I was warned that too many softeners could cause diarrhea, but I never experienced that, but I can definitely say that too few cause pain. For the pain meds, Id take them 1 hour before each BM for the first few weeks. Don't wait until afterwards because its too late. Be preemptive. Don't take Advil; take your prescribed meds or Tylenol.
Plan to be in bed for the first 4 days (day one being surgery). Although I was up and around by day three, it was really day 5 when I felt good enough to put away the tray table and resume downstairs life (our bedroom is upstairs).
Recovery clothing The only thing I was comfortable wearing for the first week was sweat pants. Unfortunately I only had two pair and they tend to get soiled easily in the first few days. I recommend having 5-6 pair available. And bring a soft, fluffy pillow to the surgery for the ride home. You'll be very glad to have it.
Was the surgery and pain worth it? Definitely. I knew what was coming more or less, but I really wish I had more details about recovery so I could set expectations, which I why I'm writing this in the hopes that it will help others. While the docs and nurses tell you about recovery, they don't really have the details, the day-to-day stuff. So here they are. Obviously, this surgery could be more or less invasive or extensive. Mine was a little more extensive than planned, but still, I feel like mine was a middle-of-the road case, maybe a 6 or 7 out of ten. A total guess really, but I had 3 internal and one external removed, so maybe you can judge by that.
Piles 6 Months Ago Treated - Found A Small Lump Near Top Of Anal Opening
I am really worried as today i found a small lump near the top side of anal opening....its little red colored. I have a piles problem already but I already got treatment and its 6 months ago and i am also drinking water as much as i can.but few days ago i got constipation problems and little blood and pain during toilet.
but today i found a little lump near top of anal opening ,its little red colored and when i touch it it's like a round shaped hard thing.
I am really worried as its unusual OR due to piles or Cancer symptom.I am just 24 years old.
GCA :: Spasm In Esophagus
For GCA, I just dropped from 40 to 30 msg of prednisone. Suddenly I thought I was having a heart attack. The righting pain on chest and back would not let up. We were told to go to the ER where after a second hour and medical help while hooked up to who knows, the pain began to ease. I am now on antacids and tums. Eileen, I think I dropped too many mgs. I love the super go slowly taper, no more than 10% drop. Now I have to convince my rheumy. Has anyone else had severe spasms? I did not know what was happening .
View 9 RepliesGastroenterology :: What Causes Spasm During Cholangiogram?
I was diagnosed with gallstones last 2014 but I only had my gallbladder removed through open cholecystectomy recently last November 29, 2015. The surgeons placed a t-tube drain and discharged me with it. They scheduled me for cholangiogram December 17, 2015 but the result showed that there's still a faint filling in the common bile duct so they scheduled for follow-up cholangiogram on January 4, 2016. During the second cholangiogram, this time there was a distinct pain during the procedure so they had to stop it. Two hours after, I know something was wrong because I felt cold then my temperature shoot up to 38.9 degree Centigrade. I felt slight pressure at the lower abdomen like I feel an urge to defecate and a few minutes I vomited. I was hospitalized, given antibiotics and hydrated. My doctor told me that it was an expected outcome after a cholangiogram. He said he would refer me to a hepatobiliary surgeon. I was checked by the specialist and told me that basing on the results there's still fragments left that's why a SPASM occurred during the cholangiogram. He's gonna perform a t tube choledochotomy. As of the moment, I noticed that I lost weight (8 lbs) after my hospitalization, continuously experienced itchiness and bitter after taste during meals. I also felt an on and off tingling sensation just below my operative site. Do I need to ask for second opinion?
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