GERD Testimonial

Here is a testimonial from Jo Firey about the importance of Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease and Asthma Exacerbation. Jo is an active participant in Asthma Discussion Group at Deja.com. I highlighted important sentences from her message.

Importance of Acid Reflux in the control of Asthma.

Hi. I only stop by the forum-deja.com- once in a while since my asthma is pretty much controlled right now.

I'm 54 and have had severe chronic asthma since I was about 8 years old. As you might guess I've been trhough pretty much every treatment out there. I haven't been hospitalized in almost three years and that may be a personal best.

I take Serevent and Vanceril even if I don't have any symptoms. Ventolin as needed, usually at night but not every night and then just for a little tightness. The Accolate has been back in the cupboard for months.

No Prednisone for six months and only about three very short cycles in the last two years (when I've pickup up an upper resp. infection. I haven't taken theophyllin in two years. Maybe this is just a lucky spell, and this is just one persons experience but I want to share it anyway.

About six years ago I started having trouble keeping food down. I didn't have heartburn (I've never had heartburn) but some chest pain. Of course with the degree of Asthma I have chest pain is not unusual. I also get arthritis in the rib/breastbone connection and I've always joked that if I ever have a heart attack they will pick it up on the autopsy. It was like the food would stick part way down and then I'd be like a cat with a hairball trying to get it back up. It came on over a few weeks.

My MD sent me to a gastro Dr immediately and they did an endoscopy and found I had Barret's esophagus. So the acid reflux had been going on for quite a while without my knowledge or any real symptoms.

Surgery was suggested almost right away but I'm not exactly a great surgery candidate with thse lungs or with the extra 120 lbs the prednisone had packed on over the years. (Yes it was the prednisone. I weighed 105 lbs when I took the first dose. In six months I was up to 155. Every course added 10-20 lbs and it never all came off.) We treated the reflux with Prilosec and sleeping on a foam wedge for a long time. I had my esophagus dialated about every six months to keep it from blocking. And the Asthma did improve somewhat over the same time.

Three years ago I talked to a surgeon but he really gave me the creeps. And he didn't sound very reassuring about being able to do the surgery to tighten up the valve at the top of my stomach without opening my chest.

Two years ago I found a local surgeon I was more comfortable with and had the laproscopic surgery. Everything isn't wonderful, my esophagus is damaged from all the reflux and still needs dialated on occasion. The signs of Barret's have been gone from the last two biopsys.

But the last time I was hospitalized for Asthma was six months before the surgery. All of the symptoms are improved. I've even had one or two colds that didn't result in a full course of prednisone. And I've lost 35 lbs without really dieting and still dropping.

My point is reflux can really aggravate asthma. And it can be fairly silent as to symptoms.

Jo Firey