Questions

I received a call from my GI doc with results and I have a hiatal hernia and LPR (non-acid reflux) which is causing many of my laryngospams, reactive airway, asthma, voice changes, apnea, etc. I am being referred to a general surgeon on Tuesday March 19th.

I also have an appt with a UW neurosurgeon who has treated pts with chiari 1 malformation (surgery), he looked at my MRI and wants to see me.

Does anyone else have LPR and Chiari 1 malformation? Am I facing two surgeries? or could Chiari 1 malformation surgery take care of both problems, anyone have ideas? The neurosurgery appt is Thurs March 21st.

So any information before next week would be great!

thank you much

Hi..

Great question! I am curious now about that..I am sorry to say I have no info on this..I am just throwing this out there...I see that your appt with the neurosurgeon is on the 21st...after your general surgeon appt...can you hold off on making surgical dates til after you see the NS..and ask the NS about this?

Then again..if you did make arrangements for for the LPR surgery and the NS thinks the Chiari is the root cause, you can always cancel the LPR surgery.

Can I give you my 2 cents as far as your NS appt?? I suggest you bring a list of ALL your symptoms and when they started..and I always think it is good to bring someone with you to the appt...another set of ears is always good.

Let us know how you are making out.



Emmaline said:

I'm wondering about the connection as well. I've had GI issues all my life but all tests are clear. Barium swallows are negative, and even an endoscopy was clear...yet I have reflux, heartburn, and spasms. When I takes my vitamins, they tend to get stuck mid way down until I drink lots of water. It makes no sense. Even a swallowing eval showed nothing. I know I'm not imagining it, so what's up??

It has to be connected...whether it's brain signal's that get messed up with how the GI tract works, or something else...it's just another way for physicians to think that it's mental, and we get blown off. For me it seems to be better after surgery. I'm 8 mos post op, and for now it all seems to be better. We shall see.

Things get stuck in my throat exactly as Emmaline described (I love your name btw!!).

I had a barium swallow thing and an endoscopy a long time ago before this all started. No one is listening to this symptom.

Hmmmm....I am going to see if I an get to the bottom of it. I have constant heartburn and slight nausea and a lump in my throat that migrates down my esophagus and then it's back up where it was before the next day. I have IBS too.

I am thinking/hoping that is is the Chiari so I can get it fixed some day.