Posted by Solstice on October 13, 2011, at 19:10:17
In reply to Re: Antidepressant to Geodon... » Solstice, posted by Phillipa on October 13, 2011, at 10:16:44
> So it was already an existing problem and not caused by meds? Does she take any meds for the heart issues? Even though it's stabalized? Phillipa
Yes, it was pre-existing. She has autonomic dysfunction. This affects all of her autonomic systems, including heart rate, blood pressure, sweating (she'll sweat on one side and not the other, or be cold when it's hot and vice-versa). Our autonomic system also controls digestion, and it affected her esophageal sphincter to the point that as early as age 4, she had acid reflux a couple dozen times each day. The esophagus normally only opens when food hits it, then it closes tightly, but hers would open and close randomly throughout the day, allowing stomach acid to rise into her throat. She took PPI's for ten yeas - been on every single one of them - twice a day. In 2009 it broke through the PPI's and became intolerable, plus putting her at risk for esophageal cancer. She begged her GI for the fundoplication he told her about when she was nine or ten. So that's what they did. They pulled the top of her stomach up and wrapped it around the bottom of her esophagus, and she hasn't had a single reflux since. It was like a miracle to her.
There really aren't meds for her issues. Salt tablets and drinking a lot of water helps stabilize the symptoms. Apparently part of the autonomic dysfunction is a problem with the body staying hydrated. Being under-hydrated exacerbates all these other symptoms. It's funny - because if she skips her salt tabs - it only takes hours for the symptoms to pop up :-)
Sol
poster:Solstice
thread:999552
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20111006/msgs/999644.html