Tests for Acid Reflux Disease (GERD)

Do not eat or drink after midnight prior to your test. Do not smoke the day of your test. If you’re an asthma patient, carry your inhaler.

Follow your physician’s instructions and discontinue the recommended medications seven days before the procedure.

Drugs such as proton pump inhibitors (AcipHex®, Prilosec®, Prevacid®, Protonix®, Nexium®, Zegerid®, Dexilant®) or H2 blockers (Axid®, Pepcid®, Tagamet®, Zantac®) may affect test results. If your physician instructs you to withhold these medications, but you experience discomfort, you may take these or similar antacids: Rolaids®, Tums® or Mylanta®.

Some patients may experience a nosebleed. You may drive yourself home after the procedure.

Testing steps:

1. You are admitted as an outpatient, where staff will take your vital signs.
2. Once the procedure begins, an esophageal motility test is administered to pinpoint the correct placement of the impedance pH probe. This involves inserting a very small catheter into the nostril and advancing it into the stomach.
3. Your doctor slowly withdraws the catheter as you take sips of water. This portion of the test takes 20 to 25 minutes. After that the motility catheter is removed.
4. Next your doctor inserts a different catheter, called an impedance pH probe, into the nostril and advances it into the esophagus. The impedance pH probe remains in place for 24 hours. The probe is connected to a small recorder you carry on a strap over your shoulder.
5. Before you leave, we will give you information regarding diet, medications, smoking and bathing. We will also give you a diary sheet to record selected events throughout the 24-hour period. You will return the following day to have the probe removed.
6. While the impedance pH probe is in place, some patients experience throat irritation. Take sips of water to help reduce irritation. Do not use throat lozenges, as they may affect the results of the test.

Some patients report more difficulty sleeping than usual because they are aware of the probe. Although the probe does not prevent eating or drinking, some patients find these activities somewhat uncomfortable. This discomfort typically lessens as you adjust to the probe being in place.

We understand the concerns that come with acid reflux, GERD and heartburn. Whether you are looking for a diagnosis or a second opinion, we’re here to discover the cause of acid-related symptoms you may be experiencing.

The center’s compassionate team of gastroenterologists will test your symptoms and design a personalized treatment plan that works for you and your family.

Do not eat or drink after midnight prior to your test. Do not smoke the day of your test. If you’re an asthma patient, carry your inhaler.

Follow your physician’s instructions and discontinue the recommended medications seven days before the procedure. Drugs such as proton pump inhibitors (AcipHex®, Prilosec®, Prevacid®, Protonix®, Nexium®, Zegerid®, Dexilant®) or H2 blockers (Axid®, Pepcid®, Tagamet®, Zantac®) may affect test results. If your physician instructs you to withhold these medications, but you experience discomfort, you may take these or similar antacids: Rolaids®, Tums® or Mylanta®.

Other considerations include:

• Patients with a pacemaker or implantable cardiac defibrillator should not undergo a Bravo pH capsule test.
• Some patients may experience mild chest pain.
• The Bravo pH capsule contains a small magnet. You should not have an MRI for 30 days after the test.

We admit you as an outpatient, and a staff member takes your vital signs. A doctor follows up with the steps below:

1. We attach a gel cap-sized device — the Bravo capsule — into the inner layer of the esophagus via a delivery system.
2. After insertion, the doctor releases and removes the delivery system. The device stays in place. The capsule contains a transmitter that sends pH readings via telemetry to a data-capture device worn on your belt.
3. We give you a diary to document the times when you have reflux symptoms (heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain) with a meal or when you are flat on your back.

Once the test is complete, return the diary and Bravo receiver. Our staff will upload the information to a computer for analysis. You may drive yourself home after the test. The capsule passes through the digestive tract and out of your body in about 5-7 days.